Outer Hebrides - the First Time !

Crossing was smooth with cliffs & Gannets to see...

 Arriving at Tarbert, Isle of Harris enabled us to see the rocky landscape behind the village, and in the evening, a local drive confirmed our thoughts - its a barren land, in many ways !

 But with spectacular moments to offset the above...

 Strong winds, peaty water meeting a blue sea, gives rise to lovely combinations - but it was fresh, too..

 with other animals unperturbed by such minimal concerns..

 We crossed to North Uist in the afternoon, & our ferry had to weave in & out of so many rocks, with waves coming up a couple of channels, too - giving us a few sea-worthy moments

 The Uists & Benbecula are different to Harris with sandy (Machair) lowlands, strangely on the windward, ocean, side !

See the soccer pitch. although the local game is shinty - a kind of very dangerous hockey.

Peat has accumulated over the years & it is cut & left to dry out, before being used to heat the houses - smells like old rope on fire ?

 Birds were our interest, of course, & we saw these, which were not actually walking like all the rest, due to the windy conditions..

 Beautiful views of Barra, to the south of Eriskay, with its causeway from South Uist, left.  Several of  these join up islands, which the otters have to hurdle...

The narrow roads go round garden fences, according to villager's wishes.
Most of the roads are single track with passing places !

 Property is cheap... and wet...

 Atmospherics are plentiful...

And when the wind comes back - it blows the waterfalls back up the cliff faces of Skye !

North Devon

A few days' jaunt to North Devon  

Serendipity. Happened to see this splendid windmill.

This engine, according to expert Neil, never operated in this area.

Welcome to Glastonbury.  Underneath "Beware of the Lawyer", the small print adds, "The dog is harmless".

At the wetlands on the way, an osprey migrating south had stopped for lunch. it is clasping a fish.

Once again the small print escapes you.
After some roadworks, the information on the red sign says, "CATS EYES REMOVED".
We turned round specially to go back and get this shot.

Sunken Devon lanes and a wheatear at the beach.

Tide's out.
From Instow looking across the estuary to Appledore.
It is all very awkward twice a day (or night!)

Diversion, just for fun.
Over the new Severn Bridge into Wales, only to return a few minutes later over the old Severn Bridge.
When we were students, Neil had a thesis to write for his geography degree which meant we camped for a month in this area, including a site at the base of the old bridge.  The old bridge was almost completed at that time, but soon could not cope with the traffic.

An afternoon at Slimbridge, a WWT site with captive birds on display, many free to roam, as well as wild bird   visitors migrating through, especially wintering here. Of course we were too early for those.
But here are Nene Geese saved from extinction by Sir Peter Scott, the founder of Slimbridge.

The red team and the blue team.
What varieties there are!

Moorhen feeding her chick. The tiny wings show the vestigial "thumb", but again I think the scale of the photo has lost that detail.





Reflections.  Artist Neil loves reflections, in this case of Caribbean Flamingos.





West Somerset Railways... what a wonderful holiday railway this is between Taunton & Minehead... providing walkers, biking folk with genial journeys in support of their hobbies, not to mention old steamers like my brother and myself... (Neil)

After watching quite a few comings & goings up and down the line, as you can see, we even managed a walk to the bottom of an old mineral wagonway.  This is a local historical industrial site that includes a ropeway incline at a gradient of 1 in 4 !  All that remains today is this wonderful stone arch bridge at the foot of the hill.

Our return to Alcester was to honour Gladys Lavender, at her funeral in Bridgnorth.  It was a very special time for all.  The weather was warm & sunny.  All was said and done in good order.  In a video we saw Gladys a few years ago telling her friends at her Home, of her own memorable stories.
We were privileged to know her.

Mal, Carol, Sandra, Kate (M&C's daughter), Mike, Carol's brother, & in front his wife, Irene, and finally at the right Karim, Kate's friend.

Gladys Lavender 1918-2012

Gladys  

Early on Tuesday morning, Gladys died in her sleep.

She was the mother of Carol, our sister-in-law in England.

She was 93.

It will be our privilege to celebrate her life with her family at her funeral on Friday, 7th September.

Saturday : A cold and damp arrival from Ireland. This is Llandudno in north Wales, where the hospitality business was suffering in rain and strong winds.

The road round the Great Orme, a rocky peninsula where the mist came down.

Sunday : The sun was out in Alcester, in the heart of England. Neil joins the BBQ squad with his brother Malcolm at the back and brother-in-law Mike to the right. They are warming up the charcoal.

The cooks explain why the meatballs are all crumbled and will have to be eaten with a spoon.

Monday : Looking through the tuery (lane) to the op shop. This is where our sister-in-law Carol works for the benefit of the Shakespeare Hospice in Stratford.  

Meanwhile, Mal & Carol paid Gladys a visit, - which sadly turned out to be their last, - as she passed away peacefully in her sleep early the next morning.

A very recent happening! All Olympic Gold Medal winners got their hometown postboxes painted gold. All others remain red as usual.

Mal and Carol have just changed their car, to a Vauxall Astra Twin Top. (Sporty !)

This is a run to Stratford with the top down, in the front seat.

This is the same run to Stratford with the top down, from the backseat passengers who seem to be collecting  eddies of fresher air.

Wintry (!) Stratford.  It was the coldest local recorded overnight temperature - for August, with touches of frost.

The now completely refurbished Royal Shakespeare Theatre, interesting to wander in.

The Saxon Sanctuary, the name nearby  Wootton Wawen Church gives itself.

Only the core of it is Saxon. It has been added to until it gives the impression of a modular church. Spiritual life is active with Alpha Courses and weekly Celtic form services. Good to see such continuity.

Sandra with Carol, daughter Kate and Neil's brother Malcolm.