Real World home of Peter Gabriel.

Box is a village just outside Bath, if you’re coming to Bath on the main London line and you look out of the right hand window as you leave Box Tunnel (you can’t miss it its over a mile long) you can see the old mill with a giant lead covered recording studio.
It’s the home of Peter Gabriel and his Real World Studios, Peter has just released his latest recording SCRATCH MY BACK, more details Here.  

Eve with her week old calf William.

 Eve with her week old calf William

Wheelchair Dancing.

I noticed that the BBC are starting a wheelchair dancing program (Dancing on wheels) and remembered photographing wheelchair dancing in Green Park Station for the Bath Chronicle in 2005.

Where the Chronicle leads the BBC follows.

Green Park Tango for wheelchair
Dance Teacher Michael Lavocah
Yinka Selley and her carer Tara Downs.

Copyright Sam Farr/The Bath Chronicle.   

New Tree.

Andy and Nicky have been out in Matthews’s truck today to buy a 15 foot Red Alder (Alnus Rubra) to replace the dangerous tree that had to be taken down last month.
They went to Chew Valley Trees and said that very helpful people, great service, friendly and knowledgeable too.
Chew Valley web site and details of the tree are HERE.

Fox Talbot Day Celebrations.

A dinner to remember William Fox Talbot, one of the founding fathers of photography, was held at the George Inn Lacock last night.
 It was attended by a number of photographers from the West Country and guests included descendants of Fox Talbot and the village carpenter Joseph Foden , who made the cameras in the barn that is now the Barn restaurant.
Guest of Honour was Roger Watson, Curator of the Fox Talbot Museum.

 Trevor Porter organiser of the evening and Roger Watson, curator of the Fox Talbot Museum with a replica of Fox Talbots original Mouse Trap Camera.

More snaps of the party are HERE click slideshow.

If you’re a photographer visiting Lacock I can recommend the George Inn, The food and service were excellent and very reasonably priced.
It has a Fox Talbot corner and you get a chance to eat in the room where one of the very first cameras was made.

Just the sort of place Willy Wonka would have chosen.

Keynsham blue sky, green fields and sheep, just the sort of place Willy Wonka would have chosen for a chocolate factory.
But obviously those lying B”^&£$%s at Kraft don’t agree.

How do they get new stock?

Ever looked at the New Southgate Centre in Bath and wondered how the shops get stock delivered?
Well it all goes down Kingston Road to these two loading bays, this one and another underground.

Out dammed pigeons.

Workmen installing rows of pointy things in the roof of Bath's Green Park Station to stop pigeons roosting.

K.E.Y.N.S.H.A.M.

This is the old  house of Horace Bachelor  whose radio adverts on Radio Luxembourg in the 50s taught the Europe to spell Keynsham. 
It’s had several uses since his death including a hotel, and is now apartments.

Free Wood (well almost)

Helen noticed that they had chopped up a fallen tree at Prior Park Garden Centre and the wood was free.
Andy and I jumped into the car and popped in, unfortunately the sections of logs were so big I could hardly lift them.
So we filled the back of the estate with six of the smallest and drove home, on the way we borrowed a Maul (it’s and sledge hammer crossed with an axe) from a friendly tree surgeon and found it would split the giant logs easily when swung by Andy(it’s useful to have a Son in Law built like desperate Dan).
So we went back and filled the car again with the logs that were too big to carry the first time, I think we have enough for both family’s to last about three weeks.

I must have been mad.

The current controversy over new transmission line in Somerset in 2016  reminded me of some of my photographic work when I was under contract to the Central Electricity Generating Board 30 years ago.
This is line work on the Tamar crossing, it’s about 300ft high but does have ladders to climb.

This is a standard transmission tower, around 175ft high but you have to climb the bolts on the corner.

And some idiot had to go up to take the snaps, I suspect that under current health and safety laws I would have needed at least a month’s training before going up.
But I just turned up and climbed and they pulled my camera bag up on a rope.

Spotted Dick

It was farmer Gordon Tuckers 70th  birthday on Saturday, here he is with the giant spotted dick that he has instead of a birthday cake.

And his family had kindly arranged for  

Magical Mandy to saw him in half.

 Gordon been mentioned on the  blog a few times, he appeared 

with this 8 foot crowbar that takes 2 people to carry.
And I used this picture of his shed, he collects old tractors.

Winter Wonderland

The gardens a Winter Wonderland, 

but I’m pleased I don’t have to go to work.

Go on tickle my tummy!

Biscuit the Shetland pony is a real Pussycat.

Banes are filling our Village grit bins.

Banes are filling our Village grit bins for the 3rd time.

Thank you.