Flying Locally

We visited Lark Rise Farm and Burwash pools today.  I tried the Fuji 100 - 400mm with a 1.4x teleconverter.  It was fine with the stationary butterflies, but failed to get sharp pix of the Barton buzzards when quite close.  The Tiger Moth and the ? Boeing 737 low overhead were easier.  Most pix at ISO 1600 or 800.

On The Spectrum

I've never thought of myself as on the Autistic Spectrum, but during today's visit to Wimpole Hall I found my end of it.  The rococo over-embellishment of every item of furniture and tool, like the lamps and the clocks, combined with a complete lack of taste or restraint, made me nauseous, as autistics are supposed to feel when overwhelmed by too much detail in their surroundings.  I certainly prefer Bauhaus to Wow-house. 

The Cream Tea Run

Peter and I drove the old girls to Finchingfield for our annual cream tea, in the tea room behind Bea here.  When I got home, the young girls played in the old car.  

Yat Birds

Someone was priming this hole in a tree with sunflower seeds.  The nuthatches clearly thought they had the best claim, but the young robin watched and finally tried his luck.  Ann sheltered from the rain and reviewed her images.

Monmouth

Today we visited Monmouth, a pretty town on the river Monnow, still in England (just).  It was the birthplace of Henry V, so 'Agincourt began here' as the Monmouth mugs say.  It was also the birthplace of C. S. Rolls. one half of Rolls Royce, who was killed in 1910 flying a Wright biplane.  After lunch with Steph and Lins in Penallt, we went to Symonds Yat, famous for its view of the Wye and the resident peregrine falcons.  It rained but cleared up later.

Hereford

We had a few days in Hereford, due to a Travelodge booking we couldn't take earlier in the year.  On the way we passed Eynsham Hall, near Witney, where I did my initial training as a police officer (was it really 46 years ago?)  The hall is now a luxury hotel, but the huts where we were billeted have been replaced by brick buildings.  The statue of Elgar is outside the cathedral, and of course the Hereford Bull is centrally placed in the city.

Paxton Pits

Not many insects around on this hot day, and we couldn't find the Wasp Spider anywhere.

The World's Largest Balloon

Also known as 'Martha Gwyn', the Airlander 10 is a helium-filled soft-skinned hybrid air vehicle, 302 feet long and powered and steered by four 4-litre diesel engines, two at the tail and one each side at the front.  It is awaiting its first flight at Cardington in Bedfordshire.

Norwich

To Norwich with three others from the camera club.  The top four pix were taken in Magdalen Street, the others in Wensum Street, across the river.

Windy Day

Hot and windy at Old Warden, so none of the WW1 aircraft flew.  At the last minute, the new CAA display regulations were loosened to allow the slower Shuttleworth aircraft to do their stuff closer to the crowd, though the piston Provost kept its aerobatic regime high, probably over five hundred agl.

Cambridge Rock Festival

The first evening of the CRF saw a Gibson Les Paul Custom autographed by the acts being raffled for Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust at £5 a ticket.  Steve Parsons (a drinking buddy of Ginger Baker, drummer with Cream) played with Chris Spedding.  Fresh Cream included Jack Bruce's son Malcolm, on bass, and Will Johns, son of famous recording engineer Glyn, on guitar, with Chris Page on drums, doing vintage Cream material and their own Blues.  That's rock royalty.