Derbyshire Lambs

We've just returned from the first camping trip of the year after staying for a couple of nights near Carsington Water in Derbyshire. These two were watching me as I explored a footpath across the fields :-)

Two More Clear Nights

The night sky was clear again on 21 / 22 April so here are the next two in the sequence. :-)

The One Handed Clock at Coningsby

Saint Michael's church in Coningsby has the largest single handed clock in the world. The clock face is 5 metres across and apparently the time can be read up to two miles away.

The Moon, Two Clear Nights

The sky has been clear most nights this week so I've taken the opportunity to stand outside staring at the moon! These two are from 19 / 20 April :-)

Dandelion

I'm sure the lawn will be more dandelions than grass before long. They're spreading like wildfire :-)

The View to Marazion

The view is from Saint Michael's Mount to Marazion on the Cornish mainland. It's just possible to see the causeway which can be walked across at low tide.

Crescent Moon, 17 April 2010

Taking photos of the Moon is becoming at obsession! This is the best of about 10 shots I took last night. I used the tripod and self-timer, f/5.8, ISO-64, exposure time 0.25 secs, exposure bias -2, max aperture 3.44. :-)

Mural of Saint Michael's Mount

The mural shows Saint Michael's Mount and the Cornish Coastline and is painted on a house at Saint Michael's Mount. The small island near the peak of the roof is Saint Clement's Isle where according to legend an ancient hermit tended a guiding light.

Originally I though the mural showed Le Mont Saint-Michel. However apart from the island and river the coastline is a poor match. Clare from Saint Michael's Mount kindly set me straight. The compass points in the wrong direction which confuses matters somewhat. :-)

Saint Michael's Mount on Google Maps

English Daisies, Bellis Perennis

Most gardeners consider daisies a weed, but I don't mind them growing all over the lawn. :-)

The Giant's Heart

Years ago a giant by the name of Cormoran built Saint Michael's Mount. He would wade across to the mainland to terrorise folk and steal their livestock.

The local people offered Cormoran's treasure as a reward for the giant to be slain. A boy called Jack rowed over to the island at night with a pickaxe and killed the giant at dawn, earning the name Jack the Giant Slayer.

The giant's heart marks the spot where Cormoran was killed.  If you put your ear to the heart you can still hear it beating :-)

Arthur at Goonhilly

Arthur (Antenna One) is a satellite dish at the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station in Cornwall. The dish measures 26m and relayed telephone calls and live TV from the Telstar satellite.

The site has a visitor centre with an exhibition of the history of satellite communications. Unfortunately the Goonhilly visitor centre closed last week until further notice. :-(

The Slopes of Ingleborough

Ingleborough is one of the three peaks of Yorkshire with the remains of an Iron Age hill fort and a Roman camp on the summit. Unfortunately I've never made it to the top, turning back three times thanks to bad weather. Maybe one day :-)

The Heart of the Bunker

Welcome to the control room at the heart of the Hack Green nuclear bunker. The threat level is at it's most serious, Bikini Alert State Red - prepare for a hostile nuclear strike.

In the Event of a Nuclear Attack

From the Hack Green secret nuclear bunker:

In the event of a nuclear attack on the bunker, get under your canteen table for your safety and protection. Important notice: food is not permitted to be eaten whilst sheltering under your table

Secret Nuclear Bunker

Let's hope the enemy can't read English, otherwise they'll have no problem finding the Hack Green secret nuclear bunker. Hack Green was intended to be the government headquarters in the event of war. :-(

Luckily the bunker is no longer in use. Hack Green was abandoned at the end of the Cold War and reopened as a museum in 1998.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch on the Isle of Anglesey has the longest place name in the U.K., 58 letters long! There's even a guide to pronunciation on the sign. The name is Welsh for Saint Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave. :-)