tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67824755313745648202012-02-12T01:59:04.939-08:00Rod Wynne-Powell's BlogHere is where I'll put snippets of information and recent images on an ad hoc basis, so do bookmark this address, and visit again sometime, you're always welcome.Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.comBlogger3581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-90696303159276843852012-02-11T07:54:00.000-08:002012-02-12T01:59:05.090-08:00Caddington, Snow & Hard FrostWith sunshine streaming through the windows, it was not difficult to be persuaded out, so without even stopping for breakfast, I grabbed two cameras and set off for a walk around the village. Although I could have gone further afield by car, the roads were likely to be treacherous, the hills especially so, and with a car that now had only an automatic handbrake, avoiding skids is less easy, so a Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-24168585446048267182012-02-09T17:46:00.000-08:002012-02-09T17:46:30.465-08:00Jarvis Foresters – Fixtures & Fittings
Visiting the Foresters Development this day was slightly less than straightforward as the approach is beset with bright orange plastic guard rails, and the end of the service road is entirely blocked off. The reason for this is down to the number of essential services that are now being brought to the site, and this has involved considerable disruption to both the road itself and much of the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-56539779240735688362012-02-09T17:35:00.000-08:002012-02-09T17:35:24.447-08:00Sunday Snow in HarpendenKnowing that snow in this country does not stay pristine for long, I decided I would be up early to see what I could capture, I chose to drive to Harpenden first because I though snow on the roofs of the Foresters buildings would be worth having, and I thought there’d be lots of people out with sleds, but surprisingly I saw very few families out and about.
When I later took a look at Stockwood Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-67933840727858985042012-02-09T17:17:00.000-08:002012-02-09T17:17:04.514-08:00Wilstone Wildlife on a Wintry WednesdayWednesday found me down at the Tring reservoirs in milky sunshine and a bitingly cold wind, little was stirring at Marsworth, Startops End or Tringford, so I set off for Wilstone. The water level was very low at Startops, but the others were less badly affected. At Wilstone the reeds were high and dry, but I spotted a wader, a Lapwing, shortly after arriving at the edge of the reeds.
Soon after Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-1924984928546161292012-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:002012-01-29T16:01:28.928-08:00Jarvis Foresters in Cold January SunshineOnce again it was hard to decide just what to wear – if all the shooting was inside – the heaters on at full blast to keep the interiors warm would make it hot and sticky; if the exteriors showed the most changes, then it would be just right. The latter was my choice, so initially I concentrated on what was happening outside, but it was soon inevitable that I found myself checking out the most Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-77586339111098816012012-01-16T09:08:00.000-08:002012-01-16T09:08:56.974-08:00Second 2012 Visit to ForestersIt was a crisp and bright winter’s day and for a change there was not the biting wind that we have had recently, so it did not seem so cold, and as I entered the site there was much more of the intended Retail part of the development to be seen as the scaffolding was now removed completely, and this was an area that I had not covered on my last visit.
There was a lot of outside work being Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-43650639868142130612012-01-09T22:43:00.000-08:002012-01-16T09:24:34.235-08:00Launch of Lightroom 4 Public BetaWhat does this new version hold in store? Does it make it the ‘must have’ upgrade?
This is simply a taster, so take care to only use it for copies of your files, but the answer down the line when the full product is launched is a resounding ‘Yes!’
Adobe put out their Public betas to get a wide range of input to ensure that the finished program really impresses. It almost certainly will have some Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-86728993043662082282012-01-09T05:05:00.000-08:002012-01-09T05:05:41.828-08:00QR Code – The Bridge from Print to WebIt is very easy to be persuaded to create a website to promote a product or service, but far less emphasis is placed upon how to drive potential clients to the site once created and up and running. One of the main feature that is sold is how important it is to ensure that search engines find the site, and display links on the very first page; preferably at the top. Whilst that has undoubted valueRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-43545224944811012252012-01-07T18:17:00.000-08:002012-01-07T18:17:49.695-08:001st 2012 Stockwood Discovery Centre VisitAlready the afternoon was drawing towards its end, the light and the clouds enticed me nevertheless to pay a visit to the Stockwood Discovery Centre despite my knowing there would be little to see, unless some squirrels were out moving nuts around.
I was wrong, the light made the difference, certainly there were few flowers to be seen, but leaves can still hold a fascination as can the play of Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-4631811489253626842012-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:002012-01-06T11:28:30.121-08:00First 2012 Visit to ForestersAfter several days of wind and rain, today dawned bright and calm, but fairly cold. I over-dressed with this in mind, but found myself mainly inside where there were now industrial heaters everywhere to allow plastering and painting to take place, so I was as hot as if it had been summer when I had far less on!
Everyone was welcoming and it was ‘Happy New Years’ all around, and whilst at the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-24535691438187353762012-01-03T17:03:00.000-08:002012-01-03T17:03:10.945-08:00Bank Holiday Monday at MarsworthLearning that the weather on the New Year Bank Holiday was due to be bright, I prepared the night before by getting to bed somewhat earlier than is my wont – if I expected to sleep longer as a result, I was to be disillusioned, as I awoke long before the alarm! It was still very dark, but to get some idea of how long before I need to rise, I ventured to switch on the bedside light to learn it wasRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-41025417996094581782011-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:002011-12-29T16:54:26.416-08:00Boxing Day at the HolmesI travelled to Burnham to my sister-in-law Glory and Richard’s house to celebrate Boxing Day with Virginia, back briefly from Mumbai, Alex once again on dry land, my mother-in-law up from Dover, together with assorted friends: Grace, Alex’s current girlfriend from Korea, Rechna from India, briefly Anders from all over the world, Ursula from nearby and Jan and Norman from London.
A more eclectic Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-6291812606228406812011-12-29T16:39:00.000-08:002011-12-29T16:39:30.649-08:00Westcott Christmas DayI count myself very lucky to be invited to spend Christmas Day with my younger daughter, son-in-law, Tim, both his parents, and my first grandson, Joshua. Travelling cross-country was even quieter than normal, and the weather was mild.
It was very relaxing as Tim and Lizzy had had a good night, and all the preparations had gone smoothly, and it was not long before John and Sue had arrived which Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-12317519556356284562011-12-18T10:13:00.000-08:002011-12-18T10:13:02.203-08:00Sawston Village College ConcertI was pleased to see that the morning’s fall of snow had melted before my journey across country to Sawston. Catherine had invited me to join her and Holly and Poppy at the school concert which was being held at Great St. Marys University Church in the centre of Cambridge. It was the girl’s first at the new school.
We joined a long queue outside the church, which grew to at least twice the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-740221461144849172011-12-14T18:20:00.000-08:002011-12-14T18:20:49.875-08:00Last 2011 Visit to ForestersThis is likely the last visit in 2011 to the Foresters Development in Harpenden, and there was occasional sunshine, but it had rained a good deal over the last few days, so it was extremely muddy.
I spent some time covering the connection being made to heavy duty three-phase electricity cabling immediately below the Site Office Portakabin. I was intrigued by the clever shear bolts used to ensureRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-71474882289474625132011-11-30T15:32:00.000-08:002011-11-30T15:32:12.682-08:00Jarvis Foresters Exteriors Beginning to ShowToday's visit, again on a sunny day, showed me what had changed in the interim since my last visit. The trench newly dug on my last visit was now being populated with pipework. Many more kitchen and bathroom fittings were going in, and the floor tiles which had been down earlier, were all covered by protective rubber mats.
Windows which had been barely visible behind a lattice work of Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-9625386896152662392011-11-23T19:17:00.000-08:002011-11-23T19:17:05.924-08:00Late Autumn at StockwoodMost trees have now shed their leaves for another year, but if you look carefully there is still colour aplenty, as I discovered yet again on a visit to the gardens at the Stockwood Discovery Centre.
The mild nights of late and the heavy dews have brought out fungi, the added shelter of the walls and trees have kept a few more leaves than elsewhere and this year's weather has resulted in some Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-50618637775070707182011-11-15T16:02:00.000-08:002011-11-16T08:44:25.588-08:00Foresters Losing the ScaffoldingIt is good to see the brickwork more clearly and most of the blind gaps replaced by windows; the building show much more of their finished looks, and now that the render at the back has been completed, they were getting ahead with the same for the top halves of some of the buildings at the front.
On the left of the site a row of garages are nearing completion of the walls, and in the apartments Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-43504678774194047302011-11-15T15:58:00.000-08:002011-11-15T15:58:31.060-08:00Autumn and RemembranceThe weather for Sunday was forecast fair, so I was up and out early; not quite up with the lark, but certainly early enough for the mist to still be hanging around, and for me, it was early!
I knew only the general direction I was heading, as it seemed as if there was a corridor of early sunshine, and I meant to stay in the sun! Coming down the hill from Whipsnade and Bison Hill, the sun shone Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-45664469742142887212011-11-04T17:04:00.000-07:002011-11-04T17:04:16.378-07:00Craneless ForestersThe defining sign of the Foresters Development by Jarvis in Harpenden has been removed, and the void from which it rose to tower over the skyline of Harpenden, has been sealed up. Much of the scaffolding that laced the facades of the buildings, has now been removed, and now glimpses of how this development will look in its completed state are visible. White render is being sprayed and smoothed Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-35971587251499323862011-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:002011-11-02T09:50:44.306-07:00Important Meeting with Jarvis DirectorsHaving worked hard to create photo reports of progress on the Foresters Development by Jarvis, just off the High Street in Harpenden, the dismantling of the crane gave me the vehicle to transport me, to the offices of the developers. Today, I had an important appointment with the Managing Director, Steve Cook.
I had originally been drawn to the site by the sight of the crane as I approached Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-18773326344639678442011-10-28T10:36:00.000-07:002011-10-28T10:36:55.154-07:00Scaffold Comes off at ForestersAfter a day of rain, I arrive on site in glorious and warm sunshine, but hey, this is the end of October, and the clocks go back this weekend, Summer is officially over!
Somehow the site is not the same without the crane towering over all the work, where it rose out of the concrete two workers are clearing plugs from the skein of concrete, and the gap will soon disappear it is as if they are Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-33590084713935316452011-10-27T10:11:00.000-07:002011-10-27T10:11:04.574-07:00Canon Pro Solutions ShowI travelled to London to go to the Canon Pro Solutions show at the Islington Business Design Centre. What drew me to this event? I needed to gain an assessment of my damaged EOS 5D MkII, I also wanted to take a look for a replacement Compact Flash Card Reader, and meet up with colleagues from my past working with Adobe.
Ironically, it was someone from UCL (University College London) that I soon Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-65678424505329638742011-10-27T10:03:00.000-07:002011-10-27T10:06:42.156-07:00Stockwood Floral TributeIt is a testament as to the hard work of all the gardeners at Stockwood Park Discovery Centre, that I should be able to gather so many photos from one short visit in autumn sunshine, Sue very kindly allowed me into the sweltering heat of the greenhouse, but even outside in the various gardens I was able to capture the sunlight through the leaves and capture the veins in strong contrast and colourRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-33050698467769993882011-10-27T09:55:00.000-07:002011-10-27T09:55:22.406-07:00Twins Twelfth Birthday, Peace Pagoda VisitSaturday found three groups of our extended family head for the Peace Pagoda Car Park in Milton Keynes to celebrate the twelfth birthday of Holly and Poppy. Even though I had never been before, and needed guidance from others, I did manage to preserve my honour by arriving first!
The car park is in woods, with pathways leading off in many directions and once Joshua, our youngest member was Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-52107692826591520292011-10-23T14:31:00.000-07:002011-10-23T14:31:11.976-07:00Southill Village Stores – Sue's Tea ShoppeThe village of Southill in Bedfordshire may be slightly off the beaten track, but it is close to Shuttleworth the college, and Old Warden with its Airfield, Museum, and Bird of Prey Centre. The Village is largely owned by the Whitbread family, which preserves its olde worlde charm. It is an ideal spot to break off from a ramble or cycle ride, and set back from the main through road is the small Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-36918883740556097452011-10-17T08:08:00.000-07:002011-10-22T04:30:31.726-07:00Other Work Continues on SiteAlthough the entire site was enormously interested in watching the crane being dismantled, because of the scale of the clearance, preparation and disruption that the operation entailed, I was very aware that many of the other trades had still got to work through it all. That included me, in that I was aware that several areas beyond the 10 metre exclusion zone directly beneath the crane were Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-15901034869346084172011-10-16T11:49:00.000-07:002011-10-16T11:49:41.913-07:00The Crane is Dismantled & Removed from HarpendenOn Tuesday, I heard the weather forecast was for drizzle in this area, so I realised that I would need to get some form of rain guard to put over the camera, so after l had located one, and purchased it, I put several charged batteries together with a series of cleared cards, and the new 32GB one for Wednesday's attempt to capture the dismantling of the Cerex crane at the Jarvis Foresters Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-66898470489795705962011-10-16T11:32:00.000-07:002011-10-16T11:36:46.411-07:00Wilbury Partridge ShootI was invited to cover a Partridge Shoot being organised by Dave Wilkinson, to whom I had been introduced by Bob Menzies and arrived before the appointed time to allow me to find out something of the protocols involved.
The gate was secured electronically, so I phoned Dave, who said he was barely two minutes away, and he was soon pulling up behind me. I followed him in and he showed me where to Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-51164228371113874182011-10-09T09:38:00.000-07:002011-10-09T09:38:38.570-07:00Jarvis Foresters 7th October VisitThis day’s visit means the last of the high level view point from the Cerex crane at the Foresters Development by Jarvis Homes, as this coming Wednesday sees the dismantling and removal of the crane which has dominated the Harpenden skyline for much of this year.
A gentle breeze was what the weather forecasters described, but it still felt slightly more than that when I was close to the cabin Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-36262114927282488482011-10-02T08:59:00.000-07:002011-10-02T09:04:51.103-07:00Hot September Day – OxfordshireThe intention was to visit a part of the nearby country where Red Kite were supposed be prevalent, and in terms of seeing them I was lucky, but in each occasion, that moment was gone in a flash, despite my waiting around having stopped the car. I spotted a hovering kestrel, but even though the right camera and lens were to hand, and parking up close by was not a problem, it was gone, never to Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-66323311528891540562011-09-30T16:59:00.000-07:002011-09-30T16:59:06.303-07:00Jarvis Foresters, Harpenden, 30th SeptemberBlue skies, very warm – is it really the very end of September in the UK? I went round to the back of the site where work was going on with what I take will some garden area. Then I could see that an area on the far right which had largely been a storage area was now cleared to give access to the gates at that end. And, presumably to give space for the disassembly of the Cerex crane in a week’s Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-75276823796654732392011-09-29T17:44:00.000-07:002011-09-29T17:44:33.077-07:00Waddesdon Manor in Warm SunshineI had wanted to learn something more about this well-known ex-Rothschild pile and its gardens, because Lizzy had been living close by for some time and loved visiting the grounds and also eating out at the restaurant. The plan was to take both cars so she could drop hers into a garage to have two new tyres fitted, and then to use mine to go to the house and gardens.
I was most impressed with howRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-13395629393907496452011-09-28T15:48:00.000-07:002011-09-28T15:48:49.922-07:00Birds, Tractors, a WindmillAn Indian Summer comes to the Home Counties, giving us warmth, blue sky and in the late afternoon strong low light on Wotton Underwood cottages and Quainton Windmill.
Actually the partridges which were very well camouflaged against the newly tilled field and the red kite were taken on a different day from the gulls following the tractor, even though the rich red soil looks similar. The second Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-18573134509573237532011-09-26T17:50:00.000-07:002011-09-26T17:50:20.104-07:00Marsworth & Startops End BirdlifeFor a change I took a wander around the other two Tring reservoirs, walking between Marsworth and Startops End. The water level was way down due apparently to leaks in the Grand Union Canal and Marsworth’s reservoir; the stream that enters mars worth was dry, and I spotted what turned out to be a blue-headed wagtail feeding in the drying mud by the reeds.
It was from the wooded divide that I got Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-83414227419004594582011-09-25T10:30:00.000-07:002011-09-25T10:30:40.131-07:00A Few Glimpses of Baileys HardI decided to give my car an airing, so drove to Baileys Hard on the Beaulieu River. This year has been a really poor year for bird life here, normally one tree in particular looks as if it grows birds, there were so many on its branches, this year barely any. Perhaps it is due to the menacing presence of a Sparrowhawk.
I had hoped that I might spend some time leisurely capturing examples of themRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-19779413173242526502011-09-24T03:07:00.000-07:002011-09-24T03:15:43.757-07:00Jarvis – Foresters Development – September 23rd VisitArriving again with sunshine, I took a look around with slightly less pressure this time, as my car was beyond the reach of Traffic Wardens. Certainly many more areas of the roofs are now clad in tiles, but I mistakenly thought some of the scaffolding might have been coming down to reveal more of exterior of the various buildings. On the right of the site, the Retail area was one that I had not Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-63630295221476639082011-09-19T12:14:00.000-07:002011-09-19T12:20:17.994-07:00Changeable Weather at TringfordThe forecast seemed to promise showers in the morning with occasional sunshine, but it would close down around lunchtime, and the gusty wind was likely to be with us all day, well we missed the showers in the morning but were treated with a couple in the afternoon and the gusty wind was indeed with us all day.
There were two boats out on the lake each with a pair of anglers, one group was Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-87048924451903884822011-09-16T16:21:00.000-07:002011-09-16T16:21:16.854-07:00Roofs and Windows Make All the Difference to ForestersThere is little doubt that now the tiles cover a good proportion of the roofs at the Jarvis Development at Foresters, the buildings look more complete, even though inside there is still a way to go. It will not be long before much of the scaffolding will be removed, and then the windows in particular will be far more apparent.
In the early autumn sunshine there is a warm glow from the bricks andRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-43172634519003718522011-09-13T16:20:00.001-07:002011-09-13T16:25:42.407-07:00Stockwood Season End ColourBefore all the sunshine goes and the autumn winds bring the branches down, and flatten the blooms, I just had to get away from the computer screens for a break, especially as bright sunshine was casting strong shadows on my blinds.
My destination was Stockwood Discovery Centre Gardens and having sent some images of bugs to Jan, one of the gardeners, I thought I'd check she was able to download Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-48731434964808819842011-09-09T18:56:00.000-07:002011-09-11T07:15:30.333-07:009th September Visit to Jarvis Foresters SiteParking in Harpenden is limited to one hour, sometimes this is rarely sufficient to gather images of progress at the development, and today the free space that appeared was being overlooked by a burly Traffic Warden; that meant I was under pressure to return precisely on time! It was very muggy, and this always makes it tough because my glasses steam up when in the basement.I set the alarm on my Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-48998026835836123512011-09-07T12:20:00.000-07:002011-09-07T12:29:06.603-07:00Windy Wednesday in the Walled GardenI had had too much grief in front of the computer; I needed to get out, so even though I knew it would be rather late, and it was both dull and very windy, I took myself off to the Walled Garden at Luton Hoo.These winds were the precursor to autumn, or as the Americans would say Fall. I prefer autumn to the the more prosaic description to just the single aspect of the dropping of leaves. Autumn Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-79997594029382688462011-09-05T09:11:00.000-07:002011-09-13T16:37:44.663-07:00Bletchley Park VisitI had made up my mind that despite the poor weather forecast for Sunday, a visit to the home of British Codebreakers during the Second World War was worth a trip since Lottery money had enabled some well-needed restoration. I set off in light drizzle, but by the time I arrived the tap was far more fully open. Outside I needed the warmth and the protection, but once inside, I needed neither, and Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-22612070134276400322011-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:002011-08-31T11:39:41.449-07:00End of August Visit to Foresters Harpenden
Despite all the scaffolding that surrounds the buildings on the site, the overall shape of the Foresters Development by Jarvis just off the Kinsbourne Green end of Harpenden High Street, is very apparent with all the roof work that has been done of late. Many areas have both the Tyvek membrane and tiles laid, and many windows and Velux skylights have been installed. On one of the several false Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-57507290107112428612011-08-30T17:54:00.000-07:002011-08-30T17:54:50.834-07:00Tringford – Bank Holiday Monday
The water level was lowering all day at both Startops End and Tringford as Bank Holiday’s visitors to the Grand Union Canal gave the Locks a good working over, that meant greater water clearance beneath the moorings, and we were astonished by the appearance of a kingfisher who swooped across the water actually beneath the landing stage, and although at a lesser speed than I had seen it before, Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-10929763040924665502011-08-30T16:49:00.000-07:002011-08-30T16:49:38.099-07:00Brogborough Visit – August Bank Holiday
Not for the first time I have visited Brogborough with a specific aim in mind and ended up taking photos of a completely different subject. On Bank holiday Sunday I had every intention of trying to meet up with a fisherman I had met at Harpenden on the Jarvis Development site. The intention was to go clockwise around the lake, but on my arrival I was told that the wood had been cleared Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-82277638111260613712011-08-21T12:32:00.000-07:002011-08-25T05:01:04.747-07:00The Flying Proms at ShuttleworthI have never before visited Shuttleworth for this event, and it was an opportunity to enjoy the company of my elder daughter, Catherine, to pay a visit to the Birds of Prey conservation area, and listen to some excellent music, with the added bonus of taking some photographs! I have divided the shots taken into three galleries,
One,
Two,
and Three
Unfortunately, due to other commitments, not theRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-1450304374364748322011-08-21T12:24:00.000-07:002011-08-21T12:24:10.842-07:00Tringford and Flying Kingfisher
I wanted to check out the Canon 7D after it had been returned from Canon, having suffered communication problems with the battery! So Tringford seemed like a good idea. So it turned out, for I saw and managed to fire off shots of the kingfisher – zooming across the water about one foot off the surface, to all intents like an exocet missile. The first occasion found me shooting at 1/650th, and Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-50440453185670437492011-08-19T09:15:00.000-07:002011-08-19T09:22:30.478-07:00Jarvis Foresters Development, August 19 VisitMainly sunshine greeted me on this visit to the site, and it was obvious even more roof was tiled. When I went down to the basement, it was now storing plasterboard and double-glazed window units. A supporting structure to take a large tank was now ready and more signage was going up, as well as other electrical wiring.
Within the main buildings partitioning was well-advanced and electric cable Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-20720013675407788332011-08-12T16:51:00.000-07:002011-08-12T16:55:21.545-07:00Fish Restocking at Tringford ReservoirToday I met up with Bob Menzies down at Tringford, so that I could capture the restocking of the lake, and I just arrived in time for the delivery from Bibury. The driver had to drive into the water on this occasion as the level in the lake was so low.
It took a little while as he had to be sure he would not sink too low and that he could reverse back up the slope, because of the drop at the edgeRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-33814692165764588672011-08-12T11:35:00.000-07:002011-08-12T11:37:02.999-07:0011th August Visit to Foresters, HarpendenAs I drove into Harpenden, it was spitting with rain, and I feared it might continue for my entire time on site, so it was not too surprising that Trevor should greet me with “Well, this time you have failed! This is the first time it hasn’t been sunny or at least good weather for your visits?” I think he was pleased that I could not continue with my comments that I often brought sunshine with meRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-2891117669357119352011-08-06T15:09:00.000-07:002011-08-06T15:09:46.231-07:00Friday Meetings and ArchitectureI had an important meeting with someone at UCL in the morning, and later in the day a get together with three Pit Marshals from a long time back when we had all spent many Sundays at Brands Hatch helping others race with safety.
Between leaving UCL and the time of my meeting at the Artillery Arms, I spent the time looking at some of the contrasts of architecture between the old red brick of the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-13905445180421039272011-08-03T10:14:00.000-07:002011-08-03T10:14:17.450-07:00August in the Walled GardenBecause there was some sunshine, I was hoping that the weather might be conducive to the sighting of the elusive humming bird hawkmoth in the walled garden at Luton Hoo, hence my visit this Wednesday afternoon. It was not to be!
There was however a riot of colour, and some of the time there was clear sunshine at others the cloud cover increased, but the one constant was the oppressive mist heat, Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-9895470385902242412011-08-01T12:33:00.000-07:002011-08-01T12:33:17.931-07:00Tringford Afternoon Bird WatchingHaving decided to record both the Qualification and Race Day for the Hungaroring Grand Prix, I was free to visit the Tringford reservoir in the sunshine and to relax in the bottom of the boat moored at the jetty, so that I was as low as possible to try to capture some of the birds more intimately.
I was really lucky, one of the grebe had a late offspring and was cruising around with its single Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-53761103456087193612011-08-01T12:22:00.000-07:002011-08-01T12:22:24.401-07:00Houghton Circular WalkHoughton House is an attractive wreck of a building just outside Ampthill, in Bedfordshire with spectacular views across towards Stewartby with its four remaining chimneys from its days as a brickworks, that have been awarded listed status, retained I gather from my colleague Andy Fox as an aerial landmark, though searching the internet, I can find no corroboration of this.
The idea of a circularRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-20177160986440447792011-07-29T16:02:00.000-07:002011-07-29T16:02:29.452-07:00A Few Westcott FlowersMy daughter needed a rest from the constant feeding, comforting and nappy-changing, so I visited Westcott to give her that respite and naturally to indulge myself with my new grandson.
We went for a long walk around the village to help him sleep, but he took a while to succumb! I spotted a couple of bright white and pink roses by my parked car and after our long walk, whilst he slept, I took a Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-7367318805689803072011-07-29T15:43:00.000-07:002011-07-29T15:43:33.160-07:00Avian Visitors to my GardenEvery so often I find surprise visitors to the garden. On this occasion, the most attractive was a goldfinch. This is the first time ever; I have pigeons and collared doves, robins, blackbirds and blue tits.
I stopped filling the bird feeder for a while when I found I had a grey bushy-tailed animal stealing from it, and so I left it a week, before refilling it. Instead I have been putting out Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-80235045349158223722011-07-29T15:25:00.000-07:002011-07-29T15:28:02.257-07:00Jarvis Foresters Development, HarpendenAs I was parked in the High Street, I was limited to one hour, and on this occasion this was insufficient – the alarm I set on my phone warned me that time was up, but one half of the site I had not even seen on this visit.
I found that on several floors underfloor heating pipes were going in as well as much of the plumbing, so I was going up and down the scaffolding as I was also trying to take Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-8258124210965394452011-07-29T15:07:00.000-07:002011-07-29T15:07:47.529-07:00Luton Hoo Visit 26-7-11Wednesdays are volunteer days at the Walled Garden Project at Luton Hoo, and the morning started very grey and cloudy, so I worked in the morning and only went over there once the sun was shining, because I had heard that a humming bird hawkmoth had been seen in the gardens a fortnight back, and I knew they needed bright sunshine to appear.
However, I was to be disappointed, there was no sign of Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-1168363417344872222011-07-23T06:54:00.001-07:002011-07-23T07:07:54.613-07:00Tringford Birds Doing the Fishing!I arrived at Tringford and took a wander along the Trout Stream, through the overgrown weeds to the bridge where there were innumerable water boatmen skittering across the surface. The lens was less than idea for the subjects as I was still hoping for a glimpse of a kingfisher.
Meeting up with the bailiff, Bob Menzies, I found just one fisherman out on the water, but though he managed no catches,Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-72459382244740330332011-07-19T08:52:00.000-07:002011-07-19T08:52:24.020-07:00Harpenden Site Visit 19th JulyAlthough there was sunshine on my arrival at the Foresters Development site today, I could not claim I had brought it along; it certainly did not last long, and in fact the clouds threatened rain during my short visit.
Some parts of the roof are now coming close to becoming watertight, or at least having some cover from the elements. Electrical wiring and light fittings are going in within the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-11167914292000259042011-07-17T08:40:00.000-07:002011-07-17T08:40:32.014-07:00Weekend HoverfliesAs I write this I am reminded of my father who as a member of the Royal Auxillary Air Force just prior to the Second World War was a ‘Weekend Pilot’. He was with 603 University of Edinburgh Squadron, and it was from this squadron that a pilot shot the first German aircraft over the North Sea.
I never cease to be amazed by the incredible control exercised by hoverflies in gusty wind; they manage Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-60898548041153154792011-07-14T05:23:00.000-07:002011-07-14T05:37:24.249-07:00Luton Hoo Walled Garden VisitIt has been some time since I visited Luton Hoo, to the Walled Garden Project, and after clearing the desks I set off via Slip End. As I was approaching Pepperstock very low overhead swept a Red Kite – what a wonderful sight, sadly it was not until I got to the Motorway bridge above the M1 could I park up and grab the longest lens I had with me!
Well, you can imagine the rest, but in case you Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-34023381624383710972011-07-11T11:17:00.000-07:002011-07-11T11:22:28.786-07:00Jarvis – Foresters Development 11th JulyArriving initially in sunshine, I owned up to Trevor that one reason, (but not the only one) was that I would have found it difficult to maintain my boast that I always brought sunshine with me! However, the sun soon left the scene as if to say you can’t even make that claim today!
The main change to note was even more roof trusses in place across the site, but a visit to the nether regions of Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-47944915099024340792011-07-08T09:02:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:12:17.154-07:00Front Garden HoverfliesOn returning from getting a roll for lunch, I spotted a number of hoverflies by the front door, despite a strong breeze blowing the bushes, I just could not resist trying to capture them, as I like a challenge. I knew it was going to be hard to capture one in flight, but it did not stop me popping the 100mm Macro on the 7D with the 1.4 converter to try my luck.
I set 800 ISO and put the camera Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-46598958471394332252011-07-01T14:36:00.000-07:002011-07-01T14:36:52.305-07:001st July Visit to Jarvis Development at HarpendenI had a deadline to meet – I had to find four different images in Lightroom to create two birthday cards and get them in the post before I could set off for the Foresters site being developed by local builders, Jarvis in nearby Harpenden.
The sun was fairly shy today, often disappearing behind clouds, but the temperature was ideal. Arriving on the site, it was very apparent that woodwork was the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-81372931772035255882011-06-30T09:45:00.000-07:002011-06-30T09:45:30.418-07:00Latest Visit to Stockwood Discovery CentreI started taking photos before even setting foot inside the centre, of what is considered to be a precursor to Morning Glory – Bindweed! The bright white trumpets are rather beautiful and really confirm that a weed is simply a flower growing in the wrong place, or where it is not wanted! Also there is an inviting bed of flowers outside the entrance offering a promise of what can be seen within.
Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-24590354551171862182011-06-23T17:11:00.000-07:002011-06-23T17:11:17.966-07:0023rd June 2011 Jarvis - Foresters DevelopmentArriving at the site in sunshine on a day when showers were forecast is not necessarily a good omen, but all I experienced were just a few isolated drops on just a couple of occasions, fortunately towards the end of my visit.
The main change was the addition of some of the wooden roof trusses going up to the left end of the site. Another point of note was how almost every spare space was filled Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-80626014097670031532011-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:002011-06-19T17:43:32.692-07:00Marsworth Steam RallySpeaking to Bob Menzies in the week I learned that Marsworth was holding a Steam Traction Rally beyond Startops End Reservoir, on the Sunday, so I met up with Bob, and we walked around Marsworth lake chatting. We both watched from reservoir rim, then Bob walked back and I entered the field.
To begin with, the sun had gone in, but for a short while during my visit, the sun did come out, I took a Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-18780510030613717492011-06-16T03:59:00.000-07:002011-06-18T11:55:35.032-07:00Grace Bar, Gt. Windmill Street, PiccadillyIt is some time since I visited the West End of an evening; it was extremely muggy as I arrived to meet up with Charlie Milligan outside Grace Bar. We were visiting at this venue as guests of Vanessa Champion who was arranging an evening of live music and comedy for one of her friends Paul Gregory. Charlie who had managed to put his back out, had found a couple of comfortable seats just outside Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-42705603130707188492011-06-15T04:23:00.000-07:002011-06-15T04:27:12.203-07:00Jarvis – Foresters, Harpenden June 14thI still seem to have the happy knack of bringing sunshine to the site, and I mentioned this to Trevor as soon as I arrived, and he said he might have to call on me for that at sometime in the future! Since my last visit, the major change has been the arrival of steelwork for the roof structures. The brick work has also had another scaffold lift.
Down below in the basement many more pipe arrays Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-52499885765305005932011-06-08T18:10:00.000-07:002011-06-20T16:25:51.113-07:00Stockwood Discovery Centre GardensIf I thought I was late arriving at Luton Hoo, that was as nothing to when I arrived at Stockwood Discovery Centre! I thought I would have little time to capture anything of note, but far from it; I was well-rewarded by finding an abundance of floral colour.
There were very few people in the car park or within the gardens, probably entirely as a result of the generally unpromising weather, unlessRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-41799906618761220522011-06-08T18:03:00.000-07:002011-06-08T18:14:12.702-07:00Sunshine and Showers in the Walled GardenThe morning was dull with very few bright spells, but the afternoon improved enough for me to consider visiting the Walled Garden at Luton Hoo, even though it was already mid-afternoon.
The first port of call was to see how the restoration of the hand cart was getting on, however there was no one there, but I took a quick few shots. I took a stroll around the garden and found quite a few Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-63571373284476599072011-06-05T07:21:00.000-07:002011-06-05T07:21:51.483-07:001st Site Visit since Op.After a forced absence of more than a fortnight, I returned to the Jarvis Foresters site in Harpenden to see for myself how much the brickwork had progressed. Once again I had brought sunshine, at least that’s my story! Some on site reckon I only turn up when the weather’s good, but I’ll admit it has rarely rained on my visits. Even Steve Morcombe had been fairly lucky weatherwise when he Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-18851487918321153072011-06-04T11:57:00.000-07:002011-06-04T11:57:03.047-07:00Harpenden Site Update in my AbsenceDuring my forced absence due to medical reasons, Steve Morcombe the Forklift driver on the Jarvis Foresters site very kindly offered to take some photos, so that there would not be a major break in my coverage of the progress on site.
I have tried to take as much care with the post processing as I would have lavished on my own photos. I trust he is happy with what I have done.
I am certainly Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-80290597169429566702011-05-23T17:35:00.000-07:002011-05-23T17:35:58.164-07:00Stockwood Discovery Centre May VisitI made this visit with just one lens, the Canon 100mm Macro, on my Canon 7D. I anticipated that I would be mainly shooting close-up, and this meant I would not be giving my wound too much strain. The gusty wind did not make shooting exactly easy, nor did the cloud cover really add to the ease of shooting. The sun came in and out, which was challenging, but overall I managed to capture some Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-79094209721099597532011-05-23T17:05:00.000-07:002011-05-23T17:20:33.605-07:00John Sentinella Chauffeurs Me to Tringford ReservoirSince my operation, I have found it hard to walk in complete ease, and I need to spend a fortnight avoiding heavy lifting and straining myself. John wanted to visit the reservoirs, and very generously offered to take me in his car, so I travelled in comfort.
I soon spotted Bob Menzies fishing from the far shore of the Tringford lake, so I walked over to meet him with he possible chance to Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-7567694546569988212011-05-07T12:07:00.000-07:002011-05-07T12:22:53.471-07:00Jarvis Foresters Development HarpendenMilky sunshine was the order of the day for this 6th May visit. The brickwork is now rising above ground floor level in many places, and scaffolding being added to take things higher.In the basement the supports for water piping is going in.
More steelwork is due next week, but I will not be covering this as I go into hospital on the Wednesday, and will be having to take things easy for probably Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-27274011827969302512011-05-06T12:29:00.000-07:002011-05-06T12:30:14.659-07:00Bamville Cricket Season StartHarpenden boasts two cricket clubs, the first on Harpenden Common, the second just a short distance beyond East Common, close to the Three Horseshoes Public House. The May 1st match was Bamville’s first of the 2011 season, posted as ‘Players and Jesters’ – the Abbey Players.
I arrived after the match had begun, and the sun was shining from a clear blue sky, and there was the mildest of breezes. Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-32420857818900969752011-05-06T12:07:00.000-07:002011-05-06T12:18:56.986-07:00A Visit to Holkham BeachOn the final day of the seemingly endless Bank Holiday, Catherine invited me to join her and the girls on a visit to Holkham Beach on the Norfolk coast; the forecast of cold and very windy conditions for that ease coast did not deter her – I accepted and we set off on our trip through a part of the country I once knew fairly intimately from my time in the RAF. My memory was jogged on several Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-63583214353750935462011-05-06T10:49:00.000-07:002011-05-06T10:49:26.515-07:00More New Life at Marsworth
Another Visit to Marsworth Reservoir allowed me to peek and no more at some four young coot chicks on the edge of a reed bed, and later a nesting coot in the lake at Tringford. As I watched a couple of grebe going through their ritual dance, tern were either skimming along just above the surface or gliding around intently searching before swooping to try to catch small fish.
A pair of grebe Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-84866832077609207362011-04-28T07:56:00.000-07:002011-04-28T07:56:00.734-07:00Disparate Subjects – Old Cars and Rape FieldsI took a day out to help my nephew with his refurbishment of his recently stripped and repainted Citroen B24 racing car. I surprised Alex by arriving rather early, but he had only got to the car just before my arrival. When I last left the chassis had been carefully painted blue, now the chassis was the same cream colour of the body, but they were yet to be re-united.
We chatted for a few brief Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-34580869747555108172011-04-25T15:26:00.000-07:002011-04-25T15:26:03.030-07:00Easter Monday at BurnhamI decided I wanted to pay a speedy to visit to my mother-in-law, Renee and family friend Roy who were both at my sister-in-law’s for Easter, however, another reason for the visit was to catch up with nephew Alex to get shots of the completion of his repainting of the Citroen Racing Car – Alex and Glory were away, so it was a somewhat depleted group I visited!
Richard wanted me to capture some Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-45639130014689362992011-04-24T17:45:00.000-07:002011-04-24T17:49:27.852-07:00Easter Sunday ActivitiesUnlike Friday when the sun shone from a clear blue sky, the day started with mist, and during the course of the day, the best we had was milky sunshine. I had printed one picture from Good Friday of one of the flowers I had captured in Soulbury, and used it to say thank you to the couple who had kindly allowed me to step into their front garden. I drove to their house to pop the card in – they Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-48995318504984187022011-04-24T03:26:00.000-07:002011-04-24T03:29:05.201-07:00Good Friday in the English CountrysideThe draw of the sunshine and the great outdoors proved irresistible, soon the car was packed with lenses and camera bodies, and I was heading away from Caddington, then towards the Dunstable Downs and Aston Clinton. At every turn that appeared, I chose the one that I had either never made before, or looked interesting.
I liked the name Swanbourne, and arrived at a bridge with a high parapet, and Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-6798111023689414602011-04-21T18:58:00.000-07:002011-04-21T19:16:07.926-07:00Jarvis’ Foresters – Brickie TimeMaundy Thursday, and the last day before the Easter break, the site is awash with scaffolding much of it to take the brickwork to the first floor level. Milky sunshine as I arrive, but soon burnt off. The cottages at the far corner of the site are now taking shape, and sadly, the Site Manager is off sick with a suspected appendicitis. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
I watched as a hopper was Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-43558575378798422882011-04-19T10:40:00.000-07:002011-04-19T11:01:06.884-07:00Citroen B24 – A new Coat of PaintSunday heralded a surprise – Lizzy phoned to ask whether she might come over. What a silly question! I was delighted, especially as she said she was setting off straightway. An hour or so later I received a text which read “Just Leaving. XXX” I had begun to accept that this might be the case and replied with “Your tea is cold.” and a short while later: “I presume that was to give me time to tidy Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-68666749373470727192011-04-19T10:11:00.000-07:002011-04-19T10:11:39.749-07:00Sawston Saturday, and Blaze NearbySaturday was spent with Catherine and the girls, in the morning, we all went around to a friend’s house to put their Guinea Pigs out in a run in the garden, then went shopping in Cambridge, for new items for the house, and in the afternoon, returning for lunch and chatting.Later I was amused to find the girls had a wooden version of Towers of Hanoi, so I challenged Holly and Poppy to see how theyRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-67511709213540433112011-04-15T08:42:00.000-07:002011-04-15T08:42:39.710-07:00Marsworth Early BirdsMy biological clock is used to my working in the early hours of the morning, so waking early is tough! But I managed to be abed by one o’clock, so setting the alarm for five-thirty and setting off forty-five minutes later after a swift shower and brief breakfast was quite a personal success, but poor by wildlifers’ standards. I then setup the 7D and 300mm lens on the gimbal head with levelling Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-11526362963527636932011-04-15T08:29:00.000-07:002011-04-15T08:35:47.629-07:00Wood Near SteppingleyIt is more than a year since I visited the woods close to Steppingley, and the last time it had been so wet that I had been unable to reach the top of the hill where I had earlier taken a landscape photo from the edge of the woods. This time it was the polar opposite it was so dry that you found yourself walking through sand, the approach starts wide and potholed, but once you enter the woods theRod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-86270938603891856832011-04-14T09:52:00.000-07:002011-04-14T09:52:04.915-07:00Westcott Village FlowersIt is always a pleasure visiting Westcott, and my younger daughter; this visit was to help in putting up plasterboard in the bathroom ceiling – a task she would have helped her husband with had she not been so close to delivering my next grandchild.
Parking the car, I spotted an unusual blue flower which a neighbour assures me is a Clematis, so before I offered my help I asked for permission to Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-49045646429703866682011-04-14T08:14:00.000-07:002011-04-14T09:08:58.610-07:00Peacock struts his stuff and finally appeals to one of the ladies!Mike’s next door neighbours have a peacock and thus far he has shown no interest in the peahens, so as he he was out, he had drawn an interested crowd of humans, several toting cameras! But if we thought it was going to be easy to capture shots of the event, or in particular to see him displaying his plumage in a courtship display to one of the peahens, we were in for a shock. He was in no hurry,Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-41545645501035750912011-04-14T08:12:00.000-07:002011-04-14T08:12:05.277-07:00Devon VisitAfter a busy day helping Catherine my elder daughter to move from Grantchester to Sawston, I prepared for somewhat longer trip I would make the following day to stay for two nights in Ringmore.
Whilst down there, my youngest brother, Mike took me to the secluded beach of Ayrmer Cove, he purposely took my via higher route that was straighter and more level. From here it was possible to get a good Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-87041791729003607362011-04-08T13:19:00.000-07:002011-04-08T15:03:06.927-07:00Jarvis’ Foresters Site Bathed in Warm SunshineVisiting the Harpenden site in warm sunshine for a change was welcome. Toureen Mangan are finishing the the drainage works, and soon will leave the site for a while and return to do finishing work such as paving during the closing stages. Most of what is happening is related to brickwork and as this rises, scaffolding is being constructed to allow the men to work at the next level.
In the far Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-90306335646256237792011-03-30T18:36:00.000-07:002011-03-30T19:01:33.039-07:00Toureen near end of 1st stage of Jarvis GroundworksToureen Mangan are nearing completion of the first stage of groundworks for Jarvis at their Foresters Development in Harpenden. They will return later to do finishing work such as the paving. Blockwork is rising all over the site, as is the brickwork.
The work at the front of the site was largely level at the time of my last visit, now the blockwork is head height. At the back and sides of the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-20397536265026519562011-03-25T13:36:00.000-07:002011-03-25T13:48:45.454-07:00Signs of Spring at LastIf work is not flooding in then I hope for good weather. Thursday offered me generally misty sunshine, so I headed for the Grand Union Canal close to Ledburn, hoping to find images that showed Spring was here.
Along the way, I spotted interesting chimneys, extreme rustic dilapidation, an interestingly sited church, a happy white pony, several locks and bridges over the canal, one village had an Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-45424787797431997202011-03-23T16:05:00.000-07:002011-03-23T16:29:37.839-07:00Foresters Development by Jarvis & Toureen ManganOnce again, the sun shone, and large fair weather clouds scudded over the Jarvis Foresters Development in Harpenden with fewer Toureen Mangan ground workers than a fortnight ago.
The site is now mainly in the hands of the bricklayers as much of the blockwork at the base has been completed, but because it is spread throughout the site, it does not show a vast jump in height. The other activity I Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-54737608405200501232011-03-17T19:44:00.000-07:002011-03-17T19:44:02.012-07:00St. Patrick's Day at ForestersMilky sunshine greeted me as I arrived, and the site was noticeably quieter. Work was progressing in different corners of the site today. To the right of the entrance drainage piping was going in. Around the far right, a digger was hard at work, with one man on a power hammer attacking some concrete alongside. Along the back, bricks were being laid by a team, and above scaffolding was being put Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-41055311074621864342011-03-17T17:18:00.000-07:002011-03-17T17:18:22.126-07:00Seasons in the Garden Exhibition PreviewIt was a pleasure to be invited to the Preview evening at the Conservatory within the Luton Hoo Walled Garden, and I did wonder just how many or more probably how few I might meet whom I might know.
I strolled along methodically past the displays to see which of the works stood out, and as before, during the setting up that I had witnessed the day previously the first pair of pictures that Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782475531374564820.post-35877779496640893612011-03-16T18:06:00.000-07:002011-03-16T18:06:26.354-07:00Hardworking Volunteers at Luton HooVolunteers at Luton Hoo's Walled Garden Project do not shy away from either hard or dirty work, and it is true regardless of sex or age. The stalwarts I came across this afternoon before taking photos in the warmth of the Conservatory Marquee, were in the case of two ladies – barely above ground as they were in the void outside the front of the Boiler room that gave onto the windows from the Rod Wynne-Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664308883545242343noreply@blogger.com0