Month: December 2024

Bakewell Market – Monday 30th December 2024

We’re back at Bakewell for the Monday Market on 30th December 2024: 9am – 4pm.

It’s our last market for 2024 and then we’ll be having a break in January.

We’ll have our usual cards, prints, framed prints and coasters celebrating Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire: the natural world, landscape, wildlife and seascapes.

Dragonfire – Sunset Over Derbyshire – December 2024

I was driving south just now and spotted the most spectacular synset and cloud formation, so I had to stop at a lay-by and take some pictures and a video. It looks just like the breath from a dragon…

It was taken using a smartphone, which (as ever) doesn’t do the scene justice. It was still worth doing.

I’m not a great fan of Christmas and the forced gaiety makes me moody, but this cheered me up!

Video at the end.

You may think that I’ve added the same picture over and over , but I thought the changing light from minute to minute was wonderful:

The video!

And a couple of pictures nearer home…

Bakewell Market – Monday 23rd December 2024

We’re back at Bakewell for the Monday Market on 23rd December 2025: 9am – 4pm.

Last one before Christmas!

We’ll have our usual cards, prints, framed prints and coasters celebrating Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire: the natural world, landscape, wildlife and seascapes.

The Moon – December 2024

I’ve always loved the Moon in all of its phases, inspired by my Mum who also liked the night sky. She was always urging us to “Come and have a look at…” sunsets, stars or just the beauty above. She loved much about nature and I’m glad to have had inherited that appreciation.

I’ve been trying for years to get a good picture of the Moon and haven’t really been successful. I managed to capture something with it visible in the afternoon sky but I wasn’t altogether happy with it. I’ve been like that for nearly four years.

Fortunately, last night I think I cracked it! It’s a waning Moon but it does have the Sea of Tranquility and craters. I’m delighted with it and I hope you will enjoy it too…?

Derwent Reservoir – July 2023

This was my second walk around Derwent Reservoir. The first was in January 2022 with a friend, so the opportunity to take pictures is limited and when I’m on my own, I can get there early, avoid the traffic and most importantly, too many people.

It had been a dry summer so the reservoir was low and you don’t get that impressive cascade of water over the dam as I enjoyed on the previous trip. It was still worth being there, although my fitness wasn’t great due to knee problems and other joys of life.

It was a lush, humid and warm summer morning with strong sunlight…

Bring insect repellent!

The dam is an impressive piece of construction but it’s too big to take in at ground level. So you have to climb…

Then a lot more climbing…

And some more climbing but the views are the reward:

At this point I was pretty tired and it was very hot so I went back down hill.

And a couple of videos:

Biggin to the River Dove to Hartington and back to Biggin – May 2023

This is the last of the three circular walks starting in Biggin in Derbyshire. The other two are here and here.

It’s a beautiful area to walk but especially rewarding in the Spring, my favourite time of year. Starting in Biggin and then over the hills or moors to the River Dove – up and down dale:

Then downhill to the River Dove:

Heading north along the Dove…

Then leaving the River to head to Hartington:

A well deserved pot of tea and Victoria sponge to replenish the tissues… it was in Hartington Farm Shop & Cafe if you’re interested.

Then through Hartington, passing the Youth Hostel and heading south-east back to Biggin. Lots of hills again…

I love buttercups in the Spring…

And a few videos:

Biggin – River Dove and back to Biggin Over the Hills – May 2023

I’d enjoyed walking from Biggin to Biggin Dale to the River Dove and then back to Biggin via the Tissington Trail (link here) so much, I decided to walk from Biggin to the River Dove and then north along the River Dove and then across the moors back to Biggin.

It’s a lovely walk with varied landscapes and at a perfcet time of year with lambs and goslings and Spring flowers about.

Down the beautiful BIggin Dale…

Then along the River Dove:

Gosling and lambs!

More of the Dove…

Then leaving the Dove and heading west back to Biggin. My favourite uphill walk – if you like that sort of thing? I love that view looking back to the river…

Up and up:

At this point, enbarrassingly, my camera battery ran out. Sorry!

There’s another post coming up of walking from Biggin back to the Dove and then north to Hartington, which I will try not to take eighteen months to post.

I forgot to add the videos! One fo the lambs by the Dove and another of the view across the moores to Biggin:

Bakewell Market – Monday 16th December 2024

We’re back at Bakewell for the Monday Market on 16th December 2025: 9am – 4pm.

We hope to be there weekly until Christmas with our usual cards, prints, framed prints and coasters celebrating Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire: the natural world, landscape, wildlife and seascapes.