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Another outing on the West Coast. This time because of windy and rough weather I went out with a deliberate vision to capture some contrasty black and white seascapes.
In between wiping the filters and protecting the camera from rain and water spray, I managed to get a couple of shots that I had in mind.
ISO 400 | f/8 | 1.3 sec | 16mm | Reverse GND Filter
Making a last cruise along the Blue Ridge Parkway after a day of shooting at Doughton Park last Saturday, the plan was to find a suitable composition for sunset photography. There was a problem, however. Smoke from the raging wildfires out west has become evident here in the east. An overwhelming pall had affected the sky, as well as the nose. So, photography shifted to highlight that.
I saw these ladies in tow along a fence as I drove by. It might have made a great image, though they huddled up when I approached for a vantage point, perhaps seeing me as a threat. Likely, the pervading smoke already had them on edge… they looked like linebackers protecting the quarterback. The “linebacker” closest to me gave every indication that she was going to rush me. I do have experience with cattle. An Angus cow once charged me as I was helping to load her onto a trailer. Gravity didn’t seem nearly as clingy in that moment as I managed to jump well clear of her, dropping a bag of silage in the process. That half-ton plus lump of bovine muscle went from seething killer maniac to ‘Let’s just enjoy a little snack break’ in an instant. In this moment, the fence between me and miss linebacker appeared as of little consequences, yet she eased up when I spoke gently to her as I managed a few shots of them. Their somewhat comical expressions are obvious here, but so is the smokey haze. This orange hue in the sky was as good as sunset was going be. Prayers up for those in harm’s way out west. Evidence this far away can only portend how bad it truly is.
These ladies are likely young Black Baldy cattle, a crossbred beef cattle obtained by crossing Hereford cattle with a solid black breed, typically Aberdeen Angus. They are a bit bigger than Angus, though they forage as well as Angus. That’s good, as you can see the ‘gridiron’ here is a bit on the rough side. They watched as we got back in the car, then ran alongside us until we accelerated past them. Rough field or not, they made hay of it… ha! I made a cow joke.
Managed to get two images of this unknown new 21 plate bus. Trucks going the other way blocked the view on my other shots, so pleased I got something.
Managed to finish a meeting early. Got out for 40 minutes to Yattalunga. Great location andsome great light. I like these shots but sunset was so amazing that I feel like they don't do it justice. It was that good!
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.
Ali managed to find a stretch mini to take Michael to the wedding and then take them to the reception. He is a lifelong mini fanatic and was totally stunned! She kept it quiet for 12 months!!!
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..
[Helicopter news footage from the CLB invasion of France]
["We managed to get this footage... looks like a civilian sports car was destroyed, no driver visible; two dead NATO soldiers, however-- one being dragged into an alley, the other in front of the car and... and a third soldier, ankles and arms broken, on his knees with a gun to the back of his head, dear god, this is terrible!"]
-News clip, translated from french
Borders are just lines on paper. Viva la Uprising!
Finally managed to bag 47790 Galloway Princess leading the short set in sun! 47790 is seen slowing down for its first booked stop at Brundall Gardens on the 08:36 Norwich to Yarmouth on 29/01/15.
This was a bit of a heart in mouth moment as the 08:17 Yarmouth to Norwich was pulling away from Brundall Gardens as 47790 came into frame. Luckily 153309 isn't very quick off the mark so managed to get the shot of the short set ok!
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.
Managed to find where the small flock of Bee-eaters that were flying over the villa was going to feed of an evening.
"At Last" Its took some time but finally I've managed to Bag Colas Class 37 No. 37099 seen here basking in the Autumn sun.04/11/17
I have managed to attend a good many of these events at Credit Suisse. My good friend Pippa is very active in organising the Ally network and she herself spends as many days working at the bank as Pippa as she does as Phillip. It is so important for people to be able to be who they are in the workplace so long may this good work continue.
January 9th, 2015 - Risso's Dolphin Slaughter
The Cove runs red with the blood of the innocent for the second consecutive day in Taiji. Cove Guardians documented as the heartbreaking events unfolded before them.
At Approximately 9:25am local Japan time the killing fleet spotted a pod of Risso's dolphins and wasted no time in falling into a drive formation that pushed the family to their ultimate demise. Just off shore part of the killing boats tore away from the main drive to pursue what appeared to be a second pod. It seemed that the killers were merging the two pods together and that the second pod was thankfully able to evade the killers before they were merged into one pod.
After the dolphins were forced against their will into the the main cove they desperately clung close together in terror. Two of the Risso's got themselves entangled in the nets in an attempt to escape but the killers were relentless and forced them back into the killing cove. At one point one of the dolphins actually managed to escape only to fight it's way back through the nets, unwilling to leave it's loved ones behind.
There were four juveniles that had to witness their family slaughtered today before being heartlessly dumped out at sea to fend for themselves. There is very little chance the babies will survive after having to endure so much stress and terror, now swimming alone in the waters just offshore where their families were last seen alive.
11 lives were lost today but they were not alone and we will always be here to expose the atrocities to the world until the slaughter ends – at Taiji, Japan.
Sites for more information :
Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official)
www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage
Cove Guardians
www.seashepherd.org/cove-guardians
Photo: Sea Shepherd
Mischief Managed welcomes you to the 2023 Wizarding Faire!
To celebrate everything magical, designers from all across the grid come together for a whole two weeks from July 29th to August 12th bringing you the finest wizarding wares and fabulous special items that envelope you into our world. Hosted on the Mischief Managed sim, a delightful Harry Potter Roleplay bringing the magic of Wizardry to SL’s lands.
Come and explore our world as we once again open our doors for this years Wizarding Faire as we guide you through an enriching experience and offer a fun filled event to tickle your witchery.
Bring on the magic!
Landmark to Come Soon!
This is not my usual sort of thing to photograph but last September I had trekked to the head of Loch Tarsan to photograph an old croft (the ruins can be seen in the background) and found this old, rusted piece of equipment. I'm assuming that it is an old agriculture machine but I suppose that it could have been left over from the dam construction (Loch Tarsan is formed by a hydro-dam) or maybe forestry uses.
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.
A re-edit of some older data from my previous camera.
I'd never been happy with how I'd managed to process this, so it never saw the light of other peoples eyes! Now though, I feel I can at least manipulate the data a bit better.
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.
Managed to make it to London Pride again, with my pal sisyphus007. This time I hired a Canon 85mm f/1.2L II lens, an absolute brick that was in itself a workout to carry round. Was perhaps a bit too ambitious in my determination to shoot with as wide an aperture as possible. When I hit the right focus point it was sharp, but I did find the focussing to be a little cumbersome.
As ever, the day was characterised by fun, happiness and laughter. The participants were, without fail, delighted to be photographed. Hopefully they all enjoyed the day !!
These large beauties are rarely still, so when I came upon this one (early morning, in a field in Spain) I managed to sneak up on it without it flying off. Such beautiful colours and markings on them. After getting my shots I left it there to continue snoozing.
Managed to wake up a little earlier than normal yesterday, so went for walk with little Oak. Was a lush misty morning.
Managed to make a few photographs between gusts of wind. This meadow full of goldenrod was in near-constant motion, but with a tripod, a remote, and a little patience, there were moments when things held still enough.
— Theodore Tollefson @thetollart
Raw shot.
The magical book shop, in the shade of the evening.
Taken at Brighton Bay, a summer Harry Potter RP sim by Mischief Managed.
Fairburn Cricket Club, founded in 1927, is a welcoming and community-driven cricket club based in North Yorkshire. The club is located at Linton Piper Hill, WF11 9JA, about 15 miles from Leeds City Centre.
Club Overview
Fairburn Cricket Club is a member of the ECB Yorkshire Premier League North, competing in various divisions. The club hosts:
Two senior teams (YPLN Championship West and Division 2 Ebor)
Junior teams at U15, U13, U11, and U9 levels
All Star and Dynamos Cricket programs
T20 Midweek Team
Winter Indoor Cricket Team
Mission & Values
The club aims to promote cricket while fostering a friendly and inclusive atmosphere. It follows the ECB 'Safe Hands' Welfare of Young People in Cricket policy and the ECB Equity Policy Statement, ensuring a duty of care to all members.
Management & Membership
The club is managed by a committee, including a President, Vice-President, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Team Captains, Groundsman, and Child Welfare Officer. Membership is open to all, regardless of age, gender, or background, with subscription fees ranging from £2 to £30, depending on the category.
I managed to venture out for a sunrise shoot at Catherine Hill Bay this morning.
The choice of title comes from the fact that this was a 4 minute exposure thanks to my Lee Big Stopper + Lee .9 Grad ND Hard.
Catherine Hill Bay is a coastal bay and village on the southern peninsula forming Lake Macquarie, south of the Pacific Ocean entrance channel at Swansea in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area. The village is the oldest continuous settlement in the City of Lake Macquarie.
The settlement was first made after land was purchased on 1 April 1865. The town of Cowper was created, to serve as a base for coal mining by the New Wallsend Company in 1873 with the first shipment on 17 December of that year. The name Catherine Hill was adopted to commemorate the schooner Catherine Hill that had run aground in 1867.
Later, the Wallarah Coal Company mined and shipped coal from the area including its nearby Crangan Bay mine. This was taken over by the Coal and Allied Group.
A railway originally was used to transport the coal to the wharf;[1] later, trucks and automated loading belt systems were used.
The wharf is no longer used and due to safety concerns and maintenance costs - it has been proposed to have it dismantled!
Thanks again for looking (hopefully Large on Black!) - have a great day and weekend.......
Manage to capture this Egret flying over what appears to be a desert landscape but what it was was some reddish plant growth covering the surface of the water. Can you can tell I'm not a Botanist !! :-)
Thanks to fellow Flickr Togger Archie McCafferty for doing a great job in coercing this Egret to take off across the pond, for me to be able to capture this image.
No form of cruelty to the bird happened during the coercing :-))))
My only Geminid Meteor that I managed to capture. The moon made it tricky to get any good photos and the light pollution from the city was no help. There were plenty of meteors, a spectacular show to say the least, but some of them were too faint to get with the lenses that I have.
Again some old posting, reprocessed and reloaded after the Flickr system corrupted (no longer viewable) the originals!
To see more views, of Tolverne, please click "here"!
Many thousands of troops, tanks and equipment were shipped from specially constructed embarkation points in Cornwall to the beaches of Normandy as part of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe. In Cornwall, embarkation points for the D-Day Normandy landings were sited in and around Falmouth at locations such as Turnaware Point and Tolverne; at Trebah in the Helford estuary and Barn Pool, Mount Edgcumbe, near Plymouth. During June 1944 thousands of American troops, armour, equipment and supplies were ferried from these locations to the battlefields of northern France. The embarkation points were generally inconspicuous features, consisting of a concrete apron, known as a ‘hard’, which sloped down towards the water. Hards were constructed in two parts; in solid concrete above the high water mark, and in flexible concrete matting (concrete slabs hinged with steel hooks) to the lowest limit of the tide. Beyond the hard lay a series of steel-framed moorings known as dolphins. Tolverne Cottage, also known as Smugglers, is a small 500 year old cottage in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated within the civil parish of Philleigh, on the Roseland Peninsula on the River Fal, between Truro and St Mawes, north of King Harry Ferry. Smugglers has always been a part of the historic Tregothnan estate, and was tenanted by the Newman family from 1934 until 2010 when Mr and Mrs Newman retired. Now a prosperous water based business has been re-established at the historic site. The Pugh family set up Kernow Charters in Mylor in 2008 as a skippered yacht charter company specialising in family days out and the company has now expanded to a small fleet offering motorboat charters and bareboat charters at Smugglers in Tolverne. A hub for maritime activities for centuries including a critical role in the build-up to the D-Day landings of 1944, Smugglers has been part of the communications focal point of the Fal area many centuries. The cottage was originally built as a ferryman’s home in the 15th century and will now return to its roots with the Pugh family overseeing boating activities. The yachtsman’s haven will offer managed and serviced moorings, shore side access boatyard customers, car parking, storage, and new facilities to the boating community.
Managed to squeeze in sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, red onion, yellow crookneck squash and zucchini
managed to snap a few night shots of this steamer in Kingman right before the lights shut off for the night in the park.
I didn't manage to get out at the weekend, so I thought I would post some images of my favourite finding from last year.
Some links to my previous shots and below, in the comments, are a couple more new ones.
www.flickr.com/photos/mozboz1/8747166175/
www.flickr.com/photos/mozboz1/8747057577/
I managed two pictures of Kingfishers, neither of which were perfect. I spent, what seemed like, hours waiting to see a Kingfisher I could photograph and twice I pointed my camera at something else only to miss a bird that was nice and close. (I was in a moving boat, so couldn't do much about it once I'd missed the shot).
Well I have managed to photograph winter Long-tailed Ducks in flight before: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/51984788075/in/photolist but this was my first half-decent shot in breeding plumage. This one was flying over a half-frozen tundra breeding pool on the island of Lagoya in Svalbard. I liked that you can tell it was taken in the Arctic. About a 1000 pairs breed in Svalbard, and many of them winter at sea off the west coast of Svalbard where waters are warmed by the Gulf Stream. The scientific name Clangula comes from the call as clangere is the Latin verb to resound. Hyemalis means of the winter as they are mainly a winter visitor to Europe, including southern Sweden where Linnaeus who named them lived. This is a male with his long tail highly visible.
Wegens (eeuwige) werken tussen Manage en de vertakking Feluy, is er maar één spoor beschikbaar en dient er om beurt gereden te worden. Intervorming 57200 uit Chatelet moest daardoor 3 kwartier wachten om zijn weg naar Antwerpen Noord verder te mogen zetten... 11/09/2017
I managed to catch this VRT in the later livery on its way out of Stockport, on a summer Sunday journey up to Lyme Park. It was withdrawn the following month, so I left it a bit late there !
Memory fog again - how many of this batch received this livery ? I have an idea it was about four, and 1419 and 1421 come to mind as others. I am sure I will have forgotten another one or two.
1408 went down to Willis's Coaches at Bodmin in 1988, and gave a good 10 years' service with them, before returning to Manchester for preservation. As expected, there are hundreds of Flickr pictures of it at rallies, but I can't seem to find one other shot of it in this livery - maybe this was an even better catch than I first thought.
St. Petersgate, Stockport, 23/6/85