There’s a derelict house on Sourhill Road, Ballymena, which presents the passer-by with some interesting contradictions. The house is or rather was, a beautiful building, – almost an enigma, in its construction and decor, with beautiful colours, and fascinating roof patterns, and yet on even a casual inspection it is crumbling and decaying with broken slates and rotten timber. It is unoccupied and abandoned, but sits in well kept extensive grounds, with mown grass and a well kept gravel path. Its windows and doors have been removed and replaced with boards, but the boards have been painted to look like… windows and doors!
I’ve often driven along the M2 between Antrim and Templepatrick, and wondered about the little church, nestling up in the trees above the moterway. Today my curiosity got the better of me, and on the way home from a wedding I drove up to the church to get a closer look. It’s St John’s Church of Ireland, and it sits amidst a churchyard with some very ancient graves and tombs. Continue reading St John’s Church, Donegore→
Groomsport, once a popular holiday destination, with acres of seaside caravans, lying on the North Down Coast just outside Bangor, and a great place for a quiet walk – with the Fujifilm X-T2 on an afternoon after an appointment nearby.
There’s a harbour, tidal though, so some of the vessels were no longer afloat when I arrived
The famous ‘Frosses Trees’ (original spelling ‘Frocess’) on the road between Ballymena and Ballymoney. The road runs through boggy ground,
Bogland near Glarryford, Co.Antrim
and the Pine trees were planted in 1840 on the instructions of Sir Charles Lanyon (architect and civil engineer) so that their roots would join under the road to provide support… Continue reading The Frocess→
Friday, 6th July 2018 – and a business trip to Coleraine became a good excuse for a walk around the town of Bushmills. Although I can’t quite put my finger in it, here’s something I really like about Bushmills.
Originally known as ‘The Olivet Home’ it was built to be an orphanage in 1886 by Alexander Orr Reid as a memorial to his only son who was killed in a shooting accident. It was purchased by Ballygowan Presbyterian Church in 1918 and used as a school and church hall. The inscription on the building is ‘The Time is Short’ – thought to be a reference to the death of one of the construction workers, who fell to his death from the roof. A white stone on the top of the tower marks the event.
Why did the Mushroom go to the party? Because he’s a FUNGHI! This little toadstool is called Gus, (Because he’s really such a fun Gus!). Gus, or Gussy as he is known to his friends, has bravely beaten the odds and grown up to daylight between two heavy railway sleepers that form steps in our garden. Image made with the Fujifilm X-T2, with 200 mm lens.
Sadly his party-going days are numbered, for he’ll be uprooted in case one of our grandchildren thinks he might be edible! Continue reading The Fun Guy!→
A wee evening walk with the wife and the Fujifilm X-T2 along the pier at Donaghadee, Co.Down, and some photos with the Lensbaby.
Here’s our most famous and most photographed lighthouse, given the Lensbaby treatment, with the Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet Optic 50. Continue reading Donaghadee and RNLI→
On Monday 18th June 2018, the cruise ship ‘Oriana’ – a P&O Cruises ship, visited Belfast as part of a ‘British Isles’ cruise. Janette and I have a particular fondness for this ship, we’ve been on holiday aboard Oriana, – we’d first encountered the Oriana when we were on a cruise on the MV Canberra in 1994, and the then brand new Oriana, on her second voyage passed us at sea. There was much enthusiasm on board both ships as they passed within a few hundred yards of each other, blowing their horns; Canberra releasing hundreds of red white and blue balloons, and loud strains of ‘Rule Britannia’ wafting across the sea. P&O turned it into a patriotic occasion that no doubt also did the company’s image much good. Continue reading MV Oriana→
