Bills Posts

When I went out for my walk yesterday morning I decided that I would try to focus on detail rather than the wider shots that I have been taking. I thought that the lamp over the door way of the Clarence Tavern would make an interesting subject. My first effort below wasn’t good enough;

It’s the composition isn’t it? I wrote about it last night. I wanted to have another go. I am much happier with my first effort at the top of this post. I just think that the lamp is an interesting topic and I like the way that the light beam points up in to the lamp.

Every so often, I print off a picture to put on my wall. I think this could be a candidate for the wall. I was all set to put the first one up as my evening’s post for the 365 project but then I looked at this picture;

I really can’t tell you why I like this one. Once again, it is a piece of rubbish discarded in the cockle pond, but it’s there and I like it.

You see something, you look at it, you take a picture and then you look at it on the iPad and you hold your breath. The major flaw with this picture are the various components the lamp pole; I did want the light behind the lamp, but didn’t expect the lamp post to be quite so prominent. I’m not sure about the housing upper left below the lamp’s bracket, is that a webcam? The street sign intruding in to the bottom of the frame, composition is dreadful, considering that I wanted to get the lamp as a guard dog looking down on everybody that passes underneath. But then I look at it, and I see the sharpness, where this is a night picture, and you can see the mottling in the glass in the lamp, and I am just so pleased with the camera in the iPhone 12, and feel so guilty that the phone camera has put my DSLR in to hibernation.

If I haven’t in the past said that I’d like to write a book, I am going to now, I’m sure I have, and I’m sure your are getting fed up with me going on about it. I must admit (and I’m fairly confident I’ve written this before) I do question why on earth would you want to read it? I guess that if you are going to write a book, the question is how do I do that, and where do I start? well, I had a look on Amazon, and keyed in something like “how to write a non-fiction book” and up popped a book “How to write Non-Fiction” by Joanna Penn.

Part of my thinking goes along the lines of “If I really did have a book inside me, then I would know intuitively how to write it”. Since I don’t know how to write it, do I really have a book inside me? Well, it may be that I do have a book inside me, but at the risk of creating my own “Ratner” moment (if you don’t know, google Gerald Ratner – famous gaffe), better still, here’s a link; https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gerald+ratner+%22crap+moment&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari I’m going to write the book, I don’t care if you don’t read it (well, clearly I do, so if I do write it, please read it). Anyhow, back to Ms Penn’s book. I have to confess that I bought it with some scepticism, I’ve read a few self help books, and the main self help appears to be to get money for the author (others have been really good). So I thought, I’ve bought it, I started reading it thinking “I wonder if I will get beyond the introduction?” Well, within the first 20 pages it has very (and I mean VERY) cogently laid out exactly why I can and should write my book. So it looks like this one is a real goer. I am quite fired with enthusiasm.

And the reference to D-Day and walking in the title? Well, that’s thanks to another book; D-Day Our Great enterprise by Lesley Burton. I am up to page 19 in this book. It’s about how the people who lived along the south coast were affected by, and played a part in the build up to that momentous day, and the subsequent events that followed. My thought was, that if it mentions a place, then I would like to visit and write about the visit here, in this blog such as The Rising Sun in Warsash, which is where service people used to meet during the preparations. The same pub is still open and I think we will pay a visit.

And I may write about it here.

Whilst I haven’t totalled it up, I fairly confident that I’ve done more than my targeted 35 miles this week. Less than 36, but more than 35. Over the week it has been relatively straightforward getting to 30, those last five miles were the slightly more difficult goal. It’s todays walk that allowed me to reach my goal.

I was on Clayhall lane when a bloke came up to me and asked me where the light aircraft that was flying over head could have come from. I replied that it was likely that they came from either the civilian airfield at the old HMS Daedalus (actually I said Dauntless. I was probably surprised by the approach). He went to tell me he was a scientist working on historical research, that was a reservist just visiting the area, and that last week he had been talking to Boris Johnson. He was either telling the truth or delusional. He sounded quite rational.

The whole conversation took place whilst we were walking around the detention centre and along the pier wall. He told me that he was out for some exercise and was walking for town minutes and running for ten. He said good day and then took off. He left just as we were about to pass the front entrance of the detention centre. I continued my walk along Haslar Road past what was Haslar Hospital. Both sad that the hospital closed down, and happy that the buildings are being preserved if converted into flats.

I’ve walked past Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery quite a few times. I keep on intending to go in to pay my respects – I really must do that, I’lol make a point of putting a walk to one side for that purpose.

I’ve another issue of B&W photography that I have just started reading. In last months issue, there was mention of a book; 52 black and white assignments by Brian Lloyd Duckett, it’s not due for publication until February, but I have my order in. I thought that I would try and do each assignment using my main camera, as I don’t use it enough.

Have a look at; https://365project.org/ It’s a very well organised site, but that’s only a side bar. The main reason I mention it because there is a lady who posts regularly, only started recently and has been working exclusively in manual mode. Tonight, she posted that she was frustrated with MM and was reverting back to auto. I said that it would be interested to explore her frustrations. I thought then that when the book arrives, I would do the assignments in manual using my big camera.

The thing is though, that in terms of resolution, my phone isn’t quite the same as the nikon, it is a damn fine camera, it is very easy to use, and it is pretty much always with me. I shall continued to use it.

So far, from a walking point of view, I am on target, but not sure I am going to make my goal of walking 35 miles this week. So far I’ve done where between 25 – 26. This means I have to do ten miles over the weekend. I reckon I can easily do six. Those remaining 4 will take a bit more effort, and we have no plans so I don’t know when I am going to fit them in – I will try though.

Today’s picture was taken on the lunchtime walk. Whilst strolling along the esplanade (it’s not a promenade. Here’s a definition from Google; Esplanade and promenade are sometimes used interchangeably, but that is a mistake. A promenade can be anywhere, and it is exclusively for walking, while an esplanade is for walking but also can include large boulevards or avenues with cars.

At the bottom of the Haslar Marina Pier Wall there’s a name plate; Esplanada de Royan. Royan being a coastal town in the South of France. I’ll perhaps look at the twinning later.

I’d be willing to debate whether it is ether a promenade or an esplanade, mainly because any vehicle access (apart from maintenance) is to the tower blocks, and not along the entire length of the walkway. In my mind anyway, it’s a Prom.

Back to the birds, There were a couple sat on the land-side and the birds were all lined up waiting for them to drop food, or feed. I took the photo, not realising that I had caught the one flying through. I like the picture.

Two pictures for you today;

The plaque is on the upright between the green window and the archway. Not far from Nelson’s Bar, just a little way down the High street is Beamister’s Lane. Here at Former The Star Inn, now Nelsons Bar, The pressgangs would sit and watch the revellers. You can imagine them following a man, who was slightly the worse for wear, making his way home along Beamister’s Lane. Only to receive a tap on the back of the head and to wake up, not only with a bursting headache, but probably in a cage on board a Royal Navy warship, perhaps somewhere out in the channel

It looks like the Star Inn used to be a coach stop. Perhaps the building goes back further. The plaque refers to the Assembly room, which I assume is now Emma’s a thriving nightclub. So still a thriving centre of the community. I’ve never been in there myself.

Although I have been in to the new agents on the odd occasion. They haven’t been there long. It used to be one of those interesting little shops that was primarily a shoe repair but also sold a range of interesting products, including quite a good range of binoculars and spotter scopes. I was quite disappointed to see it closed.

I have another blue plaque lined up for next week.

Have a look at this link; https://bit.ly/PH_Chart I only found it tonight, it is an absolutely brilliant online seachart. I’ve been trying to find out about this pillar at the end of the Haslar Marina Pier Wall. Turns out it is Portsmouth harbour Navigation Mark GQ. As you can see from the chart there are a lot of navigation marks in the area. This particular one GQ, I’ve tried to find a bit out about. I’ve looked in a few books I have, and on the internet. At the moment all I can work out is that GQ means it’s a flashing green light.

Back around 2015 (I’ve talked about it in previous blogs) I developed the concept of Locality. Every so often I am reminded of how much I enjoyed pursing the interest, and something re-invigorates it.

After last nights writers block, I am reminded tonight that when I suffer from writers block in the future, I should revert back to locality and write something about the local area. I’m reminded of my trip to Culver Down on the Isle of Wight, to try and get the Nab Tower, and my trip to Calshot to get the cruise liners as they come in (that one meant getting up at 0330). I need some simple, uncomplicated trips involving aspects of Locality. I have one inn mind that I can do fairly quickly. I’m not going to write about it here. Soon though.

It’s nearly 7PM and we have to pop out for five minutes. I look up. There’s a cloud in the sky, it’s a cloud I’ve seen before. It’s kind of fuzzy, not very well defined and has a kind of fluffy character to it.

What does the cloud mean? Well, somewhere quite close is I suspect going to receive a deposit of snow. Yes, I think it is going to snow.

It was certainly cold enough for a stiff frost this morning. Luckily there wasn’t much wind, even so I had my balaclava up over my ears. It wasn’t raining this morning. If it had been and it was this cold, I’m not sure I would have gone out for a walk. The Haslar Marina Pier Wall was an ice rink, I did not venture on to it. There were a couple places where I thought there could be some black ice, so I was a bit careful there. After all, it wouldn’t be good to fall in to the cockle pond. Not too deep, but at this time of year, it would be really uncomfortable, if not dangerous.

So yes, it’s a serious case of writers block tonight.

When I’ve been giving my weather report to the #Breakfastclub I usually include the pressure. My handheld anemometer gives pressure in inches of mercury and in HectoPascales (hPa). Average pressure is around 1013 hPa or 29.92 inches. The hPa scale is an SI (System International) and luckily the hPa scale is identical to the millibar (mb), the former means of defining pressure. To be honest, I prefer using mb.

A few days ago, I nearly swore on the air when I was talking through GB3IW, I was reading out the pressure and it was 1042mb. I don’t think I have ever seen it that high. Even today, at around 0630 it was still up around 1038mb.

I use a web site https://www.gosportweather.co.uk to calibrate my anemometer, even as I write this, the pressure is 1039mb. Strangely, whilst my anemometer will measure in terms of Mercury to two decimal places, but just a whole value for mb. It’s mildly frustrating but I got used to it.

What I meant to add was that I am assuming that the high pressure is contributing to the clear air, especially this morning. I thought the moon was particularly bright, which gave rise to this morning’s picture. I thought it was rather nice. I could also see a surprising number of stars, especially considering the level of the light pollution in the town. Still, I thought it was a very nice scene.

It’s reported that December 2021 was one of the poorest on record for sunshine. Apparently, we received just under 27 hours from that fusion furnace, whereas the average is up near 40 hours. I have memories of it being a very grey month.

This morning started off grey, and I wasn’t able to get out for a walk this morning. I did manage though to get out in the early afternoon, just before which , the sun had magically decided to grace us with its presence from behind the clouds, making places like Trinity appear as they should in all its glory.

At the same time, these little beauties (pests as some might call them);

I feel quite guilty, they are not quite tame, but they are definitely familiar with us and i intend to bring food for them but never remember. Having said that, they don’t look scrawny, or in that poor a health. They are certainly scampering around in a very spritely way.

It was just nice to get out in the sun. a very pleasant walk.