Venice, Italy - Part 1 (San Marco)

Venice - without doubt the most photogenic City I have ever visited. I could be excused for saying Venice is a photographers paradise, and if you're a photography buff yourself then you'll know what I'm getting at if you ever have the pleasure of visiting. I made two trips to Venice within the space of three days - the weather was overcast on the first visit and sunny/cloudy on the second. Weather aside, I intended to make the most of my time here, especially as it may have been my first, second and last visit to this unique place. Water-girt Venice rises on an archipelago of small islands separated by a dense network of waterways, which were rectified down the years, noticably changing the original conformation. Venice lies four kilometers from the mainland and two from the open sea. The longest of the canals, and the widest, is the Grand Canal which divides the city into two main parts that are connected by three bridges - the Bridge of the Scalzi, the Bridge of Rialto and also the Academia. Forty-Five internal canals run into the Grand Canal, which can all be navigated with small boats or gondolas. As many as 350 bridges connect the various zones of the city. Piazza San Marco is a gem among gems in the the field of Italian architecture. This large open space has the Basilica of San Marco, the Palace of Doges and the Logetta (clock tower) on each side. It was here that I made my way into Venice from the boating station after docking a few minutes earlier. The boat trip across from Punta Sabbioni lasted approximately 25 minutes and cost 9 Euro's for a return ticket. The place was crammed with tourists like myself, eager to see what Venice had to offer. The Clock Tower in Piazza San Marco was built between 1496 and 1499 and is undoubtedly one of the most photographed monuments in Venice, mainly because of the two moors that strike the bell at the top of the tower every hour. The Campanile of San Marco is dominated by the lofty bell tower that reaches 100 meters high. Queue's for the tower stretched from its entrance across the way towards the Basilica but I didn't fancy waiting in that lot, opting to explore the more photogenic areas of Veneto instead. Mind you, the view from the top would have been well worth the wait in the queue.

From the Piazzetta I took a swift left turn past the Campanile and into St Mark's Square. Either side of the square is decked with tables and chairs - sit on a chair at your peril! How about 20 Euro's for two cups of coffee - not likely. If you've got money to burn then dive in, but surely no cup of coffee in the world is worth that kind of outlay. Then again, you're paying for the location, a prime spot in the heart of Venice, and that obviously comes at a price. A small orchestra played for the paying customers as they sat watching the world go by. Waiters in white dinner jackets and dicky-bows tended to the customers, lending a rather finishing touch to the art of exclusivety in St Mark's Square. It was interesting to see just how many people were sitting in the restaurant seats - they must have mare money than sense! There was an abundance of Japanese and American tourists among the crowds in St Mark's - many of them formed part of a group that were being guided around the area, enjoying an informal and factual account of ancient Venice up to the present day. I noticed a flyer on the boat across to Venice that advertised a forthcoming open air concert in the square by Sting, former frontman of pop group The Police. The show was billed as Symphonicity, and what a place to play live in on a potentially warm Summer's night. I wonder how much those tickets were going for?

From the Square I headed through the Napoleonic wing, a long walk where exclusive (and very expensive) shops lined the route on one side, with columns along the other that led back into the Square. The first part of Venice had been seen and what an eye-opener it was - a kind of 'How the other half live'. From the Napoleonic Wing I walked through an arch and into Calle Larga, a typical narrow street with high buildings that had plenty of character. At this point the exploration of Venice really started to kick in and I had the feeling I was going to do some serious damage with my camera. It was now time to invite my 10-22mm wide to the party...

To be continued.

Ash

Verona, Italy

With plenty of things to catch up on I'll start with my first ever blog entry of a recent visit to a European City. Although I've visited quite a few capital cities over the last few years I've never actually visited one since I started writing my blog. One of my favourite European cities has to be Rome, in Italy - an excellent place to visit in every aspect. At the beginning of June I visited Italy once again with my family, where we spent seven days on the Venetian Riviera, based at Lido Di Jesolo. This was an ideal base for travelling around northern Italy and my intended 'Hot Spots' for photography were Verona, Lake Garda, and top of the list...Venice. We made visits to all three, and Venice twice, where I photographed some of the places I'd missed during our first visit. We were only at Lake Garda for a couple of hours but it was well worth seeing - more on that another day. Venice was the jewel in the crown though, a place that I'll be writing about at length very soon on my blog. In the meantime, if you'd like to view my Venice slideshow on ashleycorr.com, click here and you will be taken directly to the page. More Venice photographs will be uploaded to my site next week when a new page 'Venice Revisited' will go live.

Todays blog entry concentrates on Verona, a city in Veneto, northern Italy, home to approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows, and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans. The first shot (above) shows a section of the Arena, which in the past has played host to the likes of U2, Simple Minds, REM and Coldplay, to name just a few. We spent a short time outside the Arena but never went inside, opting to press on and see what the centre of Verona had to offer instead. Arena Di Verona still remains in excellent condition today despite its age. As far as a spectacle is concerned I rate the Coliseum in Rome as a more attractive peice of architecture, although the Arena runs a close second. Having said that, I hear the interior of the Coliseum is no match for that of the Arena, which beats it hands down. Unfortunately I can't verify that - not until I make a return visit, that is. As the grey clouds hung above I headed off through the nearby park with its 'Lemon Squeezer' fountain - quite an eye-catcher! The weather was unsettled according to the forecast on my phone. It looked as though a heavy downpour of rain was imminent. Had to keep an eye on that one as we strolled through Piazza Bra in the old Roman section of the town (see photo 2). Just off the Piazza sits the Palazzo Barbieri, Verona's Town Hall that was completed in 1883.

A walk through Via Mazzini takes you to the centre of Verona which is more commonly known as Piazza Delle Erbe (photo 3). There was plenty of activity here - a large square with shops and restaurants on each side, as well as buildings of architectural interest. Once again a fountain took centre stage, right next to the local market stalls that were also attracting a lot of interest. The Madonna Verona Fountain was built in 1368, although the sculpture on top is much older. The building in the background is the Palazzo Mafei which was completed in 1668. Perched along the top rail are six pagan divinity sculptures - Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Apollo, Hercules and Minerva. It is one of the few remaining baroque buildings of Verona and is currently used as a mere tourist office! In the Piazza della Erbe you will also find the Lamberti Tower standing at almost 85 metres high. You can climb it if you're fit enough, or spend a Euro and take the lift. Either way its most definately worth it for a panoramic shot of medieval Verona and beyond. Definately recommended.

Romeo, Romeo, where forth art thou Romeo?
Probably third in line behind the American and French guys getting their picture taken rubbing the right breast of Juliet's statue, he he. It's supposed to bring you luck and since she's bronze, she won't slap you! The legendary lovers famed balcony has become a must see stop for tourists visiting Verona. It doesn't matter if they were fictional characters and the balcony was built in the 1930's to provide photo seeking tourists with a photo op, it's fun to dream and imagine Juliet peering out from the balcony waiting for her lover to appear - he never does though - probably down the bookies putting a few Euro's on a nag!

Today, you can stop in the courtyard and see the statue and balcony, although the place is regularly full of tourists having a good old gander. On entering the gates to the courtyard the side walls are covered in graffiti love notes, which is allowed, although you'll be hard pressed to find a blank space to join in the trend. I'm not that superstitious but my sister wrote a note asking to find a special person and that same night she met a nice guy in Venice - he took her out to an exclusive restaurant for a a pricey meal washed down with the finest Vino, before legging it out the back door, leaving HER to pick up the bill - charming eh! Juliet's house houses a small museum and temporary art exhibitions. All the frescoes, paintings, and ceramics on display are genuine antiques from the 16th and 17th century, however, none of them have ever belonged to the Capulets. Photo number 4 (shown here) is the Romeo & Juliet Balcony. What I would have given to throw a bucket of cold water from the balcony onto the dozens of tourists below, he he. Nowt against tourists mind, I was one of them, but there were screaming kids all over the place and I must have been clouted at least five times by swinging backpacks. Ah well.

And that's about it folks. Verona - a lovely place - just a pity the weather wasn't better. Again, it was one of those visits where you see only a minute fraction of what is on offer. Who knows, I might get back there one day to see more.

Coming next - VENICE

Cheers, Ash

Hatching Out - Mute Swans 2011

I finally got round to posting again on my blog - it's been a while! I've been busy with other things recently, although the photography hasn't suffered because of it - I've got stacks of new images to get through and they will be uploaded soon on ashleycorr.com.

More on that later.

Just a quick update on the Mute Swans that were nesting at nearby Rainton Meadows, Houghton le Spring. After visiting the nest site a few weeks ago I saw a clutch of six eggs, but for reasons unknown only two eggs actually hatched. Whether the nest had been robbed at some point or predators had possibly destroyed the other eggs, who knows. I managed to get over to the site shortly after the two remaining eggs had hatched and here are a couple of photographs from my visit. Both the Cobb and Hen were present as the new cygnets took their maiden voyage on one of the ponds at Rainton Meadows. I didn't get too close however as both parents made it clear upon my arrival that they weren't gonna tolerate any arseing about on my part. Of course the bread came in very handy - the key to those close-up photographs. Weather was fine. Plenty of sun and blue sky. Just the ticket. The birds were literally a couple of feet away from me as I photographed them, with the Cobb guarding them closely as I worked. I made sure not to move around quickly as any sudden movement is usually met with disapproval from both parent swans and if I pushed my luck I was going to get a dig of some sort. Didn't want that did I.

Two nights later I was photographing another family of Mute Swans at Herrington Park near Penshaw Monument. There were seven chicks at this location and they looked approximately ten days old. They must have been fed heavily by visitors to the park earlier in the day as they weren't interested in a feed, preferring to doze off at the waters edge, making photography a bit of a non-starter. I was sat roughly six feet away from them but they just didn't want to know. I normally photograph Mute Swans a lot during the breeding season but 2011 has seen me concentrate more on landscape shots that I had pre-planned earlier in the year. I've also had one or two other things on the go so my nature photography in general has taken a back seat of late. Never mind, there's always next year. I keep toying with the idea of buying a full-on telephoto lens, possibly 500mm, maybe 600mm, but the asking price always puts me off. To me, this type of kit is a must for nature photography, especially birds. I'll stick to landscape photography for now.

I'll be back soon with some photographs and write-up's, including Local Landscapes, Local Landmarks and Live Music Photography. There's also some new 'On Location' shots to come, in the shape of my recent visit to Italy. I photographed the unique city of Venice, plus Verona and Lake Garda...COMING SOON!

Until then, see ya later,

Ash

Hillside Cemetery, Houghton le Spring

From the peaceful idyllic setting of the Northumberland Coast at Dunstanburgh to an eerie yet fascinating site in Houghton le Spring - Hillside Cemetery. I've lived in Houghton for twelve years now, yet it's only recently that this local site has come to my attention. I never knew of its existance until a few years ago when a story went to print in the Sunderland Echo regarding a gang of youths that had recently vandalised the graveyard, including the opening of a tomb. Many headstones were either felled or smashed during this rampage of sheer mindless vandalism, causing outrage in the local community. I don't know whether the culprits were ever brought to book, but the cemetery was later cleaned of all grafitti and some of the headstones were raised back into position to restore the site to a semblance of normality. In December 2003 following a public meeting, the Friends of Houghton Hillside Cemetery were formed and since the formation of the group the site is slowly returning to its former glory. So far the group have carried out substantial conservation works within the site and also secured funds which saw the restoration of the Lych Gate and Railings at the entrance. They have also held their own fund raising events such as their annual open days, a sponsored graveyard gallop and more recently in 2008 a sponsored 10 mile walk. The walk was undertaken in atrocious weather conditions as it rained from beginning to end but this did not deter the Friends who took part. Tours of the site are undertaken several times each year and each time are attended by new visitors to the site together with many visitors who support the group year after year.

Hillside is a cemetery located on the outskirts of Houghton Le Spring and the recently restored Lych Gate can be seen when driving along Houghton Cut on the A690 towards Sunderland. It is in actual fact not a cemetery but a detached burial ground for St Michaels and All Angels Church, however, it is more often than not referred to as 'the old cemetery'. It was consecrated in 1854 by Rector John Grey after a lot of controversy as the site was initially a quarry. There had been an outbreak of Cholera in Houghton Le Spring and as the churchyard surrounding St Michael & All Angels Church was full another site had to be found. Eventually after a lot of debating the Hillside site was consecrated. Initially the main entrance to the site was through Hillside Farm next door but in 1873 the Lych Gate was built and this became the entrance. The Lych Gate was damaged due to a road traffic accident in the 1960's. Due to the site being used less and less the Lych Gate soon became overgrown with ivy and other climbing plants. Although the site was a split level site, Hillside soon started to fill up and it was found necessary to have an extension which was opened in 1894. This also coincided with the opening of the Municipal Cemetery on Durham Road in Houghton Le Spring but as the municipal did not at the time have a consecrated area the authorities were forced to extend Hillside. There were about 7000 burials in total took place at Hillside.

The last burial took place at Hillside in the 1970’s. Also, when the A690 was built through Houghton Cut in the 1960’s the cemetery was forgotten about. Sunderland Street, where the cemetery is located, became a dead end due to the recently built dual carriageway. Hillside quickly became overgrown and a haven for wildlife. During the building of the A690 the headstones on the plateau area of the site were bulldozed and plateau levelled. The stones are supposedly buried in the top left hand corner of the site. There are over 7000 people buried at Hillside including Rector Grey and Thomas Usherwood Robinson. Thomas Usherwood Robinson being the main objector in the controversy! Ironic to think that even though he was one of the main objectors he ended up at Hillside in the end.

A conversation with a workmate who lives in the nearby village of Fence Houses turned to the subject of Hillside Cemetery. He encouraged me to make a visit with my camera as the cemetary was an interesting place to photograph. I said I would take his advice and get my arse up there, sooner rather than later. Since the conversation I often wondered what this place actually looked like, after hearing tales of this strange place that is situated on a hillside, just five minutes drive from my house. It was by chance that the following day I had my car booked in for its annual MOT test, at a garage just down the road from Hillside Cemetery. Instead of waiting in the garage while my car was being tested I decided to take a walk up to the cemetary and return to collect my car later. I had an hour to kill so off I trudged, up the bank to the main Lych Gate entrance (pictured here - photo one). Walking through the arch I headed along the path towards a plateau next to the cliff face. There were a dozen or so headstones scattered about and a recently erected memorial cross to honour the miners that had died at Houghton Colliery down the years, before its eventual closure in 1981. The place was desolate, just me and my camera phone, walking around this odd place that must have had many a story behind it, unknown to me.

As I found myself at the far end of the plateau I stood next to the memorial cross and looked back across the plateau. It was at this point I thought to myself 'Is this all there is'. It certainly didn't live up to my expectations. I was told there were many gravestones standing up against the cliff face, but I didn't see any. I was about to head back to the entrance of the cemetary when I noticed a break in the trees behind the memorial stone. Intrigued, I walked into the wooded area on a well used path - obviously there was more to Hillside Cemetery than first meets the eye. As I walked into the woods I noticed what looked like a gravestone, then another, and another. By now my mind was working overtime and it suddenly dawned on me that my visit to Hillside Cemetery was only just beginning. I hadn't seen anything yet! What lay ahead was something of completed astonishment - dozens of graves in a completely overgrown wooded area. It was definately a surreal moment, like a scene from the set of a horror movie. I was half expecting some zombie like figure to crawl out from the undergrowth and tell me to get back to the garage, as my car had failed its MOT with four broken coil springs, he he. I've visited some unusual places in my time but nothing like this. And to think, I'd been living on its doorstep for over a decade!

The majority of the gravestones were vandalised. Many dated back to early nineteenth century - etchings on some were barely visible through erosion over the passage of time. As I walked further into the site I noticed a large black char mark on the ground, obviously the result of a fire by some locals - maybe even lit during a night time vigil whilst camping, who knows. Rather them than me. Nearby I noticed a blanket sticking out of the earth. I scraped at it with my foot, wondering what lay inside it. Maybe a pet had been buried at this spot. Just then my mobile phone rang loudly - I nearly shat myself!!! Places like this have a habit of hightening your senses and every little sound is heard, like a twig snapping nearby, or did it? Was my mind playing games with me, I wondered. It was broad daylight yet I wasn't having any of it. Call me a pussycat, but you had to be in the thick of this place to realise its ability to unnerve. Another moment to forget was when I kneeled down to brush away leaves on a felled gravestone. I remember reading 'Aged 3 years' as a roosting pigeon in the tree above decided to fly off, making a racket in the process. Again, I missed a heart beat and feared a change of underwear was on the cards if I stayed here any longer. Time to go collect my car!

Hillside Cemetery - a place I'll not forget in a hurry. A fascinating place.
I'll be back soon. Thanks for visiting - Ash

Rocky Foreshore, Dunstanburgh

Hello again. It's been over a week since my last ramblings so I thought it best to show my face again. Not literally of course - wouldn't want to give you nightmares, he he. During May I visited the Northumberland Coast once again. My favourite stretch of coastline is Dunstanburgh to Holy Island, but my latest trip up north saw me dropping anchor at Dunstanburgh Steads. The approach road from the A1(M) reaches a cul-de-sac near the golf course which sits at the edge of the coastal walk between Embleton and Dunstanburgh Castle. After parking up I walked across the sand dunes towards Dunstanburgh Heughs, a place I've visited a few times during the last couple of years. There's a section of coastline that has a boulder field for a good half mile - thousands of almost sphere like black rocks that draw you in for a decent photograph. I timed my visit to coincide with the high tide in an attempt to try out my new set of ND filters. These filters are basically darkened glass, similar to polarizing filters, which reduce the amount of light that passes through the lens, which in turn allows very slow shutter speeds in very bright, sunny conditions. The slow shutter speed would enable me to blur the motion of the incoming tide, giving a kind of milky effect to the water. I like this kind of photography and I was hopeful of getting the shots I wanted.

Of course, slippery rocks and incoming tide aren't ideal conditions - first and foremost there's the safety aspect, followed by the risk of water damage to your gear should the force of the tide turn nasty. A few photographers have become casualties of this well known stretch of coastline, including Terry Cavner, a local photographer who slipped and broke his leg before being airlifted to hospital. 'Tread carefully' I kept reminding myself. The weather was spot on. Warm, sunny, a slight breeze and barely a cloud in the sky. The tide was playing ball too - almost full tide when I arrived at Dunstanburgh Heughs. Time to play. After negotiating the boulder field with the aid of an extended tripod as a walking stick, I was in position and taking my first shots around mid-afternoon. There were a few walkers on the path to my right but no-one on the rocks in front of me, which was ideal - don't want any intruders spoiling my shots, eh. At one point I had three filters fitted to my wide angle lens - ended up with slight vignetting but eliminated it by increasing focal length of the lens, just slightly. After half an hour my legs were on the end of a good soaking from the incoming tide. I wasn't too bothered though as there's always a small price to pay when taking this type of photograph. Push your luck too much and the price could be higher! It's all about common sense really - not pushing the limits. Making pictures in dicey conditions is fine along as you know where to draw the line. I cut in a few times as the tide started to surround my feet - A simple case of staying one step ahead of the game.

After 45 minutes or so I chucked the towel in. Well, not quite, but if I'd got my hands on a towel it would have been handy - I'd been well soaked by this time. I packed up my gear and headed off the boulder field to the safer, dry land. Eyed up a couple of new positions to photograph from, just below Lilburn Tower which sat on the crag above. A grazing field nearby had recently become a pond - something I'd never seen on my previous visits. Steam sat on the water, offering a nice photo into the bargain. A lone fence drew me in as I looked for a reflection of Lilburn Tower in the still water. This is what I saw - shot 3. A nice little composition. A couple of people with camera's came over and nicked my position, not that I minded of course. It was probably the best viewpoint along this coastal stretch. Might as well capture it while you can.

I returned home later that evening and watched a new drama series called Vera, about a Geordie investigator and the pilot episode was shot on the Dunstanburgh coastline where I'd been a few hours earlier. It was interesting stuff. I'd more or less traced their steps.

And that's all for now. From the relaxed peaceful setting of Dunstanburgh to the eerie setting of Hillside Cemetary in Houghton le Spring. That's my next blog entry - coming soon. An interesting one to say the least!!!

Until then, see ya. Ash

Elvet Bridge, County Durham

Durham City Centre offers countless photo opportunities. You notice something of interest at almost every turn and one area of interest that keeps drawing me in is the riverside walk from Milburngate to the Elvet Bridge. Between these two points on the route you pass probably the most iconic landmark in the whole of north-east England - Durham Cathedral. Some spectacular shots of the cathedral can be taken along the riverside, mainly from the south bank, during all four seasons, but especially in Autumn. After passing the cathedral the path takes a turn round the river bend towards Prebends Bridge. Again, there's photo opportunities here when rowing boats pass through its arches - mostly pleasure boats on hire from the guy next to Elvet Bridge. Elvet forms the subject of todays blog entry. It was an early Sunday morning when I took these shots and the weather was ideal - nice blue sky with some swirls of white to finish it off. Always nice for a landscape shot! Looking towards Elvet (first shot above) there was more than enough subject in the frame, making it quite a busy shot without too much clutter. Infact, from bottom to top of the frame there's enough to keep you interested, which I suppose was all I was trying to achieve. As I was in position early there were still plenty of boats tethered to the walls, giving a nice colourful and organised display at the edge of the shot. The Elvet Bridge, along with the houses behind it seem to give a nice balance in centre shot, with the ancient architecture of castle and cathedral sitting at the top. Incuded is a fair bit of green, giving a slight side step to the idea that this is a typical city centre shot, which it certainly isn't. The rowing boat on the water finishes the shot off quite nicely - mind you, I had to wait long enough for it to appear where I wanted it!

My second shot was taken at ground level where the boat hirer was sat. It was here that I switched lenses, opting for a wide angle perspective instead of the bog standard. The scene in front of me was crying out 'Wide angle' especially as I was almost on top of the rowing boats. I knew this change of direction would give a nice angle and slight distortion of the boats, so I went from there. The 10-22mm wide is great to use and it never fails to surprise. I often wonder why it took me so long to get my hands on one. I wouldn't be without it now. The composition looked even better through the viewfinder after I'd fitted my 77mm polarizer and rotated it for best effect. Another piece of kit that travels in the kit bag at all times.

Finally - shot 3. Taken next to Elvet Bridge. Something slightly different - boats under the arches with accompanying paddles, ideally placed against the wall. As soon as I saw the paddles I could see the picture in front of me immediately. It was simply a case of composing the shot as best as I could. I took three or four shots in both landscape and portrait format, metering off the stonework, which sort of burned out the sky in the background somewhat, but there ya go. After taking my shots I wondered whether I should get my arse into one of these boats and head downstream. Then I remembered it had been years since I rowed a boat and this made me think on. I decided to give it a swerve - maybe it was too much on the owld fella's body, he he. I convinced myself I wouldn't have time to get down the River Wear and back in time for Sunday lunch at 12 prompt, so the decision was made for me - maybe next time (ahem!) Of course, next time never comes does it.

Belly rumbling, I was back home in no time, fillin' me chops wi top notch grub. Job done

Back soon! Ash

Woodland Walks, Bedale, North Yorkshire

Hello again, and welcome to another blog entry of mine. My site updates have been sparse lately due to other commitments - mainly printing, mounting and framing. I've taken time out tonight to give you an insight into our recent visit to Bedale in North Yorkshire. As part of a family day out we visited Ripon and Harrogate, before stopping off in Bedale. The weather was kind, infact very kind as the whole day was filled with bright sunshine and good temperature, making conditions ideal for getting off the beaten track and taking in some photography in the bargain. Bedale is a bustling market town which lies between the North Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors, in the district of Hambleton.

The Riverside, although technically not a river, Bedale Beck makes a pleasant backdrop for walks and visiting points of interest along the way, including the Heritage Trail. Designed by the local Heritage Trust, the Heritage Trail provides an excellent insight into the extent of Bedale's colourful past. And it's colour all the way as you walk the many designated paths through the wooded areas and also the riverside route. We walked for miles, passing mant points of interest that I captured from behind the lens. A variation of colour awaits you at every turn, including daffs, cherry blossom and bluebells. There was even a sudden burst of bright red in the form of some stray tulips - strategically planted just off the main path behind the fence. An example of it is shown here.

Springtime is always full of activity and colour where plants and flowers are concerned. I'm not a big fan of this kind of photography to be honest, but sometimes seeing full bloom just isn't enough, so the camera records the moment for future reference. I like to think I've captured it quite well here. Today's photography was on the back of my recent visit to Mowbray Gardens in Sunderland, where once again I found myself capturing a burst of colour amongst the flowerbeds. At the turn of the year (2011) I made the decision to capture as many colourful flower shots as possible, mainly due to the fact that I had virtually no stock library and also my plans to include them on calendars and postcard designs. I'm not finished yet - I've earmarked more places of interest where I'm guaranteed some decent shots - just waiting the right weather and I'm off!

Bedale was an ideal stop off and another place I shall revisit, maybe in Autumn when the place will be bathed in more colour. We had a nice bar meal in the Three Coopers Inn before heading home. Proper real ale too, although I gave it a miss as I was soon behind the wheel and northbound on the A1(M). A nice day all round - weather, scenery, pub grub and photography - why man, ya cannit get vexed!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be back soon.
Ash