BRIAN REID PHOTOGRAPHER
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...
Some Aeroplanes
A Thursday morning at Old Warden and time to look at a few aeroplanes in the Shuttleworth Collection and others. The Tiger Moths arrived a while back...
A weekend at the Seaside
I spent the weekend in Scotland, mainly at Southerness on the Solway Firth, with family. Our digs were my sister and brother-in-law’s “van” close to...
Godmanchester in the Sunshine
It was a lovely, mild sunny morning yesterday and I thought “I haven’t been to Godmanchester for a while”. A quick check of the flood notes confirmed...
Moggerhanger Music Session March 2024
Our monthly Wednesday music sessions at Moggerhanger Village Hall continues to provide opportunties for musicians and entertainment for all who come...
A Weekend Around Home
Yup a bit of stormy weather around this weekend. The headline shot from the RSPB Lodge Reserve shows the Langford wind farm over Biggleswade with a bank...
Down in the South West
Despite a bit of precipitation it was lovely to spend a few days down in Dorset with Helen, Paul and Alistair. Tuesday was chilly but dry and we headed...
St Ives Interprint
Above is nice genuine waterfront property in St Ives! I was there yesterday to enjoy the annual St Ives Interprint photo exhibition. This event showcases...
The Americans Call it a "Threepeat"
Flooded again, yesterday. Three times so far this year although again the levels are slightly lower than the previous inundation. I believe it is worth...
My Locale
Today’s post features a selection of photos from my regular local walks, this week, showing some of the signs of spring but also the continuing high...
Time for a Walk Around Ely
It has been a while since I took the drive over to the Isle of Ely and its famous cathedral “The Ship of The Fens” last seen last week on the horizon...
Around and About
I have been out and about in Cambridge and at Old Warden where there remains plenty of water. No punts on the Cam, I guess because the river is running...
I Get A Strange Feeling Of Deja Vu
Yes we had a day of rain and now our second flood in a month. We are lucky that there is a flood management system in place for the town and I am personally...
Moggerhanger Music Session February 2024
Our monthly Wednesday music sessions at Moggerhanger Village Hall go from strength to strength. With so many musicians on deck we ran a bit later than...
A Couple Of Local Favourites
There are a couple of places that are a short drive from home which are always worth a visit. In this case the locations are Wicken Fen and its historic...
Old Warden a Place of Variety
I popped down to Old Warden yesterday for a wander around the Swiss Garden and to look through the Shuttleworth Collection. Both are worth frequent visits...
Snowdrops arriving at Anglesey Abbey
As January came to an end I took a run over to Anglesey Abbey to see if the snowdrops were out and some were. This is the busiest time of the year at...
After The Floods
The flood waters have receded but the river remains high which suggests that there is still a bit of drainage to be done and this is certainly true in...
Naked Trees in Huntingdon
It was time for a service on my hearing aid at the Audiology Department at Hinchinbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, yesterday. Rather than pay the outrageous...
The Ice is Melting Slowly
The temperature is rising but it will take a while for all of the ice to melt. The ducks in the marina seem happy to stand rather than swim. The black-headed...
Winter in St Neots
I enjoy my regular walks around the town. We are blessed with paths which take you away from traffic so little noise and pollution. These photos are...
A Chilly Walk At The Lodge
Brrrrr! It is certainly winter at the moment. That can create some wonderful light as was the case at the Lodge earlier this week. The robins were still...
Winter in the Swiss Garden
I took a stroll around the Swiss Garden at Old Warden yesterday and it is in its winter clothes, including a little thin ice on the ponds and lake. I...
A Little Sunshine always helps
And so the water recedes. Some paths that were flooded are now partially open and the land is still the domain of the waterfowl and herons. The flooding...
A River Runs Through It
It was inevitable, with the recent rain, that the river Great Ouse would overtop its banks in St Neots so I took a walk up to town to see how serious...
Moggerhanger Music Session January 2024
What a way to get the New Year off to a musical start with a bumper turnout on Wednesday at Moggerhanger Village Hall.
Here is a link to our Flickr...
Water, Water, Everywhere.....
Boy has it been wet for a couple of weeks and that creates an inevitable result, flooding. A common flooding area is around the south side of the River...
A Little Glimpse of Edinburgh at Christmas
It was a nice clear winter day yesterday and Anne and I met up with cousin Alison and Alan for a stroll around the city centre to check out the lights...
Unbelievably Still Wet!
It was a nice way to spend this Christmas eve morning with a wander around Holyrood Palace. The public area has some cracking rooms and a lot of portraits...
It Sometime Rains in Scotland
I know it is hard to believe but it does occasionally rain in Scotland as it has done today. I spent the night at my brother Jim’s house in Dumfries...
Moggerhanger Music Session December 2023
It gets a bit repetetive but it really was another fine evening in Moggerhanger Village Hall on Wednesday 6 December with some great performances. I...
Moggerhanger Music Session November 2023
It was another fine evening in Moggerhanger Village Hall on Wednesday 1 November with a variety of music by our singers and players. I am sure the listeners...
Moggerhanger Music Session October 2023
Wow what a turnout at Moggerhanger Village Hall on Wednesday 4 October with a variety of music by a full house of singers and players and listeners....
Ironbridge
Back from Ireland I spent the night in Shrewsbury after the ferry crossing allowing me to enjoy a pleasant visit to Ironbridge yesterday morning, which...
Ireland Day 21 - Heading Home
I had a few hours before the departure of my ferry to Holyhead on a nice morning. I took a short trip to the harbour and summit in Howth before heading...
Ireland Day 20 - Dublin
Time for my final full day on this excellent trip to Ireland and I suppose fitting that I spent it in the capital, Dublin. I chose my hotel on the edge...
Ireland Day 19 - Newgrange
This trip has been graced with most weather except snow, so far. Today we had torrential rain interspersed with biblical showers driven by Agnes’s gale...
Ireland Day 18 - County Cavan Lake Country
I awoke in Cavan this morning with the rain hammering down. A quick check of the weather radar suggested it might last another hour or so and therefore...
Ireland Day 17 - Where the Mountains of Mourne Come Down to the Sea
The title tells a little of the story as I have found where the fabled Mountains of Mourne come down to the sea from the classic folksong. That is not...
Ireland Day 16 - The Causeway Coast
I started the day with an opening time visit back to the Giant’s Causeway, which was in my plan either as a second visit with a different approach or...
Ireland Day 15 - From the Wild Atlantic Way to the Causeway Coast
I started the day 600 m from crossing the border into Northern Ireland and initially dipped in and out as I headed up the west shore of Lough Foyle to...