Weardale Railway Wartime Weekend

Hired steam locomotive "Wilbert" ( Rev W. Awdry) arrives at Stanhope while diesel pacer train waits in platform.

George Formby tribute artist and ENSAtainer Colin Bourdiec entertains passengers on the platform at Stanhope

Elements of the French Resistance appear with weapons ready for use.

Step This Way Appalachian Dancers Carol and Alison, with musicians Dave and Colin, get under way.

Young spectators get involved in the dancing

The audience claps along as the Step This Way Appalachian dance side doing their thing.

 

Having a twirl!

Canon 5DII

George Stephenson

North eastern railway pioneer George Stephenson has recently had his Newcastle upon Tyne based statue restored, and very good it looks too.



Stephenson's birthplace is now in the care of the National Trust and is located just outside Wylam village. I do like the foxgloves growing within the garden.



The plaque on Stephenson's cottage includes a representation of his the famous Rainhill Trials winning locomotive Rocket, a  machine which embodied most of the key design features of all subsequent steam locos.


A replica of the original, seen within Shildon Museum, shows the then novel multitubular boiler with steam collecting dome and blast pipe within the chimney. It should be noted that it was George's son Robert who is normally credited with the design of the Rocket!



Images available for sale at Alamy

Canon 5D

Wild Flowers

The weather has been terrible of late with heavy rain and very little sunshine. The resulting soft light is good for flower shots, which can easily burn out in bright conditions. These were taken around the Gibside estate near Rowlands Gill.

Now looking for a field full of wild poppies

Canon 5DII 24-105L

Man rushes to buy pasty !

In a place where photography is not permitted you have to be a bit surreptitious, and using a camera as large as a 5D that's a tad tricky. I had the camera at waist height and shot as I was walking past. The gods smiled on me as my movement matched that of the person going to buy his pasty and he is sharp while the background is blurred. How lucky can you get?

I don't like the concept of photography not being permitted. Taking this kind of photo doesn't hurt anyone, provided that you don't show people in compromising situations or in a bad light - which I don't. I liken this to the days when you were not allowed to walk across the moors because they were owned by a small group of wealthy individuals who resisted public access. That was broken by masses of people taking united action with an uncontrollable trespass. Now we have the right to roam.

Today the situation is a little different, faceless firms possibly owned or bankrolled by pensions companies, build shopping centres and impose unreasonable restrictions. Intolerable in my view.

It's noteworthy that the National Trust now allows photography in most of their historic houses. Is this due to the generosity of that worthy organisation? Well my cynical view is that they realised that the situation was untenable, small compacts and camera phones would record the interiors and are virtually impossible to police. My thanks to the NT however, whatever the motivation!

Kern Morris at Penshaw Monument

Durham based Kern Morris dance team were due to perform at the Monument Pub in Penshaw but decided to turn up early and do a few dances at the Monument itself. The light wasn't good, but that didn't stop the Kern dancers from enjoying themselves.

Click on any image for an enlarged view.

Some of these photos are available for sale on Alamy

Canon 5DII 24-105 f4 L Nissin Di622 II flash

Blue Tit arrives at nesting box

I made a new nesting box over the winter and have been rewarded by the appearance of a pair of blue tits who, by the evidence of the noise, have managed to start a family.

My aged Tamron SP 500mm mirror lens was used for these shots. The depth of field is about 2.5 inches at this subject distance, so accurate focus is essential.

I found that live view with 10 x magnification was better for focusing than the optical viewfinder with a Canon angle finder giving a 2.5 x magnification. This may be down to my eyesight, I can use my reading glasses with live view, but not with the optical viewfinder.

I may also try the Sigma 100-300 f4 with 1.4 converter and compare the results.

Canon 5D II.

Beamish Museum Steam Gala

The weather was variable, not very warm but with a bit of sunshine some of the time!

Traction engines and a steam lorry in the station yard

A vintage fire engine from the US of A

Speed blur on a tricyle

Plenty of steam on a dull day!

These photos and more similar are available for purchase via Alamy.

Canon 5D 24-105L