Herb Riddle's photos

Our home for two weeks as we cruised from Port Canaveral in Florida USA north to NovaScotia in Canada and back again, taking in just six ports of call. Here she is in Portland, Maine, USA, our last stop before entering Canadian waters. Quite by coincidence we cruised with her sister-ship the ‘Discovery 2’ earlier this year. (PiP) Ship facts: Tonnage:69,130 GT, Length 264metres, beam: 32 metres, height: 50 metres with 11 decks and holding a possible 1830 passengers plus 720-50 crew. Not quite the monster cruise ship of today: The present largest is 236,000 GT and holds 7000 passengers + 2300 crew (Royal Caribbean, Wonder of the Seas) Enjoy full screen.

A trip out to my local reservoir area is always good, especially in this sort of weather and with a new camera. My faithful Nikon D7100 almost died a few weeks ago whilst in Canada, and so it was time to update. Enjoy the rest of the day ps Error: Camera shutter problem, possibly mechanism. Shutter count = 108,000. No surprise then!

My idea of artificial intelligence here as we see this funny character made from real materials. Seen in Minehead, Somerset, a town where a lot of people have a sense of humour it seems. I think he is trying to send us a message. I have no idea what he/she was called nor what that message was about. He is around 1.5m high to the top of his antenna. Of course he is accompanied by a real fence gate too! Enjoy the weekend.

Spring Point Ledge: Another view of this splendid caisson-style lighthouse at Portland, Maine, USA . We get a fuller look of the 900 metre breakwater here built by the Army Corps of Engineer in 1950. A fast game of hopscotch as I raced from end to end in time to catch my ride back to the ship. The building in the background is Fort Gorges built in 1858. See PiP for my earlier version and extra details. Enjoy full screen

On the quay at the end of the harbour is the Rhenish Tower. This was built in the 1860s to store saltwater for indoor baths but later fitted with a light to act as a beacon. It was badly damaged in the devastating floods of 1952 but rebuilt to its original form. It acquired its name after it was said to resemble a tower on the River Rhine. HWW, have a great day.

A photo from way back in 2012 whilst doing a Welsh coast tour. A particularly likeable photo for me as this rope reminded me of some lost primeval sea reptile. A very welcome walk under blue skies after many days of torrential rain. See Pip for alternative view. St Brides Bay is a bay in western Pembrokeshire, West Wales. Either Skomer Island or the mainland extremity of Wooltack Point at the western end of the Marloes Peninsula marks the southern limit of the bay whilst its northern limit is marked by Ramsey Island off St David's Head. Enjoy full screen

A platform view of Minehead Station, Somerset. It was first opened in 1874 as the terminus of the Minehead Railway but closed in 1971. It was reopened in 1976 and is now the headquarters and terminus of the West Somerset heritage Railway. Since this was once a true country branch line of the old ‘Great Western Railway’ we still see the original benches. The train on the left is about to depart being pulled by a steam engine. Enjoy full screen. Have a great day.

Another lighthouse on this tour of three in Portland, Maine, USA. A longish run, skip and jump along this 900 metre breakwater after being warned that it was dangerous to walk on these slabs of natural stones. I took the risk after seeing quite a few families with young children also taking the same risk. Apparently, visitors can usually get inside and get the thrill of walking around the fenced verandas. In the background we can see Fort Gorges built in 1858. Built in 1898, Spring Point Ledge Light is a sparkplug lighthouse in Casco Bay, South Portland, that marks a dangerous reef on the west side of the main shipping channel into Portland Harbour. It is the only caisson-style light station in the United States. Visitors can walk to it, thanks to the breakwater built by the Army Corps of Engineer in 1950. It is still an active navigational aid, and was automated in the 20th century. Enjoy full screen

A long view to our nearest city here. This taken from the trig point of Tandle Hills Park. Enjoy the day.

Another from the Cliff Walk of Newport, Rhode Island showing the rather nice coast as well as another glimpse of the mansion gardens that abound here. We were to walk way past the distant houses. Enjoy the weekend.

Another look at Porlock Marsh. This time we see just a few of the trees that were once here before the whole area was flooded with saltwater after the sea breached the natural ridge of Porlock Bay in the winter of 1996. Before that, this area was pastoral farm land for grazing animals. Enjoy full screen ps a nice friendly face to this tree (in case you missed it on first glance.)

Our second port of call on this trip to the US and Canada is to Portland, Maine. In the short time we were there, a trip to see some of Portland’s famous lighthouses was a must! “Affectionately referred to as Bug Light because of its small stature, Portland Breakwater Lighthouse in Bug Light Park (Madison Street, South Portland) was built in 1855 of cast iron with a brick lining on a granite block foundation. The lighthouse was first lit in 1875. During World War II in 1942, lighthouse beacons were dimmed for security reasons, and Bug Light wasn't re-lit until 2002 when the Coast Guard added a solar-powered light. This elegant-looking lighthouse is unique because it's believed to be the only lighthouse in the world shaped like a 4th-century Greek monument. Four Corinthian columns hold up the lens.” www.tripsavvy.com/lighthouses-to-see-near-portland-maine-4159575 HWW, have a great day.

A vintage 2012 capture taken on our Welsh coast tour. We stayed near here in our caravan, so a lightning run to the rocks and coast when I saw such lighting was possible. "Marloes: is a village and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the Marloes Peninsula 7 miles west of Milford Haven and forms the western tip of the southern shore of St Brides Bay. It is within part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park." Wikipedia Enjoy full screen

Another scene from Tandle Hills Park in Oldham. A couple of our numerous magpie birds caught here too. Have a great day.

As autumn really takes a hold here in Oldham’s Tandle Hill Park, I am reminded how lucky I am to have such scenes on my doorstep. Having just returned from a trip to New England, USA, famed for its Autumn colours, we never saw scenes quite like this on our quick visit. It is said that this year is a good year here for Autumn colour as it has been so wet. It looks like that may be so. Enjoy full screen. I must admit that New England had far more red's in the trees though.

A view east over the Atlantic to the Island of Martha’s Vineyard in the far distance and then mainland Europe some 3000 miles further. We are near Newport, Rhode Island which in itself is around 150 miles north of New York. It’s rather nice to see some familiar type of coast with cormorants drying their wings on the small island in front of us. Enjoy full screen

Another funny character seen in Minehead a short time ago. Made from a gas cylinder and bits of pipe. He looks ready for today’s hike in HFF land! The PiP shows his friend down the street. Enjoy the weekend.

USA – A ride out from the port just out to the other end of town brings us onto quite a famous 3½ mile cliff walk. We see here the late autumn trees that colour so beautiful in this part of the world but alas, we missed all of that after storms over the last weeks took their toll. We do this walk on a good surfaced path that switches sometimes over some pretty dodgy boulders on the shore edge past some 64 of the most impressive villas and mansions in the state, each one in its small park but surrounded by high fences to keep us prying tourist as far away as possible - except that is, for the ones that open their doors for paying tours. See PiP for an example. Enjoy full screen