Geographical – Page 3 – Journeys of Heart and Mind

Meeting old friends

We all make new friends right through our lives, don’t we? And that’s good. But our old friends, even if we hardly keep in touch, always have a special place in our hearts and minds.

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Image 134 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Donna and I are on the right in this selfie, our friends Tony and Faith are there on the left. Donna and I have been married nearly 27 years now and Tony was my best man, but he and I go back a lot further than that.

I moved to Yatton way back in 1975 with my first wife, Judy. Yatton is a large village between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, and two of the first local people we got to know were Tony and Faith. They became great friends and we were deeply involved in exciting times of rapid and informal church growth in and around the village. Two other local friends, Paul and Jenny, were part of that too and the six of us became close. Later, things moved on and we drifted apart a bit, but we began meeting very frequently again when Judy became ill with cancer. She died at the and of 1995.

We all make new friends right through our lives, don’t we? And that’s good. But our old friends, even if we hardly keep in touch, always have a special place in our hearts and minds. Shared experiences are never forgotten and can always be re-lived in our minds. The gratitude and joy are permanent, the bond remains, those things don’t depend on seeing a person recently or regularly.

I have precious friends all over the globe. I’m really bad at keeping in touch, but I’ll name a few places – Cirencester, Florida, Germany, New Zealand, Nottingham, Stamford, St Neots, Sweden, Texas, and many other places in the UK, of course. And I have other good friends I have yet to meet! Electronic forms of conversation make that entirely possible.

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Wall art in Weston

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Image 133 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

This painted building is in Weston-super-Mare, near the sea front. There’s a lot of great street art in Weston, some of the best I’ve seen anywhere, and this is just one example of many.

I love the way the sealions’ eyes are also the centres of flowers, and how the blue background is clearly sky in the left of the picture but then becomes water with the goldfish swimming through it on the right, yet the horizon from the left continues on the right. There are so many subtle clues and miscues, it’s a delightful, yet confusing image. What kind of mind can come up with art like this? Although the picture’s on the wall, it’s also off the wall so to speak! And is that a banana I see there? Or is it a yellow eel?

Some of the other street art includes a giant chicken peering at shoppers around a street corner, and a turtle flying over what looks like a hilly landscape; or is it swimming over an underwater coral reef? These are the sorts of paintings that stop you in your tracks because of the enigmas and optical illusions they create.

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Knightstone Causeway

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Image 132 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

The beach in the photo is at Weston-super-Mare. Beyond it is Knightstone Harbour with boats high and dry because the tide is partly out. And beyond the harbour and the causeway you can see the buildings including Dr Fox’s Tearoom, Knightstone baths, Stones Cafe, and Knightstone Opera House. When we’re in Weston, Donna and I sometimes enjoy breakfast at Stones.

Originally it must have been a sandbank jutting out towards the Severn Estuary, perhaps with a backbone of exposed rock. Today it’s been built up and would barely be recognisable to the local people of two hundred years ago.

The largest boat you can see is the Steep Holm Ferry. It makes return trips out to Steep Holm island with a stay of ten to twelve hours, and basically it’s the only way to get there unless you have your own seaworthy vessel. The water here can’t make up its mind whether it’s the River Severn estuary or the North Somerset coast. It’s sixteen or so kilometres wide, in terms of weather and water conditions it can be treacherous.

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Forward look – Ukraine – 4

The end may come during 2025 or 2026, but it might also happen very much sooner. It’s likely to be a surprise and it will almost certainly end the war, with Ukraine being the survivor.

January 2025

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It’s time for another look at the war, to see where things stand in January 2025 and where they may go next. Donald Trump has now taken office as President of the USA and the only thing we can be sure about is that his policies for America’s actions will be different from those of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, in Russia, there are economic, political and military considerations in play and all of them seem problematic for Vladimir Putin (to say the least).

Ukraine continues to take a battering but resistance remains stubborn and determined. For both the population and the armed forces a combination of tiredness, resolve and good morale are all clearly detectable. They are a long way from giving up and a long way from being defeated.

The fighting

Russia and Ukraine have very different approaches to events on the frontline. Putin has demanded a heavy-handed approach, losing an enormous number of troops and huge quantities of equipment, currently throwing wave after wave of infantry at well defended Ukrainian positions (and now some North Korean infantry as well). Russian forces have been ignoring the rules of war, sometimes shooting prisoners, using chemical weapons and so forth.

Ukraine has lost men and equipment too, but on a far smaller scale. Their stubborn resistance along 1200 km of front line has prevented Russian forces from breaking through and although the forward momentum has been in favour of Russian forces it has also been momentum of a very slow, creeping kind. Ukraine has acted entirely within Geneva Convention rules.

On the missile and drone warfare there is a similar difference in approach between the two sides. Russia has targeted residential areas of towns and cities, even hospitals, schools, shopping centres and cultural treasures along with critical infrastructure, especially electricity power stations and local distribution transformers. Again, most of these targets are illegal under international laws and agreements, Russia being a signatory to many of them.

Ukraine has focused on military targets – command and control centres, airfields, naval dockyards and ships, army training camps, troop concentrations, oil production and storage facilities, arms factories, ammunition storage facilities, radar equipment, bridges, railways and roads feeding military traffic to the frontlines.

The effects so far

There have been small, creeping movements along the frontline, mostly in Russia’s favour, although the trend has been slower and slower over the past month and now Ukraine is beginning to make small advances as well from time to time, usually by means of well-planned and well-executed actions when good opportunities arise.

Economic considerations

The Russian economy is showing serious and dangerous strain. The rouble has lost a lot of value against western currencies. Interest rates are high as the central bank has used this as an effective tool to restrict inflation; but the increased borrowing costs have killed industrial investment. Unemployment is very low and Putin has claimed that as a great success, though the reason for it is that military casualties are in excess of 800 000 men and even larger numbers have fled the country to avoid being sent to the frontlines. Most industries are seriously short-staffed; skilled professionals are particularly hard to find.

By defeating Russia in the Black Sea, Ukraine has been able to continue her grain exports whereas Russia’s income from sales of oil and natural gas have fallen due to western sanctions as well as Ukrainian strikes on depots, production and transport facilities.

Military production

Russia is still producing new drones, missiles, ammunition, aircraft, tanks and other armoured vehicles, but at a slower rate than the losses inflicted by Ukraine. Stocks of all these essential items have therefore dwindled away and now appear to be in short supply.

Ukraine has also ramped up production of military hardware and consumables and is now in a position to continue fighting even if supplies from the West diminish.

Innovation

Russia has made progress with drone development, and has recently been making more use of FPV drones controlled via optic cable since this cannot be blocked by radio jamming.

However, Ukrainian production and scale of use of advanced drones far outstrips Russian developments. Recently, Ukrainian sea drones have been fitted with both machine guns and ground to air missiles and have downed helicopters sent to destroy them. This is a major new technological achievement.

And the future?

The balance has been shifting in Ukraine’s favour in so many ways, and the best predictions suggest the Russian economy will collapse, most likely slowly, then suddenly. It’s impossible to know precisely when ‘suddenly’ will come, but it will be devastating when it does. And economic collapse will likely mean military defeat and political upheavals as well.

My opinion based on what I have read and heard, is that the end may come during 2025 or 2026, but it might also happen very much sooner. It’s likely to be a surprise and it will almost certainly end the war, with Ukraine being the survivor.

Militarily too, Ukraine seems to be getting the upper hand. I think it’s very likely that things will go more and more Ukraine’s way in this war in the next few months. There are many unknowns of course, but on balance I expect Russia to eventually lose the war, probably through a combination of economic and military failure, and quite possibly by a Russian decision to withdraw from the conflict altogether. This could happen either as a decision from Putin following pressure internally or by a change of government. These details are not remotely predictable, however.

We in the West should do our part by continuing to apply political and economic pressure, and by continuing and extending our support for Ukraine.

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An Irish scene

Such beautiful, peaceful scenery. Trees upon trees, fields upon fields, mountain upon mountains – and yes, houses, farms, villages. What a lovely place to live!

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Image 123 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

At the beginning of August, on our way north for our family holiday, we went for a walk at Slieve Gullion Forest Park, and I took this photo. Such beautiful, peaceful scenery. Trees upon trees, fields upon fields, mountain upon mountains – and yes, houses, farms, villages. What a lovely place to live!

We also drove round the ring of Gullion, and that was another amazing experience. A long climb up a narrow road glorious views from the parking spots, and no problems passing other vehicles as it’s a one-way system. It would also make a fine, long walk if you have enough time.

When: 1st August 2024
Where: Belfast, Northern Ireland

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Titanic

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Image 122 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

While we were on holiday, we visited the Titanic museum in Belfast. It really was an amazing exhibition, very well designed and executed. There were several immersive video experiences, using a real set but with virtual, projected characters in period costume having conversations that were informative and compelling. In the photo, a lady, first-class passenger is talking with one of the cabin staff.

The Titanic Experience begins even before you reach the ticket office. The building itself is shaped as if the bow of the ship is bearing down on you, and immediately inside we were surrounded by steel structures that made us feel as if we were entering a shipbuilding business. The static displays were informative, and the history of Belfast as a shipbuilding city, the work of Harland and Wolf in the early part of the twentieth century, the building of Titanic and her sister ships, the launch, fitting out, sea trials, and the fateful first (and only) voyage, the rescues at sea, and the aftermath were all brought to life.

I can recommend the experience; if you ever get the chance, go and see it.

When: 6th August 2024
Where: Belfast, Northern Ireland

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Fine weather if you have fine kit!

We had the right gear for staying dry in rain, mud and heavily dripping vegetation, so we were warm and comfortable amid the fragrance of wet grass and decaying leaves.

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Image 121 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

There is a saying amongst the walking fraternity, that ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad kit’. Here are two of my friends, the three of us were out for a lovely walk in wet weather in the Cotswolds. We had the right gear for staying dry in rain, mud and heavily dripping vegetation, so we were warm and comfortable amid the fragrance of wet grass and decaying leaves.

Perhaps this not not everyone’s favourite activity, but we loved it! Damp October days like this one are good for spotting early autumn colour on the trees as well as mushrooms and toadstools amongst the fallen leaves and blades of grass. There is so much to see everywhere you look.

When: 19th October 2023
Where: Near Edgeworth, Cotswolds

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War, truth and persuasion

With Western politicians and news sources wavering seemingly randomly due to many other considerations and distractions, and Russian misinformation sometimes hard to detect and assess, we need to look elsewhere.

Claiming that something is true does not make it so, no matter how large the font.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was almost three years ago, and so far Russia is no nearer to completing its ‘Special military operation’ than when the first Russian troops and vehicles illegally entered the nation it had promised to protect. But neither has Ukraine managed to drive Russia out of its territory completely. It’s not a ‘stalemate’, those are possible in chess, but not in war: there are too many interacting factors for long term stability in a war. Ukraine struggled to hold on during the long period when USA support was stalled by the Republicans, but since then Ukraine has been getting stronger and Russia weaker as their loss of troops, equipment, and funding have gradually become more and more significant issues.

But one important factor to consider is perceived knowledge about events. With Western politicians and news sources wavering seemingly randomly due to many other considerations and distractions, and Russian misinformation sometimes hard to detect and assess, we need to look elsewhere if we want to be informed by truth and reality.

Places to go for good information include the many commentaries about current events from individuals on YouTube, blogs, podcasts and similar media. It’s true that many of these may be biased one way or another, but on the whole it’s easier to identify these biases than it it with large organisations or sources funded by companies or governments. There are fewer mixed messages; individuals are usually clearly on one side or the other, and after weeding those out, the remainder tend to be more impartial.

Take a look at this YouTube video on Silicon Curtain as an example. See how photos and information about the Russian ‘shadow’ tanker fleet are used to reach and influence the right people. Notice how the international company Unilever was encouraged to pull out of Russian business by evidence-based and well targeted information (11 minutes into the video). How much more effective we can be when we think things through carefully rather than just shouting at one another in anger.

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A Cotswold scene

Travelling north and west from Cirencester takes you through steadily rising hills peaking at 330 metres or so, and dissected by water-cut valleys until you reach the Cotswold scarp.

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Image 116 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

This farmland just on the edge of Cirencester is a classic Cotswold scene. There is higher land in the background with scattered trees, and in the foreground you can see rich pasture good for cattle or horses.

The flat, pasture land is part of the River Churn flood plain, while the low hills beyond are outcrops of oolitic limestone, the rock that forms the backbone of the Cotswold hills. Travelling north and west from Cirencester takes you through steadily rising hills peaking at 330 metres or so, and dissected by water-cut valleys until you reach the Cotswold scarp that drops back almost to sea-level within a short distance. Beyond that is the wide, flat vale of the River Severn, and beyond that again, Wales with its hills and mountains. In medieval times Cirencester was known in Welsh as Caer Ceri. If the Saxons had not settled quite so far west, Cirencester might have signs saying ‘Croeso y Gaerceri’, and the Severn would have been Hafren.

When: 26th October 2023
Where: Gloucester Road, leaving Cirencester

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Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Frosty cobweb

Never give up! According to the story, Robert the Bruce learned that lesson by watching a spider at work. So should we.

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Image 113 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Cobwebs are so-called because ‘cob’ is an old English word for ‘spider’. As you will know, they are usually very hard to see, but moisture or frost renders them clearly visible when weather conditions are right. This example on the wooden fence at the end of our garden is typical.

It’s astonishing that a spider can spin a web like this working almost entirely on instinctive responses to the support structures available. They begin by attaching a thread to any object that may be available. Once they have three or four points of contact set up, they lay out the radial silk threads, and these are purely structural and are all free of the adhesive that traps insect prey. Finally they lay out the spiral with sticky threads. And then they lie in wait until something shakes the web and then dart out to capture a meal if one has arrived.

There is hard work and investment in building the web, and there are good days when food arrives in plenty, and other days when frost makes the hidden net visible and nothing is caught, days when the wind ruins the old web and a new one must be created.

Never give up! According to the story, Robert the Bruce learned that lesson by watching a spider at work. None of us should give up in times of failure.

Christmas has gone and the New Year is almost upon us, so I’ll wish all of you, my readers, the very best of everything for 2025. Grace and peace to you in Jesus’ name. No doubt it will, like all previous years, be full of unexpected surprises, some good, others challenging. There will be things to smile and laugh about, and difficulties to overcome. But by this time next year I hope that most of us will be able to remember the best things without dwelling too much on the problems. However you look at it, life is full, and 2025 is nearly here.

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

Category: Geographical

Meeting old friends

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Wall art in Weston

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Knightstone Causeway

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Forward look – Ukraine – 4

January 2025

The fighting

The effects so far

Economic considerations

Military production

Innovation

And the future?

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An Irish scene

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Titanic

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Fine weather if you have fine kit!

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War, truth and persuasion

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A Cotswold scene

Cirencester

Themed image collections

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Frosty cobweb

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Themed image collections

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