Herb Riddle's photos

Another from last years trip here. This just south of the lighthouse and north of the castle. A great place for a picnic. Enjoy the day.

Greetings from the winters of old. When snow was snow and we could afford to heat up our homes. At one time in our lives, we seriously considered purchasing one of the houses in that remote row, not a million miles from where we are now. We did not, as we thought access to and from the house would be very difficult in Winter but we have seldom had a lot of snow since this shot. Ah well –life goes on. Enjoy the day with the promise of a grand future!

In these local days of darkness and rain its time to look forward to more holidays! ~ Taken in Spain in winter! ~ Have a good day.

A view of this big river estuary near Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, taken in 2014. Whether we would really call this a fence is a matter of opinion but it sure looks like one to me. A dark almost sunless day but just enough light to produce a cloud-scape like this. I believe the fishing is good here. Enjoy full screen Have a good weekend.

Another blast from the past with this monochrome. Taken in the coastal village of Aldeburgh in Suffolk some time ago. Of course you can see why I liked this at the time with those shadows. Enjoy full screen.

An old 1989 slide from my skiing days. This time in Switzerland in the wonderful village of Wengen from where we went down into the valley on the little cogwheel train to Lauterbrunnen a few times. Here is a shot of the 300m-­high Staubbach Falls. Just a fine mist encircled by natural mist floating down from up high. ~ Taken with my Canon A1 SLR on Fuji. Some minutes ago on this 4th of January, I hear on the BBC that temperatures in many of the Alps winter resorts were a hot 20C yesterday. One wonders where it will all end up. Will these snowy photos of bygone years be the last? PiPs Have a great day

A rare walk along this natural local park gives a glimpse of our late autumn even into this start of the new year. It’s a cool 2C but the sunrays are warming the left side of the trees so they give of a magical mist. Along with a bit of lens flare perhaps (I’m using my old lens), it all adds up to an interesting scene –I think. Enjoy the day.

Another capture from out trip to Northumbria last year. These old kilns stand at the head of the harbour and now just give storage and shelter to the local fishing boat gear. On a good day the view over the sands and sea is astounding but on this one, we were not so lucky. By lighting fires with coal in the kilns and adding crushed limestone, lime was produced and used as fertilizer in the nearby fields. The kilns were built by Richard Pringle in 1798 for the landowner John Wood. John Wood from whose estate the coal and limestone were extracted, completed the rest of the harbour there and maintained it in good repair. The first kiln was built in 1798, and the lime sold so well, that another 2 kilns were built soon afterwards. The kilns are around 8 metres tall and at the time, produced at least 1,000 carts of lime each year. The lime from the kilns was mainly exported to Scotland. (https://fabulousnorth.com/beadnell-lime-kilns/) The PiP’s reveal two more views. Enjoy the day.

Well 2022 is over and good riddance. We now have a new year to look forward to -may it be far better. Here is a greener look for the future taken on one of my local walks. Have a good day and year.

My last photo of 2022 is one from our Northumberland trip to Bambugh in September. This one taken close to Bambugh lighthouse to the north of the village and castle itself. I do like the pincer effect rocks with what looks like a big ship out to the sea, which is in fact one of the Farne islands (Inner Farne) with its lighthouse and chapel. The more distant Islands are also part of the Farne Islands chain. See PiPs for my other views from near here. Enjoy full screen as I wish you all a Very Happy and Healthy New Year.

A great memory for me here at a spot I loved to frequent some time back. This bridge led to a small fishing stand but when I was here last, even the bridge had disappeared. However the whole scene demonstrates again the beauty of our Earth and its diverse wildlife which is now in a lot of danger. Let’s hope that the New Year brings new hope against global warming and peace on Earth too. The Pip shows another from the same pond. It just remains for me to say HFF and enjoy the coming New Year

Once when I was feeling more energetic than I seem to be at the moment, I used to walk along the high ridge overlooking Dovestones dam. Up there are a few very interesting rocks and on top of one (Foxstone) we have a man-made cairn. Of course the late light on the rocks make this. A year later I was to revisit the same cairn almost on the same day, in winter snows. See PiP. Taken in 2012/2013 Enjoy full screen .

Another capture from the Holm and Digley reservoir area. A very nice but wild farm lane here and quite wet too after very recent heavy rains. We are still some distance from our car but we are treated to a grand double rainbow as can be seen here. The PiP shows the same lane taken back in 2019 from the opposite side. Enjoy full screen and All the Very Best for the New Year.

Our Dovestones reservoir area is surrounded in part by private land and some of that is used to rear pheasants in order to 'shoot' them for sport at various times of the year. Those birds are then eaten as a fine delicacy here in Britain. The pheasants whilst alive live a good life no doubt, with lots of easy good food left for them in very nice countryside. However many stray to different area's and here is one that I have shot with my camera whilst I could hear real shootings across the next distant reservoirs. Of course my wife and I was calling good luck to this escapee. Enjoy full size and continue to enjoy the Christmas break.

Way back in August I posted a photo of the Dark Hedges on here (See Pip), and promised another look at some time. Well the photo I posted then was taken in the morning and I got another chance to see it just as the sun was setting. Here is the result of that trip and the main point is the absence of any people at this late hour. (all the busses long gone!). A different format too and so I hope you enjoy this rendition as much as the first. (Take a trip to that photo for a fuller account of this famous lane.) Enjoy this Christmas Monday (Boxing Day)

~~~ May the light of goodness shine in everybody’s eye and lens. ~~~ A blast from the past here but still worth seeing on this Christmas day. Taken just a thirty minute walk from my house. Have a Wonderful day.

Another view over the waters of this popular reservoir. This taken a short time after I took the photo in the PiP. The centre distance shows the deep Chew Valley with the single tree being my ‘One Tree’ also appearing here on Ipernity some time ago. Enjoy full screen on this Christmas Eve Merry Christmas, Fröhliche Weinachten, Joyeux noël, Feliz navidad

Saddleworth church in Winter This is the Parish church of Saddleworth and is called St Chad. It is said that there has been a place of worship on this site since 1215 AD but this present church was built between 1830-1833. This photo, like its accompanying PiP was taken some time back but I can vouch that the scene remains exactly the same today. We had snow here too, some days ago but it is has gone again now. The smoke is rising from the local Inn, called, of course ‘The Church Inn’. Famous for its own unique beers and good fayre in an atmosphere of open log fires. HFF, Enjoy full screen and have a wonderful Christmas Weekend. More info: www.cofeinsaddleworth.org.uk/st-chad-saddleworth-parish-church