Peter Castell's photos

Our fragile Space: Protecting the Near-Space Environment is a photographic exhibition by Max Alexander highlighting the growing problem of space junk. This image taken over 12 months in various locations shows over 300 pieces of space debris large and small, the backdrop of Greenwich was chosen because of the observatory. This is first outdoor showing of the exhibition in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. It needs to be viewed as large as possible

In the 18th century every large country house would have had an auricular theatre to display these gorgeous small flowers they also demonstrated the skill of the gardeners in growing these temperamental plants, but times change and they went out of fashion and the theatres were removed, but fortunately at Calke Abbey nothing changed and nothing was ever thrown away it is now thought to be the only original theatre remaining. For many years the display was set up by a specialist nursery but they are now grown at Calke. I think a lot of them are 'garden' types which are less demanding than the 'show' types.I failed miserably when I tried growing the 'show' types

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I have no idea who they are, as I have the photo they could be related, like many old photos it's made as a post card by a firm at Hinckley (Leicestershire) It could possibly be the only photo that was ever taken of them, his coat appears to be well worn

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Helios 44-2

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Try on black

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Grand Union Canal North Lock No. 42 Frog Island Leicester Taken with a Kodak 66 II possibly Agfa CT18 Friday October 4th 1963 f6.3 1/75 Look at the workmen at the far gate not a hard hat or high viz jacket to be seen The buildings on the left have all been cleared for re-development the ones on the right are exactly the same except they have been vandalised by the spray painters the usual mindless rubbish if they had any painting skill they could have recorded the industrial history of the area there was a lot mainly textile related, the canal was very important

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The staining is the fungus causing Ash tree Die Back, there is no cure it is thought that 80% of UK ash trees will die the only suggestion to slow the progress of the disease is clearing up the fallen leaves in the Autumn to stop the fungus overwintering. The National Trust are felling lots of them on the Calke estate but it's only Health and Safety, the ones they felled last winter are regrowing some may be resistant no one is really sure