Author: Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

Lizard Point

The Lizard peninsula is the most southerly part of the British mainland, a place apart from anywhere else. Dramatic and historic coastline, complex and unique geology and interesting flora and fauna.

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The Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre with its distinctive twin towers marks the most southerly point of mainland Britain. It is open from March to October and you will find interactive displays and exhibitions about the history of the building. A tower was first built here in 1619 at the expense of philanthropist Sir John Kilgrew. The current beam can be seen for 26 miles. For those of you who love lighthouses,  (Jo, I hope you are reading this), you can climb up to the top of the tower and even sound the foghorn or send messages in Morse code. Continue reading Lizard Point

Bench series #22

For the month of May I’m looking for benches at the beach

Lizard
The southernmost bench in the country – Lizard Point, Cornwall, England

If you would like to join in with the Bench photo challenge then please take a look at my Bench Series page. No complicated rules, just a bench and a camera required 🙂

  • Create your own post and title it Bench Series: May
  • Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
  • Add the tag ‘bench series’ so everyone can find the benches easily in the WP Reader
  • Get your post in by the end of the month, as the new bench theme comes out on the first Sunday in June.

This is the last week for benches by the sea, so get them in quickly!

My Picks of the Week:

Carol is a little late for a bench with a view, but as she has a view of bluebells which is appropriate in May, I’ll let her off as you’ll probably enjoy the bluebells.
Another one with an interesting twist is from Klara.
Pauline has an odd looking bench which is definitely ON the beach
More lovely views from Ruth in Hobart
and whilst we are Downunder pop along to read Jill’s story in New Zealand – the efforts some people go to to capture a bench photo for me is admirable 😉
Gilly is on the south-west coastal path, whilst Debbie is still in much warmer climes in Barcelona and my final pick is from Tgeriatrix who has benches in beach baskets – yes you did read that correctly!

Lingering Look at Architecture: Bridges

Dawn of “The Day After” runs a monthly architecture challenge as well as her windows. May  is the month for Bridges.

I like photographing bridges, many of which have great architectural and historical features, and have done so several times within the topic of a photography challenge. (click on the image to enlarge)

collage

Top right: Dinham Bridge, Ludlow;
Metal bridges: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA; Jackfield Bridge, Shropshire, England; Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia; Burrard Street Bridge, Vancouver, Canada;
Bottom Left: Ironbridge, Shropshire, England
Wooden/stone bridges: Wooden Bridge, Clun, Shropshire, England; Gallox Bridge, Somerset, England; Albany Covered Bridge, New Hampshire, USA; Packhorse Bridge, Clun, Shropshire, England

Header: Rope Bridge in the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, England

Oh what a tangle

Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla)

The Moreton Bay fig tree with its powerful buttresses and long dangling, intertwisted aerial roots creates a sense of awe and wonder. The characteristic “melting” appearance is due to its habit of dropping aerial roots from its branches, which upon reaching the ground, thicken into supplementary trunks which help to support the weight of its crown.