Category: Geographical

Titanic

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

See also:

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Themed image collections

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

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!