tarboat's photos

The harbour at Charlestown used to export large quantities of minerals, but is now best known as a place where sailing ships are often docked. On this visit those present were the barque Earl of Pembroke and the brigantine Phoenix , both of which are owned by Square Sail Shipyard.

Prince & Palmerston hammer across Penrhyn Crossing with an empty slate train on the Ffestinog Railway. The crossing is notable for having houses situated on the railway side of the gates.

There was once an extensive coal industry exploiting the thin seams under the moors between Bolton and Darwen in Lancashire. These remains of the four beehive coke ovens at Cranberry Moss are typical of the small scale of operations in the area.

Memories of bus travel in the 1960s with this recently discovered ticket that was lurking in a drawer that I was clearing out. I used to love travelling on North Western buses.

This sign is over the door to the now closed Horse & Jockey, Church St Castleford, is of considerable age. It dates from a time when this was just a beerhouse and no spirits were sold here. It is a product of Oldham "Sign Service" Leeds.

Boarded up exit at the former Albion Picture House, Castleford.

Memories of the huge opencast coal mine at Jalainur in the Mongolian Autonomous Region of China, close to the Russian border. Winter scenes there were invariably spectacular due to the very low temperatures which could fall as far as -40C. It is now all but closed with just a few lorries bringing the remaining coal out.

This kiln at Reddan's Quay, Tuamgraney, was built in 1913 to provide lime for the Raheen Estate and local farmers. It operated until the 1950s.

This kiln at Reddan's Quay, Tuamgraney, was built in 1913 to provide lime for the Raheen Estate and local farmers. It operated until the 1950s.

Nicholls & Clarke at Burslem are manufacturers of Nicobond tile adhesives.

Wheatly's was established before 1819 and was famous for its 'Triton' brand roofing tiles. In 1978 the company was taken over by Daniel Platt Ltd of Brownhills Tileries in Stoke, then in 1982 works was closed and demolished soon afterwards.

The headframes at the Zhangxin mine near Jixi are reminiscent of UK practice.

The Viterra grain silos at the port of Wallaroo on the Spencer Gulf are connected to the jetty by conveyors and can load ships with wheat or barley at 600 tonnes per hour.

There is a surprising amount of terracotta architecture in Sydney. I do not know what this building on Hay Street in the centre of the city was when first built, but it has some fine decorative detail.

A very pleasant visit to the preserved colliery site at Pleasley where the volunteers were most accommodating and informative. The view here is from the driver's seat at the Lilleshall Company built winding engine for the downcast shaft.

Remains of a three entrance intermittent limekiln close to the main road at Tideswell Moor in Derbyshire. Large clamp kilns of this type were used across the White Peak in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to produce lime for local use.

Lough Neagh sand suction dredger barges Ballyronan and Toomebridge at Northstone's Sandy Bay wharf. These are two of eight identical vessels built by James W Cook Ltd of Wivenhoe, Essex, between 1968 and 1974 for Scotts of Toomebridge. They are 120’ 6" long by 19’ 3" beam and all loaded and discharged by pump. They were built at the largest size for the locks on the Lower Bann which gives access to the lake from the sea. The sand trade on Lough Neagh continues to occupy several companies and a large number of barges in dredging around 1 million tonnes of sand annually.

St Peter and Paul's Church dominates the view of the main road bridge over the Shannon at Athlone.