Postcards – Page 87 – TRAVEL WORDS

Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons #10

October already, how the years fly past these days. It doesn’t seem 11 months since I was planning and packing for my trip to Australia and New Zealand. Luckily we have been experiencing an Indian Summer here in the UK. September and October have been mostly dry so far. Misty mornings give way to bright cloudless days until mid afternoon when cloud descends again. Being sunny and unseasonably warm I am not even going to complain about the nights drawing in. For now.

The only issue is that because we haven’t had any cold periods yet a lot of the trees are still very green looking; we need a sharp cold hit to trigger the process that causes leaves to turn colour. Still, I decided that this month I’d take you back along the common where we can get a good view of the town and any colouration of the trees and shrubs from above. Hopefully next month we will see more changes.

Date: October 14 2015
Weather: sunshine and cloud
Temperature: Fresh and sunny (11°C)
Time: 12:00 – 13:15 PM

I’m not going to talk too much this month, I’ll let the pictures tell the story and those of you who have been following this series should recognise a lot of the views.

The ‘daffodil’ bench

It’s that time of year…

There are some burnished golds and copper tints and I see that the meadows have been mown and the bracken is dying down. Continue reading Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons #10

A Walk on a Wild Ridge

I meant to return to the Stiperstones in Shropshire during August when the hills would be a purple haze. Unfortunately the damp weather conspired against me but on a gloriously clear day in mid-September I did go back. The Stiperstones is a spectacular 10-kilometre ridge in south-west Shropshire rising to 536 metres above sea level.

We started the walk this time from the Knolls car park which lies between the Bog Visitor Centre and the hamlet of Bridges at the base of the Long Mynd. There is a fairly short all-ability trail on a broad, level, well-surfaced track running along the southern edge of the Reserve.

There are resting perches and a tapping rail as well as plenty of benches providing views over the area, although the actual quartzite tors are only just visible. There are no benches on top so make the most of these. Continue reading A Walk on a Wild Ridge

Bench series #41

For the month of October I’m looking for a bench with someone or something sitting on it

(any kind of bench will do, but there must be at least one person, animal or object on the bench)

Guitar Man Montreux — The Guitar Man – Montreux Switzerland

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: October
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 November.

My Picks of the Week:

Some really cool benches this week inhabited by all sorts of subjects – it is obvious that a lot of people take photos of occupied benches! Take a look at a couple from Pauline: Inside Dunedin Railway Station and one in Crystal Castle a fantasy world in Mullumbimby – how can you resist a name like that? Aletta joins us again with some amusing statues on mini benches that are bound to make you smile as does Lisa’s bench. Both Geriatrix and Isadora show us how to relax and Gilly visits one of my favourite places. Even the intrepid Canadian adventurer Sue joins in (though not intentionally) with a fabulous bench in Montreal.

And two special benches: one from Liz, a nature photographer who kindly gave me permission to share this with you. Honestly it is hard to believe this is in London;
and a very sweet and poignant memory from Sylvia – thank you for sharing this moment with us.

As always there are so many delightful benches to view, I hope you will check out the other links within the comment section.

autumnal colour

Ailsa is looking for intensity this week so what about this apple orchard inside the walled garden at Berrington Hall? There was a lot of vibrant colour there this week: the fiery reds and sulphuric yellows were in competition.

Berries

Spanish Flag

Mulberry leaves

I’m delighted to see so much colour around at this time of year. I shall soak it in to get me through the grey days of the coming winter.

Park Life

Sunday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. It was reasonably warm for the time of year and it was my birthday. To celebrate we went for a walk in a nearby National Trust parkland, Berrington Hall, where a new route has been created through the broadleaf-woodland, followed by coffee and cake in the courtyard with live music from a folk group celebrating the apple harvest and a last lingering stroll around the walled garden and orchard simply dripping with apples of all colours and sizes. Care to join me?

We decided to follow the blue route but cut alongside the lake and then follow the yellow route to cut across and join the blue one again. Although we have visited Berrington many times, it has always been during the period when the lake walk is closed due to grey herons nesting there between March and July.

Looking back towards the house, built in 1775 by Thomas Harley and designed by Henry Holland in the latest French influenced Neo-classical style. Continue reading Park Life