Tag Archives: Picture of the day

10th August picture of the day…

10 Tuesday Aug 2021

Posted by in Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Not a bad day here in Bigland Towers even if I didn’t get through 3/4 of the things I’d hoped to – as is often the case as life just seems to keep getting in the way! At least the weather’s improved, which lifts the mood. I managed to tear Dawn away from her computer at lunchtime and the two of us had an amble through the local woods which was lovely. The recent rains have encouraged a real growth spurt in some plants so it looks like we’ll be having a bumper crop of Blackberries this year. The only downside is the brambles are throwing out so many tendrils they’re making some of the woodland walks awkward to navigate – especially if you’re wearing shorts! If the brambles don’t get you, the Nettles will!

Back at home I’ve been ploughing through various work projects and organising the diary which (thankfully) is looking a lot fuller than this time last year. Admittedly, there’s no plans for getting abroad right now, but I’ll be ‘on tour’ in the UK again for the next couple of days, so expect a rolling blog or two. Tomorrow I make my way to Carlisle to meet up with an old friend from London who’s on a business trip to the area. Having company on one of these jaunts will be fun as Covid’s meant I’ve normally been flying solo. We’ll be taking a photographic trip down the Cumbrian coast. I’m I’m hoping the weather Gods will smile upon us. I’ve not had the opportunity to visit the area for a couple of years so I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be making my way back to Yorkshire on Thursday and I’ve a couple of places I could do to visit to get shots for a client so I’ll be watching the weather forecast and hoping it performs to expectations. But hey, this is Britain after all, I could end up with floods or blizzards!

Whilst I’ve been slaving away back in the office I discovered a stash of old slides from my 1991-92 world trip that I’d never got around to cataloguing as the emulsion on some of them had been attacked by fungus before I could post them back to the UK. Now, with the wonders of modern technology – and a lot of patience in Photoshop, most of them can be restored, so here’s the picture of the day…

I took this shot in the old loco shed at the Amberawa Railway museum in Java, Indonesia on the 11th July 1992.

I was staying in nearby Yogyakarta in Central Java and was determined to fit in a visit, even though it meant catching a packed local bus to get there as the operational railway between the two towns had closed back in the 1970s. It was well worth the trip as the museum houses a fascinating collection of old Indonesian steam locomotives of all shapes and sizes, including a few British built examples. This one was (and is) still operational. B2503 was built by Esslingen of Germany (Works number 3244 of 1902). It’s a rack and adhesion type of engine, which means that on the steep gradients around Amberawa the locomotive gripped a rack rail between the two conventional rails, pulling itself and its train along on the rack via a powered cog-wheel rather than relying on simple adhesion. This 0-4-2 wheel arrangement tank locomotive looks small, but it weighs in at 31 tons! Sadly, on the day I visited, none of the engines were in steam. Nowadays the museum’s and its locomotives are a lot better kept so I’m determined to get back there again once the present pandemic has subsided. I really enjoyed travelling in Java, both then and during my last visit in 2017. It’s a beautiful island rich in history and with some great food too. Oh, and the odd railway gem like this!

I’ll eventually get around to restoring all these old pictures when time permits. Maybe that’s a job for those long dark winter nights. Right now there’s too many contemporary shots on my list to keep me occupied.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

9th August picture of the day…

09 Monday Aug 2021

Posted by in Photography, Picture of the day, The USA

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

There’s not much of a blog from me today, mainly because of the fact there’s been little of note happening today, just much of a muchness. I’ve plenty of things I could write about but there’s no time left in the day to do it! It’s time to switch off for the evening after a long day working on pictures, paperwork and plans…

Today’s picture is from the latest batch of old slide scans from the USA. I took this shot in Yosemite National Park in Northern California on the 29th October 1990. Our little band had booked a cabin for a couple of nights so that we could go walking in the park. On the first morning I spotted this shot as the rising sun was filtered by the pine trees around the camp and the wood-smoke from camp fires added an extra filtering effect. Magic!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

7th August picture of the day…

07 Saturday Aug 2021

Posted by in Musings, Picture of the day, The USA, Trams, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Saturday’s been another quiet day here in the Calder Valley, mainly because the weather’s not been up to much and Dawn’s been out with a friend, so I’ve been left to my own (electronic) devices for the day. I’d toyed with the idea of going for a long walk but the fact I’d have been soaked in the process put a damper on that idea. Instead I found myself passing time scanning yet more old slides, editing pictures and carrying out household chores, which kept me occupied until the rain decided to give us all a break, allowing me to venture out to enjoy a walk down into Sowerby Bridge, potter along the Rochdale canal, then climb the hill to home. Normally Sowerby Bridge would be busy with day-trippers and other tourists this time of year but the town was surprisingly quiet. Covid’s still having an impact as sensible people are being cautious at the moment. That said, I walked past our local narrowboat hire company (Shire Cruisers) only to find their basin completely empty as all their boats are out on hire. After the awful time they must have had in 2020 this was a sight for sore eyes. I must admit to a flash of jealousy. A group of friends and I hired one of their boats back in 2006 and had a fabulous time cruising from Sowerby Bridge up to the Leeds and Liverpool canal and across the Pennines towards Blackburn. I’ve always harbored an ambition to own a narrowboat and seriously considered buying one a few years ago, but plans got put on hold because of ‘events’ on the UK political scene. Maybe one day…

Having avoided the temptation to stop for a pint in Sowerby I dodged the rain on the way home and called in at a local hostelry just down the road called the Wainhouse Tavern. It was never my local pub, that was a place called The Big 6, but the 6 has been sold and legal bureaucracy over the transfer of ownership has meant it’s remained closed despite the lifting of lockdown, so the Wainhouse has become a sort of surrogate where I know I may be able to see a few familiar faces and have a chat and a joke. After months and months of lockdowns and as a freelance who can lead a fairly solitary and nomadic existence that’s lovely to be able to do now and again.

I didn’t linger longer than a couple of pints and now I’m back home at Bigland Towers sorting out a few more bits whilst Dawn (who’s returned from Holmfirth) cooks her amazing Spanish Prawns dish, so there’s just enough time left for me to post the picture of the day, which ia another old slide from my latest batch of pictures from the USA.

I took this picture in San Francisco, California on the 26th October 1990 as one of the iconic cable cars was being rotated on a turntable at the end of the line. I must admit to loving the old San Fran cable cars, they’re such a great way to travel and the folks who staffed them were brilliant as they were such wise-crackers and naturals with people, locals and tourists alike.

I rather fell in love with the city when I was there, although, bizarrely I’ve never been back since – despite having visited the USA many times afterwards. I’ve always promised myself – ‘one day’. Mind you, with the way Covid’s clipped my wings I’d settle for travelling anywhere outside this Sceptic Isle right now! I can’t wait for the world to start opening up again…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

6th August picture of the day…

06 Friday Aug 2021

Posted by in Musings, Picture of the day

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

We’ve had another mixed-fortunes sort of day here at Bigland Towers. Not exactly the rock and roll lifestyle, but not monotone either. I’ve been keeping busy with editing pictures taken earlier in the week as well as slowly getting through more old slides whilst Dawn’s been busy slogging away in the downstairs office cum living room running the Community Rail Network office from home. Come lunchtime I’d had enough and decided to pick up my new glasses from Specsavers in Huddersfield, despite the fact the rain was chucking it down. Fortunately, Dee parent’s had come over for coffee, so I managed to get a lift which saved me a long walk and a soaking.

I was due an eye test just before Covid hit but the pandemic put the mockers on any idea of getting updated glasses, so by the time I went to get my eyes checked out a fortnight ago it was nearly four years since I’d had new spec’s. Picking them up today made me realise how much my eyesight had changed. As soon as I slipped on the new pair the world came back into sharp focus – and without scratches of blotches where where photochromatic coating on my old ones had decayed. What a relief! You forget how you get used to things – for better or worse. It’s the old boiling frogs syndrome, only optical. What I also noticed was that because my short-sightedness has improved it’s now easier to see things closer up as the lenses aren’t having to be as strong so now I don’t have to perch them on the end of my nose so much when I look at things closer in – like my phone.

I made my way back home on the train via Dewsbury and stopped en-route to get a few pictures on the way. Well, it would have been rude not to – especially as the weather had done a volte-face. The rain and uniform grey clouds had given way to patches of blue sky and bolts of sunshine. All was well with the world! So, for once, the picture of the day’s not going to be exotic, historic or scenic I’m afraid, it’s just me in my new specs. Be seeing you!..

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

5th August picture of the day…

05 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

And relax… It seems some of my recent blogs on the nonsense Byline Times and the Guardian have published about the HS2 rail project have ruffled a few feathers judging by the traffic on my blog and comments on social media! That’s what happens when you critique lazy journalism with facts and references, you upset both right and left as each have an axe to grind so the truth is always the first casualty.

So, tonight I’m avoiding any political comment or critique. I’m going to talk about other things instead – like the weather! Who’s nicked the sunshine? We’ve had another indifferent day in the Calder Valley where heavy skies and the constant threat of rain has always been in the background. To be honest, it’s not been much of a problem as I’ve been office based, trying to work my way through the haul of pictures I took earlier in the week. Well, that and juggling various household chores and still trying to keep up my exercise regime. Where do the hours go?

One ray of sunshine was being able to stroll into Sowerby Bridge, visit the local Lidl and find the ‘Red Cross supplies’ had arrived. After several days of almost empty shelves the beer and wine section had been restocked, allowing me to panic buy – sorry, restock on bottles of their nice Hatherwoods IPA which has been very absent of late. Admittedly, carrying a ‘last supper’ number of bottles back up the hill to home in a rucsac left me in need of refreshment (and a shower), but hey!…

I’ll now turn off for the evening and leave you with a picture of the day. I was going to have a last evening stroll to complete my step total for the day but after cooking supper the weather had other plans. Here’s how sunset was in the Calder valley the other evening, when the descending orb in the sky was fighting a losing battle with incoming rain clouds. We didn’t even get this far tonight

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/Thank you

1st August picture of the day…

01 Sunday Aug 2021

Posted by in Engineering, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, The USA

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

It’s been a lazy Sunday here at Bigland Towers. The pair of us (well, the three of us really, as Jet our cat was in no rush to do anything either) had a slow morning drinking coffee, catching up on the news and watching the world go by. The only thing missing was having a Sunday newspaper spread out on the bed, but those days are long gone. I can’t think of the last time I bought one. Partly because there’s no local newsagent for miles, but also because the world’s moved online and I can pick and choose from loads of different news sources now. The difficulty is finding a reliable one! Talking of which, I was planning to dissect Simon Jenkin’s latest fact-free rant about HS2 in Saturday’s Guardian, but that can wait until another day. It’ll have exactly the same effect as all his other rants going back a decade. In other words, Zilch. Instead, I spent a couple of hours researching, reading through the minutes of last months Transport Select Committee meeting which heard from Birmingham’s Mayor, Andy Street and also HS2’s CEO, Mark Thurston. When you read their words verbatim it becomes obvious just how lazy the media reporting of their words was. I’ll be including excerpts when I fillet Jenkins rant.

The afternoon was far less lazy. Dawn went into ‘Domestic Goddess mode and spent several hours in the kitchen, experimenting with cake-baking recipes in order to perfect a cake for a friend’s wedding whilst I retreated to the office to sort out more old pictures. I have to admit the smells coming from the kitchen were divine. Dee’s a brilliant cook and really enjoys baking. It’s not something I’ve ever got into personally, my forte is more Asian and starters and main course dishes rather than sweets and desserts.

The day wasn’t all about food, we did both manage to get out for a stroll, even if it wasn’t far, just through our local woods along the promenade overlooking the Calder valley and thence around Savile Park, but it was good to be able to feel virtuous by hitting our daily exercise marks.

Now we’re home for another quiet evening, but as it’s going to be a busy week that’s hardly a problem. So, I’m going to leave you with today’s picture which is taken from another of the batch of old slides taken in the USA back in 1990. No animals today, this is very much a man-made structure. I took this shot of Big Creek bridge on State Highway 1 on the California coast on the 25th October 1990.

Opened in 1938, this graceful bridge is a 589 feet long, 24 feet wide open spandrel, concrete deck arch structure designed by Christian Theophil Gutleben. Each span is 178 feet wide and 65 feet above ground level. It’s quite an impressive sight when you first glimpse it as you approach along the coast from the South, but then the California coast road is a lovely route with several similar structures. There parking places at either end so that you can stop, admire the bridge, sea or cliffs and take photographs.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of the impact Covid has had), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

31st July picture of the day…

31 Saturday Jul 2021

Posted by in Flora and Fauna, Musings, Picture of the day, The USA, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Gordon Bennett – it’s almost August! I’m struggling to understand how the year’s managed to fly by so quickly. It is said by some that as you get older time does seem to do that. I’m now finding myself in agreement with that view. Today’s not been the most exciting one at Bigland Towers, unless you count the cat losing one of his last two teeth! The old boy was going to the vets today for a check-up and have his bloods done. Just as we were about to load him into his basket Dawn discovered one of his two front bottom fangs (all he’s got left) had dropped out and was stuck to his fur! It caused us a few palpitations en-route to the vets as we had visions of another large dental bill. The vet was less worried than us and explained that this was normal in old cats. Their bodies reject their teeth, dissolving them until they fall out. Jet was actually fine and there was no need for any dental work, which was a huge relief. Mind you, the bill for the blood tests and treatments still came to £180!

Having dropped the moggie back at home we decided to get out for a bit and go for a drive, visiting local places we’ve not seen for ages due to Covid. It turned into a bit of a random trip as we kept getting detoured through dodging tractors on the narrow country roads. In the end we decided to ‘go with the flow’ and see where we ended up – which was high above Mytholmroyd where we stopped to admire the view from the one bit of road where it was safe to stop without worrying about getting mown down by farm machinery! The road led us to Hebden Bridge but we didn’t stop as the place was packed. Instead we doubled back along the valley bottom and called in at one of our locals, the Moorcock Inn for a quick drink before food shopping and home. It may be Saturday night, but we’re happy to have a quiet one at home with good food, a drink and a film on TV. Not exactly the ‘rock and roll’ but far more relaxing!

So, what’s the picture of the day? I’d been wondering that myself but I’ve plumped for one of the latest batch of slides in the queue for scanning. I took this shot on the 25th October 1990. Four of us had pitched up on the West Coast of the USA for a touring holiday. Having hired a car in LA we drove up the coast to San Francisco. It was a brilliant trip and on the way we stopped at the wharf in Monterey, California which was teeming with pelicans, either roosting on roofs, or perched on poles like this one. It beat seagulls, that’s for sure…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

27th July picture of the day…

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by in History, London, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Today’s been a lot less fraught. No ailing moggie to worry about for a start. Instead the little bugger seems to have made a speedy recovery and spent most of the day either curled up asleep on our bed or mewing for food, attention – or both. Jet’s such a lovely old boy that we can hardly be upset with him. Instead we just cherish the time we have with together.

The weather here in the Calder Valley’s certainly taken a turn. Although the forecast was for rain for much of the day we’ve had very little, merely the odd shower and a few claps of thunder out of some spectacularly threatening skies. Most of the really dark stuff has passed us by – which has allowed me to get in my daily perambulations without getting soaked. I’ve even managed a spot of gardening – cutting back the brambles on the terrace at the back of the house where they’ve made another bid for world domination. I’m sat up on the terrace now, beer in hand, gazing out across the Calder Valley, watching the next phalanx of stormclouds march towards us. It’s looking like this weather’s with us for the rest of the week now which is a shame in one way, but the gardens and woods would certainly benefit from the rain. Either way, I’ve got plenty to occupy myself with, so a few days climate-induced “house arrest” isn’t a problem.

The rest of the day’s not been unproductive. As well as sorting out paperwork I’ve enjoyed a pleasent few hours in the office, lining up some projects for the future now the country’s opening up again, as well as getting more old slides scanned. Right now I’m on an album of really random stuff that never got fully catalogued or filed, so there’s a melange of pictures taken between 1989 – 2003. Travel shots from the USA and Asia or images from my days working in social housing – even pictures of old friends – and of course old shots of Lynn. There’s such a mix of memories in these albums. I’m looking forward to having them all done so that I have digitised access to them in order to do something with them – even if it is just to jog some friends memories on Facebook, saying “remember this”?

This brings me on to the picture of the day which is one of today’s new scans. I took this shot of the old Three Mills complex at Bromley-by-Bow in East London on the 15th February 1990. In those days I lived just down the road on Bromley High St so this place was in walking distance and one day the winter sunshine was perfect for pictures. Built on the River Lea, Three Mills is the world’s largest tidal mill.

The grade 1 listed buildings have a long and fascinating history dating back to the 12th Century. In their time the mills have seen a multitude of uses, from milling flour to grinding grain for alcohol then distilling and bottling it or making gunpowder and used as warehouses right up to their present use for educational projects and as conference spaces. It’s a fascinating survivor of a world long-gone in this part of East London.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

26th July picture of the day…

26 Monday Jul 2021

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Today wasn’t the one I was expecting or hoped for. Oh, it started well enough in that the weather best the forecast, so we had far better temperatures than predicted and a heck of a lot more sunshine, but our lovely Moggie decided to throw a spanner in the works with a health scare. You have to remember he’s just a few weeks shy of his 20th birthday, so we’re always thinking in the backs of our minds that today could be the day we end up saying goodbye. This morning he developed a twitch which seemed to be a problem with his right ear. It affected his balance and the poor bugger practiced walking round in circles so (of course) we became concerned. We booked him in for his 6-month check-up tomorrow and decided to keep an eye on him but his behavior got worse, so Dawn decided it was a trip to the emergency vet…

They were packed, so it took a while to wangle an appointment but we managed it. Only, when we got there, the little bugger decided to be awkward. He’s a lovely disposition, but he doesn’t like being prodded and poked by vets – so they couldn’t get to the root of the problem because (in the vet’s words) Jet was being “grumpy”. In the end we came away none the wiser, just with a cat that was full of antibiotics and a purse that was £83 lighter. Once back at home Jet became decidedly less “grumpy” and also stopped having the head-shakes and tremors. It’s almost like he did it to wangle yet another trip in the car!

Our schedule ripped up, the pair of us decided ‘bugger it’ and rather than work late to catch up for lost time we went out for a stroll and enjoyed the sunshine – which is due to leave us tomorrow, being replaced by several days of rain. We also called in at our replacement ‘local’ – the Wainhouse Tavern (the ‘Big 6’ remains closed as the transfer of ownership is still in the hands of solicitors, who’re taking an age) for a couple of drinks and chat with other ‘6’ exiles.

With the weather changing I’m expecting to be based at home all week, which will allow me to sort out lots of paperwork and pictures like this one I’ve chosen for today’s image. I took this shot in May 1995 whilst Lynn and I were out for a day cycling around Essex. This is Bradwell nuclear power station framed by old wooden mooring beams in the nearby harbour.

This old Magnox power station ceased operation in 2002 but in 1995 it was very much alive…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

23rd July picture of the day…

23 Friday Jul 2021

Posted by in Photography, Picture of the day, Sowerby Bridge

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I’ve not done one of these for a little while as I’ve been busy with rolling blogs and other things. There’s a few more blogs in the pipeline, including one that’s occurred to me today because of the complete crap that’s come out of some of our ‘new’ media – the people who’re fed up with what they see as ‘biased’ reporting from the mainstream media so are doing their own stuff. The only problem is they fall into exactly the same trap (and worse). I’ll write that one up tomorrow.

Today’s been a mixed bag. After the fantastic weather we’ve had the past few days today has very much been an anticlimax – even though the temperature’s only been 4 degrees cooler. The skies have remained cloudy all day (hang on – wasn’t that a line from an old song?) so the sun’s never really broken through. Because of that I’ve been happy to be stuck in the home office bashing away at the computer to get some paperwork done as well as scan more old slides. Admittedly, I eventually cracked as I wanted to get some exercise so I ended up strolling down into Sowerby Bridge to get some shopping as Dawn had presented me with the challenge of making some veggie burgers – which is a first for me.

Considering it’s a Friday Sowerby Bridge was quiet – apart from the canal, which was busy with narrowboats leaving our local hire company (Shire cruisers). A veritable flotilla of their boats were queuing to head West through the locks on the Rochdale canal. It’s great to see people returning to the canals which is a wonderful way to travel. Ironically, myself and a group of friends did exactly the same thing back in 2005. At the time I never dreamed I’d end up living here, but then life’s full of surprises.

Whilst I was strolling along the canal I came across the picture for today. Sowerby Bridge is famous for its free-range geese. These animals own the town. They don’t just stick to the canal, or the river – they can be found roosting all around the centre of Sowerby. What makes them amazing is that they have incredible road sense. They’re infamous for the fact one of them will stand in the middle of the main road through town like an old ‘Lollipop’ lady, blocking traffic whilst the rest of the band waddle across the road. It’s quite a sight to behold when it happens. So, today’s picture is of the next generation of Sowerby Bridge Geese growing up on the canal earlier today…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!