10-20 mm ultra wide angle

Nearly midnight in south-west Sheffield and there were some lovely altocumulus clouds drifting along, partly illuminated by a nearly full moon (out of shot to the right). The view direction is to the east-south-east. The constellation of Cassiopeia is just to the left of centre. A six-second exposure caused the clouds to blur a little bit, but the stars were sharp. Some exposure adjustment and noise reduction made using Affinity Photo software. Best viewed large to see the stars properly.

Some rather nice altocumulus clouds with fallstreaks, formed during the afternoon on 19th July 2020, viewed from south-west Sheffield.

A winter's day in Ecclesall Woods, south-west Sheffield At the summit of the higher ground in the western part of Ecclesall Woods, is a fine stand of chestnut trees. I am always intrigued by their twisted boles and branches. I like the antique look which sepia toning gives to this image. It also concentrates the appreciation of the abstract form and semi-fractal look of the twigs and branches, without the distraction of colour.

A winter's day in Ecclesall Woods, south-west Sheffield At the summit of the higher ground in the western part of Ecclesall Woods, is a fine stand of chestnut trees. I am always intrigued by their twisted boles and branches.

A winter's day in Ecclesall Woods, south-west Sheffield A fine spreading beech tree on the higher ground in the western part of Ecclesall Woods, overlooking the Limb Valley. I like the antique look which sepia toning gives to this image. It also concentrates the appreciation of the abstract form and semi-fractal look of the twigs and branches, without the distraction of colour.

A winter's day in Ecclesall Woods, south-west Sheffield A fine spreading beech tree on the higher ground in the western part of Ecclesall Woods, overlooking the Limb Valley.

A winter's day in Ecclesall Woods, south-west Sheffield I liked the almost monochromatic and rather chaotic look of this trackless part of Ecclesall Woods.

A winter's day in Ecclesall Woods, south-west Sheffield This is the remaining stump of a tree (beech?) which had its top felled by gales a few years previously. Various fungi, and no doubt many other living things, are taking over and finding a new home. Nothing is ever wasted in nature.

Mammatus developed on the underside of a cumulonimbus 'anvil', over Whirlow, Sheffield. The view is to the WNW.

Mammatus developed on the underside of a cumulonimbus 'anvil', over Whirlow, Sheffield. The view is to the SSW.

View north-east from high above Ringinglow on the west side of Sheffield.

View north-east from high above Ringinglow on the west side of Sheffield.

View WNW from the north end of Higger Tor.

The winding drum and other parts of the Westthorpe Colliery (near Sheffield) winding engine, recovered from scrap and stored in the stock yard at Pleasley Colliery. Now awaiting decisions and funding on how best to protect and restore the winding engine. Pleasley Colliery is situated just inside the Derbyshire border, about 5.5 km from the centre of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It is now a mining museum which is steadily being developed. www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk

Component parts of the Westthorpe Colliery (near Sheffield) winding engine, recovered from scrap and stored in the stock yard at Pleasley Colliery. Now awaiting decisions and funding on how best to protect and restore the winding engine. Pleasley Colliery is situated just inside the Derbyshire border, about 5.5 km from the centre of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It is now a mining museum which is steadily being developed. www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk

Pictorial safety reminder board affixed to part of the pit top structure of the No.2 South Shaft at Pleasley Colliery. This is probably not its original location; most likely it would have been in a place readily viewed by the workmen on their daily route from arriving at the colliery to descending the shaft, e.g. from the time-office, via the pit-head baths and lamp-room, to the shaft top. Boards and notices like this were common at British collieries. Often they were painted or drawn directly on to plywood boards, probably by talented colliery workmen. Pleasley Colliery is situated just inside the Derbyshire border, about 5.5 km from the centre of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It is now a mining museum which is steadily being developed. www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk

The code of shaft signals to be used when winding in shafts. This signboard is at Pleasley Colliery mining museum. Pleasley Colliery is situated just inside the Derbyshire border, about 5.5 km from the centre of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It is now a mining museum which is steadily being developed. www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk

An exhibit of capels (the cone-shaped shackle-like objects) at Pleasley Colliery mining museum. The tall object to the rear is a cage capel used for attaching the winding rope to the chains linking to the top of the cage. Below the capel is a detaching hook mechanism which was designed to detach the winding rope from the cage in the event of an over-wind. This prevented the cage being drawn up through the top of the shaft and into the pulleys. A cage arrestor device (not shown here) then caught the detached cage and prevented it falling back down the shaft. The capel was attached to the steel winding rope by splaying out the various strands of the rope into the interior of the capel cone and filling up the space with molten white metal - an alloy of lead, antimony and tin. Pleasley Colliery is situated just inside the Derbyshire border, about 5.5 km from the centre of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It is now a mining museum which is steadily being developed. www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk