I can't decide which I like best of these two pix of building the M5

The long shot that suggests the dust that was almost ever present from the blasting and drilling.

Or the bulldozer perched precariously above the steep slopes of the Failand Ridge line.

I have two like this in colour slides except that the bulldozer was scraping the other way 

Almost the last time

Came across this neg when scanning. I think there was only one more time a couple of years after this one. Probably when Chris Steadman and I went down there. Watched from the seabank, 2 men finding cannon balls. One of them thought he could carry 2 back up through the gullies but had to leave one on the mud. We waited until they were gone and then went down and found one of the small ones and I carried back the big one he had left.

By then the cannon balls were getting in a bad condition. flaking and uneven. I passed mine on to Rob Campbell this year. It was very rough and patchy. 

This is not a joke ! I am the 100,00th visitor.

When are those stupid B#####ds going to realise that I don't fall for such crude scams.

They have been flashing my screen for around a month now with the futile message.

Just as stupid as the ones telling me there is something wrong with my account in banks I do not patronise.

How I long to be able to kick them up the arse. Unfortunately my IT skills are lacking so I can't design a programme to latch on to them.

 

Anyway I logged on to Steam this morning to make sure of the Torbay Express and found it has a diverted route. Going via Bath, Frome Castle Carey etc. line work is taking place on the other route.

I expect that was why the yellow coloured work carriages went through Yatton last week.

However a little consolation is that Nunney Castle will be on her way down to Bishops Lydeard on Monday just after 10 a.m. .

Back in the Camera Club days

The old hospital building 
 

One thing is certain they did't have such a thing as Fish and Chips when that place was built. There was a crowd of us went up to Bristol for a try at night scene photographs. As far as I can remember I used Ilford HP3 and developed in Johnsons' Unitol.

Never printed the negative because contrast and shading when enlarging was too much to cope with.

Now thanks to the 4870 it was easy to alter and then Elements 6 did a little twitch to lighten the shadows and then darken the light patches. I reckon it is passable now. Wonder what Flickr responses there will be. Might even make the photo page. Some of the shit they put on there is certainly a lot worse.

Another negative find - A positive picture.

Cannonballs and shrapnel bullets from the Blackstone mudflats

 Halfway through the box of negatives. Done all the 6x6's and well under way on the 35mm. Many of the 35mm are portraits of babies and chidlren, also pix that I took for the papers.

Came across this one of the Junior Research Group  after we ventured out onto the mud flats below Blackstone Rocks. I reckon about 1966 I doubt if there are any cannonballs left there now after the tidal scour pattern changed. It would be interesting to know just how many ended up there in the 1800's.

Got a good close shot of Braunton this time. People viewing from the bridge got a cloud of smoke. Worked out just OK. Oliver Cromwell came through with steam coming out of the relief. Part way through the wait for Braunton a work train from Rail Network came through so I got some shots of that too. Then Braunton, in spite of the light being against me I got good engine details. I suppose that will be the last now because when I am back from Holland the tours will have ended. No doubt about it the 1,500th shots when I uae 12 shots per secong come out really sharp. I only wish it was possible to get more than 17 shots at a time.

Four eager customers.

Mrs Stradling's goats

An amusing thing used to  happen at the last bit of my days work when I was on the milk round. It resulted in two men who were working at Cam Gears and one said to the other “I had to take my little girl to the dentist so to compensate when we came back I took her down to Lower Claverham to see the goats. We like to go down that way on the week-end because she is very fond of making a fuss of them. Just as we were walking towards them the goats. came trotting up to the fence and put their feet on the lower wire and pushed their heads through the top bit of the fence. Then you will never guess — “

“A milk float came round the corner and the driver gave them all a bit of biscuit” replied the second man.

“How did you know that?” he was asked “That was our milkman and he was telling my wife about them” he was told.

It had started when I had a broken piece left. I didn’t want to leave it about and so offered it to one of the goats. She took it and enjoyed it and the following day came looking for another bit. The others wanted to know what was happening and so for several years I was making a fuss of all  of them. They are not daft and soon associated the sound of the milk float with their little treat. As soon as they heard me coming along and before I was sight they would come over to the fence to remind me they were there.

Looking back 

Hereford bull in the show ring.

Found some negatives taken at the Bath and West. How many years back? Must have been about 35 years ago at least. I reckon we used to walk 3 miles easy getting around the show ground. When I used to ferry Gray Uaher down I got to know a few of the farmers. Free ticket from the Mercury, lunch in the journalists buffet, pictures of the local farmers if they won or placed with their stock. Wish I could be that energetic today.   I can remember one year there were no close locals in the frame. I suggested to Gray that we looked in to the WVS tent. Lo and behold there were  a couple of local groups with places and commendations.

Also chatted to a committee member from Great Elm and later got asked to do a slide show on our archaeological digs. 

I came across some negatives I must have taken over 50 years ago.
Couldn't resist adding a comment to this one.
I can remember taking the picture at a farm in Walton-in-Gordano. The old sow was lying contented and it seems almost as though the piglet is talking to her.

Black 5 and light Pacific Braunton at Nailsea-Backwell station 

At treat this week with 2 locos running A Black 5 with the Royal Duchy just after 9 and then half hour afterwards Braunton a light Pacific with the Torbay Express.
I decided to go to Nailsea/Backwell station because I took Nunney at Yatton before but haven't had a pic at Nailsea/Backwell. Imagine my surprise when Braunton turned up. Although 'Steam Info' quoted Nunney Castle as being the loco to expect.