A few weeks ago on the Universe Blog I posted some photographs of Watergate Park, a recreational park on land that used to be a colliery, you can check that post out HERE. I also took quite a few with my Contax Aria armed with a roll of Kodak Portra. It’s freezing here in the North UK and has been all week, so let’s turn back the clock to Autumn, and have a lovely walk through the park.
this way
the treeful path
All the colours
A pin oak. Or scarlet oak. Some sort of oak anyhoo.
Arty farty sculpture chair. Doesn’t look very comfortable.
Frog on a stick with spectacles.
Shimmertrees
Water falling
The look-at-me tree.
It has been a lovely Autumn, that seemed to go on a long time. Phil’s hanging baskets lasted until this week. Not much snow here, just a few hours on a couple of days, but below freezing temperatures day and night, so what we did have is stuck in suspended non-animation and it is treacherously icy everywhere. The south got the worst of the snow, which is fair enough as they get hotter summers, but I really would have liked some more of it, for photographic purposes 🙂
Back in the Jurassic era, when there were heydays and I was in mine, on good weather weekends, my friends and I would cycle to the Grand Union Canal in Hemel Hempstead, where we lived, and cycle 8 miles along the canal paths as far as Tring, then we’d cycle back home. There were, and still presumably are, several establishments along the way where you could rest and refresh yourself with beverages, usually half a pint of Bulmers, and have a nice lunch. Summers were fab down south back then and I got fit and tanned, and only rode my bike and myself into the canal once. Ah halcyon days indeed.
The Grand Union Canal came to be in 1929 when it amalgamated with a couple of other canals to try and mitigate against the competitive rail and newly-developing road transport system. It’s the main navigable waterway between London and the Midlands, starting in London, with an arm running to Leicester and a second arm going to Birmingham. The London-Birmingham route is 137 miles long and has 166 locks to pass through.
The Grand Union Canal
When I went and stayed in Leighton Buzzard to look after my grandson whilst his Dad took his lady to the Isle of Wight Festival, I took my Contax to the bit of the canal that you can access from the carpark at the Tesco Superstore, and spent a pleasant couple of hours having a wander.
I found this carved felled tree trunk at the beginning of the walk
Lemmy Out.
Plenty of narrow boats that people either live in or use as holiday homes are berthed on the canal. Lutra is named after the Eurasian Otter of the same name.
Lutra Lutra
homes from homes
Loved the washing line and TV ariel on this
All Mod Cons
There are houses who’s gardens abut the canal,
an idylic situation
The Wyvern Shipping Company hire out narrow boats for day trips, or longer. holidays, it’s on my bucket list of things to do.
Not every vessel was a narrow boat
Narrow boats are usually decorated with plants and colourful painted bits and pieces
I reached the first lock on this stretch and was hoping for a boat to come through
Linslade Lock
And got lucky.
That was were I turned round and went back to pick up Lewis from school, after a lovely afternoon which brought some fab memories back.
All shots clickable and embiggenable
All shots taken with my Contax Aria on a roll of Kodak Portra.
I’ve recently been posting about Morpeth and Herterton Country Garden over on theUniverse Blog with images from my FujiXT2, but of course I took along my Contax Aria loaded with a roll of Kodak Portra 200 and took some more pictures with it which I’m sharing today.
The Toll House Toll houses were built on toll roads, tolls being fees that travellers on the road had to pay. A toll collecter lived in the house and there was often a gate across the road to stop people travelling without paying. This one is an early 19th century building, a Grade II listed building and is now a pub called The Office.
Morpeth sits in a loop of the River Wansbeck.
Morpeth Old Bridge ~ footbridge part. a medieval multi-span bridge of 13th century date, which spanned the River Wansbeck in Morpeth. The bridge was in use until 1835 when it was partially demolished and replaced by a new bridge downstream. The abutments and central pier remain standing to about 4m high and are surmounted by a 19th century footbridge.
Free dip and tomato ketchup!!
On to Herterton now.
Top topiary!
A saxon pot
The three faced scottish sundial on the arched byre, and Marjorie at work.
the exit from the flower garden into the wildflower garden
in the wild flower gaden
pink poppies
gooseberries
Macedonian scabious (Knautia macedonica), an extremely hardy ornamental plant.
fragglefilm 