BRIAN REID PHOTOGRAPHER
Back to the Bears
I decided to go back to see the bears at Anglesey Abbey, midweek this time. It was still popular but I was able to spend a bit more time with each bear...
Outdoors and Indoors
We have now transitioned into winter and the light tells its own story. I stopped at the National Trust Stowe gardens on my way home from Dorset for...
A Little bit of Dorset
It was lovely to get down to Dorset last week for a few days with Helen, Paul and Alistair. I managed to avoid the difficult weather last weekend and...
Before Bert
Actually storm Bert has arrived and my intent is not to make a joke. The reality is that yesterday the sun shone on a very crisp late autumn day at the...
Is this the most colourful Autumn for a while?
As I take local walks it appears to me that there is more and more persistent autumn colour this year, which might be due to the extended period of windless...
If You Go Down to the Woods Today........
….. You're Sure of a Big Surprise! I went over to Anglesey Abbey yesterday and was amazed that the car parks were almost full. Why? It turns out there...
Time for a Gentle Stroll
It was a very good day on Wednesday. My pal Paul Langshaw continues to recover from severe illness and this was the first time we have enjoyed a gentle...
There is occasionally sunshine
The sun appeared yesterday after an unusually long period of complete cloud cover and the impact is simply to boost the autumn colours. The Lodge is...
Moggerhanger Music Session November 2024
Another full house for the November 2024 music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall. Discussions are in place to figure out how to cope with the numbers...
Around Town
The grey days continue, in more ways than one, and yesterday I took a stroll around town where the swans were out in force and preparations are underway...
A Glimpse of Sunshine in Cambridge
The American Military Cemetery at Maddingley, on the edge of Cambridge, has some wonderful trees which look fabulous in autumn. Picking timing is important...
More Autumn Colour
It was nice to catch up with friends at Old Warden yesterday morning for a coffee and a walk in the Swiss Garden. As you will see in the photographs,...
Back to Familiar Territory
After the joy of visiting new places and revisiting some old favourites it is back to “my patch”. Yesterday dawned with bright sunshine so I drove down...
France October 2024 - Day 21 A Life on the Ocean Waves
I write this while getly rolling along a couple of hours into the voyage on the ferry Normandy. It was not the slickest of starts as we were delayed...
France October 2024 - Day 20 Rennes to Ouistreham
Well that about wraps it up for France for this year. They have treated me well with interesting places, good food, good wine occasional good conversation...
France October 2024 - Day 19 Rennes
It has been a nice easy day wandering the streets of Rennes. The main centre is a short walk from the hotel which is by the railway station. I was surpised...
France October 2024 - Day 18 Brest to Rennes
It has been quite a long but enjoyable day with a couple of 1 hour jaunts to start and end the day with little hops, mainly on the north coast of Brittany...
France October 2024 - Day 17 North West Brittany
I had low expectations for today when I looked out the hotel window to see rain bouncing of the ground and my mood was not helped with a look at the...
France October 2024 - Day 16 Quiberon to Brest
"What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours……” This is the second time I have driven through extensive surface water on this trip and it did impact...
France October 2024 - Day 15 Quiberon Day 2
The overnight rain passed as expected, just, as a look out the window when I got up showed a full overcast. Things can change quickly by the sea. After...
France October 2024 - Day 14 Quiberon Day 1
My plan for Brittany is short road journeys and lots of walking and today got started with that plan, zero road miles and about 11km on foot taking a...
France October 2024 - Day 13 Across the Mighty Loire and on to Brittany
It has been an interesting run north from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie to Quiberon sitting on its peninsula jutting into the Bay of Biscay. First a detour...
France October 2024 - Day 12 Route du Vin et de l'eau
The day started promisingly with a little sunshine as I drove up the Medoc peninsula following the route du vin, Bordeaux, to Le Verdon-sur-mer to catch...
France October 2024 - Day 11 Bordeaux Cité du Vin
Another city, another very long walk but I had a little assistance from the Garonne ferries and a tram after picking up a day ticket at the hotel. The...
France October 2024 - Day 10 Bayonne to Bordeaux
Not my best day so far. It started well with warm sunshine ideal for a trip up the Atlantic coast to Bordeaux. I decided, as I have spent too much time...
France October 2024 - Day 9 Biarritz
It was off to Biarritz this morning, a short journey on the excellent T1 tram bus from just along the street to pretty much on the Grand Plage in Biarritz....
France October 2024 - Day 8 Pau to Bayonne
I hurriedly change my plan for today when I checked the weather over breakfast. I had considered a slight energy top up in Pau before heading up into...
France October 2024 - Day 7 Toulouse to Pau
Today has been another short road journey day from Toulouse to Pau with stops at Tarbres and Lourdes to keep me fit. Tarbes appears to be a steel town...
France October 2024 - Day 6 Toulouse
Time to leave the car in the garage and stride out around the centre of Toulouse. I picked a few top spots that were spread around the city as target...
France October 2024 - Day 5 Cahors to Toulouse
Today was a short run South to Toulouse with a couple of main stops along the way including on Le Mont St Cyr with its panoramic view of Cahors. The...
France October 2024 - Day 4 Les Vignobles de Cahors
No it was not a miserable day, weatherise, although I was not upset to see mist on the Lot from my balcony when I got up. A quick change of plan and...
France October 2024 - Day 3 Chateauroux to Cahors
The weather has changed a bit with the rain no longer being heavy and is now torrential when it is falling. A lot of water has been deposited between...
France October 2024 - Day 2 South to Chateauroux
You cannot control the weather but sometimes you are lucky. It rained most of the day, sometimes heavy, with occasional brief breaks but as it was a...
France October 2024 - Day 1 Home to Ouistreham
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to France I go. I will not talk about Portsmouth traffic except to say my first 128 miles took 21/2 hours and the last 10 miles...
Moggerhanger Music Session October 2024
Another full house for the October 2024 music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall. Richard did a grand job of managing the flow of musicians who all...
Apple Day 2024
It was Apple Day in Potton on Sunday and I popped along hoping to see Caroline and her fellow musicians in Ragged Staff entertain the crowd. My timing...
Released on License
We were let out on license on Friday on the condition that we took Nugget for a long walk. As is the case across much of the south of Britain there has...
Banged Up at His Majesty's Pleasure!
Despite our only offence, leaving Nugget at home we still ended up in Shepton Mallet Prison. “No talking in the common area, you two”. The perp walk...
It does rain occasionally in Cambridgeshire, even at Anglesey Abbey
We have seen some serious rain over the past couple of days but fortunately we found an almost rain free period to enjoy the dahlias and cyclamen at...
All Creatures Great and Small
This selection of photos were taken at the Lodge, Paxton Pits and Wandlebury Country Park, picking out some of the wildlife from ponies to humans and...
Another Grey Day or Two at Old Warden
Those who follow my blog will know that one of my regular haunts is the airfield at Old Warden with its Swiss Garden and the Shuttleworth Collection....
A Grey Day in Cambridge (Where are the tourists?)
I had a little shopping to do in Cambridge yesterday and expected streets full of tourists. My photos will give a clear view that “full of tourists”...
Moggerhanger Music Session September 2024
Crikey, slightly more than a full house for the September 2024 music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall. Richard did a grand job of managing the flow...
Fungi in Knapwell
Time for a short post from Overhall Grove, a Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve in Knapwell. I had not been there before and, although a pleasant walk, the...
Second Time Lucky
Weather matters for some kinds of photos and if you want nice photos of flowers ideal conditions are blight overcast. Sunday morning was like that so...
Begwary Brook
My nearest Wildlife Trust nature reserve is Begwary Brook. It is in the middle of nowhere a few hundred yards from the A1!. It is approached via the...
Wildlife Trusts
I have a set of regular visiting spots and decided I should look at some alternatives and chose a couple of Wildlife Trusts reserves, at Graham Water...
Willington
Willington is the location for a couple of Tudor buildings including the dovecote below. It is a short walk down towards the river Great Ouse where the...
In Search of Banded Demoiselles
I don’t have seaside nearby but there is a decent sized river and the result is, generally, a good chance to enjoy dragonflies and damselflies and my...
The Joys of the Shuttleworth Collection
Those who follow my blog will know that I am a regular visitor to Old Warden and predominantly post images from the wonderful Swiss Garden. I always...
Moggerhanger Music Session August 2024
As expected the audience and musician numbers for the monthly Wednesday music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall were a little less than usua with...
A Largely Monochrome Day in Ely
I headed off to Ely yesterday morning and along the way I wondered if it was such a good idea as spots of rain appeared on the windscreen. I need not...
Hotest Day of the Year So Far
It really was hot yesterday with hardly a trace of wind. The fish in the ponds and lakes in the Swiss Garden were all resting and breathing at the surface....
The National Trust
We have a few nice National Trust properties within a short drive from home. Anglesey Abbey is on the Eastern edge of Cambridge, Wimpole Hall is down...
This Week
A little overnight rain is always good for interesting morning photos like the headline shot of a spider’s web at the Lodge. I think there is an alien...
Bedfringe 2024
We love Bedfringe. My friends, Caroline and Richard and I are the Moggies Band. We play for enjoyment and the discipline of making an almost annual appearance...
Catching Up
Time to summarise this week in pictures starting with mass ranks of cinnabar moth caterpillars at the Lodge. There were even a few more butterflies including...
A Weekend in Bonnie Scotland
I spent a lovely family weekend in Scotland with plenty of fun, food and drink. Always a pleasure. We went to Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder on Saturday...
A Busy Day at Shuttleworth
My weekly walks around the Swiss Garden and quick look in the Shuttleworth Collection are always interesting. Yesterday the collection was popular with...
Butterflies At Last
Sometimes I am lucky and see a wide range of butterflies in spring and summer but not this year. A few fleeting glimpses of distant brimstones kept me...
Moggerhanger Music Session July 2024
It was another full house at the monthly Wednesday music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall. Ken added a different touch bringing his snare and hi-hat.
Here...
Rain is not all bad
When I got up on Wednesday the conditions were perfect for a quick dash down to the Swiss Garden. Overnight rain would mean plenty of water droplets...
A Treat in the Swiss Garden
I wandered slowly through the Swiss Garden and the Shuttleworth Collection on a hot morning yesterday and was treated to a little scaup family. The ducklings...
Time for a Catch Up
Here are a few snaps from local walks at Paxton Pits, the Swiss Garden and Cambridge. As you can see a little summer time has arrived. A slightly bizarre...
"Look at the Snappers on that, Ralph!"
After a false start earlier in the year we managed to get to see “Sea Rex” the giant Pliosaur in the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge on the Dorset coast....
Sunday in Bristol
I was pleased to be back in Bristol last Sunday with Helen, Paul and Alistair. We lunched up in Clifton at a lovely restaurant and followed with a wander...
Moggerhanger Music Session June 2024
The monthly Wednesday music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall continues to provide opportunities and entertainment. It was nice to see Ruth joining...
St Ives in the sun
Although I had a late start yesterday the sunshine held out so that I could enjoy a visit to St Ives, now above the waterline. There was plenty of activity...
A Little Catch Up
It has been an interesting week with a few small home projects in progress, variable weather and occasional trips out to local spots. It seems that it...
A Grey Day in Bristol
You cannot pick your weather just your locations so Tim and Debs came up with a wet weather plan for Wednesday. Bus to Bristol and a wander through the...
A St Neots Sunday
It was a sunny Sunday in St Neots yesterday and that brought out plenty of families. The mini-railway was doing a roaring trade. I questioned the lady...
Almost Peak Colour in the Swiss Garden
I do not appologise for regularly posting images from the Swiss Garden as it varies through the year and on a late spring Friday there was plenty of...
A Little Touch of Dartmoor in Bedfordshire
The Dartmoor ponies are back at the Lodge and seem to have settled in pretty quickly. They are a nice addition for us enjoying walks around the reserve....
Colour on the Ground but not in the Sky :-(
My home is fine for terrestrial colour but generally unsuitable for celestial colour so I generally do not bother to search the heavens when the northern...
The Joy of Old Warden
One of the benefits from living in this corner of Cambridgeshire is proximity to Old Warden Aerodrome which houses the Shuttleworth Collection and the...
Lyveden New Bield, enhanced
It has been a while since I visited Lyveden New Bield, a National Trust site near Corby. It is in a wonderfully isolated location, no traffic noise,...
May Bank Holiday Around Home
May has arrived and the early May Bank Holiday is here. It is an interesting time of the year as we are in full transition from spring to summer. We,...
Moggerhanger Music Session May 2024
The monthly Wednesday music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall was another great evening. Although It is great when we have a full house it was a little...
Priory Country Park for a Quick Walk
I had a little shopping to do at IKEA in Milton Keynes so dropped into the Priory Country Park in Bedford for a little exercise on the way. It was a...
Olly's 425th Birthday
I was not aware that the 425th was a major birthday but in Huntingdon it is. The Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell was born there in 1599. He was unable...
Back Home
It has been a slow return after my dash home from Toulouse but all is going in the right direction so I took a quick walk at Old Warden yesterday. It...
France 2024 Day 16 Go North Young Man (Part 2)
I have just been watching hardy kite surfers from the hotel window, see headline picture, which confirms I have reached the channel ready for tomorrow...
France 2024 Day 15 Go North Young Man (Part 1)
As noted, my trip came of the rails, yesterday, when the tummy bug did not settle down after a day resting in the hotel in Toulouse. It was clear that...
France 2024 Day 13 Stormy Weather
Yesterday was not a great day. My plan had been a jaunt up to 7000ft in the Pyrrenees to look at the solar furnace at Font Romeu but a look out of the...
France 2024 Day 12 From the Moutains to the Sea
A few of the upcoming days, including this one, are driving days with a few interesting places along the way, Today I kicked off in Millau with a look...
France 2024 Day 11 Catching up with one I missed in the past, the Gorge du Tarn
The early part of the day could have been any place as I rolled along main roads, bypassing all of the interesting places with a stop for electricity...
France 2024 Day 10 "Lots" to See
Time for a nice gentle day exploring the Lot and Célé valleys just east of Cahors. Both rivers meander through valleys with steep cliffs and the Lot...
France 2024 Day 9 Ups and Downs and Rocamadour
After intensive sightseeing over the past three days, today was planned as an easy day with just two locations en route between Brive and Cahors, the...
France 2024 Day 8 Vinyards, Chateaux and Big Rivers
Today could have been hard work and a little stressful based on the distance travelled. I chose to base myself at Brive-Le-Galliard for two reasons....
France 2024 Day 7 Down A Big Hole
I had a selection of places of interest today from view points along the Dordogne to Medieval Towns, closed chateaux, a massive waterfall and a very...
France 2024 Day 6 Haute Dordogne
I have three days here in Brive and the first was spent in the Haute Dordogne including along the Corretz and Ceré rivers. It was a chilly start again...
France 2024 Day 5 Heading South
Today was a traveling and visiting day heading south from Amboise to Brive-Le-Galliard with a stop with Susan and Charlie in Chalais in Parc Naturel...
France 2024 Day 4 Another Fine Day in the Loire Valley
“If I see one more incredible chateau…..”. This is just the mousse bouche so to speak with the main event of this trip further south. It has not let...
France 2024 Day 3 "Four Chateaux and a Fortress"
I was all set for cool and damp and then the sun came out quickly followed by my fedora and sunglasses. No complaints here and a good test of the car...
France 2024 Day 2 Ouistreham to Chinon
Time for a bit of proper France. Today I left the channel at Ouistreham and headed for the Loire Valley via Le Mans for a quick run around the bits of...
France 2024 Day 1 St Neots to Ouistreham
It is great to be on a trip again and so far so good, almost! The driving was fine with the usual delays on the M25, a quick charge at Portsmouth and...
Moggerhanger Music Session April 2024
Wow the monthly Wednesday music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall was a sell out, except nobody had to pay. The challenge was fitting all of the excellent...
Sunshine at Old Warden
A look out of the window when I woke up and a quick check of the day’s weather forecast, yesterday, told me it was a good morning for a visit to the...
Standing Tall in Cambridge
Over the years it has been common for charities to work with artists to create interesting sculptures which are distributed around local towns and cities....
Spring in Bedford
A sunny Sunday morning along the Embankment in Bedford makes for a lovely spring walk. The town always puts on a display of flowers through the year...