Season's Greetings

No more posts now until after the holiday, so until then here is my digital Christmas card made from one of my own photos. Have a good break and I'll be posting more photos from Saturday 26th.

© Roland Turner

Grocery Shop, Beaune, Burgundy

Another favourite from my recent French trip, of a grocery shop in Beaune, Burgundy. With its blue shutters, window boxes of geraniums and the "decorative" bicycle it is stereotypically Gallic.

Ruins of Penrith Castle

Dating from the 15th century the castle was for a while the seat of power for Richard, Duke of Gloucester who usurped the throne as Richard III before being defeated at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and whose remains were recently rediscovered, buried under a car park in Leicester. The ruins are situated opposite the town's railway station and on several occasions I've wandered round them while killing time waiting to catch a train.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC16273

© Roland Turner

GWR Large Prairie 5101 Class Tank Locomotive.

A photo from a trip on the Severn Valley Railway in 2010 of Great Western Class 5101 Large Prairie locomotive No. 5164. The Severn Valley is a heritage line running between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth to the west of Birmingham, England, wihich uses a selection of preserved steam locos as its principal motive power.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC13257

© Roland Turner

Georges Guynemer's SPAD VII, Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.

 

Another photo from the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, taken in 2012, of World War One fighter SPAD VII flown by French ace Georges Guynemer (24th December 1894 -11th September 1917).  Guynemer remains one of France's most celebrated national heros, he could easily have avoided military service due to poor health but instead chose to serve his country as a fighter pilot. In his short career he became the second highest scoring French ace (Renée Fonck being the highest) and failed to return from a mission over Poelkapelle, Belgium. Neither his body nor his aircraft (a SPAD XIII) have ever been recovered. 

For more information on Georges Guynemer see English Wikipedia or in more detail; French Wikipedia

 

Camera; Nikon D40

Photo ref; DSC1111-2012 

© Roland Turner

The Capitol, Washington DC, December 2003.

Another shot from my 2003 USA trip. The day after the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight I, along with the party organised by the Aeroplane magazine, headed north to Washington DC via an overnight stay at Colonial Williamsburg and Richmond in Virginia where we spent a couple of days exploring the likes of the National Aerospace Museum on the Mall.

Camera; Pentax P30

Photo ref;2003-USA Trip-03-17

© Roland Turner

The Wright Brothers Memorial Tower, Kill Devil Hill, Kittyhawk, North Carolina

 

Certainly not a technically brilliant (or even good) photo, it does however represent where I was 11 years ago today, attending the First Flight Centenary celebrations of the Wright Brothers historic flight. It was actually taken on the preceding day, the actual anniversary was dull, overcast and wet - just like you would have expected had it have been back home in England. The event itself was hosted by John Travolta and guests included Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Chuck Yeager, oh, and a chap called G W Bush dropped in by helicopter.

Camera; Pentax P30

Photo ref; 1993-USA Trip-02-07

© Roland Turner

"Iron Mike and The National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia.

Another museum shot, this time The National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico, Virginia, USA with the statue "Iron Mike" in the foreground. The photo was taken in 2011 during a visit with some American friends from Syracuse, upstate New York to Fredricksburg.

 

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC15268

© Roland Turner

Nord1500 "Griffon II", Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace

Another of my interests is aviation history and I frequently visit aircraft museums, one of the greatest being the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Le Bourget Airport in the northern suburbs of Paris. Among the many exhibits are a number of weird and wonderful French experimental types, this example being the Nord 1500 Griffon II which achieved a top speed of Mach 2.19 in 1958 with Andre Turcat at the controls, who went on to be the chief test pilot on the Concorde development program.

Camera; Nikon D40

Photo ref; DSC1236-2012 

© Roland Turner

The Lake District from an Edinburgh to Preston Train.

Taken on a frosty morning a few years ago with my trusty Samsung NV10 compact camera, travelling south from Edinburgh to Preston on a fast train through Cumbria with the hills of the Lake District on the horizon and minimal reflections from the carriage window.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC14738

© Roland Turner

HMS Belfast in the Pool of London.

Taken a couple of years ago, this shot of HMS Belfast with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge in the background is definitely one of my better efforts. The ship, a veteran of World War Two and the Korean War is now permanently moored in the Pool of London, owned by the Imperial War Museum.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC17232

© Roland Turner

Beaune, Burgundy at night

Another picture from my recent French trip, the centre of Beaune at night. This photo was taken using available light (i.e. without flash) with the camera hand held.

Camera; Nikon D80

Photo ref; Nikon-D80-2014-DSC_1268

© Roland Turner

Boats in Whitehaven harbour at low tide.

I'm never quite sure why this is a favourite, perhaps it is the setting, looking out to thr Solway Firth.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC16040

© Roland Turner

Lime green shutters and doors in Orange.

From my trip to the south of France in October this is a favourite with a typically Mediterranean feel, taken in a small square near to the Roman Theatre in the ancient city of Orange, Vaucluse Department.

This image has been used on  products in my Zazzle store French Connection.

Camera; Nikon D80

Photo ref; Nikon-D80-2014-DSC_0882

© Roland Turner

Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle in south Wales is the second largest castle in Great Britain (Windsor being the biggest) photographed on a cloudy day in Autumn 2010. A striking feature is the extensive water defences which would made assulting it a daunting prospect.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC14195

© Roland Turner

Junk 'n' Disorderly

Black and white half-timbered buildings are pretty much an English stereotype and this example in Shrewsbury is no exception, what sets it apart is the humourous name of the shop on the ground floor- Junk 'n' Disorderly.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref; SNC17511

© Roland Turner

Rhodes Town, Greece

Another pre-digital (Scanned print) image, once again from my 1996 sojourn in Greece, this time the island of Rhodes. Today Rhodes is a favoured playground and holiday resort for northern Europeans but over the past four millennia has been one the pivotal points of history and culture owing to its geographical position on the fringe of Europe with the coast of Asia Minor on the horizon. Through the ages it has been fought over and changed hands frequently as evidenced by the diverse architecture in the island capital.

Camera; Pentax P30

Photo ref;1996-Greek trip-Rhodes-010

© Roland Turner

Milo

Few subjects are more photogenic than animals and cats especially so, this is my neighbour's tomcat Milo. He is a lovable old rogue often likened, justifiably, to the cartoon character "Garfield".

Camera; Nikon D80

Photo ref; Nikon-D80-2014-DSC_0721

© Roland Turner

The Cloth Hall, Ypres, Belgium

The Belgian city of Ypres was of stratigic importance during World War One and was the site of three major battles during the conflict. By the time of the armistice in November 1918 it lay in ruins and the Cloth Hall dating from the medieval period was little more than a pile of rubble. Between 1933 and 1967 it was (along with other historic buildings in the city centre) meticulously restored to its pre 1914 condition. This photo was taken in 2009 during an organised tour of First World War battlefields and memorials.

Camera; Samsung NV10

Photo ref;

© Roland Turner

St Pauls Square, Birmingham

Taken almost exactly a year ago, a view of St Pauls in Birmingham with the last leaves of Autumn on an acer tree in the churchyard.

Photo ref;Nikon-D80-2013-DSC_1819

© Roland Turner

Sailing Ship in the Caldera of Santorini

This photo is pre-digital and dates from 1996 and is a scanned print that I took during an extended stay in the Greek Islands in the summer of that year. Taken from the top of the cliffs in Santorini town looking down into the caldera. Also known as Thera, the island is the site of the massive volcanic eruption around 1600 BC that destroyed the Minoan civilisation and may be the basis of the Atlantis myth.

Camera; Pentax P30.
Photo ref;1996-Greek Trip-Santorini-004

© Roland Turner

Robin

Taken only this morning. I was sweeping up the (hopefully) last of the Autumn leaf fall when this little fellow joined me in the hope of a free meal. I went an grabbed the camera and was rewarded with a few shots of him, here about to devour a small worm.

Photo ref; Nikon-D80-2014-DSC_1703

© Roland Turner

Balloon Hangar, Farnborough.

The restored balloon hangar framework at Farnborough.

Photographed in 2008 at the time of the Centenary of British Flight the Balloon Hangar framework had be re-assembled a complete structure. It had previously been recycled and used in two separate buildings on the site. I rather liked this view with the bonsai-like tree in front of it.

Camera: Samsung NV10.
Photo ref; SNC11395

© Roland Turner