Geograph Blog ::

2012 - A Good Start

By Chris Allen

The first two months of 2012 have slipped by and I've done very little of my beloved stationary steam but have managed to keep busy and when I get round to March I have some good stuff to share.

The year started in Devon with friends visiting my sister's holiday home. first up was Sidmouth on a miserable New Year's day SY1287 : New Year's Day, Sidmouth by Chris Allen. The following day we had lunch in Lympstone SX9884 : Lympstone by Chris Allen before returning home to resume the day job on the Tuesday.

Casting about for a new experience, I decided it was time to visit Wiltshire to record the remains of the textile industry in that corner of the south-west. My day took in Malmesbury ST9386 : Avon Mills and St John's Bridge, Malmesbury by Chris Allen, Trowbridge ST8657 : Ashton Mills, Trowbridge by Chris Allen ST8557 : Courts mill, Trowbridge by Chris Allen ST8557 : Studley mill and handle house, Trowbridge by Chris Allen ST8557 : Stone Mill, Trowbridge by Chris Allen and Melksham ST9063 : Melksham - small textile factory and drying stove by Chris Allen.

A skin cancer study day saw me just down the road in Tewkesbury and the opportunity was not wasted - SO8932 : Domestic textile production -Tewkesbury by Chris Allen SO8832 : Abbey Mill, Tewkesbury by Chris Allen.

The weekend of 21 and 22 January was spent in Somerset and Devon and industrial archaeology can always be found if you cast the net wide enough - ST4836 : Clark's Village - outlet shopping centre by Chris Allen ST4938 : The Old Pump House, Glastonbury by Chris Allen SX8088 : Steps Bridge Iron Mills by Chris Allen SX8088 : Steps Bridge Iron Mills by Chris Allen.

On 28 January I met up with fellow Geograph member Ashley Dace and we had a fantastic day at the Great Central Railway's biggest ever winter steam gala - SK5808 : Leicester North Station by Chris Allen SK5416 : The south end of Quorn & Woodhouse Station by Chris Allen SK5416 : Volcanic eruptions by Chris Allen SK5419 : Preparing to uncouple - Loughborough Station by Chris Allen.

I also got my first PotY nomination of the year SK5419 : Playing to the Gallery, Great Central Railway by Chris Allen.

Plans for the next weekend were scuppered by snow so I stayed local and garnered another PotY nomination - SO8854 : Postbox and snowy lane - Swinesherd by Chris Allen.

The next weekend's plans were torpedoed by a severely cracked windscreen forcing me to abandon a trip to Lancashire. Instead, I stayed local and landed my second ever PotY winner - SO7758 : Ducks walk on water - Cob House Fisheries by Chris Allen. On the Sunday I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and bagged three personal points, including - SO8653 : Red Hill Lane by Chris Allen.

After a week in Switzerland I returned in the small hours of 26 February and later that day grabbed my first new stationary steam engine (pump) of the year - SO8456 : Pump House Environment Centre - steam pump by Chris Allen - I practically fell over this only a few miles away while grabbing a missing section of my possible article on the Mid-Worcestershire Ring.

That's all for now and March will commence in the next blog.


When
Thu, 8 Mar 2012 at 19:48
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