Friday 8 November 2024

Thursday 7 November 2024

Blackpool Illuminations 2024; Hearts and Rainbows


Part One of our visit to Blackpool, for our trip to the Illuminations. These (and the next two posts) are all Amy's shots.










 

Wednesday 6 November 2024

Blackpool in the twilight, 2024


We didn't manage our usual pilgrimage to Blackpool for the illuminations last year, so made an effort for the 2024 season, going a little earlier in the year than we normally would.


Anyway, following a chippy tea, we went out onto the seafront at Bispham to get some pics whilst we waited for the sun to set, so here's a few shots from that little warm-up session before the main action of the night, shooting pics of the illuminations themselves.





The sun was dipping below the horizon as we set off walking towards our intended destination of South Pier, so here's an appropriate image to end this little post on...

 

 

Tuesday 5 November 2024

Fireworks at Blackpool


Whilst we were in Blackpool recently, we found we were there during a round of the International Fireworks Championships (team USA as it turned out).  Along with approximately 3/4 of the entire population of the town, apparently, so it was unpleasantly busy.


Still, always fun to see what kinds of strange, abstract pics you can get shooting long-exposure and freehand.  Not much else to say, so here are some of our favourite images from the display.











 

Monday 4 November 2024

Damems in 00 (Hornby; the Collector)




Another piece for the Hornby Collectors Club; this time, another layout planning article based on Damems, on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.






Back in the dark days of Lockdown, and looking for projects to do, I started writing some layout planning articles for Railway Modeller magazine, the first of which was inspired by my local station of Damems.



The piece was chosen for publication, and I very much enjoyed writing it. Looking for something to do for The Collector in summer 2024, I returned to the ideas, and the micro-layout version of the plan that I'd drawn up back in 2020.


Mocking it up on a scrap piece of MDF...


...and the (nearly) finished layout. When the model-making blog comes back off hiatus, I'll probably do something a bit more detailed on this, but until then, here we are.


Shooting the pics proved a little tricky; the awful weather of the summer, and the nights drawing in (combined with some long shifts on the Day Job meant there was limited time to get the pics before the deadline.





As can be seen by the shots trying to replicate the angles, I really need more trees and greenery...


I've really enjoyed making this one- I usually recycle my projects after publication, but this one will be a keeper when it's finished.





And here it is, in the latest issue of the Collectors Club magazine.



"Fenchurch" on the Worth Valley


The KWVR held a bit of a mini-Gala a few weeks back; whilst the Beer and Music Festival has effectively replaced the traditional steam gala at this time of year, the line decided to throw in something a bit special to mark the line reopening after the recent bridge replacement work in Haworth.


We were going to be heading out to Blackpool later in the day, but I (Ben) managed a few pics before we set off.  The light was a bit gloomy for "Bahamas" on the morning goods.


A little better coming back.


Star of the show was "Fenchurch", a Terrier tank visiting from the Bluebell Railway.  I've never managed a pic of one of these little machines, so I was determined to try and get a pic.


Again, weird lighting for the pass at Damems.


Not too badly lined-up for a level crossing shot.



And off it went, and so did I, heading for Blackpool for a night shoot (of which, more soon). Probably my favourite shot of the day though was the one used as the header image (shame the loco was facing the wrong way), but at least the weather was nicer than it had been for the DMU weekends in the previous post...