BRIAN REID PHOTOGRAPHER
France Spring 2025 Day 10 - Cannes
I had decided a train run to Cannes was the choice for this morning and headed out of the hotel with my decent weather gear on only to find a man in...
France Spring 2025 Day 9 - Nice Côte D'Azur (works both ways)
At last a spell of sunshine, what else, in the lovely city of Nice. I have visited fairly recently, with Anne and Douglas, and on a trip heading to Southern...
France Spring 2025 Day 8 - Along the Côte d'Azur
I am pleased to say the Mistral had lost some of its sting this morning and despite forecast of rain it stayed dry until I got damp walking back from...
France Spring 2025 Day 7 - The Camargue
What a beautiful morning in Arles ready for a trundle around bits of the Camargue. Just 25 minutes from the hotel it was a great way to start the day....
France Spring 2025 Day 6 - Sur Le Pont d'Avignon
More walking than driving today with a good stroll around Avignon before the short run down the Rhone to Arles and a late afternoon walk into the old...
France Spring 2025 Day 5 - The Cevennes
As a traveller I accept that there will be days when the weather does not match my expectations of the day. This was one of them. I made a loop through...
France Spring 2025 Day 4 - Le Puy-en-Velay to Alès
Today had some serious sight seeing with a gentle drive from north to south through the Parc Natural Régional des Monts d’Ardèche. Wow. This is spectacular...
France Spring 2025 Day 3 - Chateauroux to Le-Puy-en-Velay
No rain today just a little snow in the Massif Centrale. It has been a lovely day leaving the flat lands and heading up into the central mountains of...
France Spring 2025 Day 2 - Ouistreham to Chateauroux
The day started bright and cold and as it progressed it became dark and cold. :-) A look at the weather radar at breakfast time showed rain and snow...
France Spring 2025 Day 1 - Portsmouth to Ouistreham
And I am off. I made an executive decision to take the “long” route to Portsmouth for the ferry, via Oxford, and it proved a good choice as it was a...
A Nice Visit to London
It was a nice, if chilly, day in London with Anne, Katie, Jack and Rosie. We met at Covent Garden for lunch after I had a quick walk along the Thames...
Wildlife at the Lodge
I took a quick walk at the Lodge yesterday and there was plenty of nature on display. Grey squirrels in abundance. A muntjac sharing with the squirrels...
In Search of the Flock
Shawn the Sheep is visiting Anglesey Abbey and is there as a flock with great artwork. Their presence adds interest to an already great place for a walk....
Moggerhanger Music Session March 2025
Back to a packed house at Moggerhanger Village Hall for our monthl;y music session. Richard managed the roomfull with everyone “getting a go”. We had...
Chinoock Recovery in Progress
The military are on site at Old Warden to recover the Chinook helicopter that made an emergency landing here. The vintage car is not part of the recovery...
St Ives Interprint 2025
The anual photo exhibition at the Free Church in St Ives, Interprint, was on yesterday and, for the first time in a few years, I went along. On arrival,...
Local Stuff
You see some interesting things from time to time like a Chinook resting at Old Warden. No further comment appropriate I’m afraid. We have had some sun...
Cambridge Still Quiet
I popped over to Cambridge yesterday to check out something at the Apple Store and took a gentle stroll along the river Cam to Jesus Green to my favourite...
Even in Winter There is Colour if you look
Winter is essentially shades of grey but there is colour hiding in this greyness like the little fruit above in the Swiss Garden. The little pansies...
Snowdrop Season at Anglesey Abbey is Here
I look forward to February each year when the snowdrops blossom at Anglesey Abbey. You need to get there early as it is the main event of the year at...
Edinburgh Castle
One of the most dramatic landmarks in Scotland is Edinburgh Castle standing on a volcanic plug at the head of the Royal Mile. It commands wonderful views...
"Oh we do like to be beside the seaside"
We had a lovely few family days on the Solway Firth at Southerness. A bitter east wind did not spoil the fun, especially for Sam the border collie. Being...
"A Misty Moisty Morning"
It was a chilly, misty morning after overnight rain, in other words, ideal for a quick visit to the Swiss Garden at Old Warden. Here are a few snaps...
Local Treats
This is a little catch up from the past week. On a quick walk into town for a little shopping I had a close encounter with a grey heron and had to pick...
Moggerhanger Music Session February 2025
It was the first music session of the year on 5 February at Moggerhanger Village Hall. Stuart continued as guest, becoming regular, master of ceremonies...
Winter Sunshine
It was nice to enjoy a walk with my photo buddy Paul at the Lodge with some winter sunshine. He was trying out a new lens and it seemed to work really...
Spitfire and Snowdrops
One of the joys of retirement is that it allows spontaneous decisions. Last Thursday I got up to a sunny morning and jumped in the car for a walk in...
Raglan Castle
I spent a lovely visit to my friends Mike and Louise this week and, despite slightly stormy weather, we got out and about. On Tuesday we went to Raglan...
A Few Recent Snaps
It has not been particularly interesting conditions for photography but it was interesting yesterday morning at my garden feeding station in the run...
Pretty Quiet Sunday in Cambridge
After the frost at Maddingley it was just cold and damp in the city. One of my favourite locations is in the Grand Arcade using slow shutter speeds to...
A Cold Start at Maddingley
Yesterday it was off to Cambridge with my pal Paul Langshaw for a wander around and he suggested a quick look in at the US Military cemetery at Maddingley...
Yes it is definitely winter
The winter has set in with bright, very cold weather for the past few days which drive the frost and freeze some of the standing water around. Yesterday...
Sunshine and shadows
I always take a camera when I am out sometimes only my iPhone, just in case there is something to photograph. I was down at Old Warden yesterday to check...
Is this Winter
Winter came and maybe went a couple of nights ago. I followed the weather forecast and was aware that what snow we would get would not last, so I challenged...
The Final Chapter of Christmas - Heidi's 6th Birthday
It has been a great December with lots of celebration and fun with family. The last gasp was a 6th birthday party for Heidi, held a day early as she...
Out and About to walk off Christmas day excess
An antidote to indoor excess may be some fresh air and exercise but even if it is not, a walk is always a good thing. The first set of pictures were...
Christmas Day
Christmas Day came and Santa managed to find Heidi despite being 10,000 miles from home. She was also Santa’s helper assisting the family with their...
Run Up to Christmas Day
In part 2 of the Christmas odyssey we have the run up to Christmas with a nice visit to Peebles to feed the ducks and some fun on the swings and slides....
Family Christmas Part 1
It has been hectic in a good way over Christmas with plenty of happy snaps. It is always a great family time but an additional treat was a visit from...
Just catching up with the onset of Winter
Time to clear the decks for the upcoming festive season with some recent snaps at Old Warden, at the Lodge and around town. The last of the leaves are...
Guess Where I was Yesterday and Who I was With
What a fine day in London with the Melbourne branch of the family, Ewan, Kate and Heidi. After a false start at Hamleys, with an hour deal before public...
Shuttleworth Collection
I enjoy regular walks around the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden and on Friday some of the aircraft were outside with even some sunshine. The Cambridge...
Moggerhanger Music Session December 2024
What a good night for the December 2024 music session at Moggerhanger Village Hall. Dorothhy, Mel and Liz did a grand job baking mince pies for everyone....
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...