Postcards From The Edge

The thing about time travel, is that sometimes you never know whether you are in the past, the present or the future.

Take this postcard sent from the Doctor. The photo looks modern day, but because it is scratched and faded, shows that it is quite old. So did our favourite Time Lord go forward in time and buy this 'antique', rather pay only a few pence and purchase one in mint condition?

Who knows!

Every Castle Needs A Cat

Thursday was my last night in Cardiff, and despite the rain, I went for a last look around the city centre.

I hadn't realised that Cardiff Castle was within walking distance of the hotel that I was staying in. So that was my first port of call.

Of course it was closed by the time I got there, so I walked some length of the wall facing the main road.

I was quite surprised to see this giant cat trying to escape from the grounds. Fortunately it was a stone one and wouldn't get very far. Especially with the busy road opposite.

Dalekmania

Well it's Friday and the last day of my course.

We finished at lunchtime, so I took a bus to Cardiff Bay to look at the Doctor Who Exhibition that's on there.

I wasn't on the bus long, when it pulled up outside, what can only be described as a aircraft hanger. A huge building with the "Doctor Who Experience" blazoned across it.

I went in and paid my entrance fee. I was told that the next tour starts shortly, so I went to their cafe and had some lunch. A peri peri chicken panini.

At half two, around twenty of us gathered at the entrance, where we were told that we would be going on a journey with the Doctor. We were also told, not to him or photograph it, as it would spoil it for others. "Spoilers" as River Song often stated.

The adventure lasted about thirty minutes, then we were let loose in the museum part. Two floors of sets, costumes, monsters and props. And permission to take as many photos as we liked.

Where to start. It was like being in a sweet shop. I remember visiting the one they used to have in Blackpool. And it was not as good as this. Very light and airy, with daylight balanced bulbs, so no colour casting on my photos.

Naturally the exhibits leant towards the new series, rather than the original, which I grew up with. Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker etc.

I spent a good couple of hours there, but was conscious of the three hour journey back home. I could have stayed there all day, looking and reading about everything.  Still it was a great conclusion to a busy week.

Castle Colours

Cardiff is of course famous for it's castle.

Sadly I didn't get to go inside, as it was closed by the time that I had got there. So I had a walk around some of the perimeter wall. Not all of it, as the castle takes up a lot of space and I didn't want to get lost. Besides which it was cold and raining.

Here's a shot of the Norman Keep, which has twelve sides and is the best example of a Keep in Wales.

Colours Of The Night

For a couple of years or so, Gail and I have been friends with a Welsh photographer called Robert.

Just on Facebook. We've never met or even spoken on the phone. We just comment on each others photos.

I sent Robert a message to say that I was coming to Cardiff, and wondered if he'd like to meet up sometime during the week. So this evening he popped into my hotel to say hello. We had a good chat about photography over dinner.

I said that I was planning to see the bay area of the city and to visit the Doctor Who exhibition that was situated there. Robert suggested he could take me tonight.

So after a short drive, we were down by the waterside. Boy was it cold.

Robert gave me a quick guided tour of the area. The various buildings and statues that are on offer in-between a short walk.

Morning Has Broken

I don't usually get up at 6.30am to go to work, but this week I have to, as there's some travelling involved in getting from my hotel to the office.

The only plus I can think of, is that I can get to see the sun come up. Sadly it didn't last very long and the storm clouds appeared and the rain set in for the rest of the day.

A typical day in Wales I believe.

My Station In Life

This week I'm on a training course in the Welsh capital, Cardiff.

I don't know how much free time I'll have for photography, but most of it will probably be night shots, as obviously I'll be training all day.

It is over a three hour journey by train, and although I arrived at lunchtime, I didn't get the opportunity of getting my camera out, as I had to get straight to the office.

After I had unpacked and had dinner in the hotel, I went for a nighttime stroll. I thought that I would start with the railway station itself, which was built in the 1930s, replacing the original Victorian one.

The pride of place goes of course to the 'Great Western Railway', or "God's Wonderful Railway", as trainspotters call it. Sadly the lines themselves are not as wonderful. I think they desperately need replacing, as whenever a train goes by the lines emit this deafening high pitched squeal. Apparently it's one of the busiest stations in the UK. So an upgrade can't come soon enough.

In The Party Mood

You may have noticed that I've been really slipping with my daily blogging recently, which is very unlike me. I think it has been due to doing some DIY at home that has been taking longer than expected, and so haven't had the time to post.

We went to a 30th birthday party on Tuesday, which I've not managed to write about yet, but it took me back to February this year when I turned 50, and Gail and I went away to Portmeirion in Wales for a few days as we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary too.

We had today off, and spent the day in the house doing some jobs, so I've not had the opportunity of taking any photos. So I thought I would show one of the many Portmeirion photographs that I took whilst we were there. This one is a night shot of some of the unique architectural gems that you can see as you walk round the private village.

A Touch Of Summer

The start of another week, and a cold, dull one at that. I don't know what it is with the poor weather at the moment, but it just seems to be going on for ever.

So I've haven't really got any new shots to show you. I certainly didn't take anything today. So here's a photograph that I took at Portmeirion, late last month.

I love the muted colours of this building, which incidentally was Number Two's house in the Prisoner, but in real life is an art gallery. Although closed when we were there.

Looking at this picture, you would think that you were in southern Europe, rather than north west Wales.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi

Today is St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales. And to celebrate that fact, here is a shot of Portmeirion and flying the Welsh national flag; the Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, which translated becomes 'The Red Dragon'. Incidentally the name given to many an English pub!

I hope everyone who is Welsh has had a good day, even though, like in England, it is not classed as a public holiday.  Personally I think all saint's days should be given a bank holiday status, as we don't get enough public holidays compared to other European countries.

Seaside Ride

Whilst staying at Portmeirion, we took a little trip to Porthmadog, and ended up at the little seaside town of Criccieth.

We saw a castle on a hill, but drove round trying to find out how to get to it. We couldn't work it out, so parked opposite the lifeboat station and had a stroll on the very stoney beach, and took some photos from there.

While wandering about I came across this very rusty and decomposing child's bike. A great subject for a photograph I said to Gail. Something that Derek Jarman collected at Dungeness. So I took several, at various different angles. But I like this one the best.

Also on the beach were three girls. Probably friends, rather than sisters. They all wished me a 'Happy Birthday' as I was wearing a very large "I am 50" badge, which Gail gave me at breakfast. They were very cold, as they didn't seem to be dressed very well for the cold & windy weather.

We chatted to them for a while, and Gail took some photos of them jumping off some old rowing boats. We then watched them stroll off onto the pier for some very strong sea breezes.

Seeing The Sea

Well we did something that Patrick McGoohan's character didn't manage to do, and that was to leave the Village.

We were sad to leave Portmeirion, as it is a magical place, and the sun was shining again too. We wondered which bit of North Wales to visit. I suggested seeing the waterfalls at Betws-y-coed. So we checked out and popped the details in the sat-nav.

Unfortunately when we got there, we found that the gates to the attraction were closed. Possibly because it was early closing or they weren't open for the tourist season yet.  So we did what most people do, we went to the local pub for lunch and a drink.

Gail set the sat-nav with our home address and we set off. I was expecting to drive down the A5, instead it decided to send us up the A470 towards Llandudno. We then found ourselves on the A55; a major road that follows the coast. Gail was looking out the window and surprised to see how close we were to the coastline. She wondered if we could stop off somewhere.

I noticed a turning coming up ahead for a place called Llanddulas, so I turned off and headed for the seafront. It was a little disappointing, as there wasn't that much there. Only a stoney car park and a pebbled beach. Not even an ice cream van.

Here's a couple of shots from our short stay there. Whilst I was taking some photos, Gail got talking to a husband and wife who were there birdwatching. They had set up a spotting scope, and the husband had a camera with a big lens, with which he was trying to photograph the various species that were there.

They said that they came from Northampton and were on the lookout for a couple of particular birds. I said that we lived close to the Attenborough Nature Reserve, and that hundreds of 'twitchers' sometime go there if there is an unusual visitor. They said that they've been a few times. So we left them to look for some lesser spotted thingy, and went on our way.

A Home From Home

When we woke up, we noticed the sun shining through the curtains. Gail got out of bed and pulled back the drapes; and we saw the sea.

It was magical. Sunshine and the sea. What more could anyone want when they are on holiday?

As it was my birthday, Gail had bought some cards and a couple of presents with her for me to open. Which I did. In Gail's card was a big badge with '50' on it. Which I then pinned to my coat.

After breakfast we went for another walk around the village.  It had only just opened to the public, so there weren't that many people around.  I was wished a "happy birthday" from the people who saw my badge.

This shot shows the village hotel. It partly burnt down many years ago, but has been restored. The open air heated swimming pool was used in the original Brideshead Revisited, when the village stood in for Italy.

I Am Not A Number

It's my birthday & seventh wedding anniversary tomorrow. I'll be 50 by the way. Gail asked me what I wanted to do as something special. Go on holiday somewhere perhaps. Yes I replied, Portmeirion in North Wales.

I had been before on a day trip some years ago, but have never actually stayed there as a guest. It's a very special place, as it was designed and built over a number of years by one man, a Clough William-Ellis.

Portmeirion is of course more well know as the place where Patrick McGoohan's character tried to escape from in the TV series The Prisoner in 1967. A very unusual series of 17 episodes in which a spy resigns from his job, is kidnapped and finds himself trapped in 'the village'. He is called 'Number Six' and various psychological methods are used to try and find out why he resigned.

So I found a deal for two nights bed & breakfast. Fantastic. When I rang up to book, they told me which cottage that we would be staying in. I then looked it up on their website and found out that it was that the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein used to rent during the 1960s.

When we arrived it was dark, so we didn't know where in the village we were located. After we had unloaded the car we went to have dinner in the main hotel, which looks a bit like a castle.  We then went for a walk around the village. We had it to ourselves, as there was nobody else around.  And boy was it quiet.