Night Adventure

The problem with England in the winter is that it’s dark and rainy.  Going out to take photos can be an exercise in finding sheltered places from which to shoot, or in packing up very quickly when the rain starts again.  This night was a great example of this.  We found a multi-storey car-park that offered sheltered views over an industrial area, and when the rain stopped, we dashed to the biggest bridge in Southampton and had about three minutes before it started raining again.

Snow in my Neighbourhood

Snow in Southampton is a rarity.  We get a couple of snow showers every year, but they rarely lay.  Every few years, however, we’ll get a couple of inches, which will shut the city down.

Today was such a day.  We got a text message from the school informing us that it was closed, and so I decided to brave the weather and drive to work instead of cycling.  This turned out not to be a fantastic plan; my 20 minute drive to work turned into a one-hour drive followed by a 30 minute walk.  I arrived at the university just in time to be told to go home as the University was about to close due to the weather.

When I eventually got back home, I found we had a dangerously low supply of  hot-chocolate, so I walked to the supermarket to pick up supplies, taking my camera with me.

The Docks at Night (again)

I love night photography, and the docks at night are very photogenic.  I took photos of it them 2006, and I set out to take pictures again.  Rather than head to the public park on the other side of the water, I put on my wellies, and went exploring to find a better angle.  Two power transmission lines cross Southampton water just south of Redbridge, and a number of islands have been constructed in Southampton water to accommodate the pylons.  A short, careful walk through the marsh around an industrial estate got me onto the service track for these (see Google Earth).  I spent 40 minutes taking photos until the rain started again and sent me packing.

Walking back was interesting as the tide had risen significantly.  At one point I was stood in the middle of a creek with the my feet slowly sinking into the mud and the water lapping at the top of my Wellington boots, concentrating on taking small steps and keeping my balance.  Falling over would have been hideously expensive!

A Wet, Wet Winter.

In late December, on the children’s last day of school, my nephew and I set out to collect them from school.  We had a few minutes in hand, so stopped to take some pictures.  It was a damp and dreary day, and we hadn’t walked far from the car-park before the path disappeared under the flood of water that is usually a small, well-contained stream.  Even for England, we’ve had a lot of rain recently.