Category: Closer to Home

Great Northern Greenway: Derby to Breadsall – February 2020

A not madly exciting walk but sometimes it’s a sunny day in (nearly) Spring and you need to get out!

The Great Northern Greenway runs from the outskirts of Derby, through the former railways station (ruins) at Breadsall and onwards. the plan is to complete the walk, following the path of the Friargate Line to Ilkeston.

Here’s a link to the starting point. Park in the the nearby Meteor centre but be careful which bays you leave your car in. Some are limited to two hours, some require you to pay after that and some are free.

It’s relatively short but mostly even. It gets muddier and messier later, once you are directed off the old railway line, over the traffic roundabout and back on to the walk again. The official trail terminates at the junction with Lime Lane but you can walk further if you want to.

Over the roundabout and down into the muddy part…

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

A Snowy Day – closer to home, Derbyshire – January 2021

We don’t often get snow, or in this case the heavier variety. It may sound childish to some but there’s still some magic in watching the arrival or snow for me.

It’s also surprising to see how badly local drivers managed when the roads were covered…!

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

Birds on the Feeder – closer to home, Derbyshire – January 2021

Greenfinches, bullfinches and blue tits in the back garden, on the feeder in January 2021. They are territorial little sods!

The pictures aren’t that great at times because the camera was quite new to me and I had to shoot through a double glazed window. It’s impossible to be outside without alerting the birds – even the click of the camera makes them fly away.

I’ve since tried with a tripod and a remote control (me inside and out if direct view) but it takes them about a week to get used to the new ‘thing’ in their environment and the camera clicks still send them scattering.

You’ll also see how fast they can be when they fly…

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

Spring Flowers in the Garden – at home April & May 2021

Spring is a favourite time of year when literally everything is bloom: the apple and pear tree, daisies on the lawn and even the holly bush has flowers.

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

The Moon – at home May 2021

Sometimes I see things that are worth photographing even when they are closer to home…

I keep trying to get better pictures of the moon as I struggle to understand how to use my Canon 30D more. Because the camera is rather ancient, it probably doesn’t deal with contrast well (e.g. a bright moon in a night sky) but I keep battling away.

Occasionally the results are ‘ok’.

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!