North Devon

The sunshine continued yesterday though with a cooler wind. Images from Westward Ho beach - first a general view and then using 300mm lens with a 2X converter and handheld so I was pleased to get some interesting images through the spray haze. The monochrome images are from Widemouth near Bude. The almost black seaweed records as white in infrared which gives an unreal feel to the images.

Ancient Woodland

 
I hoped to get to Black Tor Copse but it was a bit too far for my painful knee so I went to a nearer copse which proved to have a few pedunculate oaks and a lot of rocks, moss and lichens. The effects of a very dry winter are very evident with many of the mosses and ferns drying out.

Black Tor

The walk up towards Black Tor Copse produced some very interesting trees and dartmoor ponies.

Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth

Yesterday (Friday) afternoon was still warm and sunny so I visited the coast before giving a talk at Exmouth CC.  Budleigh Salterton is a shingle beach but this doesn't stop people sitting and enjoying the sea air. There were lots of people actively enjoying the sunshine at Exmouth including some chaps who decided to attempt to drive across the sands to collect their trailer. They were eventually towed off.   

Bicton in Colour

Bicton Park Gardens

Bicton Park Gardens include 60 acres of formal gardens, pinetum and nature reserve. The Palm House dates from the 1820s and was constructed using 18,000 panes of glass; it is older than Kew. Formal gardens were developed in about 1735, and extensive plantations were laid out at Bicton in the mid-18th century, including 101,394 Scots pines. I wanted to do infrared studies of tree shapes but ended up taking a lot of other subjects.

Victorian Torquay

The Pavilion

In 1896, a competition was organised for designs for a pavilion. Edward Richards won the prize but work did not commence till 1911, some 20 years after the idea of a pavilion had first been discussed and ten years after they had been agreed. It was formerly opened in August 1912 and was popular till 1970s when it was scheduled for demolition. However was saved and is a Class II* listed building and today has a shopping centre and cafes. It presents a mixture of Victorian overindulgence and Edwardian grace and splendour.

The Princess Gardens' Fountain 

Princess Gardens in Torquay, opened in 1894,  were named after Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria, who visited the town on 6 May 1890. The gardens were designed in a typical Victorian style with elaborate fountains and ornate shelters. The gardens have lawns and large flowerbeds and also include palm trees that were imported from New Zealand. The fountain was produced by the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow to pattern used in many others gardens eg Hartlepool, Raffles Hotel Singapore.

Princess Theatre Torquay

I have utilised the feature of my digital infrared image adjustment that blues retain their colour. The Princess Theatre was constructed in 1961 but has a real Art Deco feel to it in the decoration and shapes used. I was disappointed that the Agatha Christie day cruises don't start till 1st April - sounds a great day out.