Frosted leaves
December 2024 - Sunny days and icy blasts
Last month started with glorious sunny, dry weather before plummeting into an icy chill. It was so mild in the early weeks that plants, confused by the temperatures, began flowering once again. We were in Northumberland and walking in about 15°C of sunshine without a breath of wind; no wonder the plants were confused!
Our fortnight in Northumberland started with a week in the lovely village of Embleton. Situated on the coast, the beach gives great views of the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. A couple of early morning starts provided a colourful backdrop for the castle as the sun gradually rose above the horizon. On each occasion another photographer was on the beach which shows how popular the location has become. While wild swimmers braved an early morning dip in the chilly North Sea, I entertained myself capturing some landscape shots of the castle and ICM (intentional camera movement) images of the sea. We filled our days with walks - often up the beach to the next village’s pub for a crab sandwich lunch - and enjoyed everything that the coast offers.
For our second week we moved to a cottage at the other end of the county near Allendale. We enjoyed the market town of Corbridge, the picturesque village of Blanchland and a visit to parts of Hadrian’s Wall. Sadly, we passed the Sycamore Gap that now stands empty and devoid of all features, returning it to just another undulation along the route of this amazing feat of Roman construction and engineering. The visitor centre at the Sill had an exhibition on the tree one year on from when it was so mindlessly felled and cuttings have been germinated in order to provide the tree with a legacy. Even more optimistically, the remaining part of the trunk that is still rooted in the ground has begun to sprout new growth that gives hope that this icon will rise again over the coming decades.
Our stay also gave me my first introduction to the northern end of the Pennines and the countryside was fascinating. It reminded me of the North Yorkshire moors with acres of heather and grassland as far as the eye could see. I was fascinated by the abandoned mines and shafts that occasionally appeared in the middle of the wilderness that made one think about the rich heritage of the area and just how harsh conditions would have been.
The icy weather towards the end of the month allowed me to capture a few images of the frost and provided bright days to grab some photographs of the last vestiges of soft, autumn light on the Water of Leith. While Edinburgh avoided the snow that fell across other parts, the blast of a keen breeze produced shivering conditions to remind us that winter is coming and the festive period is not far away. Without doubt, it will be here before one knows it so may I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
December 2024 - Sunny days and icy blasts
Last month started with glorious sunny, dry weather before plummeting into an icy chill. It was so mild in the early weeks that plants, confused by the temperatures, began flowering once again. We were in Northumberland and walking in about 15°C of sunshine without a breath of wind; no wonder the plants were confused!
Our fortnight in Northumberland started with a week in the lovely village of Embleton. Situated on the coast, the beach gives great views of the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. A couple of early morning starts provided a colourful backdrop for the castle as the sun gradually rose above the horizon. On each occasion another photographer was on the beach which shows how popular the location has become. While wild swimmers braved an early morning dip in the chilly North Sea, I entertained myself capturing some landscape shots of the castle and ICM (intentional camera movement) images of the sea. We filled our days with walks - often up the beach to the next village’s pub for a crab sandwich lunch - and enjoyed everything that the coast offers.
For our second week we moved to a cottage at the other end of the county near Allendale. We enjoyed the market town of Corbridge, the picturesque village of Blanchland and a visit to parts of Hadrian’s Wall. Sadly, we passed the Sycamore Gap that now stands empty and devoid of all features, returning it to just another undulation along the route of this amazing feat of Roman construction and engineering. The visitor centre at the Sill had an exhibition on the tree one year on from when it was so mindlessly felled and cuttings have been germinated in order to provide the tree with a legacy. Even more optimistically, the remaining part of the trunk that is still rooted in the ground has begun to sprout new growth that gives hope that this icon will rise again over the coming decades.
Our stay also gave me my first introduction to the northern end of the Pennines and the countryside was fascinating. It reminded me of the North Yorkshire moors with acres of heather and grassland as far as the eye could see. I was fascinated by the abandoned mines and shafts that occasionally appeared in the middle of the wilderness that made one think about the rich heritage of the area and just how harsh conditions would have been.
The icy weather towards the end of the month allowed me to capture a few images of the frost and provided bright days to grab some photographs of the last vestiges of soft, autumn light on the Water of Leith. While Edinburgh avoided the snow that fell across other parts, the blast of a keen breeze produced shivering conditions to remind us that winter is coming and the festive period is not far away. Without doubt, it will be here before one knows it so may I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
