Photo Walk Extraordinaire!

It's been a busy couple of days. I have been up in London at the Blogtacular Conference being inspired and having fun. The main conference was on Saturday, but on Friday there was the option to go on a photo walk so I signed up. Imagine about 25 colourfully dressed women armed with phones and cameras charging though the streets of Chelsea and you'll get the idea!

The first place we stopped was a cake shop called Peggy Porschen - I really have to go back and try the delicious looking cakes!

Then we wandered on, following our leader, photographing anything and everything of interest!

It was a great afternoon, though I have to say at the end of a couple of hours pounding the pavements I was ready to go back to the hotel and have a rest!

If you would like to see more on the photowalk and Blogtacular, head on over to my other site ChequerCreative where I will be posting in a few days time. In the meantime have a great week.

Gentians on the Isle of Wight?

Last weekend we went for a walk up on Tennyson Down which is one of my favourite places in the world. You walk along an ever narrowing chalk escarpment until you reach the end of the world (or rather the Isle of Wight) at the Needles rocks and lighthouse.

The Wikipedia entry on the Needles Lighthouse tell us the following:

The Needles Lighthouse was built by Trinity House in 1859 on the outermost of the chalk rocks near sea level. Designed by James Walker, it cost £20,000. Constructed from granite, it stands 33.25 metres (109.1 ft) high and is a circular tower with straight sides.

It replaced a light tower on top of a cliff overhanging Scratchell's Bay, which was first lit on 29 September 1786. Its height of 144m above sea level meant it was often obscured by fog and sea mists.[1]

In 1987 a helipad was added to the top of the lighthouse, and it became fully automated when the last keepers left on 8 December 1994.[1] One of the last three remaining manned rock lighthouses in England and Wales, before automation it was staffed by a three man crew operating a 24 hour watch, serving one month on / one month off, living in rudimentary conditions in three levels below the light.[2]

When I was a child this was a manned lighthouse without the helicopter landing pad on the top. Early each December there would be a picture in the local paper of the Christmas food going out by boat with the men on the Christmas shift. It must have been a very tough life!

In the middle of the down, on the highest point, lies Tennyson Cross, a memorial to the great Victorian poet who lived in the lee of the downs towards Freshwater Bay. He was apparently often to be seen striding across the downs in his trademark cloak and hat and is rumoured to have composed some of his greatest work up here

At the bottom of the track that leads from Highdown pit up on to the down there is a visitor information board detailing some of the plants and wildlife one might expect to see. I was astonished to see that one of the plants listed was the gentian which I previously associated solely with alpine regions.

Up on the downs the flora mostly consisted of some small harebells and some kind of thistles, then I spotted them, the English gentians, perhaps not such a brilliant blue as their alpine counterparts but gentian shaped all the same, and just like the picture on the information board !

Continuing our walk towards the Needles we had a wonderful view of my other favourite walk on West Wight, Headon Warren, where the heather was just beginning to turn purple across the cornfields

The shadows on the top picture are of the clouds scudding quickly above the sky and I admit to using a bit of artistic licence (AKA photoshop) on the bottom picture.

The habitat over on the warren is very different, perhaps because the land is slightly less exposed. Instead of the large swathes of springy turf there are tangles of gorse, heather and brambles interlaced with honeysuckle.

The view of the needles is different too, classic but less iconic than when viewed from above.

This walk was one of my sparkling moments last week - I'd love to hear about yours

Invitation to an Autumn Walk

I though I would like to invite you to join for for a short photo walk in my neighbourhood (can you call a load of fields a neighbourhood?). We are going to start in the garden go out the gate turning right along the farm track past the farm then up the lane and back in by the main drive - not as grand as it sounds there are a number of houses!

I am always amazed by the treasures I discover in my garden, new perspectives, small details, changing seasons.

I don't often stand at the back of the trellis in our dustbin area and take photos looking out - it gave a new perspective on the plants in the bed. Walking down the garden I was struck by the sun on the beech hedge we planted last year, it was so bright you would have thought it a pile of gold, and I loved the bright yellow of the Forsythia leaves by the gate.

Walking down towards the farm I loved the frost tracks on the grass with the brown leaves providing a contrast.

Past the farm now - we could take this footpath but I think we'll continue on up the lane. When you're on a photo walk its important to keep looking in all directions to find the beauty around you and especially important to look both up and down!

Nearly home now with a chance to admire the winter fields to our right as we turn in the main drive, and straight ahead as we head back towards the house. I hope you enjoyed our walk together!