Not Transport related but still important.
On finals to Frankfurt airport, we pass the central business district of Frankfurt am Main, the financial heart of Germany. Situated on the banks of the mighty Rhine, the city has always been a major centre for trade and commerce since the time of the Romans.
Shortly after departure from Oslo lufthavn, our flight passes across the Norwegian capital, sat comfortably on the shores of the Oslofjord.
A lovely sunset taken from the balcony of my apartment, the glorious pinks and orange hues like a raging inferno above a dark and shadowy Lichfield.
Taken from my kitchen window over the fields to the east of Lichfield, we see the sun breaking through the early morning haze in absolutely gorgeous fashion!
After departure from Saint Petersburg, Royal Caribbean’s MS Navigation of the Seas is seen basking in the evening sun as it heads west towards the Baltic.
An apparent permanent resident at the Peter & Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, in spite of this being the resting place of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, this cat lazing on a stool in a far corner of the hall was the real star of the show!
Following close behind on the way out of St Petersburg is the MSC Musica, set against a foreboding Russian skyline.
An interesting passtime in the Estonian capital, here we see gaggles of people leaping from the top of the Tallinna teletorn, a 1,030ft communications tower built between 1975 and 1980 for the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics to allow for improved broadcasting of the event across the Eastern Bloc.
Racing along the open seas of the Gulf of Finland is this Raketa Meteor Hydrofoil, built between 1961 and the mid-1970’s, and incorporated lightweight aviation components into the designs for added speed.
Approaching the port of Warnemünde from across the Baltic is Scandlines owned M/V Berlin, a hybrid vessel built for operations between North Germany and Denmark.
Seen mooching about the waters near Kronshtadt Naval Base is Russian Navy Fireboat ПЖС-282, built in 1975 during the years of the Soviet Union for the Baltic Fleet.
On a beautiful sunset evening from my apartment, we see a very unusual cloud formation which takes on the form of what I thought was a Dragon or a Serpent’s head.
The trees seem to fall off the edge of the world in this one, down into an off-blue abyss.
An inquisitive Swan poking its nose into things.
Kept in immaculate preservation, the old High Street adjacent to the castle ruins at Kenilworth harkens back to the days of Regency England, bay windows and small doors.
A view up the Avon at Warwick Castle, a small wear and the Waterwheel stood downstream from the remains of an ancient bridge.
Silent as a millpond, the River Severn trundles sedately through the ancient city of Worcester.
A view down the River Avon at Evesham, as seen from a short and lovely river cruise.
Situated inside Worcester Cathedral, the final tomb of one of England’s less popular kings, John, King of England, more often known as Prince John.
Sunlight streams through the windows and into the Nave of Worcester Cathedral.
Towering above the treeline is Worcester Cathedral, one of Britain’s most beautiful structures and iconic buildings.
A view from the top of Guy’s Tower over Warwick, County Town of Warwickshire. Looking northwest, Redditch and Wolverhampton would be your destination if you travelled in this direction.
Looking south over seemingly endless greenery. In this direction, one would eventually find themselves in Oxford, 20 miles away.
An overview of the manor house formation of Warwick Castle, refurbished in the 17th Century by Sir Fulke Greville from its traditional use as a military keep.
As the late-spring sun once again drifts down to the horizon, Guy’s Tower, the tallest tower at Warwick Castle, catches the last few rays at the end of another day.
In Bakewell, one of the footbridges across the River has been given an interesting new treatment of having hundreds of padlocks being attached to the railings with dates written on them. The oldest one I could find was 2006.
I was rather captivated by the effects of the reflections on this waterfall and I felt it would make for an interesting photo.
Can’t miss those Mallards! Especially when one floats up to you while you’re sat on the edge of the fountain!
A juvenile Mute Swan, messing about on the river!
Seen across the valley from the Cromford Mill site is Willersley Castle, the stately home of one of the greatest innovators of modern history, Sir Richard Arkwright.
Sadly Sir Richard never actually lived in the house he had built for himself, on account of passing away before construction was completed in 1796.
The leaves are undisturbed as a torrent of water rushes underneath them at Cromford Mill.
Quietly resting under a small warehouse, an old narrowboat awaits further use on the Cromford Canal.
As seen from the Heights of Abraham, the small town of Matlock Bath can be seen nestled in the Derwent Valley below.
Seen atop its mount above the River Derwent valley is Riber Castle, a Victorian Country House built in 1862 by John Smedley to the same style as a medieval keep.
Capturing the essence of a Victorian Spa Town, Matlock Bath retains its roots of yesteryear, even with the cars!
Ascending towards the Heights of Abraham aboard its specially constructed Gondola System, we look down the valley of the River Derwent towards Matlock.
At 266ft, the Rotunda has always held its place as one of the tallest and most iconic buildings in Birmingham, its rounded cylindrical shape gracing the city skyline since construction was finished in 1965.
Towering above the ancient city of Lichfield, Lichfield Cathedral is one of the most iconic structures in the UK, and the only Medieval cathedral to feature three spires.
With a deep blue evening heralding the end of another day, the lights don’t go down on New Street in Birmingham.
Speeding beneath the concrete overpasses that form the Gravelly Hill Interchange, known almost universally however as Spaghetti Junction, taken from the top deck of the 110 Birmingham to Tamworth express bus.
As silent and as peaceful as a millpond, the Grand Union Canal cuts a gentle dash through the back streets of Loughborough, with an old factory forming the backdrop.
Glancing up the former clocktower of Coventry Cathedral, a structure that once dominated the centre of this ancient town, reduced to burning ruins after a devastating air raid by the Luftwaffe in the dark days of World War II.
After the fires had been extinguished and the rubble of the collapsed roof cleared, the remaining perimeter walls and clocktower were preserved in the state they had been left in the day they had been destroyed (bar a few modifications to maintain their structural rigidity), this cathedral now being an everlasting symbol to the futility of war, and a memorial to those who perished on that darkest of days.
Framed through the blown out windows of the former Coventry Cathedral, the spire of Holy Trinity Parish Church, one of the three iconic steeples to grace the Coventry skyline.
One of the few remaining streets of the ancient city to have survived the devastation wrought by the Luftwaffe in World War II, a truly timeless scene that could be in 1516 or 2016.
With volcanic outcrops against a sea of greenery, this view from Haytor shows the vastness and bleakness of Dartmoor, one of the most remote but beautifully stunning regions in the UK.
Taking the long winding road down to the beaches on a warm sunny day in Torbay.
These boats aren’t going anywhere fast!
The winding of one of Bristol’s many river bridges.
A fantastic sight to behold as I awoke this morning with a magnificent red sky as the sun began to rise above my Sutton Coldfield home, a perfect blend of the dark blue hues of night with the oncoming barrage of pinks and reds from our celestial neighbour.
As seen from my office in Birmingham, we look north over the platform ends of Birmingham Snow Hill and down the Queensway towards the seemingly endless cluster of lights that is Aston, Gravelly Hill, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield, and beyond to Tamworth.
The Christmas Market is in full swing in Birmingham, with the streets illuminated in vibrant blue!
It looks like Canada, but it’s actually Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield to the north of Birmingham. A very atmospheric place that certainly had very little to tell me that I was still in the UK, aside from the Freightliner Class 66 rolling by behind me!
At 266ft, the Rotunda has always held its place as one of the tallest and most iconic buildings in Birmingham, its rounded cylindrical shape gracing the city skyline since construction was finished in 1965.
Perhaps one of the biggest congestion points on any railway network, the narrowing of 12 railway tracks to 4 at the eastern approach of Birmingham New Street station.
With well over 100 trains per day using this section of track, congestion is unsurprising, and I often find my morning commuter train held for several minutes while it awaits a platform.
After a £550 million investment, I am happy to say with all my heart that the new Birmingham New Street station has gone from being one of my most despised railway stations into one of my favourites, with the dark, cloying passageways and station building now opened up into a huge and impressive atrium.
Another view across the fields south of Shenstone from my morning Class 323, as we see the rising Sun rain down a patchwork of orange and red hues on rural Leicestershire and Staffordshire.
Some more photos wandering around Shenstone during a lovely autumnal afternoon.
Just some shots gathered whilst ambling about Shenstone.
Abstract shots of the Teignmouth sign, one of our town’s most notable landmarks.
A view from the top of Haytor looking south-east towards Newton Abbot and Teignmouth.
A view of one of a few lavish millionaire communities in Torquay, where luxury homes worth well over six-figure sums hold sway!
Looking rather forlorn and battered from the frequent storms that rattle through this place, a pair of Groyne Markers stand firm against the elements.
A view across Lyme Bay towards Torquay, on one of a handful of gloriously sunny days we’ve had here in Teignmouth.
The Teignmouth back-beach, a place packed with empty rowing boats. They certainly outdo the number of people around here!
Making its way across Lyme Bay is this plucky cruise boat on a care-free day out.
Another busy day on the Thames as boats and ferries amble their way to their respective destinations, the London Eye and Big Ben dominating the skyline.
An early morning scene on the River Exe as the sleepy yachts and boats wake up to another day on the water.
A view across Plymouth Sound, with Mount Edgcumbe and Drake Island beyond.
While waiting for Britannia to show up, this beautiful towering formation of clouds caught my eye and warranted a picture.
Nothing much to say about this one really, I just liked the way St Michael’s Church, one of my town’s most prominent landmarks, was caught as the sun went down.
Not sure what kind of fish these are, but as my brother and I walked along the Sea Wall at high tide, these two appeared to be pacing us, in spite of the fact that there was a man fishing only a few feet ahead!
Approaching from the near continent, an unidentified aircraft streams across the English Channel on its way to Northern Britain.
With undersea rocks breaking the surface, the perfect perch for these sea going birds as they survey the ocean before them.
A selection of underwater rocks by the weathered breakwater at Sprey Point, half way along the Sea Wall between Teignmouth and Parson’s Rock.
Sat atop the Clark Rock near Teignmouth, a lone Cormorant is holding sway.
Can’t really say much, it was just a beautiful scene. 🙂
An evening in Swindon as the sun glides down behind Signal Point Tower, connected directly to the train station.
A washed up Jellyfish has invaded the beach! :O
Interesting cloud bank separating the volcanic Mount Teide from the rest of the island below. Teide was instrumental in the formation of Tenerife, and at a height of 12,198ft it is the highest point in Spain and the highest point of all the Atlantic Islands. From its base at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the volcano is 24,600ft high, making it the third highest volcano in the world behind the Hawaiian peaks of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, as well as the tenth highest island in the world. The last recorded eruption of the volcano was in 1909, but its last destructive eruption was the 1706 Montañas Negras eruption that destroyed the town and principal port of Garachico, as well as several smaller villages. The United Nations Committee for Disaster Mitigation designated Teide a Decade Volcano because of its history of destructive eruptions and its proximity to several large towns, of which the closest are Garachico, Icod de los Vinos and Puerto de la Cruz. Teide, Pico Viejo and Montaña Blanca form the Central Volcanic Complex of Tenerife.
Once the tallest building in both the UK and London, Tower 42, known originally as the National Westminster (Natwest) Tower, continues to be a prominent landmark on the city skyline, but is slowly being enveloped by a selection of newer, taller structures sprouting from almost out of nowhere!
Currently the tallest building in both the UK and the European Union, the Shard reaches a height of 1,014 feet and consists of 87 floors, being both London and indeed the UK’s first supertall skyscraper. However, it isn’t the tallest structure in the UK, being 60ft shorter than the Emley Moor transmitting station in Yorkshire, which stands at 1,087 ft.
Towering above the Thames, London’s magnificent Tower Bridge continues to cross this turbulent river, it’s design of being a mixture of Suspension Bridge and Bascule Lifting Bridge being still an innovative milestone even by today’s standards.
In the past, what is now Canary Wharf was originally just a collection of small villages along the Thames such as Blackwall and Poplar, but today is the financial heart of the UK and former dockyards, and forms a second central business district for London.
I seem to recall when I last stayed in London for a prolonged time in 2002, the skyline was certainly not as busy as this. Only the Natwest Tower of 1980 really dominated the skyline, and the Gherkin was still a hole in the ground near St Mary Axe. Since then, the Shard, the Cheesegrater, the Walkie Talkie and Heron Tower have all sprung up and pushed the Natwest Tower into the background, changing the London skyline forever. Interesting also how the naming of Skyscrapers has been reduced to dubbing them after an assortment of things you’d find in your kitchen!
Not often I take pictures of ships or other sea-going vessels, but this was quite an interesting manoeuvre by the ship Sea Shannon, as she departs Teignmouth bound for Vlissingen in stormy weather in the company of the Teignmouth Pilot. The vessel had arrived previously from IJmuiden.
