The Old Winter Gardens

This is one of my favourite buildings along the coast of England –the old Winter Gardens on Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile. It's a building with a great history going back well over a hundred years. Originally, in 1878, it was built in Torquay along the south coast, but in 1903 it was re-erected in Norfolk where it has stood ever since, though sadly it had become very neglected and run-down when I took this picture. I have very fond memories of the place from the 1970s when it was known as the Biergarten and its inside was transformed into a kind of alpine landscape, complete with mock cabins and painted mountain landscapes along the walls. Our local town band used to perform summer concerts there, but in its time it has been used for all many of recreation -espcially teadances and pageants but also rollerskating and nightclubbing.Here though, it stands forlornly waiting to be fully appreciated and used again. Panes of glass are missing, the ironwork is rusting in places and the once gleaming white paint is faded and flaking off. A sad, buu beautiful spectacle. The great news, however, is that earlier this year funding from the UK's National Lottery was given to fully restore this wonderful and majestic Victorian structure and bring new life into its great space. And I for one, can't wait to visit it when it's finished...

Location: Great Yarmouth, England

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 18

Old quay

Here's a nice place to wait for a ferry, even if it takes an hour or two to arrive. There's a bench (orf sorts) to sit on, the scent of overhanging trees and dazzling blue water to behold. The building on the other side is an old Venetian fort, but this side has an even older historical footprint –a whole ancient city going back to long before Roman times. It is likely that in times past its inhabitants would have waited to cross the water here too. I like the sense of tranquility and also the expectation that a quay always holds. It suggests both departure and arrival, depending on your direction, and I liked th way it was framed by the trees. A peaceful picture of a peaceful moment in time.

Location: Butrint, Albania

Well-dressed Bin

It's always pleasing to come across pieces of street furniture that make that little extra bit of effort to stand out. Here something as mundane as a rubbish bin (or trasj can if you are American) is turned into a "cup butler" no less! And as well as being rather fun it's a clever ploy –for by "humanising" the bin –giving it hands and a bow-tie– it probably has greater effect! It may not have the added feature of a bin I once came across in Washington DC that UTTERED "Thank you!" everytime you deposited a bit of rubbish, but this is surely the most smartly dressed bin around...?

Location: Berlin, Germany

Reflections in Puddles

I have found that one of the most exciting and interesting times totake pictures is after it has rained. Water on stone surfaces reflects light in fascinating ways, often creating patterns and colours that are not seen when it is dry. And I am particularly attracted to puddles or pools of rainwater because they can suddenly become exciting paintings, framed by their own circumference, reflecting wild sunsets or humdrum buildings and forcing you to look at the world from a slightly different angle. Here puddles in a car-park reflect the facade of nearby buildings but seem almost to create new little worlds of their own, like portals into the deep.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Iconic Railway Clock

Tonight the clocks go forward, marking the start of summer time, so I'm posting another picture of a Joyce railway clock -and this one is particularly iconic because it featured in my favourite film of all time: "Brief Encounter"– which was filmed largely on this railway station in the northwest of England. The clock, originally from 1895, was lovingly restored and reassembled piece by piece in 2002 after bits of its original features had been removed and dispersed accross England over the years In 2020 the clock was temporarily removed for further restoration prior to the 75th anniversary of the release of "Brief Encounter". I took this picture a few years ago when I had the chance to visit the station and its excellent exhibition devoted to the film, and also enjoy the hospitality of the equally iconic refreshment room seen straight ahead... "Cake or pastry?" anyone?

Location: Carnforth, England

Street Clock

Built to mark the completion of the harbour extension in 1878, this fine clock turret (made by Joyce of Whitchurch) stands in Station Approach of Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. Joyce was famous for its railway clocks which were an essential feature of so many stations. When it was built not everyone had a watch of their own and approaching this clock tower from any of four sides gave you immediate notice of whether you would have to hurry for your train or had a minute or two to spare. It's boldly ornate in a decorative Victorian style that may be regarded as a little overdone by today's standards, but which certainly stands out. It was originally surrounded by bollards and a bar preventing people from climbing it, but now it's left to itself atop a paved mound. Holyhead is the end of the line for trains in Wales -from here passengers embark and head for the nearby harbour to catch boats to Ireland, so this is a good opportunity to check the time -and because it's a Joyce clock, you can be assured that it is accurate!

Location: Holyhead, Angelsey, Wales

Night Train

An empty train waiting to depart at Paddington Station late one night. Nothing special about that, except that Paddington, of all London stations, is always a thrill to visit –a true and vast cathedral to rail travel. And it's so spacious that one never feels crowded there, except perhaps when busy commuter trains spill out their passengers of a morning. At night, it's quieter (but never still) and in places a little bit ghostly, but I love to walk along the platforms and imagine the many destinations the trains standing there will pass through. The lighting is alluring -in places, such as against the huge curved ceilings it is blue, like a nightclub. You only see a tiny bit of it here, but I like this picture because it seems to catch something of the essence of what makes train stations so alluring and romantic (at least for me!) I like the variety of lines and the mix of light and shadow and particularly the long stretch of windows along the sleek side of the empty train. All aboard!

Location: London, England

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 17

With a long-lasting cold spell having settled over Northern Europe, it is inevitable that gloves and mittens are once again taken out and used on a daily basis. Inevitably too, as in winter past, some of them will stay outside, finding their way to branches of trees, the top of posts or the spiked railings of the witer city. Here a bright but lonely mitten keeps guard –or perhaps looks out for its companion. At least the railing is kept warm!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Board Among the Rocks

Though I intensely disapprove of littering and irresponsible discarding of rubbish, some objects of waste can be surprsingly captivating -such as this unwanted piece of wooden boarding lodged among rocks on a Greek shore. Perhaps it washed up from the sea, who knows, but there must be a story behind it –the broken board with its flaking paint, at least three colours, gives the effect of a map or a piece of modern art, and somehow blends in with the naturally created patterns and colours of the rocks and the swirling water. It is an example of how the seemingly mundane can appear dramatic; how everyday objects can take on a strange beauty.

Location: Samos, Greece

Old Level Crossing

This is a level crossing on the Mid Norfolk Railway –now a heritage line, but formally an important local rail route through the heart of Norfolk.Sometimes freight is still transported on this line, but more often than not it's vintage trains run by ethusiasts that roll down these tracks. Most of the time however the gate is closed, as here. I like the criss-cross effect of the various lines and the geometric shapes that are created by the old-school level crossing, and the contrasts work particularly well in silvertone –which also echoes something of the history behind the motive –which for me admittedly (as with anything to do with trains and railways) always remains romantic.

Location: East Dereham, England

Airplane and Sunset

I just heard today that the airline Norwegian has decided to cut out its long-distance operations due to the ongoing economic and travel difficulties connected to covid-19. I suspect they will not be the last airline to have to resort to such measures. I have flown with Norwegian numerous times and have many friends who work for the company. In my case, most of my travel has been with them has been within Europe, and I am happy that the airline will continue with this side of its operation. Though there has been precious little international travel for me this last year I hope very much to resume discovering the world "when this thing is over" and one of the places I shall definietly return to when things are brighter is Berlin. But there too, changes have occured –such as the opening of the new airport, which I assume will be where I land next time I return –and not at Schönefeld, depicted here, which has closed for good, though parts of it are incorporated into the new Berlin Brandenburg airport. So it's kind of a historical picture, but I'm posting it mainly because of the Norwegian news and because I'm travel sick and because I'll never forget the magnificent sky we took off into on my last flight form Berlin. You can see some of it here as the Norwegian Boeing 737 is boarding. Though primarily a "train" person, there is often something equally exciting about a plane getting ready to depart. Let's hope we'll all be travelling again soon, one way or another.

Location: Berlin, Germany