Herb Riddle's photos

The ‘Christmas’ Robin comes out to greet us here in the natural countryside. It’s very cold and so we see it almost as a ball here. In this sort of weather the robin, like many small birds, plump up their feathers to keep warm air in and retain more of its heat around its small body. PiPs shows our house robins. Enjoy full screen.

A surprise night visit to York gives us a chance to join this special walking tour. Our very professional wench host, Alice, takes us down the small lanes and corners to relate stories of ghost seen near that spot and other blood-curdling tales of days long past. York has a great deal of history from Roman, Viking and the dark-ages including our Civil war. Enjoy full screen and All the Very Best for Christmas.

A different view from that of many of my Dovestone Reservoir shots here. A cold spell with a light dusting of snow along with a drop of wind on the water helps to make this a very nice view. Of course the golden-hour light on the rock quarry helps too. Enjoy full screen.

A look at the Manchester city Christmas markets taken a week or so back. Its noisy, crowded and cold but there is an air of happiness and jollity around. Have a great week.

Well no, not really –it’s a sunrise capture from my bedroom window taken last month. The PiP shows a more complete picture. Essensial full screen, enjoy the day.

As the winter cold continues, here is a capture from a day or so back, again along my old school walk valley. A very cold morning of about minus three degrees. The footbridge over the River Medlock here was until a year or so back over from where that stone block is but it was replaced and moved after it became dangerous. This river was for almost a hundred years one of our most polluted in the area having out spill from many old mills, factories, refuse tips and sewers along its route. Fortunately now it is far cleaner. Last year for the first time in my life I even saw large fish in here (Perch ?). Enjoy full screen Have a good weekend.

Seen on yesterdays walk at -4C around Dovestones. Enjoy full size.

As the cold spell continues here, I take another opportunity to capture the winter feeling. Not many people in this local valley but some dog walkers and a lone chap with his camera and small rucksack! Enjoy the light and pleasure of such walks in full screen.

A glimpse of Autumn 2008 whilst we were staying at a spot we often frequented near Delemere Forest, Cheshire. Looking at this years November captures, this looks more like the middle of Summer rather than early Winter. Enjoy this whilst most of us are experiencing a very cold spell. Nice full screen.

No, this is not today but November 2015. It’s very similar to what we have had this last weekend though, ice, frost, and dusting of snow. This in another from my Dovestones reservoir walks with the silver birch tree a firm favourite featured here in Ipernity a number of times before. The message! – One for us all in these downcast days. Have a great day. Ps our Ipernity friend, Toz, has also featured this scene: www.ipernity.com/doc/2405228/49696596

Another capture from my walk a couple of days back in the cold frost. The ‘pulpit’ is in fact an information board displaying pictures and maps of the valley as it was many years back. – I just enjoyed the light here with the frozen trees. Nice full screen, enjoy the day.

A trip to Lindisfarne (Holy island) is not complete without exploring the church of 'St Mary the Virgin' which sits opposite to the ancient priory. Here we see the alter area. The church itself is extremely old having been built between 1180-1300 which is even older than the ruined Norman priory. (PiP) Enjoy.

As the first real signs of winter catches up to us here in Oldham, I am tempted out for a quick walk in my local environment. Here is a path alongside a new school that I have walked to and from on many occasions. Today a heavy frost is present in temperature just below zero but the clear sky and sun makes it all quite wonderful. Enjoy full screen Have a good weekend.

A memory of our trip to the Canadian Rockies in 2016. One of our day’s out was to explore the Jasper National Park in which this lake lies. The weather as I took this was cool and very cloudy but as soon as we got on the bus to leave, the sun came out with beautiful blue skies that would have turned the water to a magnificent azure blue in colour. In the distant water lies a very nice Island, I believe, called Spirit Island. Three glaciers can be seen from the lake in the surrounding peaks. The lake at a surface elevation of 1670m is 22.5km long and covers an area of almost 20 square km Nice full screen, enjoy the day.

A view encompassing the old harbour and ancient priory of Lindisfarne. To the left on the hill is a new tourist observation tower that overlooks the castle behind and to the left of me. PiP The Priory is one of the most important centres of early English Christianity. Irish monks settled here in AD 635 and it became a major saint’s cult celebrating its bishop, Cuthbert. The masterpiece now known as the Lindisfarne Gospels was created here in the early 8th century. The ruins now visible are those of a 12th-century priory, which claimed direct descent from the early monastery. See last photo. More info: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/History Have a great day. Herb

The Priory is one of the most important centres of early English Christianity. Irish monks settled here in AD 635 and it became a major saint’s cult celebrating its bishop, Cuthbert. The masterpiece now known as the Lindisfarne Gospels was created here in the early 8th century. The ruins now visible are those of a 12th-century priory, which claimed direct descent from the early monastery. See PiPs and last photo. More info: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/History

We are in the ‘Glenariff Forest Park’, County Antrim again. There are three sizable waterfall here on the river walkway, of which this, called ‘Ess-Na-Crub’ is perhaps the best one for getting up close and personal. See PiP for another one. Nice full screen, enjoy the day.

On posting my last photo of Manchester's Victoria station I realised that I had never actually posted any of the Manchester Bees here. So here are a few, seen on my trip here with our Ipernity friend David G Johnson in July 2018. It was in that year that a special celebration was to be had in celebration of the Manchester worker Bee. More than a hundred were dotted around Manchester, most painted by local school children in a competition. As you can see there were some splendid ones around. Enjoy full screen. More info: secretmanchester.com/bees-in-manchester