THE OLD HILL (24/01/10)

We are staying alongside The Old Hill Inn, just as well with the weather stubbornly remaining cold and damp. At least we have somewhere to go for a warm and a glass of water.....Falling down water that is.

       Home with Ingleborough in the cloud.

        And again.......It brightens up a bit from time to time.

The remains of an old lime kiln and what's left of the snow.

     The view down the dale Ingleton is in the mist.

This is Moose a Springer Collie cross. Guarding his fire in case Molly wants a warm.

A cosy, hospitable Inn with the advantage of good beer and food.

The real reason for this post is the Landlady has generously offered me the loan of her internet connection. So assuming the walls aren't too thick we should be able to upload a few posts this evening.

Tomorrow we are hoping to go waterfall and pothole hunting.

CAN'T SEE OWT (23/01/10)

Arrived here late Friday afternoon. The Yorkshire Dales are a popular and beautiful area of the country. Not that any of it was visible on the way as the journey was completed in thick mist.

Up with the Lark this morning, after a quick breakfast wrapped up against the cold and went for an exploratory wander. We had a good walk but apart from a couple of brief interludes didn't see much as visibility was down to fifty yards.

    The mist came down.

    The mist lifted, the van is bottom right just above the signature. The hill in the background is Whernside.

     This is the limestone pavement. The rock was scoured by glaciers during the ice age then rain has slowly dissolved the stone forming these clefts. The gaps in the pavement are home to thousands of rare plants, well maybe not thousands or they wouldn't be rare.... Not much evidence of them at this time of year.

Did find this Hart's-Tongue Fern.

           Boulders left lying about by the ice as it retreated.

Occasionally balanced quite artistically.

      Mist drifting up the valley.

      Ingleborough. Seven hundred and a few metres high was our intended destination. Two factors persuaded me that discretion should dictate a retreat. There were few other people on the fell and the area is littered with pot holes and shake holes. I didn't fancy falling into either.

This is a grand place, I will stop a while and hope for an improvement in the weather.

WHAT PASSES FOR WORK (20/01/10)

Took off my Basil Fawlty hat for a couple of hours to take a few pictures for the hotels new web site. Good fun if a bit frustrating.

   Whitby Bay.

Reception.

      Half the dining room.

Three of the sixteen rooms.

And a Bathroom.

Will be moving on to Ingleton on Friday where once again I suspect the internet will be non existant. It must be thirty years since I've been so am looking forward to seeing these hills again.

FROZEN (18/01/10)

A combination of very slow internet, dull, miserable weather and helping out in the hotel has made for a distinct lack of posts. Monday morning decided on a quick trip to Scaling reservoir to get some more extraordinary pictures of our feathered friends.

The place was still frozen solid and all the water fowl were gathered the best part of a mile away.

   Middle left a group of residents but nothing near the hide.

Lapwings, a pair of gulls, a Cormorant and half a dozens Mallard.

I opened up the side flap overlooking the feeders and there were the usual visitors.

    Blackbird.

     Chaffinch

  Blue Tit and Great Tit.

After an, even by my standards, unproductive hour. I was on the point of packing up when a flock of Lapwings treated me to a wonderful air display. 

    Cheered me up no end. A memorable end to a cold grey morning.

OVERSPILL (15/01/10)

Yesterday was spent at The National Railway Museum. Today we move on and to ensure overkill here are a few more images.

     4-6-2 Pacific class locomotive. The streamlined casing is not universal on these locomotives. The most famous of this class The Flying Scotsman isn't so equipped and to my eye is the better for it.

    Stephensons Rocket...........This is the forerunner of all current steam locomotives. Her major innovations being the employment of a tubed boiler and the injection of the exhaust into the chimney. This is a replica built for the Science Museum in 1934.

Rocket.

                       Looks complex.......then I'm not a train driver...Sob! Know what some of them do so could, at a pinch, get it going. The large lever ctr. right is forward and reverse. the wee wood handled jobby at eleven o'clock from the above is the brake valve, left of this is the regulator-----faster/slower. The long thin stick ctr. left opens the fire doors. Allowing ones man to shovel coal into the firebox or to warm your feet on chilly mornings.

                      The only Health and Safety notice I saw.

                        Detail of Queen Victoria's  own Locomotive.

   My mind just can't comprehend the man hours that must be expended to keep them this clean.

   I have no idea but suspect this loco had her wheel casing inspired by the Rose Window in York Minster.

There are more and as I've said the museum holds enough material for several days happy wandering.

Off to Whitby later, truck packing and cleaning first Arrgh!!

THE FAT CONTROLLER (14/01/10)

This post is all steam locomotives, so skip it if you find them offensive, boring or dirty smokey things. Today Molly looked after the van whilst I indulged myself in an orgy of anorakism.

The National Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the world and is superb and well worth a visit, several visits!

I have a couple of criticisms, the lighting is mixed and designed to thwart photography. I took this up with them and they admitted things are purposefully that way. The second is the guidebook which is pretty much a contradiction in terms. A superb publication but not a guide, it doesn't even provide a list of exhibits. It costs £5.00 so have a look before you purchase it. Having said all this entry is free, National Trust take note!

Now my muppetry, having bought the guide I failed to make notes. Back to a load of pictures of things. (What's new!!). The second problem is the light, I tried flash but it would take two flash units plus assistants, plus diffusers or at least bounced flash, probably a combination.

Having got that off my chest I had a wonderful couple of hours in a fantastic place. I could have spent twice this time but the volume of people drove me away. What little boy of my generation didn't want to be a train driver? Very nearly purchased an engine drivers cap in their shop!

HDR panorama of the Great Hall and the turn table.

A Works Saddle Tank Locomotive...............What buffers...........

    Her Engine Plate......Both these with fill flash.

  William Stroudley painted this locomotive in 'Improved Engine Green'. Now I am definitely, clinically certified, colour blind. He was either a terminal case, had a wicked sense of humour or a batch of tan paint to shift. ('The Kings Clothes.'). Springs to mind.

First Class in 1829..........Cheap skates had to sit in open wagons......Moaning commuters take note!

These magnificent gates are stolen from Euston Station in London. If Network Rail have missed them I've found them........And claim any reward.

  The Iron Duke...........HDR, have given up flash as a bad job.

Clean and sparkling bright.

            My favourite........Was somewhat distracted whilst taking this. A Japanese couple enquired  'Us getting help?'. I had collapsed the tripod and being prostrate on the floor had attracted their concern. Sweet, the Brits would have just walked all over me.

       Mallard, the worlds fastest steam locomotive.........................................

     And the plaque to prove it.

That's it. Once again I apologise to those visitors expecting stunning images of York.....Oh OK.........

      The River Ouse this morning.... You didn't miss a thing.

I have enough images for another post......................No! No! No!  Yes! Yes! Yes!.... I LOVE EM!