tarboat's photos

Although spar is no longer mined here the heapstead remains standing and the business of supplying a range of stones for decorative and landscape use continues to flourish.

Through the intermediate station of the conveyor system can be seen the Institute shaft at the Chatterley Whitfield Colliery in North Staffordshire, UK. To the right is the Hesketh shaft which was steam wound until closure in 1976. I remember standing on the top of the dirt tip in 1975 and watching the shift change taking place. There was steam and activity and men heading for work and for home. We thought it would last for ever and now there are no pits left in North Staffordshire.....................

A dust bespeckled view of the outside yard at the North Western Road Car Company Ltd main depot in Stockport. On the left two Alexander bodied Daimler Fleetline CRG6 of 1965 vintage which I remember being used on the 20 Manchester - Woodford, 75 Stockport - Wilmslow and 28 Manchester - Hayfield services. When idling these buses had a propensity for great shudders which were amplified by the rattling of the window and indicator box catches. To the right stand a pair of 1963 AEC Reliance 2U3RA with Willowbrook bodies. These were favourites for the 27 Manchester - Buxton service.

The daily journey to school in Manchester inspired me to an interest in buses for a short while. This resulted in a visit to Stockport with a borrowed camera in order to shoot a few of the vehicles on offer. Whilst the grainy results were home printed and covered in dust specks they still bring back happy memories of a lost age. Here is the view into the Charles Street Garage of the North Western Road Car Company with a Leyland Titan PD2/21 of 1956 prominent. The Weymann low bridge body resulted in the upstairs seating being in banks of four (well actually two ordinary double seats side by side) with the access from a sunken passageway on the right hand side. It did not make for rapid unloading, neither did it help the humour of those on the outside whenever people wanted to get off. I remember that these were the usual vehicle on the 4.20pm 209 service to Hazel Grove (Argyle Street) from Mersey Square. These were the only buses in the area with rear platform folding doors.

Male Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) at Mobberley, Cheshire, UK. It has taken 23 years to finally get close to this species with the camera and for once the insect did not fly off as soon as I approached. Made my day! :-)

Male Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) at Mobberley, Cheshire, UK.

Male Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) at Newchurch Common, Cheshire, UK. This species is usually seen on floating vegetation just beyond welly depth in lakes and ponds. For once the cold windy weather had brought this individual onto the bankside vegetation.

Male Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) at Newchurch Common, Cheshire, UK.

On the edge of the Peak Park between Kettleshulme and Disley.

High above the Cheshire Plain on the edge of Lyme Park is Bowstonegate Farm and this single sycamore with a fine view over Manchester to Rossendale.

The Lafarge cement works at Hope is a major employer in the Peak National Park although it does little to impress those who consider that natural beauty is all that should be seen in such places.

Llangollen station.

3802 Departs Llangollen for Carrog on 13-6-06

Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata) at Newchurch Common, Cheshire UK. 6-6-06. There were two flying in the same area.

Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata) at Newchurch Common, Cheshire UK. 6-6-06. First sighting of the year here for this species.

Chickens' feet for sale on the market in Yaojie, Gansu Province.

Market trader arriving for business on a cold morning in Yaojie, Gansu Province.

Torr Vale Mill ( aka Lowe's Mill and also Stafford's Mill) stands by the River Goyt in New Mills, Derbyshire. Daniel Stafford established the first mill here in 1788 and with subsequent enlargement it continued in production spinning cotton until the early 1990's. Partr of the mill was subsequently burned down and demolished and the remainder may yet see restoration for apartments.