Parr Photo Art

The Great Ouse River at Ely

2013-05-13T18:05:00.001+03:00

The Great Ouse River, or River Ouse, as it is often referred to, is the largest river in the United Kingdom with this name and is the fourth longest river in the United Kingdom. The stretch that runs here along the edge of the Cathedral City of Ely, is one of the original courses of the river.

The name Ouse is said to originate from the Celtic and means water or slow flowing river. Great is often added to its title to distinguish it from other smaller rivers of the same name.

On our way to the river we passed an Indian Restaurant with a beautifully carved Sitar, an Indian stringed instrument which is plucked, and a small drum.

I added this photo as the Green King Brewery based in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, is internationally renowned and has been brewing Ale since 1799. This sign can be seen on the front of the Royal Standard, on Forehill in Ely, a Grade II listed building.

You will probably have heard of a 'Ship in a bottle'. This is a 'Ship in a window'. Ok, I know technically it is a sailing boat, but it didn't sound so good!

This lovely old fashioned ice cream truck can be found outside the Water Antiques premises, it does look slightly out of place parked between the modern vehicles.

Down on the river, I came across this graphic on the side of one of the barges, I wonder if it is a reference to the TV chief Jamie Oliver's catchphrase?

Even on a dull, cold spring day, this stretch of river has a charm about it.

This is one of the very ornate barges moored along this stretch of river.

It even has a small garden on the roof!

The Boat Yard garage on the river, for all your mechanical needs.

Even at this tranquil setting you are never far away from the busy railway line which passes over the River Ouse at this point.

Water, boats and the Jolly Roger Flag, go hand in hand.

This is the weathervane located on the top of the Maltings, the building was originally a brewery, brewing malt for ale. The shovel on the weathervane represents the malt shovel.

These are some larger than normal flower pots!

The graceful Mute Swan is a regular feature on the river and surrounding dykes in this area, this is a male, distinguished by the large knob at the base of its beak.

The almost prehistoric looking birds are Muscovy Ducks, almost a tourist attraction themselves, due to their large size, weighing up to 15 pounds. This one is a male, distinguished by its white head and red face.

The smaller female seen here, has a dark head and smaller area of red around the face.

Ely Cathedral - Views Most People Miss

2013-05-04T23:49:00.000+03:00

Ely Cathedral, for many the focal point of the city of Ely, in the County of Cambridgeshire in England, was started by Abbot Simeon in 1083 and has had many additions to the layout over the years, the last addition being in 1839 when a painted wooden ceiling was added to the nave under George Peacock. Since then various restoration projects have been carried out to maintain this splendid building which is affectionately known as the "Ship Of The Fen's" as it can be seen floating on the horizon from most parts of the fens.

I managed to capture the Cathedral in silhouette with this spectacular golden back drop on a lovely June evening in 2011.

This year 2013, I was fortunate to be able to return to the cathedral in daylight and have a good look around the outside, as there has been quite a lot of restoration work since I was last able to spend time here. Armed with a new telephoto lens, I wanted to concentrate on the areas that are often missed by the casual passer by as they are up high, details not seen clearly with the naked eye. I was amazed at how much detail you miss at first glance, but the more you look the more you see.

We entered the ground of the cathedral via the gateway from the High Street, next door to the Cathedral shop and made our way round the cathedral in a clockwise direction. You can see the roof to the Cathedral's Nave looming over the ancient three storey buildings along the High Street.

This first two photographs show part of the Lady Chapel, in honour of the Virgin Mary, chapels of this type were added to many churches and cathedrals, but this one at Ely is by far one of the largest attached to a British cathedral. The foundations of this chapel were laid in 1321 and was completed in 1349.

Here we can see the two levels of tower shapes that make up the decoration of the Octagon and Latern built in the 14th Century in the contemporary Gothic Style. The lantern is constructed of timber and covered in lead.

We are now looking at part of the East Window installed during the Victorian restoration in the 1800's. The designs in the glass tells the story of Jesus. The main part of the window, shown in the bottom picture, depicts his birth, ministry and the last week of his life. The middle part of the window, shown at the bottom of this next picture, depicts the resurrection, the ascension and Christ in glory.

Here we can see where parts of the cathedral are missing. Originally the tower shapes on either side of the East Window would have been mirror images, however today parts of the right hand side tower is missing.

We are now looking at part of the row of thinner towers that run along the top of the Nave, which is part of the Norman phase of the construction. We are now moving round to the west side of the cathedral.

Even the smallest of windows along this side is lined with decorative carving. We also get to see some of the first signs of some of the more recent restoration work that has been carried out. You can see where some of the carved bow like features have been replace with replicas to give you a sense of what they would have looked like before being weathered. I like the way they have replaced just one or two, so that you can see the full design, without hiding the fact that they are modern replicas.

We are also now coming into the area of the Gargoyles. As part of architecture, Gargoyles are usually carved of granite, with a spout incorporated into them, usually through an open mouth, to transport water from a roof and away from the side of the building preventing the rainwater from running down the masonry walls and eroding the morter. Gargoyles were said to frighten off and protect those that it guards from any evil or harmful spirits.

This one looks a bit like a monk.

You get to see just how much weathering the cathedral has to contend with is this picture, the bottom gargoyle is barely recognisable.

That's a mischievous look.

I was amazed at how many you find as you start to look up, again some are the originals and some have been replaced with modern replicas, but again, because they have not hidden the fact that they are replicas it works, and some of them do give you a good giggle.

Grotesque is a similar sculpture without the waterspout and is purely ornamental.

Just look at the muscles on this chap!

Well, what can I say!

Well, I think that is enough gargoyles and grotesque for one day.

There are many, many windows along the Nave, here is a picture of just one of them, the colours even from this side look impressive.

We are now looking at part of the West Tower with one of the clocks that adorn each of the four faces of the tower.

I had to smile at this shot, even Ely Cathedral is not immune to having a satellite dish.

This is quite an unusual looking sun dial on the South Wall of the cathedral, some reports stating that it dates from the 17th Century. The whole lines represent the hour and the crosses the half hour. The Greek writing on the top translates as "Know the (appropriate) time" or "Choose the timely moment".

Here is another one of the stained glass windows in one of the buildings that make up part of the Cathedral complex.

There is an area of grassland in the grounds of the Cathedral complex which has a few horses and a donkey running around.

When lunch arrived, the largest horse started to show his authority towards the smaller ones.

We are now heading towards the gateway that takes you to the street called The Gallery.

We will take one last look at the Cathedral from inside its grounds.

Walking along Gallery Street you feel like you are walking back in time with the terraced housing and these lovely old street lamps.

This street has some large trees overhanging the street, they look lovely in winter and provide shade in the summer.

I took these two photos because I love the mish mash of stone and brick used in this section of wall,

and well the daffodils, because they are daffodils and I love them.

We are now back round at the front of the Cathedral. I took this next photo to show how parts of the Cathedral foundations must have moved over the years. I made sure that I was perfectly square when I took this shot but you can clearly see the lean at the base of this tower.

The front entrance of the Cathedral has some lovely decoration over the door and windows.

Across the road from the Cathedral is the Minster Tavern one of the original taverns in Ely and documented as having ghosts of Monks.

Part of the Cathedral's wall adjacent to the market square has a war memorial next to The Almonry Restaurant and Tea Rooms. The original Almonry dates from the 12th Century and was a chamber where charitable donations were distributed to the poor and needy.

We have reached the end of our visit to Ely Cathedral and you will now be aware that I did not take one single photo of the whole Cathedral. This was intentional as if you search for Ely Cathedral on the internet you will see countless photos of the whole Cathedral, I wanted to highlight the areas that most people will just glance at. I hope you enjoyed our walk.

A Few Shots Of The Cambridgeshire Fens, England

2013-05-03T18:36:00.001+03:00

Having lived abroad for the past eight years, I have a new respect for the countryside around Cambridgeshire in England where I was born, raised and lived for the first 20 years of my married life. I have countless photos of this area, but every time I return to visit family and friends I am drawn, with my camera, to take a walk and get my fix of the scenery. At this point I have to add, that the shots came out better than I had expected, as although it looks a lovely day with the clear blue skies and sunshine, there was a bitterly easterly wind blowing, making it hard to keep the camera still, in my shaking, cold hands, but it was worth it, I hope you agree.

There is just something magical about the vast expanse of sky, sitting on top of the flat, open countryside, broken only by the next village, or belt of woods separating the farmers fields, with the odd tree standing looking over the scene.

Farm buildings always add to a shot with their varying colours, textures and state of repair, with the odd brambles or ivy trying to take over.

Oh look, there is the neighbours house in the distance!

In these flat farmlands you are never far away from water, be it a man made dyke or a natural river like this one, this section of the river is very straight, but it has many bends in it behind and up ahead of me.

I love the name of this bungalow, I wonder where all the snails are?

There is something about trees in winter, without their leaves, they create such interesting shapes.

I heard the Woodpecker pecking away in this area of trees, but sadly this was the only evidence I found, such a perfectly formed, pecked out, nest hole.

Weather Vanes

2013-05-03T17:23:00.003+03:00

Weather vanes are ornamental instruments used to show the direction of the wind and can be found on the highest point of a building. Early versions had either cockerels, ships or horses as the main feature of the weather vane, with the letters N (North), E (East), S (South), W (West) represented the compass points of the wind direction. Weather vanes work by having the main feature with a larger surface area at the opposite end of the directional arrow. So that when the wind catches the larger surface area this is blown away from the wind direction, so that the smaller end with the pointer faces into the wind.

* * * * * * *

Sheringham on the Norfolk Coast of England, is well known for its coast and history of fishing, especially for crabs, so it was no surprise to find this lovely weather vane featuring a ship. This type of ship was known as a 'Steam Drifter' steam being the propulsion used to power the ship. The small sail at the back, know as a 'mizzen sail' was used only to steady the ship when the fishing nets were out. The mast at the front was used as a crane for lifting the catch ashore. The nautical theme is completed with the fish shaped compass points at the bottom. I can also assure you that the weather vane was accurate, as the day I took this photo, there was a very cold, strong, easterly wind blowing!

The next weather vane can be found on top of the Maltings, on the waterfront of the historic city of Ely, England. The weather vane features a malt shovel, representing the Maltings origins as a Victorian Brewery, built in 1868 for the production of Ale. In this design of weather vane the handle of the shovel also doubles as the arrow indicating the direction of the wind and again I can confirm that it was another cold easterly wind blowing. As you can see from the poop underneath the weather vane, this appears to be a good vantage point for local birds.

Stormy February Sunset

2013-02-08T21:46:00.000+02:00

It had been a wet, stormy, miserable day today, until just before sunset when the clouds managed to break up for a short while to produce these lovely shots.

I don't know about you, but the pink area of this sunset reminds me of a fox type creature, with its mouth open, chasing something, what do you think?

The Changing Face Of A Sunset

2013-01-16T16:52:00.000+02:00

Last night I spent just over an hour taking various shots of the forming sunset. There were several layers of cloud, some of them fast moving, which helped to create the different patterns and lighting.

Time of shot: 16:24

Time of shot: 16:30

Time of shot: 16:40

Time of shot: 16:48

Time of shot: 16:51

Time of shot: 16:54

Time of shot: 17:05

Time of shot: 17:06

Time of shot: 17:07

Time of shot: 17:08

Time of shot: 17:09

Time of shot: 17:12

Clear Skies and a January Sunset

2013-01-15T21:58:00.000+02:00

I don't always like sunsets on a clear night as they tend to lack interest, but if the colour intensity is right the results can be stunning. I took these photos from the Aegean Coast of Turkey looking across to the Greek Island of Samos.

In this one I even managed to get a shot of the moon in the top left corner.

January At The Beach

2013-01-15T20:17:00.001+02:00

There is not a lot happening on the beach this time of year, this pier under construction provided a focal point. These photos were taken at Paradise Beach, Kuşadası, Turkey.

As you can see there are not many people about at the moment.

There has been some one on the beach and it left something behind.

This is an interesting little cloud.

This patterned stone has seaweed which has fused itself onto the stone, making it look like the stone has a tail.

Winter In The Garden

2012-12-03T21:58:00.000+02:00

A common sight during winter, it is always worth taking a second look at the patterns and textures of stacked wood.

We also collect Pine Cones for our open fire, I love the warm colours of the cones.

I really like the contrast of the delicate green leaves of the palm against the rusty looking bells.

The late afternoon sun adds extra interest to the bells.

November Sunset

2012-11-20T19:34:00.000+02:00

Another one of our beautiful sunsets, taken from the Aegean Coast of Turkey, looking across to the Greek Island of Samos.

As well as photographing the sunsets, I love to have a glass of wine by my side, so I decided to have a go with a sunset shot including my glass of wine.

The Setting Sun

2012-11-13T21:51:00.001+02:00

I can always remember being told that you should not shoot straight into the sun, ok sometime it does not work, but it always worth a try, I really like the effect this shot has. This is another one of the lovely setting sun shots at our local beach in Turkey.

Autumn Skies Down At The Beach

2012-11-11T22:45:00.002+02:00

Autumn provides some lovely light and cloud formations, which makes a change from the clear blue skies of the summer months. Photos taken at Davutlar Beach, Kuşadası, Turkey.

I added a bit of extra interest to this shot by altering the perspective by sitting the camera on the beach

On The Beach

2012-11-01T17:14:00.000+02:00

Down at the beach the other day I was looking for things to take photos of other than just the beautiful scenery. Once you start looking it is surprising what you can find.

We had had a storm the night before, with some very strong winds and rain. This wooden post had had a wicker shade on top of it, but this had been blown off. I love the look of the colours and textures of the the peeling paint and rope on the post.

I decided to play with perspective with this next shot. This piece of driftwood laying on the beach was over 5 foot long and about as round as a saucer, but taking the shot as low to the ground as I could, makes it look almost like a pebble on the beach, until you notice that it is a lot longer than it first looks.

The sea and rain pounding on the beach had really compacted the sand from its usual soft texture and with the addition of tracks being left from the moving water gives some interesting texture to the sand.

Dead leaves always make for interesting shots.

Even trainer prints on the sand can make for some interesting patterns.

Boats always make for interesting shots, reflections of their names gave me another angle.

Stormy October Skies

2012-11-01T16:29:00.001+02:00

I love it when you get the lovely orange/red sunsets poking through the heavy stormy skies, the contrast in colours and textures makes for some interesting shots. These ones are looking across from Turkey over the Aegean Sea to the Greek Island of Samos.

Last Nights Sunset

2012-10-22T22:18:00.001+03:00

Yesterday the clouds were starting to bubble up for our first storm since the spring, these along with some blue sky and late afternoon sunshine produced some lovely backlit clouds.

Autumn Leaf Floating By

2012-10-18T22:45:00.002+03:00

Is this an illusion, no just a beautiful autumn leaf floating along the waters edge.

Autumn Skies

2012-10-18T22:02:00.000+03:00

We have been very lucky here in Turkey that the start of October has been particularly warm, calm, with clear skies. I took these photos over the last couple of days, capturing the fading light, but before the oranges of the sunset.

Cloud Column

2012-10-09T21:48:00.000+03:00

I love the look of this cloud which has decided to go against tradition.

Breaking of the Sea On The Shore

2012-10-09T21:33:00.000+03:00

I find the sound and sight of the sea gently breaking on the shore to be so therapeutic and mesmerizing. I wanted a different view so sat on the beach to get a lower shot, I hope you like the outcome.

Can You Spot The Humming Bird?

2012-09-14T23:00:00.002+03:00

You never know what you might see in the clouds, or is it just my imagination!

Shadow Of Railings

2012-09-14T21:30:00.001+03:00

Shadows can make for some lovely artistic photos, I took these ones in our garden.

Candy Reflections

2012-08-24T16:11:00.001+03:00

If you get a still night with just a gentle ripple on the sea, you can get a lovely reflective shot of the lights around the bay of Kuşadası, on the Aegean Coast of Turkey.

Under Salmon Pink Skies

2012-08-24T15:47:00.001+03:00

I took this photo several years ago just outside of the city of Ely in England. This area of the country is known for its flat fens and has some spectacular sunsets. These particular fields had been flooded before being planted so they add extra interest. I have not altered the colours of the shot in any software, but at the time of taking the shot, I focused my camera on the pinks in the sky to enhance them.

Cooling Influence Of Green And Blue

2012-08-24T15:30:00.002+03:00

It has been really hot here in Turkey for the last few months, so this photo I took several years back in England, has been my desktop picture to help me cool down. 'Can you feel the cool breeze brushing your cheek?'

Views Around Değirman Park, Turkey

2012-07-01T22:55:00.000+03:00

Değirman Park can be found outside of Kuşadası on the Davutlar Road, on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. The central focus of the park is its restaurant that specialises in serving up food grown in the grounds of the park. At the entrance to the park is a newly constructed Olive Museum showing the history of Olive Oil production. On this visit we did not go into the Museum but had a look at some of the exhibits outside.
Here you can see a reproduction of transportation to transport the olives.

This Chevrolet Viking 960 Bus used by a local travel company looks perfectly at home parked alongside the Museum.

Here you can see a cast iron olive press.

Although the Olive Museum is a new building they have added some lovely old features to keep it in character with the rest of the park. The main door to the museum is very impressive with its carvings and door knocker.

Here you can see some very hefty grinding stones,

and several sizes of earthenware storage jars.

This lovely looking windmill houses the parks office, a bit nicer looking than most of the offices I have worked in.

I love the way they have used some of the grinding stones to create seating around the park, they make interesting features.

At the top of these stairs can be found the main restaurant.

In the background you can see the cafe which sits over part of the pond, which we will visit shortly. It provides a good vantage point to watch the various ducks, swans, turtles and terrapins that live in and on it.

As well as live animals you will find several other statues of animals dotted around the park to create added interest. How many will you spot? The white gateway is to the rope bridge which crosses the pond, it is very tricky to walk across as it wobbles quite a bit but is good fun.

Here is another one of those grinding stone benches.

There is a lovely display of painted carts here, which make for some good photos.

Another one of the cafes has some raised platforms with the traditional Turkish cushions and carpets to make your experience of drinking Çay (Turkish tea) more authentic.

Here you can see the rope bridge which crosses the pond.

From this angle it looks a long way across!

Another new addition to the park since our last visit is a small, fully working flour mill, powered by this small water wheel.

It was a hot day when we visited and this black swan seemed to be enjoying the spray coming from the water.

Here you can see the flour mill.

Looking through one of the open windows you could hear the mill working and see some of the equipment.

Here we are in the cafe, that overlooks the pond, that we saw in one of the previous photos.