Bowes Museum, County Durham

Every Saturday, except when I'm working, my wife and I jump into the car and find a nice quiet pub for a drink and a spot of lunch. We've found some great pubs on our travels over the last few months and it's just nice to get away from it all for an hour or two. If the weather is nice we normally go for a stroll to brush off the owld cobwebs - knar wot a mean?

 

Barnard Castle was where we ended up this time. We parked up near the Castle and headed off in search of a pub with grub. An hour later, after being fed and watered we had a walk along the riverside and then back up the hill for a quick look around the shops. Just before we left for home we stopped off at Bowes Museum and it's lovely gardens. Aye, a nice afternoon all round.

Who knows where we'll end up next time...

Cheers, Ash (and Amanda)

Holy Island & Lindisfarne

The day was Saturday September 12th 2009. My original plan was to head north up the A1 and grab some panoramic landscape shots of Alnwick Castle. It was 11.00am and after realizing that the sun had risen around 5.30am, I had a feeling that by the time I arrived at the castle the sun would have been shining on the wrong side of its walls. Well, I got there to find exactly that. My intended vantage point for photography was now out of the question as the walls were in shade and from where I was standing...well, not much point in flogging a deed horse! So, that was that - it was now time for Plan B.

Plan B was a hastily arranged trip to Holy Island & Lindisfarne, which was a few miles further north. I say 'Hastily' as it was decided in a matter of seconds without any prior knowledge of the day's tide tables. Anyone who knows Holy Island will be well aware that the causeway is flooded at high tide, preventing motorists from making the crossing. I got lucky.

I arrived at the causeway at approximately 11.30am. It was safe to cross and I had until 7.15pm before leaving the island at high tide. So, plenty time to kill and the weather was perfect, a lovely warm day with no breeze and barely a cloud in the sky. After parking on the Island I made my way down to The Heughs, a rugged peice of terrain behind Lindisfarne Priory. It is here that visitors can enjoy great panoramic views of the island, including the Priory ruins as well as the Castle, Marina and even Bamburgh Castle in the distance. A couple of sailing boats were anchored just off the heughs. On one boat was a man playing the violin. You could hear a pin drop on this calm beautiful day as the vioilinist played 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow.'

I took a few shots of the priory ruins before taking a short break on the sand banks nearby. I was planning to photograph the Marina after taking in the tranquil setting for a few minutes. The Marina area is quite photogenic, with old upturned cobles here and there, plus a scattering of lobster pots and anchors.

Before heading off for a spot of lunch at Seahouses, in the shape of Haggis n' Chips, I took a few shots within the grounds of St Ann's Church, including a lovely panorama of Lindisfarne Priory which can be viewed at ashleycorr.com.

Job done! A great day...these Plan B's come in handy from time to time...
Ash

Washington Old Hall

Having bought a National Trust membership and not used it in months, I thought it was high time I got my act together and got my money's worth. It was a lovely warm day and I didn't fancy a big drive, opting to stay local and pay a visit to Washington Old Hall. I grabbed a few photo's inside the hall during my last visit in 2008, so this time I hoped to grab a few in the grounds. The Jacobean Gardens are very photogenic and depending on what time of year you visit, there's a variety of colour in the many plants within the grounds. The adjacent Nuttery didn't have a great deal to offer although it was the ideal 'Secret Garden' to get away from it all.

I was lucky enough to photograph the intricate topiary near the site entrance, shortly after a fresh cut from the resident gardener. The photograph was very similar to the one I shot last year which was used on the St Benedict's 2009 calendar that I contributed to. Well worth a visit.

Ash

Great North Run 2009

It's that time again. It doesn't seem five minutes since the 2008 Great North Run. In many ways today, the day of the 2009 run, is very similar to last years event. I find myself on the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle and the area is packed with spectators on another sunny day in September. The drummers have turned up again, adding to the carnival atmosphere that has made this event a big hit since it started back in 1981.

Last year I photographed the runners at four different locations on the GNR route, beginning on the Tyne Bridge. This year I decided against 'Trashing it' and settled on photographing
from one location only. Naturally, many of the roads were closed to allow the run to take place, so driving from location to location on the route had it's problems and car parking was a nightmare too. So, the Tyne Bridge was an ideal backdrop for todays photographs and I was armed with a set of fresh batteries and an empty memory card - it was time to roll.

At around 10.30am the first disabled runners came through, follwed a few minutes later by the Elite Woman. Next it was the turn of the Elite Men, followed by the baggage coaches, and there were plenty of them!

Soon enough the main race started and thousands of runners were heading towards me on the Tyne Bridge. Many were in fancy dress and I kept my eyes peeled for the odd celebrity or two, which isn't easy when there's so many people running towards you. I fired off dozens of frames in sports mode, often catching runers with a series of staggered shots. The old stick standing next to me kept telling her grandchildren that she's seen this one and that one from Emmerdale - I never saw them, and even if I did I wouldn't admit it...he he. Then I heard her shout 'Hello Mr Ramsey'...bloody hell, the swearing chef had just ran past me!

I did manage to catch a couple of celebs on camera though. Jerome Flynn, half of the Robson & Jerome double act, and someone from Emmerdale...oh no, did I just say Emmerdale! Oh, go on then.

I stayed until the last runners had gone past, and followed shortly after by the 'Sweep Vehicle' that was clearing the road so that the bridge could resume normal service. Well, by this time it was almost mid-day so I made the short journey back to my car in Gateshead and then off home where a lovely big fat lamb roast was about to be served up. The Mrs, she's a little diamond...so she is!

Ash

HMS Ocean

2009 has so far been a good year for me regarding sales of my work. It's always interesting to find out who has bought my images, whether they are mounted, mounted and framed, or simply prints on their own. Now and again I find that my work has been sent on to people around the country, who may have once lived here in the North-East and want a little something to remind them of the region.

I regularly exhibit my work in the Sunderland Tourist Information Centre. I have had quite a lot of success since my first framed photograph was sold there back in November 2008 and my latest sale has a bit of a story behind it. The photograph above, which is Penshaw Monument At Dusk, was mounted and framed on request before being displayed in the Sunderland Tourist Information Centre and has achieved sales of 10 in the last few months alone. Sat in a 40 inch panoramic frame, the image is quite dramatic and shows Sunderland's most prominent landmark at it's best. The last unit on display was bought as a presentation gift and has found itself a new home - onboard HMS Ocean, the giant Royal Navy helicopter carrier that made a recent visit to Sunderland. The 22,500 tonne amphibious assault vessel docked at Corporation Quay in Hendon and spent a total of four days there. The warship is a sea-going commando base, capable of rapid deployment anywhere in the world.

It's nice to know that my work is now being displayed on water as well as land, which is something I never envisaged a short while ago. HMS Ocean must have clocked up thousands of miles since it left Sunderland recently - again, a nice thought that my work is reaching territories that I never imagined. And long may it continue!

To view a short article on HMS Ocean's recent visit to Sunderland just click the link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8262991.stm

Thanks again, Ash

A Flock Of Seagulls - Newcastle Academy

My first 'Live Music' blog entry. It was time to use my compact Fuji camera again - a permanent fixture when it comes to live music concerts. The battery (and spare) had been charged during the day plus I had the luxury of an empty 4gb memory card.

 

Tonight it was 'A Flock Of Seagulls', who started life in the 1980's as part of the New Romantic/ Electronic scene. The venue was the O2 Academy in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Quite a few people showed up for this one, although it was by no means a packed house. I went to the Academy with my gig mate 'Billy Bootleg' and got a reality slap at the bar when the young lass charged me £7.20 for two pints of lager!!! Mind you, them Geordies have always been a set of robbing buggers, eh (wink).

The gig itself was great. Fifteen songs in total. At £13 a ticket it was a steal. The support act, Billy Blood-Axe, was a bit of a joke though. Never mind, at least he had the balls to get up on that stage...unlike me. He he.

Ash

Whitby Sunrise

It's 5am and I'm traveling from our base at Robin Hood's Bay to the nearby North-Yorkshire town of Whitby. Yes, that's right - 5am !! In my still rather tired state I keep asking myself what the hell am I doing. I mean, I could be tucked up in that nice warm bed, knocking out those zedders, yet here I am on this cold morning in search of a nice sunrise shot over Whitby Harbour. It's always a gamble when you rise early for sunrise photography. I've lost count of the times I've showed up at the crack of dawn, but the sun hasn't. Low cloud on the horizon can often make your efforts a complete waste of time, but striking lucky can make those efforts all the more worthwhile, and that was what I was hoping for.

I parked up on West Cliff shortly before sunrise. There wasn't a soul about. It was very quiet, as you would expect. Just the odd seagull calling here and there. A fishing boat left the harbour below my vantage point on the cliff, and in all probability, the crew were in search of those rather nice cod that Whitby is famous for serving up.

The sky was fairly clear, and I was hopeful for a few nice shots when the sun finally made an appearance on the horizon. A man and his dog walked by as I set up my tripod - he must have thought I'd lost the plot, taking photographs at this mad hour! But, you've gotta break a couple of rules to get the shots you want, regardless of the time and location. So, I was in position and the sun came up at 5.20am. I snapped away, rattling off a dozen or so frames, before beating a hasty retreat to the car. As I returned to Robin Hood's Bay, a wild deer ran across the road, just missing my car. It jumped over a broken fence and ran off into the distance. Five minutes later I was back in bed and off to sleep. A couple of hours later I was outa bed and in the shower, before being treated to a lovely cup of tea and a massive bacon sandwich, courtesy of my wife. She knows the score...aye, brown sauce anarl!!! I then reflected on my early rise by checking my 'Whitby Sunrise' shots. I was quite pleased with them. It was well worth the effort.

Ash