Bills Posts

On my lunchtime walk today, as I walked to the waterfront I saw a chap whom I’ve seen before. He puts a lot of food down, and gets absolutely hoards of birds, mostly pigeons and starlings. But that is fine. It’s the trust that the birds display in him that is (apart from the food) most endearing. There was a row of about 10 starlings that were just there, waiting for food.

Whilst the pigeons were just a mass, there was loads of food. It was lovely to see. This is one of the reasons I like walking during the day, as well as first thing in the morning. The Bird Feeder is a classic example of this. It’s just nice to see different things going on.

With the Christmas break coming up, I am hoping to do more daytime walks, of different areas. I may ease off the early morning walks for a while, but they will be back for the start of the new year.

Having had breakfast, I had a couple of things to do on the computer. Of course I got on with what I had to do, but had a YouTube video or two on the go in the background. When I’d finished doing what I’d needed, I was stuck there watching videos for probably another 30 minutes or so, it was a complete waste of time, entertaining, but that’s about it. Mind you, I couldn’t really be bothered to move, I felt shattered. No particular reason to do so. We’d been North yesterday, only just inside the M25, and I didn’t even drive (for most of the journey) and we had a lovely time. On getting home, I had a really good sleep until around 4AM, after which it was on-off snoozing until we got up. I just felt drained (all tested, all negative).

I didn’t want to spend all day sat at the computer, and the Station Manager wanted to get the Christmas decorations up so we got all of that out, and she has been pottering about doing that all day (it’s one of the few friction points we have – I offer the bare minimum assistance, doing everything asked – that sounds really bad doesn’t it, but we are used to it).

Anyhow, the station manager was happy pottering around and I decided to go for a walk. Nothing special, just a couple of miles, and a large chunk on a normal route that I follow, with just a little bit of variation. I thought I would take a picture of some of the historic areas of town, hence the railway station, a Victorian building opening in 1842. It is only a matter of yards from the outside of the ramparts forming one of the key defences of Gosport. I learned that it was built as a low laying building in order to not obstruct the field of fire for soldiers on the top of the ramparts.

There was a drizzly rain for much of the walk, but that was OK, I had on my raincoat. It was very pleasant walk.

Taken on one of my morning walks, this is one of those occasions where the header picture relates to the details the post of the day. I’ve had a fairly long, but extremely pleasant day, so I will apologise in advance should this post turn out to be a bit short.

As the title says, and the picture portrays this is the part of Gosport Hight street that I generally walk along on my morning walk. Admittedly, there is a couple of hundred metres of high street that I tend not to walk on whilst out on my morning walk. I don’t walk it now, as my goal is to get to the waterfront as quickly as possible

I walk ahead along the street toward the ferry. I’m always looking to see if anything inspires me photographically, sometimes, something catches my attention. I also tend to see the same people. There’s an elderly looking gentleman whom I pass, and always say good morning to, he always acknowledges. the occasional cyclist, and person who pass me, or I Pass them. I haven’t seen the smoking lady for quite a while now, I hope she is OK.

In 2019 I wrote about RAYNET, the Radio Amateurs Emergency Network, it was before the era of the 366. I didn’t go for a walk this morning, I overslept. I was trawling through my pictures looking for one that I could use for tonight’s post.

One of the events that the South East Hampshire Group has regularly been involved in is the Butser Hill Challenge. https://racebest.com/races/h7ue2. Members of RAYNET are stationed at various points along the course.

Butser Hill is both a site of special scientific interest, a nature reserve (understandably in the context of the SSSI), part of the South Downs National Park and part of the South Downs Way. The hill is 271m or 889 feet high.

As you drive along the A3, in any direction, the hill is very prominent. I can remember the first time I saw it. I thought to myself “I want to be on that hill, right at the top”. It was one of those things that you always intend to do, but never get round to (like visiting the home of the hellfire club which I lived very near to for two years, and drove past a fair bit after that – but that’s another story). Anyhow, I joined RAYNET.

With RAYNET, you become involved in public events, like the Butser Hill Challenge. This it turned out was to be the first event that I was to be involved in as a member. In fact whilst I wasn’t right at the top, we had to go past the wireless station at the top to reach our point slightly below the peak on the northern side, with a truly amazing view.

The cows? I was on my own at the 2018 event, by then I had done several RAYNET events, and was a bit of a “veteran”. We had come through the gates at the top, I drove to my observation point and was promptly surrounded by these beasties. The spent some time nosing around and licking the salt off the car and then wandered away just in time for me to get set up for the event. I always smile when I see this picture.

Gosport Station was opened in 1841, and the last train before closure left in 1969. During the illustrious period of it’s life Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert saw an extension of the line from the station punching a hole through the defensive ramparts of the town, to take the track across to Clarence Yard, for the queen to be carried to the waterfront for her trip over to Clarence House on the Isle of Wight. In 1901 the station saw Queen Victoria’s body being conveyed back to London.

Although the historic aspects are very interesting, and the building is a Grade II Listed structure, that hasn’t stopped it from being converted into a combination of offices and flats. Quite tastefully done.

I wrote on facebook that I had been having difficulty motivating myself to get up in the morning, especially now that I’ve finished the Walk1000 for this year, I was going to try to reach 1500 miles, but I’ve blown it I’ve lost out on a few miles over the last couple of weeks and I am currently at roughly 1380, I can’t think that I’m going to do 120 between now and the end of the month. But I have found that by giving myself a small goal, I can motivate myself to get up. This morning, I wanted to take a picture of the railway station. Actually, tomorrow, I might see if, in the morning I can get a picture through the tunnel in the ramparts. I haven’t been there at night before.

Once again, the header picture is nothing to do with the topic. I took this one this morning, and I just happen to like the subdued colours. The main topic tonight is my dilemma and frustration. I found out about two books, and have now bought them and they arrived today. They are;

And;

Which one to read first isn’t a dilemma. Obviously, I’m going to read the Wareham book first. The latest issue of Country walking turned up today, so I am going to read that first, my objective is to get through it as fast as possible so that I can start. I’m abandoning reading any other books for the time being.

I looked at a picture in the wareham, it looked old. Then I read from the caption that the picture was taken in 1970! If you know me, you’ll understand.

I’m really looking forward to reading these two books. I’ll make sure I write some posts about them.

I know, the picture is nothing at all to do with the waterfront, with the exception that I took it on the way to it. I promised myself that I would take a photo of something that I wouldn’t normally grab. I find myself strangely drawn to it, perhaps its the detail in the basket?

When I take a picture like this (by which I mean in quite tight to the subject) I’m reminded that I don’t always have to take a long shot, and that getting in close so that I don’t have to use the digital zoom, giving high quality.

These last couple of mornings I’ve tried to take a picture of the Christmas tree on the mast of HMS Warrior. They have been very noisy;

I won’t criticise Apple, I was operating at the extreme end of the cameras range. I should probably take my main camera.

There quite a contrast between yesterday, I commented on how quiet the roads were; practically no cars, and no ship movements. Whereas, this morning there were cars on the road, there were pilot cutters moving around, the Whitonia, one of the bunkering ships came in not long after the Baltic spirit went out and just as I was leaving the waterfront, the Mon St Michell was coming in. That’s in addition to the normal ferry movements.

The rest of this mornings walk was uneventful.

I want to talk a little bit about Fantasy Holidays. I have written about them in the past. Only one post though, 60/365 (probably should have been 366) was entirely about fantasy holiday’s I keep it on facebook, no particular reason. I have friends and family who are only on FB, and I wouldn’t want to deprive them of my writings, assuming they enjoy them.

The Fantasy Holiday that has just finished, was for the most part fairly straightforward, there are fifty states, and we visited forty eight of them, that fitted nicely in to the year. It’s proving to be not quite so easy to organise the next Fantasy Holiday – a tour of the UK.

When I was into photography during the “wet” era there were two main constraints, being limited to 36 pictures per roll, and the cost of processing and printing. Naturally, with digital, both if these are no longer issues. That doesn’t mean though, that your photographs aren’t boring. But is it reasonable to say; my boring is your art? OK, OK, that’s probably a bit extreme, I don’t expect you to think that my boring pictures are in any way artistic. But, you never know…

One thing that I do know is that I am bored with many of the pictures that I take on my morning walks. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t matter how many times I photograph anywhere on the Gosport waterfront, it still has the potential to turn into a nice picture, but for the most part that will be through an external influence; a lovely sky, a new ship coming in, a a good bit of street photography. These don’t come around that often. So I haven’t been taking as many pictures I would normally take. I want to take more pictures.

I’ve been watching a few videos on YouTube about boring photography, and they tend to encourage you to just take pictures that may please you and not to worry. There are lots of things that I could photograph, I’ll just have to try. I’ll give it a go tomorrow, and see how I get on.

Gosport isn’t like Swanage. Yes, they are both by the sea, but unlike Swanage (and yes, I am about to stereotype, so if I’m wrong I am more than happy to be corrected) Gosport’s reason to exist isn’t Tourism. Yes, it does have its touristy bits, and they are very good, and actually worth visiting all year round (mostly the museums).

I went out for a fairly short walk today. I was on the promenade, and I was suddenly struck by the bleakness of it. There was a biting wind blowing, there were very few people around, and apart from the occasional ship or pilot cutter movement there is little or no movement. In Gosport’s case, the lack of activity was illusory. You only had to move away from the promenade to find a reasonably busy high street.

Many years ago, I used to go to Swanage quite regularly, all year round. There is something to be experienced of a town where the primary function is to entertain people in nice weather. Of course there are the locals. And if you do go out of season, be prepared for a very boisterous night life (at least, it was before Covid, and I would be surprised of that stopped “Swanagenarians” from enjoying themselves.

One of the deepest frustrations were the shops that were closed out of season, in particular, there was a nice little bookshop which I enjoyed browsing. As it happened there was a stationers/newsagents not much further down the street, it was there that I found the Tom Swift books, I became quite hooked on them. I tried reading one recently, but my oh my, I found the main character nauseatingly arrogant. Quite disappointing really.

Of course the one thing that Swanage will always have going for it, regardless of the time of year are its assets, the walking the sites, the sights and the rather glorious surrounds. Well worth a visit, and even spending a few days there.

Out for a fairly short walk today, that took in the waterfront. There was a small group of starlings putting on a a bit of a show. I wanted to try and get a mini murmuration, but they were too fast. Still I managed to get this one mid-flap. They are always a delight to watch.

Back at home, the grey wagtail is once again a regular;

This little bird is an absolute delight to watch. Permanently bobbing, it dashes in for a peck, and dashes back. We love watching it. It normally doesn’t take long after I top up the food for the birds to arrive, This morning, I counted thirteen pigeons. Only one had managed to get on to the bird table, and one has worked out how to get at one of the hanging feeders. The starling had dived on the table in very respectable numbers, and seemed to be too busy eating to squabble. There was another group on the ground, along with the small birds, and apart from the hanging feeder being attacked by the pigeon, the sparrows were at all of the remaining feeders. I can’t tell you how pleased I am at all of this.

It’s not that I’m a real bird watcher (ornithologist in the sense that I need to know every type of bird, every so often I see a bird and wonder what it is. That’s how I learned about two of the different sparrows we get in the garden.

Really nice to see.