It’s a classic 1960s building, all glass, concrete and strange angles. Inside, the main mechanical workings remain the same with four large pipes served by Archimedes screws which drive the waste water along the course of the river out to the sewerage treatment works on the River Teign.
There are signs of life everywhere on Westray. In this case it’s signs of life from 380 million years ago from species …
The rich eggy-yellow heads of Gannets are a constant delight as they sweep past the cliffs of Noup Head. The crisp white …
The Arctic Terns which breed on Westray come back with a constant procession of fish and then parade them up and down …
Sea Slaters are giant nocturnal woodlice. They are common in crevices and rock pools and under stones along the coast of Westray. …
Arctic Terns live their lives in a rush. They’ve got to get their family ready for a journey from pole to pole …
The Passmore Edwards Library has a continuous plinth, cornices, triangular and curved window pediments, protruding pilasters and finials, and windows with mullions and transoms.
Kingfishers are vulnerable to predators. Apart from cats, rats, stoats, weasels and mink, there’s the threat of death from the air from …
A trip to London for half a day’s work means I can pack my camera, change out of my suit into outdoors …
Give Black Guillemots a respectful distance and they carry on their lives as normal, including displaying their fresh catch for all to …
It’s not just the River Irk which meanders through Chadderton Hall Park. It’s the path too. Having a simple meander to the …
As a child I remember walking alongside the cobbled streets of Oldham. Some streets had been roughly covered in tarmac and I …
Austins was previously a hotel called the Globe Hotel and was the venue for the horribly delayed reception for Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s failed Atmospheric Railway journey to Newton Abbot.
The coast of Westray is a great place to see the skeletons of birds. In particular, there are skulls littered across the …
If patience is a virtue, Kingfishers are very virtuous birds. This one sat watching for ripples and underwater silhouettes for five minutes. …
I’ve often wondered what kelp-burning pits looked like on Westray. There was a huge industry here, exporting the ash from burning seaplants …
I love to see a Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis. This female is stunning even though she’s far away in the reeds. And she’s …
I watched an Arctic Tern colony struggle to raise chicks over the last summer. There was plenty of food, although maybe not …
I particularly liked the reviews which mentioned, “Wendy’s baps delicious!” and “My partner loved the Proper Job”, which may well confuse any of my readers outside the UK.
What happens when your colony collapses, your numbers are too low and you can’t protect your chicks from predators? What if there’s …
Britain is full of decaying infrastructure. Whether it’s disused railway lines, abandoned after Dr Beeching’s report, or stagnant canals filling slowly with …
I’m having a trip to Stover Country Park in cold weather when I’m delighted to see there are Goosanders on the lake. …
Hartshead Pike is a familiar landmark to anyone from Oldham or Ashton. It’s a monument on top of a hill with commanding …
This Nuthatch had a lot to say at Stover Country Park. The noise they make is just like an insistent car alarm. …
St Paul’s Church is named after Paul, or Saul as he was frequently known, who wrote a quarter of what became the New Testament of the Holy Bible. He was a Jewish man whose job was to persecute Christians and who had a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus.
I’m fascinated by Goosander. Just take a look at the ‘teeth’ on this beak. They first bred in the UK in 1871 …
The crow family clearly has more than mourning clothes in its genetic wardrobe. This pink Jay with electric blue wing flashes is …
We’re on a trip to RSPB Greylake in Somerset. There’s a male Marsh Harrier harrying the marshes. I love its grey go-faster …
There’s a Goosander on one of the ponds at Daisy Nook. What a fabulous experience. I have to lie down on the …
A lovely, cold, New Year walk in Daisy Nook Country Park was brightened even more by a flash of emerald green. It’s …