Some of my (hopefully!) more interesting photos from Northumberland may be found here.
This emotive shot is most likely to be used again:
(Click image for all sizes - Creative Commons licensed)
I was pleased with this falcon(?) too:
It was hunting on the updraft around Dunstanburgh castle, with a swift(?) bouncing in playfully:
Beth and I are now home after a great week in Northumberland, which included our 14th wedding anniversary.
Lindisfarne (click image for full size - edited and stitched with Aperture and Hugin)
It seems to us a wonderful yet much-neglected county, though it is apparently not neglected by the RAF!
Beth and I just spent a few days in Cumbria with old friends and their wonderful children. When he and I graduated together from the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, we never imagined that today I would be an MP and he would be managing a major manufacturing facility, but that is a story for another day. It was, of course, picturesque:
Sawrey, Lake District (click image for more)
It reminds me of Reagan:
It is time for us to realise that we are too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams. Those who say that we are in a time when there are no heroes… they just don’t know where to look.
It’s a theme I shall mull over.
Follow the link from the photo for more.
Finally, I found a couple of hours for walk with the camera. A panorama of West Wycombe from above my home:
On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the tenth anniversary of Lane End’s twinning with St Pierre D’Oleron, for which I hope to provide a photo later. I made the point that these direct friendships across national boundaries are a wonderful thing, quoting Richard Cobden:
Peace will come to earth when the people have more to do with each other and governments less.
Beth and I attended Saturday’s Lane End fete, which was thronged, where I discovered The Rebellion Brewery’s “Mutiny Chutney”. I believe I could be developing a new favourite brand.
Wycombe District Ramblers were kind enough to invite me to join them for part of their 25th Anniversary, 25-mile walk around Wycombe before I zipped over to Kensham Farm’s open day.
There, I was delighted to meet Johnny Eldridge, who first began ploughing with a pair of horses, many years ago. Johnny became his family’s breadwinner at the age of 8 when his father died from appendicitis and gangrene. Back in the sixties, he felled that woodland behind us:
His is a moving story and I was honoured to meet him. How our lives have improved.
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend in Chiltern Rise.
For those who could not be there, some photos from Wycombe’s polling day and count:
At last, a day of good light!
Lane south of Wycombe on Christmas Day
Snapped en route to collect the Christmas groceries by foot. It was a long way back up the hill!
Follow the link from the photo for more.
Uploaded a new photoset to Flickr – Empuriabrava, Oct 2009:
Here’s another favourite – a well-formed 5-way formation, high above the canals of Empuriabrava:
Just uploaded a few shots from Hibaldstow. Here’s the bus to 15,000 ft:
The weather was unsettled at the Royal International Air Tattoo today. Nevertheless, the aircrew achieved some fantastic flying in the murk, particularly the pilot of this Hornet, who displayed in awful weather.
Of course, the Red Arrows were superb:
Follow the link from the photos for more.
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