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Managed a very zoomed in shot of the White Pelican that has been spending time at Blackie Spit for a couple of weeks. A rarity for our area. Even from so far off an amazing bird to see
Not Lincoln, but something of decent significance I managed to dig out from 2017, from Arkwright Street where it joins Meadows Way in Nottingham. Plaxton Paragon bodied Volvo B12B PN07 LLK, here carrying the registration LIL 9842, operates a Nottingham High School service on 8.9.17
Back then I wouldn’t have put any consideration into the High School having predictable routes (obviously this was long before Bustimes) and so as far as I was concerned this was just another instance of ‘random coach’. With the number 11 in the windscreen, this must be the same service I once saw CT4N running a few years later with a Solo. Given CT4N still hold the Nottingham High School contract, I expect they still run it.
I was out for a walk on the moors this morning with my good friend Mark. I have seen him regularly for more than forty years but we have hardly seen each other during lockdown so today we met for a walk. He's not a birdwatcher, but has an interest, and told me that as a child he once saw a Ring Ouzel near his home in Sheffield. Well today, after a gap of more than 45 years, I managed to show Mark his second ever Ring Ouzel. Alas this one was a juvenile without its distinctive breast crescent, but it chacked a lot, to confirm its identity. Usually at this time of year they feed on Bilberries to fuel the autumn migration to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. But this year the Bilberry crop is almost non-existent, so this one was making do with unpalatable Crowberries. You can see the distinctive pale edges to the flight feathers that distinguish it from the similar Blackbird. This was on the Peak District Moors near Holmfirth in West Yorkshire.
Ring Ouzel is not a common bird in Britain. There are apparently about 7300 pairs, but it is red-listed because of a >50% decline in the past 25 years. They are mainly a bird of northern moorlands with a handful of birds clinging on around Dartmoor.
Managed to get a few shots of Cattle Egrets inter-acting with the "Rare Breeed" White Park Cattle this morning. I/C the classic "on the back" shot
I manages two "One shot wonders" over the past week. I got the LV HU on #144 for the first time, and although I left Lexington in perfect sun it was 99.99% cloudy north of Sadieville. In fact I tried two shots and was giving up it was so bad but Stel said let's keep going. I think this was the only seconds of sun it saw between Mason and Cincinnati, at Reid. Sadly its going main 2 but all things considered I can't complain (much).
I managed to get my hands on Sparkle Studio Barbie for a pretty decent price at Intertoys. I've been wanting to get her since I first saw her, mainly just for her fashions. They're so basic, yet fashionable! ;-)
On a side note: sadly the peplum on Kenzie's outfit isn't attached to the top, but to the skirt :-( the top Summer is wearing doesn't have any opening, so you have to put it on your doll like you would put on a shirt yourself ;-)
managed a few shots of the barn owl but missed one coming right over my head and another sitting in a tree very close while looking for dragonflies
Managed today a headshot of this increadible skulky bird.
D700 200-400VR @400mm F7,1 1/100sec iso 1250, full frame
"After Bilbo finally managed to squeeze the much bedraggled dwarves out of their barrels, he proposed to enter the wooden lake-town and gather some food. Thorin immediately saw the sense in this idea, for they were all very hungry for anything except apples which had filled their barrels during their long voyage. What a sight they made, marching up to the town, trying their best to look presentable though having a hard time of it because of their muddy wet clothes. Bilbo knocked on the great front gates and a small man poked his head out of a little window. 'Yus? May I help you?', he said while turning his nose up at their stench. Bilbo took charge because he was the most recovered by now, and replied, 'Good day to you sir, we have just traveled a long way, and are very hungry. Do you have any food that we might buy?' The doorman opened the gates and allowed them to enter. 'The Master and his friends are having a feast to celebrate Yule-day in the town hall if you would like to join them.' No sooner than this left his mouth, than the dwarves all scuttled toward what appeared to them to be the town hall. Bilbo followed feeling slightly embarrassed for their behavior, though very much agreeing with it. At last they came to a large wooden building, with gay sounds and music streaming forth. And the smell! O, the smell! To this day, those dwarves shall never forget smelling the roast chicken, or the savory pork, or even the delicious bread that whose aromas were wafting towards them. Thorin stepped proudly to the door and knocked thrice. The sounds from inside halted as Thorin cracked open the door, and strode in midst tremendous surprise from the celebrators. 'I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, king under the mountain!', he yelled as he entered, 'I have returned!'.
Greetings all, here is yet another creation for the CCC. My apologies for the delay. In effort to prevent such a delay as that again, I shall now be posting without regard to the chronology. This will make it much easier on myself. Anyhow, the category that this entry falls under is, "Medieval Holiday", or in this case Yule which was an actual holiday in Tolkien's world. This MOC shows Bilbo's and the dwarves' arrival at Laketown.
I hope you all like it,
C&CC welcome as always.
Soli Deo Gloria
-Blake
EDIT: This creation was made possible only through the selfless and totally honest critiques and criticisms by Siercon and Coral. They added so much to this creation. It is probably good that you didn't see it before Sean got through with it. I basically rebuilt EVERYTHING. I have never been more pleased doing that before now though. I can't over stress just how instrumental they were in this creation. Thanks Sean!
EDIT: The Brickshelf is now public for more pictures.
I managed to get out in Valley Forge Park for a bit today. The weather was damp and rainy but mild, which made for good shooting conditions. I can't tell you how many times I have looked at this pillar and resisted the temptation to shoot it. I could not resist it today.
View On Black and large.
I managed three visits to the Mjällådalen nature reserve during our July 2023 trip to my mother-in-law in Härnösand, Sweden (plus a fourth one in August).
This is from the third, and as on the previous two, my son joined me and proved an invaluable photography assistant and beetle herder.
My favourite find on this visit - and possibly of the entire trip - was this red morph of the green-socks peacock beetle (Elaphrus riparius). That's right, this is the very same species as this one: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53022438739/in/album-721...
This is the smallest peacock beetle in Sweden at 5-7 mm (.24") and quite variable in colour although this hue has to be considered quite extreme.
As before, Daniel turned out to be invaluable and we came up with a process where he put his hands down on the sand with his thumbs and index fingers formed in a diamond shape around the beetle so it couldn't run away and I then stuck the camera down close over it and took a shot whenever it took a little break in running around like it was on crack.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53047957138/
Also, I've made an album with just the shots of peacock beetles - 14 photos as of posting this: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/albums/72177720309780234
A photo taken in early October 2010 of me dressed up as a woman. If I’m honest, I was thrilled to be wearing a skirt, make-up on my face, high heel shoes and a wig and trying to project a vibe of being female. Not the usual activity for most men!
Why do I like dressing up as a woman despite being a man? Well, I just tell myself it’s because I’m a transvestite! I feel the desire to dress in women’s clothes and wear make-up and try and actually look like a female is something that is programmed within us as other wise why would we put up with the risks and the fears many of us experience with our transvestism?
In my case I feel compelled, a deep need to cross-dress as a woman and emotionally, despite the negative aspects, the concerns and the secrecy I feel real elation and joy when I do dress up as a woman. I feel a part of me needs to free this desire and express it. This is why I am a man that likes to become a woman, it’s fundamental to who I am. The bottom line is I like pretending I’m female. I say pretend because I can never be a woman. I can try to look and act like one but I will never know the reality of being a woman. I’m a superficial parody despite a part of me wishing I was female. It all comes down to I am a man dressing up and engaging in gender illusion and not too successfully when it comes to it!
I have a lot of fun and excitement cross-dressing and I do find it rather erotic in nature yet I also feel a comfort on a deep level when I try to pass myself off as a woman, it kind of feels good and close to me emotionally, it releases something I feel I missed being. It’s a taste but not the real thing.
Cross-dressing lets me experience just about everything from amazing to very worrying and challenges me as a person to confront myself and admit who I am. Who I am is a man that is happy as a man with a caveat, I’m happy as a man most of the time but a very definite part of me wishes to spend part of my time as a woman. I want both not one exclusively. I need to be both genders and this also concerns me. Why is not so straightforward, why am I having these desires and motivations? I have no idea! none! All I know is the exist within me and it has taken me literally decades to come to terms with them.
Dressing up as a woman could destroy my life, I could lose everything if I were too reckless with it all so why don’t I just stop and ensure there is no jeopardy? The answer for me is because I cannot, I have to set free the transvestite aspect of myself now an again to be a complete person, to be true to myself.
I find that if I can manage the desire I can minimise the risks and potential upsets band still achieve that sense of fulfilment and ease the need I have to engage in my transvestism. For me the way to cope is to maintain perspective on reality and acknowledge the true priorities in my life are my responsibilities to those that I committed to, my wife and family and not put them in a position of peril just because I love to wear a dress and make-up and pretend I’m a woman.
I am a fortunate man in that though I rarely get an opportunity to cross-dress as a woman, my family are aware I have a need to do so and tolerate it albeit there is no involvement. For me it is a very private experience becoming my female alter-ego Helene, she is able to emerge on rare occasions but only when I am alone and unlikely to be disturbed by anyone.
Managed to get out this afternoon for a few more Marsh Harrier shots. Nice to see them quite active. Male was in flight & distant so only records
managed to destroy my 50mm. Yes, the one I just got a couple weeks ago. Here's a pic, though, taken with just the rear elements still in place. Front elements were in my bag...
I'm keeping the lens, and now have a project planned with it. Incredibly I've already gotten print requests, so guess those just might be coming too...
Managed to get 3 child free nights with the missus, and we spent them in the gorgeous Taormina, Sicily. It was the perfect weekend, with this view on the walk down from the hotel into Corsa Umberto.
Also pleased to say that we came back engaged!
This was taken near my bird feeders in my garden. I managed to get extremely close to the song thrush which was surprising.
Just managed to catch this chap in my neighbours garden after hearing the little birds going mad, at first I thought it might have been a cat. Think it's a male?
Managed to make a makeshift tripod with a few books and a shaky table tripod from Kathmandu (designed for compact cameras). The flash was fired from the left of the image and was both bounced from the ceiling, and omnibounced for the fill-in. One hand on the shutter, the other releasing the raspberry.
Managed to get these shots this morning. So pleased and relieved to see they are still about after another dreadful few days in Suffolk.
I chased him awhile until i managed to get this...shot
He was a wicked bugger could'nt get any closer than this
(zoomed at 200mm using a 70-200mm lens)
i wanted the rising sun rays on his wings as he takes off..
And this is how close i got to achieving my goal you decide!!
We managed a small photo shoot today after weeks of stalled attempts. Here is a little glimpse, minus creatures, of some of the 'props' we used. Hoping to get the creature shots up in the next few days, phew!
I managed to sneak out today for a few miles in between the showers ..
(Yes, that is dead bugs n dirt on it....)
Phone image..
Managed to do that a little last weekend for a short while, Sadly this weekend is looking a little unsettled.
So wet and chilly tomorrow means a day indoors doing a little decorating and then maybe Sunday will brighten up a little so as i can get a sun dress on again.
I got one of these multi way dresses today from a charity shop, glad i never spent good money on one. OK they aren't bad but they aren't good either.
Maybe over the weekend i will take a few photos of me wearing it a number of different ways, Think it would work better with proper boobs
Managed to hook up and tune a 1990 Sega Master System II to a 2016 Samsung flat screen TV this afternoon. Alex Kidd lives again!
I managed to take this through our kitchen window. The fieldfare was only in the garden for a couple of minutes. So thrilled it captured the moment so well.
Thankfully, I managed to catch up with my last winner at AOT, cutting it close though, with just three days of the service remaining!!
Purchased Summer last year from Johnson's, AOT quite literally removed the branding from the top of the vehicles, and painted the yellow bits white!!
YJ57EGU approaches the Beavale Estate from Common Lane on the edge of the Hucknall Estates with an 8 from Nottingham, City Hospital and Hucknall.
Managed to capture both male and female Sparrowhawks at Millers wood today, really pleased it was me photographing them for a change.
you can read more on my Website/Blog at: www.johnstantonphotography.co.uk/sparrowhawk-on-patrol/
I managed to squeeze in the comet 62P/Tsuchinshan (on the left) and supernova SN2024gy in NGC4216 (brightest on the right) into the same frame. The supernova is the star like object just to the left of the core of the galaxy.
Taken with StellaLyra 6 inch f4 newtonian reflector, TS Superflat GPU coma corrector, Nikon Zii on an AZEQ6 mount. Stack made from a total of 30 frames, 15 seconds each, ISO 5,000, light frames only, no flats or darks. Stacked and processed in Affinity Photo 2.
The underside of a gorgeous chandelier in the castle.
I didn't quite manage to centre it this time. Must try better next time.
After the previous shot in Riviere-Bleue I managed to get ahead of the train before it arrived in Lac-Baker. The well-known shot here with the church in the background is pretty much treed in so I shot from the road bridge that crosses the tracks and leads to the church.
-Cant manage supplies
-Whines about the italians not getting through the Mediterranean despite having taken half the troops neededfor the malta invasion
-If you're superiors call you a ghost division its because they dont know where you are, meaning they can't supply you
-most of those cool stories about him are false
Managed to capture this target last year but never got around to processing the data. Details are as follows :
Telescope : Explore Scientific 127mm FCD100
Mount : ES Losmandy G11 with PMC-8
Imaging Camera : Zwo 1600mm-Pro
Filters : Astrodon 3nm NB set(Ha,S2,O3) + R,G,B
Exposure settings :
Ha : 50 * 5m (Gain : 200)
S2 : 50 * 5m (Gain : 200)
O3 : 50 * 5m (Gain : 200)
R,G,B : 40 * 3m(Gain : 139) Each.
Bergara managed Stockport County from 1989 to 1995 and led The Hatters through their most successful period. He was also the first non-British manager to lead an English team out at Wembley when County reached the final of the Autoglass Trophy in 1992.
As well as this fans' tribute, the main stand at Edgeley Park is named after him and the club permanently flies the Uruguayan flag in his honour.
Managed to enjoy a sunrise and this amazing mist in the Peak District National Park.
Video containing this image here:
I'm running a photography workshop in partnership with Dave Peck Photography in February 2024.
Places are limited.
Details here:
Owned and managed by Canal & River Trust charity since 2012
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_Basin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent%27s_Canal
canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/regents-canal
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_%26_River_Trust
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Somers Town Bridge, Moxon Architects, 2017
moxonarchitects.com/projects/545-somers-town-bridge
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Camden
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Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_OM-D_E-M5
www.dpreview.com/products/olympus/lenses/olympus_m_14-42_...
www.mountaintripper.com/olympus-mzuiko-14-42mm-f35-56-iir...
P4220322 Anx2 Q90 1400h f10 f25
Brockholes is a new kind of nature reserve, an unreserved reserve owned and managed by The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
There's lots to see and do at Brockholes, you can hunt out our floating Visitor Village with a restaurant, shops and Welcome Centre or explore our family-friendly hides, walking trails and play area.
At Brockholes you can explore our beautiful reserve, see the wildlife that call it ‘home’ or hunt out our Visitor Village with restaurant and shops, all of which float (yes really!) on one of our lakes.
Our floating Visitor Village features a gift shop and a restaurant providing stunning views across the lake. You can also discover our interactive Welcome Centre and learn all about the wildlife that you could see on-site. Be sure to call in to pick up a welcome leaflet that will help you plan your day. You can view the reserve map in our Welcome Leaflet here to help you plan your first visit.
2013/14 Opening Times:
4th November 2013 to 31 March 2014 10am-4pm
1st April 2014 to 31st October 2014 10am-5pm
Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only
Car Park Charges
We don't charge for entry and any profits made here go back into looking after the reserve. So every time you pay for parking, treat yourself in the shop or enjoy some lunch, you are helping look after the reserve and the wildlife that visits us!
Sorry no dogs allowed!
There is a good reason! Dogs can disturb wildlife, especially nesting birds. If your dog was to get too close to a nesting bird it would cause the mother to leave the nest. So to avoid any accidents we ask that you don’t bring your dog. (Assistance dogs are welcome.)
Explore the reserve
Brockholes is one of the best sites in the UK for many species of bird and has one of the largest strips of ancient woodland in the county. You can take a stroll by the River Ribble, explore our woods or enjoy the lakes on site, which have all been specially designed to attract all kinds of wildlife for you to see!
Walks around Brockholes
What can I see at Brockholes?
Read about the happy habitats we've been working hard to create at Brockholes.
Watch out!
The Visitor Village floats on water and there are lots of areas of open water on the reserve. Take care in these areas and keep an eye on any children with you. The following activities are not allowed on the reserve:
Barbecues and fires
Fishing
Swimming
Please do not feed the birds
Big gulls know it’s much easier to find food when we leave it lying around rather than finding their own lunch. Here at Brockholes we have lots of species breeding with us, little ringed and ringed plover, lapwing, oystercatcher and redshank. Unfortunately the big gulls will eat the chicks of these special birds so if we feed the gulls and encourage them to stay there is a big chance that they will eat our important chicks, so please do not feed the birds and take your leftover picnic away with you.
www.brockholes.org/our-journey
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has been working on developing Brockholes for nearly 20 years, here is an overview of our journey.
1992 Lancashire Wildlife Trust first contests the quarrying of Brockholes.
27 November 2006 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has four weeks to raise £50,000 to buy the Brockholes site, near Preston, and protect it from development. Brockholes sits next to J31 of the M6 and is the size of 120 football pitches.
15 January 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust makes the biggest land purchase in its history - thanks to donations from Wildlife Trust members, and an investment of £800,000 from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) under the Newlands scheme. The project to buy and develop Brockholes is also supported by The Tubney Charitable Trust.
3 May 2007 Ian Selby is appointed as Brockholes project manager. Ian has 20 years' experience of managing the North West's canal network for British Waterways, followed by environmental regeneration work. Sophie Leadsom, Brockholes' new reserve manager, has worked in conservation for 14 years.
July 2007 The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the launch of a new open competition to design new visitor facilities.
5 October 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the shortlist for the new multi-million pound visitor centre. 61 architects from all over Europe submitted designs. The five were Adam Khan Architects, Arca, Architecture 2B, AY Architects, McDowell + Benedetti.
25 February 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) and partners announce the winner of its competition to design a visitor facility. Adam Khan Architects was selected for its inspirational design concept: "A Floating World". Designed as a cluster of buildings constructed largely of wood and other sustainable materials, it resembles an ancient marshland village.
April 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the completion of its first phase of preparatory work, including the restoration of the wetlands, creation of ponds, seeding of meadows, planting new hedgerows and trees, making access paths and building proper bird watching hides.
March 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust secured £8million of funding from the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The investment was made under ‘Newlands’, a NWDA and Forestry Commission programme that is regenerating brownfield land across the Northwest into economically viable community woodland.
Summer 2009 Volunteers gave us 134 hours of their time to help propagate our own reed seedlings on-site. We ended up with 20,000 new redd seedlings ready to plant out around our new visitor centre, creating two hecatres of brand new reedbed.
August 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust were granted detailed planning permission for the site.
December 2009 Contractors first day of work as they begin to construct the iconic floating visitors centre. Press conference being held with a ‘cutting of the first sod’
November 2010 A herd of longhorn cattle move into Brockholes to graze the reserve.
December 2010 BBC Countryfile fronted by Julia Bradbury visit Brockholes to film a feature that airs in January 2011.
March 2011 Brockholes makes history as the Visitor Village is floated for the first time.
Easter Sunday 2011 Brockholes opens its doors to the public for the first time!
www.brockholes.org/happy-habitats-brockholes
Happy habitats at Brockholes
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust are using their expertise to create habitats that will encourage lots of different species to visit the site, read more about the work we are doing on the reserve...
Number 1 Pit
Uniform and steep, the edges around the original gravel pit used to look very different. The island looked different too – an egg-shaped piece of land sticking out of the water by three metres. These land profiles weren’t great for the bird species and aquatic invertebrates we wanted to attract. So, with bulldozer and digger we pushed earth into the lake to create shallow, underwater ledges and peninsulas where birds can roost and feed, safe from predators. Diving ducks, such as Great Crested Grebe, now hunt for fish in the deep water.
Nook Pool
The edge of this pool has been planted with reed to create places for small fish and aquatic invertebrates like dragonfly larvae to hide and grow, away from predator fish. The shelter provided by the vegetation provides an ideal hunting ground for lots of species of dragonfly including the impressive Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly.
Meadow Lake
This shallow lake is great for bird watching: when the water level is down, wading birds feed on small invertebrates in the exposed mud. This lake has some of the richest water plant life in and around it, including White Water Lily and Cuckooflower. The reed fringes are becoming well established and hold some of the largest populations of birds on site. The islands provide safe roosting and breeding areas, we keep the vegetation short so the birds can watch out for predators.
Boilton Marsh
This area is part of our newly created wet grassland habitat. We remodelled 17,000 cubic metres of quarry spoil to create 10 hectares of wet grassland with nearly 2km of channels and five pools. This is the ideal habitat for breeding wading birds such as Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe. We now graze traditional breeds of cattle and sheep that thrive on the coarse grasses and rushes and provide the low grassland sward that encourages wading birds to nest.
The channels and pools are kept topped up by using a high-level reservoir, filled from Number One Pit by way of a solar pump.
Woodland
Brockholes is fringed by the ancient woodland of Boilton, Red Scar and Tunbrook Woods. Woodland has grown here for thousands of years and developed a very rich variety of wildlife. Looking after our trees and paths will help the woodland to thrive and enable you to see the wildlife safely.
Reedbeds
Reedbeds are home to Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Water Rail. We protect the new reed from grazing birds like Coot, Mute Swan and Canada Goose, by erecting chicken wire fences and baling string barriers. It will take several years before our lak fringes start to look like reedbeds. You might notice that the Visitor Village has been nestled in reedbed. This helps it to blend into the reserve and allows you to hear the song and chatter of the birds that nest there.
www.brockholes.org/brockholes-partners-and-funders
Brockholes partners and funders
For the past ten years, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have been working to secure this site of national environmental importance, and restore habitats to their full potential.
The £8.6 million of regeneration funding was provided for the Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Reserve project has been granted under 'Newlands' - a £59 million, Northwest Regional Development Agency and Forestry Commission programme to transform brownfield land into durable community woodland, which act as catalysts for economic, social and environmental gain.
The Lancashire Environmental Fund awarded £446,000 for the development of the education facilities, hides and infrastructure on the site. Tubney Charitable Trust granted £350,000 for Biodiversity and Natural England DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund awarded circa. £300,000. The Environment Agency granted £50,000 for the continued development of Brockholes.
The support of these funders helped make Brockholes a reality, as did the amazing support from our public appeal, which raised an amazing £63,000 - the most successful public appeal the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has ever run!
Volunteering at Brockholes
Around 200 volunteers have now been recruited, inducted and trained to begin volunteering at Brockholes, so we offer an enormous thank you to all who are helping it make such a big impact on our visitors... Volunteers truly are the face of Brockholes.
There are currently some exciting opportunities to be had volunteering here at Brockholes. Please have a look below at roles (you can click on the titles to download a full role description) which might suit you and click here to register, mentioning Brockholes and the role on the form.
Seasonal Activities Volunteer
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
Running throughout all school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
The Seasonal Activities Volunteer role is ideal for friendly, outgoing people who want to utilise their creative skills and help visitors – in particular children – enjoy the reserve. You will work alongside other volunteers to plan and deliver a variety of activities including pond dipping, guided walks, bird watching. The role will also include assisting with larger events such as our Extreme Adventure Weekend and Craft Fayres. Support will be given to you by the Events & Communications Manager.
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
For full details on the role and what it entails, click here.
Seasonal Retail & Visitor Services
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
As a volunteer for Retail & Visitor Services you will provide a warm welcome for visitors, helping to ensure that their Brockholes experience is a positive one. You will help visitors by providing them with information about products on sale in our gift stores and help them plan their visit by telling them about the various events and activities we have on offer.
The role suits a friendly, outgoing person who has an interest in wildlife and conservation.
Running throughout the school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
Each volunteer will be required to undergo a minimum of 1 and a half days training before they start. If you’d like to find out more or ask questions about any of these roles do not hesitate to get in touch with Catherine Haddon, Volunteering Support Officer on 01772 324 129 or email volunteer@lancswt.org.uk
Awards
Brockholes has scooped many high profile awards since opening in April 2011:
2013 Lancashire Tourism Award for Best Conference/Meeting venue
VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) 'Excellent'
Green Tourism Gold Award
Customer at the Heart Award
Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards 'Marketing Campaign of the Year'
National Wood Award
BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for the interim design stage
Chartered Institute of Building Services – Building of the Year 2011
Civic Trust Award
Civic Trust Special Award for Sustainability
Highly Commended in portfolio of Newlands sites in Landscape Awards
CIWEM Living Wetlands award
Greenbuilds award
Green Apple Awards for the Visitor Centre
Sustainable Project of the year – 2012 Building Awards
RICS North West – Overall award
RICS North West – Tourism and Leisure
RICS NW – Design & Innovation
RIBA North West Building of the Year
RIBA North West Sustainability Award
RIBA Award for top 50 new buildings in the UK
Brockholes is an award winning-venue, which floats on one of our lakes - the only one of its kind in the UK.
Combine this unique design with access straight off the M6, a beautiful nature reserve, ample parking and on site catering, and you have found yourself the perfect venue for your next event. View our Conference Brochure here.
We think Brockholes is the natural place to do business, our dedicated centre can cater for 50 to 130 delegates.
We have a choice of two conference rooms and a reception/break-out area.
www.brockholes.org/conference-packages
At Brockholes we want you to be in control of your event as much as possible. This is why we have created these basic packages, enabling you to tweak each element to build an individual event.
Alternatively, we can cater to your specific requests if you require half day, early morning or evening hire.
Here is an overview of our conference packages, please contact us for a quote.
Our Conference brochure can be viewed in digi-book format here.
Day Delegate Package
Private room hire from 9am - 5pm
Tea and coffee served on arrival with bacon rolls
Mineral water for each guest
Tea and coffee served mid-morning
Buffet lunch served with tea, coffee and fresh fruit platter
Tea, coffee and biscuits served mid-afternoon
Use of a flip chart, screen and projector
Recycled pen and notepad for each delegate
Dedicated co-ordinator to assist you throughout the planning to delivery of your meeting
24 Hour Delegate Package
All of the above plus;
Three course dinner
Full breakfast
Accommodation in a standard bedroom at our recommended accommodation supplier
Accommodation
Preferential rates are available on request from a local hotel when booking through the Brockholes Sales Team.
We can tailor our packages to suit your needs. Make the UK's first floating venue your next choice
Please contact us for more information or to arrange a meeting or showround with our Conference Sales Co-ordinator
Call us on 01772 872005 or enter your details below and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.
www.brockholes.org/sponsorship-opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
Brockholes is an award winning nature reserve owned and manages by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, which was opened in 2011. The 250 acre reserve is already attracting record numbers of breeding birds and around 170,000 visitors each year. Brockholes runs a wide range of events throughout the year and has a particularly strong offer for families. Events include wild families, school holiday clubs, school and community group visits, self led trails and larger festivals during the summer holidays.
The key marketing campaigns run targeting families include Christmas, Summer and Easter. Each campaign targets a series of family focused publications across the North West, with a monthly average reach online of over 40,000 people through the website and social media. Advertising and direct marketing campaigns have an average reach of 70% of the total North West population.
Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities
Summer at Brockholes sees a host of family events each year, from school holiday clubs to open air theatre, guided walks to family fun. Over the Summer period, Brockholes expects to welcome over 60,000 visitors. The marketing campaign is multi channel and will reach a wide audience of families across the North West. Brockholes has also been featured in the National Press for some of the unique events run. We have some new opportunities for sponsorship and partnership, which will allow your business to raise brand awareness and fulfill part of your Corporate Social Responsibility by supporting Brockholes and The Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
Summer at Brockholes Headline Sponsorship £4500
Expose your brand to thousands of families across the North West.
- Logo on all Summer promotional material
- Inclusion in all four of the Summer e-news and Lancashire Wildlife Trust e-news
- Sponsor Feature on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
- Temporary use of Brockholes logo on promotional material directly related to the partnership
Wild Families Sponsorship £4000 per year
Our Wild Families events are always fully booked. With themes ranging from scarecrow hunts to nature detectives, each event provides quality family time for family members of all ages. Events are run throughout school holidays.
-Logo on marketing materials for Wild Families
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity
-Inclusion in Brockholes e-news
Seasonal Trail Sponsorship £500 per trail
Each visitor to Brockholes can collect their free seasonal trail on arrival. The trail helps visitors to explore the reserve, learn more about what to see and how the reserve changes with the season and challenges them to spot things.
-Logo on sponsorship trail
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity around the trail
Half term at Brockholes £1500
-Logo on all marketing materials
-Inclusion in launch PR
-Social media promotion
Annual Headline Sponsorship £10,000
- Logo inclusion on all Promotional Material
- Dedicated web page on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Dedicated stand area on key event days
- Promotion through Brockholes and LWT e-news, member magazine
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
-Discounted delegate rate on our conference facilities
Children's Corner £500
Would you like to help brighten up the children's corner in our restuarant for our younger visitors?
-Inclusion in PR activity
-Recognition in the children's area
-Inclusion in activity to our database promoting the new area
To talk to us more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Ruth Gaskell rgaskell@lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129.
www.brockholes.org/commercial-opportunities
Commercial Opportunities
Make Brockholes your business
Businesses are being offered an opportunity to become partners in a North West tourism and wildlife success story.
Brockholes nature reserve is entering the second phase of development which will provide commercial opportunities for other businesses and boost local employment.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust attraction attracted 185,000 people to its nature reserve and the first ever floating visitor village in the UK, last year. It is looking to top that visitor figure this year.
Just off the M6 at Preston and easily accessible from anywhere in the UK, Brockholes has received more than 30 regional and national awards despite only opening in 2011. Visitors continue to pour in despite the reserve being surrounded by the attractions of Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool.
The business has shown year-on-year growth and, as a result, is seeking commercial partners for the next phase of development.
Anne Selby, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trust said “Brockholes has performed incredibly well despite being launched in a recession. We have steered the business through the stormy weather and achieved fantastic results.
“We are now looking to move into the next phase of development. As a conservation charity, we want to ensure our focus remains on the nature conservation of the reserve, whilst ensuring the commercial income supports this work. We are looking for expressions of interest at this stage and asking businesses to be creative with their proposals.”
The Visitor Village has a restaurant, shops, conference centre, welcome centre and education centre. Major companies have made use of the conference centre including RBS and Aldi. The surrounding nature reserve is continuing to grow, with an increasing population of resident creatures and rare visitors like red kite, bittern and otter.
Anne continued: “Brockholes received funding for the initial start up and development phases but it was always designed to be a self-sustaining model. By making the most of the commercial opportunities and keeping these balanced carefully with the needs of nature, we believe we can continue to success of Brockholes into the future and achieve even more fantastic results for wildlife, our wide range of visitors and the tourism economy”.
Opportunities include retail, water sports (non-motorised), indoor play provision, events partners and mobile food concessions. However, the Trust is open to hear if any investors would wish to develop sympathetic commercial facilities on the site.
An opportunity information pack is available by request from:
Karen Williams Karen.Williams@brockholes.org
Expressions of interest should initially be made to
Lindsey Poole, Commercial Development Manager lpoole@lancswt.org.uk
Group Visits
Whether it’s a full day out or just a quick stop off on the way to your destination, Brockholes is the ideal place for groups to visit.
There's so much for all ages to see and learn about at Brockholes. Everyone from toddlers to seniors will find something to fascinate them, whether through our exciting range of organised events, or by just wandering around the site.
We are passionately committed to lifelong learning for all – our belief is that everyone should leave knowing something they didn't when they arrived! The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has over a decade of experience in delivering environmental education, so you can relax, enjoy the surroundings and be sure to come away both enchanted and enlightened...
We have several options for various groups, each with a variety of benefits. For more information click on the relevant link below…
Coach Groups
School Groups
Community Groups
To enquire about group visits please call 01772 872000 or email info@brockholes.org. Or leave your details on the form below and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Coach Groups
Situated next to Junction 31 on the M6, we are the ideal stop for coach trips, whether it is for a short stop, as a green motorway services, or as part of a full day visit.
Free entry for coaches and convenient coach drop-off point
We have a variety of walking trails for your group to explore, ranging from half an hour to 2 hours in length.
We have our floating visitor village that features a stunning waterside restaurant, 2 unique gift shops and a welcome centre with exhibits, which are ideal should your guests decide for something less active (or if the weather lets you down)!
All our buildings are fully accessible, while the vast majority of our paths are well surfaced, level and suitable for wheelchairs.
We now have a more convenient drop-off point exclusively for coaches and in addition have a number of benefits for coach groups:
• Free entry to the reserve and visitor centre
• Free coach parking
• Refreshment voucher for the coach driver
• Free familiarisation visit for group organisers
• Free meet and greet at the coach (on request)
• Free Brockholes welcome leaflet and trail guide
• Free events and activities throughout the year (visit our events calendar for details)
• Free play area
• Pre-booked guided tours (available at an extra charge)
• Adapted toilets available at the visitor centre
Please note that there is a 4 metre high bridge on the entrance to Brockholes. We also advise all coaches to let us know of their visit in advance by calling us on 01772 872000.
For any further information please just call 01772 872000, email info@brockholes.org
School Groups
Our 250 acre nature reserve and Visitor Village is a great place for school groups to visit. Children can learn about the geological history and how the quarrying has shaped the land today. And because we are a new nature reserve, you can watch it grow! It is also home to the UK's first floating Visitor Village.
Most importantly of all, the children will be able to see that Brockholes is home to a host of wildlife, with many different species of bird popping by throughout the year, along with brown hare, dragonfly and deer to name a few!
Facilities
Your school will have use of the education centre on our floating visitor village and you will have at least one Education Officer dedicated to your group throughout the day.
Plus... NEW FOR 2014!
Next year your school will be able to get even closer to nature at Brockholes by booking an education session in our new purpose-built bird hide classroom, right on the edge of the lake!
The hide will overlook No 1 Pit Lake which is home to many different species of birds and you'll also be able to look across to the new sand martin wall, which will provide valuable breeding habitat when they arrive in spring.
Why not your details below if you'd like us to keep to informed of these exciting new developments!
Programmes
We offer a wide range of programmes including:
Big Adventure in a Miniature World
Life Cycles
Migration and Hibernation
Environmental Art
Geography and Geology
Forest School
You can read more about the education programmes available at Brockholes here.
Education Team
Our Education Team are based at Brockholes and have a huge amount of experience in inspiring young people about the natural world. They are a lively bunch and pride themselves on creating an exciting and memorable experience for your school. You can read about how great our team is here: Meet the Education Team.
Outreach
Can't get to us? Then we can come to you! Our outreach education programme is very popular and offers a wide range of programmes for those who are unable to reach Brockholes.You can view our Outreach Programmes here.
For any information just call us on 01772 872000 for more information, email eduadmin@lancswt.org.uk
Community Groups
Brockholes is a great place to bring your community group, whether it's the Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies or Beavers or a rambling or photography group, there is something for everyone!
As well as exploring our stunning nature reserve you can enjoy an activity such as a guided walk, a mini-beast hunt or an environmental art session.
You can visit Brockholes during the day or we have special community group evenings when the reserve is open beyond our usual opening hours. Group activities usually take place between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Forest Schools
Forest Schools is a unique outdoor learning experience that improves children's self-esteem, confidence and abilities.
Brockholes provides an inspirational setting for Forest Schools sessions and training, and is conveniently located just off junction 31 of the M6 at Preston.
Our Forest School sessions are designed and delivered by our experienced and fully qualified Education Team including our Level 3 Trained Forest Schools Practioner.
Our next Forest Schools adult training session will be running in October. To find out more about Forest School sessions at Brockholes please call 01772 872017 or email kphillips@lancswt.org.uk
Shop til you flock
Why not drop into our two on-site shops, The Nest and Village Store, which are packed with all sorts of goodies. We've a variety of products from local beverages and food, to cards and books and crafts and jewellery. They are the perfect place to pick up a unique gift... and there's plenty of treats for the little ones too!
The Nest
The Nest is home to an inspiring collection of gifts, jewellery, books, toys, arts & crafts. Discover what's inside The Nest here.
The Village Store
The Village Store stocks a wide range of products, from locally sourced food and drink treats to bird food, garden accessories and wildlife books. Come and look inside here.
Membership of the Wildlife Trust
Brockholes is a Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. You can become a member today or talk to our friendly staff members and volunteers on your next visit to Brockholes. Gift membership is available in The Nest or you can buy it online here.
Our restaurant is the perfect place to stop and watch the world go by with panoramic views of our lake. Scrumptious homemade dishes and a taste bud tingling selection of Lancashire's finest local produce are all here to tempt you, along with fair trade tea and coffee.
Our restaurant is open from 10am to 5pm.
www.brockholes.org/very-special-occasions
Brockholes is a fantastic place for your very special occasions.
Our floating venue is one of the newest and most unique in Lancashire and promises you and your guests an unforgetable event whatever the occasion.
We have a dedicated function centre that can accomodate weddings, christenings and all sort of functions.
The clean, contemporary finish of our venue means that you have the perfect opportunity to put your own stamp on your event, with a flexible range of catering available from our on-site restaurant.
We have a dedicated Conference and Events Co-ordinator that will be available to help you plan your special occasion.
Very Special Weddings
We had our first wedding celebration September 2011 and since then it's been all go with Wedding Fayres and lots more bookings for this year and next. Find out more about weddings at Brockholes here.
Very Special Christenings
Brockholes is a real family friendly venue for a Christening celebration that you will remember for years to come. Find out more here.
For general enquiries about holding a function at Brockholes please call 01772 872005 or email philip.dunn@brockholes.org.
Managed to pick up another of these so did a quick combined build while having a break from Malibu Mansion MK3. Intend to make a wider/deeper/taller version after seeing the film for more interior & ground floor detail. Just had to maker it 'tower'...
Those little black specks in the distance are bison.
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Big Basin Prairie Preserve
Wildlife Area Information
Historical Information
The Big Basin Prairie Preserve is 1,818 acres of native mixed grass prairie managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. This area is in the Red Hills region of Kansas. The landscape can generally be described as rolling hills with both level uplands and small canyons. The preserve also includes an intermittent stream , Keiger Creek, which flows through the northeast corner of the preserve, and two non-draining basins that make the preserve topographically and geologically unique.
Big Basin:
Big Basin is a large circular depression. It is about one mile in diameter and about 100 feet deep. The walls of the basin are nearly vertical. Scattered across the floor of Big Basin are a number of small ephemeral ponds that catch and temporarily hold the water that flows into the basin. U.S. Highway 283 bisects Big Basin, with approximately two-thirds of the basin lying east of the road and within the confines of the preserve. The remaining western third of the basin is privately owned.
Little Basin:
The Little Basin is about 280 yards in diameter and 35 feet from rim to floor. Within Little Basin is a small permanent pond known as St. Jacob’s Well. St. Jacob’s Well is a pool of water about 84 feet in diameter that has never been known to go dry. The well has been the subject of many local legends, most associated with the idea that the well was bottomless and/or connected to an underground stream that was capable of washing away anything that fell in the well. The well was also reportedly inhabited by blind fish. Research has shown the well to be roughly funnel shaped and 58 feet deep. No evidence of any underground stream or blind fish has been found.
Big Basin, Little Basin, and St. Jacob’s Well were formed in the recent geological past by a process known as solution-subsidence. This process occurs when surface water gains access and dissolves underground deposits of salt, gypsum, or limestone. The overlaying layers of rock and minerals subside to fill the volume vacated by the water soluble deposits. The process of solution - subsidence is thought to still be occurring, and small depressions have been noted forming within Little Basin.