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RKO_8559. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) approaching the open space in the forest during autumn
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The White-tailed Eagle is a very large eagle widely distributed across Eurasia. As are all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. One of up to eleven members in the genus Haliaeetus, which are commonly called sea eagles, it is not infrequently also referred to as the white-tailed sea-eagle. It is also sometimes known as the ern or erne (depending on spelling by sources), gray sea eagle and Eurasian sea eagle.
While found across a very wide range, today breeding as far west as Greenland and Iceland across to as far east in Hokkaido, Japan, they are often scarce and very spottily distributed as a nesting species, mainly due to human activities. These have included habitat alterations and destruction of wetlands, about a hundred years of systematic persecution by humans (from the early 1800s to around World War II) followed by inadvertent poisonings and epidemics of nesting failures due to various manmade chemical pesticides and organic compounds, which have threatened eagles since roughly the 1950s and continue to be a potential concern. Due to this, the white-tailed eagle was considered endangered or extinct in several countries. However, some populations have recovered well due to some governmental protections and dedicated conservationists and naturalists protecting habitats and nesting sites and partially regulating poaching and pesticide usage, as well as careful reintroductions into parts of their former range.
White-tailed eagles usually live most of the year near large bodies of open water, including both coastal saltwater areas and inland freshwater, and require an abundant food supply and old-growth trees or ample sea cliffs for nesting. They are considered a close cousin of the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), which occupies a similar niche in North America.
Source: Wikipedia.
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18 2nd St NW.
Closed and for sale.
www.southernminn.com/faribault_daily_news/news/village-fa...
Village Family Theater still on the market
By JOSH MCGOVERN josh.mcgovern@apgsomn.com
Oct 3, 2022 Updated Nov 9, 2023
Village Theater owner Steven McDonough is left with open options after an undisclosed Northfield buyer backed out of a potential deal to purchase the theater in downtown Faribault.
McDonough hopes to sell the theater due to personal reasons, but is open to suggestions should he decide to retain ownership and reopen.
The single father of eight purchased the theater in 2013 and reopened it as a family-focused venue in 2014 after renovating it himself. Ticket purchases were capped at $30 per group, allowing large families to attend without emptying their wallets.
“That’s what it was about,” McDonough said. “I wanted to create a place where families could come and enjoy a good, wholesome movie.”
Throughout McDonough’s almost 10 years of ownership, the Village Family Theater was host to more than just films. Play productions were performed on the stage behind the screen. Weddings and graduation parties were held in the spacious back rooms. Even the well-known band Owl City shot scenes for a music video in the theater’s brick halls.
The building itself is bigger than it appears from the outside. While its main feature is the theater, there are open rooms available for large gatherings. In the basement, the floor was originally cut at the cross beams to give the theater its slant.
When describing the theater and its many possibilities, McDonough summed it up in one word: “Potential.”
The historic theater on Second Street NW is no stranger to potential. It was opened in 1896 as an armory. After this it was a funeral home. The murdered victims of the famous Faribault family, the Goffriers, held their funeral in what is now the Village Theater.
The building was remodeled at some point into a theater. The theater closed in the 1970s and had a few other uses before McDonough bought it and returned it to a theater.
McDonough spent significant effort reshaping the theater to fit his vision of a comfortable venue. He refurbished the screening room, installed sound-absorbant curtains, and moved the screen closer to the seats to create room for a stage.
In the 2013 grand opening, McDonough brought back the theater’s original door man to attend a showing of “Mom’s Night Out.”
During events, he sold tickets, concessions and operated the projector all in the same night.
A week before Village Theater was set to have its biggest weekend in McDonough’s ownership, COVID lockdowns closed the theater. The repercussions were difficult to overcome, McDonough said, and has kept the theater closed to this day.
McDonough says despite recent obstacles, the Village Theater remains an important building for Faribault. He says it has imprinted itself in history and the lives of the people who attended events throughout the years.
I was invited to take photos of the holiday party of the B612 Foundation, which is dedicated to track asteroids that potentially hit Earth. We definitely want to avoid a disastrous event like the extinction of dinosaurs. B612 was founded by the two astronauts. One is Edward Tsang "Ed" Lu, who I captured here with the vintage Dream Lens. The bubbly bokeh is from whiskey bottles hanging from the ceiling of the bar, also called Bottle Keeping.
I processed a soft and a photographic HDR photo from a RAW exposure, blended them selectively, and carefully adjusted the color balance and curves. I welcome and appreciate constructive comments.
Thank you for visiting - ♡ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, like the Facebook page, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.
-- ƒ/0.95, 50 mm, 1/90 sec, ISO 1600, Sony A7 II, Canon 50mm f0.95 "Dream Lens", HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC5391_hdr1sof1pho1e.jpg
-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © 2024 Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography
Have been to many places that are awesome, but this simple photo inspires awe for me. On a morning run along a gravel road I was inspired by the horses and the backdrop leading up towards Eyjafjöll volcanic area further back in the hills covered in ice. There is both a feeling of peace in this meadow paired with the potential for cataclysmic disruption in this amazing location.
this is from a few months ago with chris and tiffany
the view from nyc rooftops has great potential for apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic narrative
i think this will be the first in a series where i'll try to create that sort of vibe through only cityscape photo
Well.....our potential "winter event" for 2019 was a total bust. Local meteorologists and iphone weather apps whipped the whole city up into a snow induced frenzy. In reality, we got a light dusting and will get a whole bunch or rain. Alas, I will have to look back on images from last years snow storm and hope the temperatures drop.
Image with my Hasselblad 500cm
©Jane Brown2014 All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without explicit written permission
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so near the end of my holiday photos now.
So busy with decluttering the house, looking at potential homes and talking about what we need, what we don't want, this and that . . . so this is really a post and run, although I shall be back to catch up soon. Not sleeping well which plays havoc with concentration, but is quite good for introspection and allowing things which would normally be hidden to come to the surface.
Landscape photography, wild camping and hiking in one of the most stunning locations in Scotland.
Beautiful, scenic, spectacular and dramatic are all words that have been used to describe Assynt, a parish situated in the North West corner of the Highlands of Scotland set amidst some of the wildest and most remote mountain and coastal scenery.
This Corbett, 'Cul Mor' has been on my radar for ages to camp at and have just been waiting for the right time to be able to visit. For once it looked like the weather was going to play ball. Did not go as planned but still a fantastic 24 hour mini adventure.
Even though things didn't go as planned it was made up for by the peace, tranquility and stunning views. It was nice to just get away for a wild camping trip with the camera to capture some images as well as testing out future potential compositions for the winter.
Below is a link to my YouTube channel of my trip showing the location and how I captured my images.
A wolf in sheeps clothing potentially, as aside from the alloys (and badges on the rear), this is outwardly identical to a 520.
This one has around 335hp.
So, I've finally decided to enter a "Next Top Model" contest, namely because there's finally one where we won't see masses of editing! Yay! Plus, since Elliot was my first doll since I started collecting as an adult, she was definitely my first choice to enter. Plus she's loosely based on a good friend of mine, so it's nice to have a bit of inspiration.
Name: Elliot Adams
Age: 23
Hometown: Manchester, United Kingdom.
Employer: Student, studying a BA Hons Degree in Creative Writing & English Literature.
Aspirations: Although modelling isn't her first choice of careers, it's something she's always been curious about. She usually doesn't believe her friends and family when they tell her that she has the potential, but after being pestered for months, she's finally given in. Her long-term dream has always been to be a Lecturer focusing on helping adults with learning difficulties (But this might be a bit of fun along the way).
Bio: Elliot is a very reserved person, who likes to keep herself to herself, she's never been one for being surrounded by a massive group of friends, she'd much rather just have a couple of closer mates, just to chill with.
As previously mentioned, she has little self-belief and doesn't realise what potential she really has.
Enjoy! :)
Raw Contest: www.flickr.com/photos/blaackhooleesandrevelationss/603141...
Go sign up! :)
This colourful artwork appears it might be partially inspired by a 1918 Soviet Red Army recruitment poster - itself possibly influenced by the still celebrated 1914 British propaganda poster of Kitchener with a pointed finger reminding potential cannon fodder that "Your country needs you!" - a poster which encouraged tens of thousands of young British men to volunteer for the killing fields of Flanders. The Putin-like face and the rats are just some of several notable differences from the original Red Army poster.
I suspect that many academics, while possibly readily agreeing that Putin could easily be classified as a "terrorist" (like many equally brutal authoritarian leaders the West eagerly support), might find it difficult to accept defining him as in any way "Red," especially given Russia's powerful oligarchic system and Putin's own declared belief that communism is "a blind alley, far away from the mainstream of civilization." Whether Putin's ideas of civilisation are somewhat warped is a different question.
I don't know whether there is also any inspiration from Oxford academic Timothy Garton Ash who described Putin as "rat faced," though I'm not sure whether the addition of rat analogies to the debate is helpful.
I post this series of photos of anti-war protests in central London as a neutral observer (more photos will be following soon). I'm no fan of either Russian or Western imperialism and military aggression and I have every sympathy with the Ukrainians who are facing a war of aggression from their more powerful northern neighbour, part of the motive for which seems to be to rebuild the prestige and power of Russia, as a sort of new Russian empire reflecting the former hegemonic influence over Eastern Europe of the Soviet Union. All at an immense cost in lives, and also a clear and grave violation of international law. Putin's decision to escalate the nuclear standoff with the West by publicly placing his nuclear forces on high alert should be another reminder of just how dangerous he is.
However, the West should also share a significant portion of the blame for this war. The Russian invasion is far from "unprovoked" as many media commentators claim. First, we have to remember recent history and how Russia has good reason to fear NATO which was originally set up to combat the threat of the 'Russian hordes.' It is remarkable how in 1990 Mikhail Gorbachev, despite his familiarity with Germany's responsibility for having invaded Russia twice during the twentieth century (in 1914 and 1941), agreed to allow East Germany to join West Germany inside a hostile military alliance. There was however a quid pro quo, as promised by President George H. W. Bush (senior) and Secretary of State James Baker that NATO wouldn't move "another inch to the east" but that promise was soon broken as during the Clinton presidency, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined, and then under President George W. Bush, the NATO alliance was further extended to include Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Baltic States, and further still under Obama to Croatia and Albania.
This means that NATO forces are now frequently deployed right around Russia's western borders (except for Ukraine and Belarus). One can imagine, Washington's paranoia, if say in the 1960s or 1970s, Mexico and Canada had declared their intention to join the Warsaw Pact and many people may be familiar with how Cuba's desire to station Soviet missiles on its territory to deter a feared US invasion (and frequent terror attacks), almost led to a nuclear war, though fortunately Khrushchev saw wisdom and backed down in the face of JFK's terrifying brinkmanship and secretly the United States did agree to withdraw some of its older strategic nuclear missiles from Turkey.
At the same time the United States sees Ukraine as occupying a key space on the strategic chessboard, and has ensured that Ukraine has become increasingly dependent on foreign debt and Washington's goodwill, and has continued to plan for Ukraine's eventual incorporation into NATO. That would mean Ukraine, which occupies a vital strategic position on Russia's southern flank and with its border just 350 miles from Moscow, would also become a potential platform for an assault on Russia and even if no assault ever occurred, the mere fact of NATO's enhanced power, would inevitably greatly diminish any remaining influence Russia had to counterbalance US hegemony in Europe. That's why Ukraine's membership of NATO is something which no Russian leader was ever likely to accept. It is of course easy to see a possible compromise - that Ukraine should remain neutral but that in return all countries should respect its territorial integrity, although allowing some autonomy for the Russian speaking areas in Crimea and the Donbass.
Western media has downplayed the suffering of the Russian population in the Donbass region, which for years has been subjected to constant shelling from government forces, and although Ukrainian civilians have also been killed by Russian backed separatists, the UN figures clearly show that year after year, it was the Russian population which suffered a far higher level of fatalities and serious injuries, including the deaths of many children.
ukraine.un.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/Conflict-relat...
Western media also holds up Ukraine as a beacon of freedom and democracy, but while there have been some important gains for civil society in recent years, Russians have good reason to be unhappy. The Ukraine government has harassed and detained several opposition and pro-Russian journalists and in February 2017 it banned the commercial importation of books from Russia and a new education law made Ukrainian the sole language of instruction in secondary schools, which obviously discriminated against its Russian population. Fascist militias are also growing in number and corruption is endemic while the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture suspects the Ukrainian government of operating secret prisons.
However, it should be noted that the human rights record of the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk have also received intense criticism from the UN OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) and various NGOs for suspected human rights abuses, while Russia's appalling human rights record and its increasing authoritarianism is well known.
To avoid the enormous risk of a nuclear confrontation the West has to start thinking of a way to allow Putin to climb down, without jeopardising European security or sacrificing the freedoms of the Ukrainian people and the obvious way would be to agree to recognise Ukraine as a neutral sovereign state which would remain outside NATO and with a real democratic autonomy for the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
If the West continues to funnel enormous quantities of high tech military equipment into Ukraine, without any attempt to reach a political compromise (by recognising Russia's legitimate security concerns and autonomy for the Donbass region while still guaranteeing Ukraine's sovereignty) there's a very real risk that an increasingly frustrated Putin will issue an ultimatum for the tactical use of nuclear weapons in order to regain the upper hand on the battlefield, and this will be an incredibly dangerous moment for humankind.
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.
“Here be dragons” means dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_be_dragons
It may be that Medieval Map Makers wrote, “Here be dragons,” to indicate untold dangers and to warn away some exploration, or at least ask any such explorers to bring back a few line illustrations to update maps, charts and guides. When I say Dirleton Castle Here Be Dragons, I mean Dirleton Castle Here Be Dragons. The Dragon was posing for pictures and stating that Photoshop was allowed to bring out his armoured scale magnificence and to sparkle the light of gentle soft slightly flaming snores illuminating sleepily tinkling pillowed to perfection golden hoards of the past, the present and those yet to come within his eyes.
I saw the Dragon Eggs hatch and fly away for Winter and it is possible that the Dragon, as pictured here, may have flown away til Spring 2023. Please do ask if you are looking to see either The Dragon, as pictured here, or The Nest, either with, or without The Eggs. The Dragon, The Nest, The Eggs and The Man at Arms Presentations are all worth a visit for and along with them there is a Castle and Grounds that are superb.
For updates on The Dragon, The Nest, The Eggs and The Man at Arms Presentations and for artistic recreations of Castles and Historic Scenes I follow their creator on Twitter.
Andrew Spratt @andrewsp2009
Dirleton Castle is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland
www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dirleto...
Dirleton, East Lothian, EH39 5ER
01620 850 465
I have copyrighted my work on the maps that are available for none profit use through,
National Library of Scotland
I only add as it gives me a way to help work with the use as linked above.
I will gladly grant copyright for none profit use of my work and I am not trying to make any profit from these images.
© PHH Sykes 2022
phhsykes@gmail.com
Saturday 24th August 2019, with the temperatures soaring at London Heathrow to 33 degrees Celsius / 91 Fahrenheit, this late blast of Summer heat made for a great weekends viewing.
What started out as a potential trip aboard one of the "Retro liveried" BA aircraft sadly turned out to be a non runner, for a variety of reasons........ Any excuse to remain at Heathrow was quickly snatched up!
Speedbird 274 on short finals to runway 09L from Las Vegas.
Designed by Landor & Associates the livery was carried by the airline from 1984 until 1997, when the much maligned "Utopia Tails livery" was unveiled.
The crest on the tail was the airlines iconic "To Fly To Serve" on The Coat of Arms.
Most of the figurative photos I shoot are in search of potential reference material for drawings or paintings. Rarely am I looking for even a hint of a smile. But occasionally, one sneaks through - and if I'm lucky, my shutter is open when it does.
I used to play a little chess. Like most of the boys my age at the time, I got caught up in the Bobby Fischer craze when he beat Boris Spasski for the world championship. I bought a set, got a couple of books, learned a couple of cheap tricks, and was set to crush my opponents. At first, my opponents were mostly my friends who knew diddley squat about chess, and were easy pickings for a kid with some book knowledge and a few memorized opening traps.
Full of a false sense of invincibility, I decided to take my skills to the local chess club. I showed up at their meeting on Thursday night and the first thing I noticed was the room was full of old guys. How hard could this be? I'm not going to say anymore about this other than I did have some potential. Just not at chess.
Happy Slider's Sunday everyone.
Nevada City CA
Saturday, 3 July 2021: our temperature is PLUS 23C (feels like 25C) just before 3:00 pm. We are again under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch today. Risk of potentially strong thunderstorms for tonight. Sunny. Sunrise is at 5:27 am, and sunset is at 9:53 pm. The good news is that our heatwave has broken, thank goodness, at least for now.
Today, 3 July 2021, we are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. The five photos posted this afternoon were taken yesterday, when we were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Warning. These clouds were starting to develop when I was on the edge of the city. I couldn't take one more minute of being inside my unbearably hot home (stuck for a few days at 30C indoors, with no air-conditioning) and decided to make a short drive west of the city, just to be able to be in my car's air-conditioning for two or three hours. Little did I know that I was going to be caught in a major storm, with large hail and torrential rain pounding my car, lightning, a few thunder rolls, and practically no visibility on the backroads and main highway! Of course, there was nowhere to take shelter, so I reckoned the only thing I could do was to try and make it back home, slowly, and following the faint, flashing hazard lights of the car in front of me on the highway. A few areas had flash flooding, that, because of the very low visibility, you couldn't see them until you were going through them. Quite scary!
Once I got back into the city, the storm seemed to be less severe than out west. That is, until I was just a few streets away from home. The roads were green, covered in leaves that had been ripped from their branches, so I could tell that something pretty major had happened. It was still raining as I pulled into my parking lot, so I rushed indoors. I did notice that there was a large pool of water outside, below my kitchen windows. Because of the last three months of repair work on my building, all the guttering has been removed. I didn't stop to look at the covering on the outside walls, as I didn't yet know how bad the storm had been in the city. However, I read online about the windows that had been smashed and all the holes that are now in the siding. Fortunately (?), my building has no siding on it yet, as the pandemic has created delays in the arrival of certain supplies. If brand new siding had just been installed, I am sure it would have been badly damaged, as my home has no shelter on three sides. No doubt there are many buildings in the city that suffered a lot of damage. I haven't yet been outside today to see if my car or home have hail damage.
This waterfront next to the Canadian Parliament...what can I say? Maybe it looks somewhat better at sunset? Maybe it looks better by cropping out the unimaginative Claridge condo buildings on Lebreton Flats? Just imagine what could be there...
Kids are amazing. The more time I spend performing for them, the "amazed-er" I get.
A child really can embrace the notion that something can magically appear in a bag that was empty just a moment before. They laugh with abandon. Looking cool isn't all that important to a kid.
I like kids.
When I am on stage doing a show, I look out at the all those little eyes looking back at me in the happy expectation that something wonderful is going to happen.
Do you know what I see? A sea of potential. These little people could become anything: writers or lawyers, serial killers or politicians (same difference, I guess.)
The world hasn't written on their souls with that indelible marker yet.
They could become anything.
Which is something else I find really cool. Who knows? Maybe one or two of them will wind up on flickr.
Thanks to Dianna for the texture. Her excellent Photostream is here: www.flickr.com/photos/dianna1966/
We liked it and we put a ring on it! 💍
You might remember the Southern Ring Nebula was one of the first images released from Webb. Webb saw two stars within the nebula: 1) the dying star that created the nebula by blowing off its layers, and 2) a companion that orbits it. But now, after carefully studying Webb data, scientists believe that there may be more hidden companions that have helped shape the gas and dust of this nebula, potentially a total of 5 stars!
Each of these two views of the Southern Ring combine near- and mid-infrared data from Webb. On the left, the selected infrared wavelengths highlight the very hot gas that surrounds the two central stars. The central star that created the nebula is shown here in red; the companion is white/blue. On the right, different infrared wavelengths show the outflows from the star that reach out into space.
Read more about these findings: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-indicates-s...
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and O. De Marco (Macquarie University), with image processing by J. DePasquale (STScI).
Image description: Two views of the Southern Ring Nebula, taken by the Webb telescope, are shown side by side. Both feature black backgrounds and show the planetary nebula as a misshapen oval that is slightly angled from the top left to the bottom right. At left, the image shows two stars that are almost overlapping at the center. The top left star appears white and the bottom right appears red. A large almost solid white oval surrounds the central stars. It takes up about a quarter of the view. At right, the image shows one prominent star at the center. A large translucent pink-and-red irregular oval surrounds it. This approximately matches the size of what’s shown in the image at left. Unlike the left image, a lot of wispy, wavy material extends outward all around this region in the right image, particularly jutting out towards the top and bottom.
You might remember the Southern Ring Nebula was one of the first images released from Webb. Webb saw two stars within the nebula: 1) the dying star that created the nebula by blowing off its layers, and 2) a companion that orbits it. But now, after carefully studying Webb data, scientists believe that there may be more hidden companions that have helped shape the gas and dust of this nebula, potentially a total of 5 stars!
How did up to five stars create the Southern Ring Nebula? Panel 1 shows a wider field with stars 1, 2, and 5, the last of which orbits star 1 far more tightly than star 2 does. Panel 2 zooms way in on the scene, and two other stars (3 and 4) appear in view; star 3 is emitting jets. Panel 3 shows star 1 expanding as it ages. Both stars 3 and 4 have sent off a series of jets. In panel 4 we zoom out to see how light and stellar winds are carving out a bubble-like cavity. Star 1 is surrounded by a dusty disk. In the fifth panel, star 5 is interacting with the ejected gas and dust, generating the system of large rings seen in the outer nebula. The sixth panel portrays the scene as we observe it today.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, E. Wheatley (STScI)
Image description:
This six-panel illustration depicts the interactions among five stars that may have helped make the shapes in the Southern Ring Nebula.
In panel 1, a reddish star labeled 1 appears at left, with a smaller light red star labeled 5 orbiting it. To their right is a white star, labeled 2. The background is black.
In panel 2, the red star, labeled 1, takes up most of the frame. It is whiter at the center, and has semi-transparent red layers surrounding it, which extend almost to the edges of the frame. A tiny white star, labeled 3, appears within star 1’s central white region. Star 3 is emitting thin white bipolar jets to the top right and bottom left. The smallest star, labeled 4, appears toward the right, just within the transparent red emission from star 1.
In panel 3, the central star, labeled 1, is shown significantly larger. Its white region takes up more than half the frame, and its red ejections take up the rest of the frame. Two stars appear within the white region of star 1. Star 3 appears small and toward the center, emitting jets to the left and right. Star 4 appears toward the bottom right of the white region of star 1 and is emitting jets toward the top right and bottom center.
Panel 4 zooms out significantly, showing a disk of red material with a white center, which represents star 1, at the far left. Star 4 is labeled within that disk, where white switches to red. There is a lighter pink circle of diffuse color surrounding the disk, a layer of deeper blue material that extends almost to the center of the frame outside of that. Beyond the blue is an area of gray dust that follows an arc toward the center top and bottom of the frame. At the center is a tiny white dot labeled star 5. To Its right, to the edge of the frame, are layers of red gas.
Panel 5 zooms out again, now only showing star 1, which is larger and has red emission around it, and star 5, which is whiter and appear within that red emission. They sit at the center of the frame. Outside of them is a blue circular region, followed by a loop of white, and then loops in orange, which extend off frame. The orange areas look irregular and disturbed. Toward the bottom right is a tiny white dot labeled star 2.
The sixth and final frame is an illustration of Webb’s image of the Southern Ring Nebula. Two stars, labeled 1, which is red, and 2, which is blue appear at center. They are surrounded by a circle of blue emission, which then transforms into a lighter orange, and then a deeper orange. The orange shape has irregular edges and extends only halfway across the frame. The surrounding background is black.
Bit of a fun one for you today! This is a Renault Master T35, the latest iteration of the Master. This is a replica of the vans they use at Jumbo Supermarkets in the Netherlands.
Jumbo is a major supermarket chain in the Netherlands who started expanding their potential in online ordering by launching a delivery service. You order your groceries and the next day (or whenever you like) a delivery driver will turn up at your doorstep in a Renault Master just like this! Click here for a reference pic of the real thing.
This has been a fun build because I got to see some pictures of how these vans work from the inside. Big trolleys with the groceries will be rolled into it to create some shelves from which the delivery driver can easily pick the order and deliver it. I tried to replicate the trolleys (even though the poles to hold them are a bit weird) with the grocery boxes and other items, and also a little hand truck that is often used to make carrying the boxes a bit easier.
The van itself is about as accurate as I can make it, obviously not perfect but it hopefully represents the Jumbo van as well as possible :) Obviously the company name is not present, although a brick built logo is planned.
The van is complete in its accurate configuration which includes the interior of the cabin. A bit basic, but so is the real one. Van drivers prefer the term 'utilitarian' :)
Hope you like it!
This quiet little spot off Cathedral Trail in Stanley Park is a favourite place for lunchtime picnickers ....there are even perfect logs to sit on, and it's "off the beaten track" where people can munch while serenaded by birdsong.
You're looking at a picture that I think has the potential to be one of the best shots I'll ever take.
Not this go around obviously, frankly this is pants, you can see that. But if you can look past the obvious deficiencies of this attempt, you'll surely see what I mean.
Look at the location, a reasonably straight run at you albeit with a roller coaster-esque feel, a couple of small dips and bumps followed by a much longer climb towards you. The semaphores to the left, the track literally disappearing from view in the foreground.
I've often thought of trying the shot from the bridge I've used to frame other shots from this location, see www.flickr.com/photos/darkprince66/16857442410/ .
Trouble is, doing so is going to lose that edge that those tracks disappearing gives, so that's out.
Position-wise, this is near perfect, I've got train, tracks and signals lined up well. Ideally, I'd like just a little more to the left side, so that you get both tracks of the down line that Tug 66 is on plunging away from you.
No matter this time, this is another epic fail. But one day, I'm going to nail this f***er. And you'll be the first to know about it.
60066 6M30 Margam-Dee Marsh, Buckley, 5 April 2015.
With a fresh snowfall, UP MSSAL-07 charges up Hudson Hill. With a little over 9,000 tons and 8500 feet, the crew is making the best out of the prime mover in 8354 as it's being used to it's fullest potential up this 1.6% grade.
Although very chilly winds were forecasted combined with mostly cloudy skies, I was just hoping to catch sight of the Harlequins. I knew that they tend to stay on the eastern side of the jetty where the waves come smashing into the sides, and given the late arrival, might not have such good light, especially to capture the brilliant colors and the dark eyes. But, in spite of the obstacles, it was a wonderful surprise, at the end of the day, when uploading the photos from the flash drive, and finding that this muted tone appealed to me. I have already captured some very beautiful moments in good sunlight before—SEE the ALBUM on Barnegat Lighthouse SP—so to get this look was a nice addition to the inventory.
The Harlequin Ducks are amongst the very favorites of many photographers and birders, for the patterns and colors are truly quite eye-catching. In addition, it is amazing to see how they enjoy the rough waters by the rocky structures, all while pecking away at barnacles and marine vegetation on the jagged walls.
The Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is truly a splendid landscape, famous mostly for its historic lighthouse (over 100 years old) of architecturally clean lines that accentuate its presence, but also the well-designed structure of the long jetty consisting of huge rocks and boulders sandwiched between the nice sandy beach and the ocean, and finally, the wonderful array of fascinating birds throughout the seasons. Throughout the day, one can expect to see a variety of water vessels, from small one-man fishing boats to larger motorized ones, and even enormous tankers in the far distance. The U.S. Coastguard boats are constantly on the lookout for any potential problems in the water.
All of this is even more beautiful during the breathtaking end-of-the-day sunsets or early morning sunrise period, with the accompanying “Magic/Golden Hour” that exudes the special tones in the air. As nature enthusiasts and photographers, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Warszawa, Poland
Commercial profile for a local business. Often, I am asked to photograph businesses in the same style that I work the street so that a portfolio of images can be built to showcase a business by showcasing the human element and connect their business to potential clients.
Links to all of my work. Instagram. Website. Behance. linktr.ee/ewitsoe