Wednesday, 14 January 2015

Castel Sainte-Claire, Hyères, South of France.







































Castel Sainte-Claire in Hyères occupies a hill overlooking the town set in ornamental gardens. It was owned at one time by Colonel Olivier Voutier, the discoverer of the Venus de Milo  and he is buried in the grounds. Subsequently it became the winter home of the American author Edith Wharton, today it is owned by the community and the gardens are open to the public.


Camera; Nikon D80
Photo ref; Nikon-D80-2013-DSC_0985
© Roland Turner




Monday, 12 January 2015

The Lighthouse, Chania, Crete.


















Another scanned print, this time from my 1993 trip to Crete, this old lighthouse stands at the entrance to Chania harbour. One of those little known but fascinating facts is that the city of Chania has been in continuous human occupation for longer than any other in Europe.

Camera; Pentax P30
Photo ref; 93-004-31
© Roland Turner






An

Thursday, 8 January 2015

1913 Morris Oxford, The Shuttleworth Collection.






























Old cars are always a great subject and some excellent, well preserved examples can be found at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire. The collection is an eclectic mix of aircraft and vehicles of yesteryear. Many of the aeroplanes are airworthy and flying displays are a regular feature.

 
Camera; Samsung NV10
Photo ref; SNC16625
© Roland Turner

Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Entrance to the Cave of the Apocalypse, Patmos







































A scanned print from my trip around the Greek islands in 1996. The cave of the Apocalypse is on the island of Patmos and is claimed to be the location where Saint John the Devine wrote the final chapters of the Bible, the Book of Revelation. Now, once inside the 'cave' even the most devout has to answer a few pertinent questions about this assertion. For a start, were it not for the brick walls  now enclosing it, in no way could it be called a cave - more like an overhang, and as for the ledge were the saint was alleged to sleep, well he would have needed a harness to prevent him from rolling down the cliff side!

Camera; Pentax P30
Photo ref; 1996/Greek trip-Patmos/004
© Roland Turner

Monday, 5 January 2015

Gloster Javelin model aircraft


























This is the most viewed photograph on my Flickr photostream with 2,994 views to date. It was taken at a model show in Stoke-on-Tent in 2010.

Camera; Samsung NV10
Photo ref; SNC13697
© Roland Turner

Sunday, 4 January 2015

Mural on the old Birmingham Central Library building, Paradise Circus.























I took this photo a little over a year ago just after the old Birmingham Central Library had been closed following the opening of the new Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square. Tomorrow (Jan 5th, 2015) work comences on its demolition to make way for a new development at which time this mural will be gone forever.

The old building was opened in 1974 and was at the time the largest non-national library in Europe but its brutalist architectural syle, while innovative, found few admirers, Price Charles for example said that it appeared to be a building "where books were burned rather than stored".

Saturday, 3 January 2015

The White Swan public house, Henley-in-Arden


















The White Swan is an old coaching inn on the High Street of Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire situated between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon on the A34 road. Henley is a picturesque village with a number of traditional English pubs, half timbered houses and noted for the locally produced ice cream.