To The Edge of Stanage

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Stanage Edge in the Peak District

“If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere”

— Vincent van Gogh

After being indoors for most of the festive holiday period I was keen to pull on my walking boots and get out into the countryside. Stanage Edge in the Peak District was my chosen destination. On a clear day you can see for miles and miles so I knew that spectacular views were more or less guaranteed. It's the perfect place for quiet contemplation although at times it can be busy with lines of walkers snaking along the ridge. Today was a 'busy' day!

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View on the way up towards the edge

For a while now I've been dabbling in making videos of the places I explore with my camera. True to say that these have been rough around the edges but I hoped to capture the spirit of my adventures and that, for me, is what it's all about.  I was looking for something which offered a quick and easy workflow and decided that filming and editing straight with my iPhone was the best way forward in the short term. I thought it'd be fun to share! 

So here's one I put together on my walk up to Stanage Edge in the Peak District. It's not perfect but I'm ok with that! I know where I can improve next time.

Anyway, I hope this gives you an idea of the wild and wind-swept landscape by Stanage Edge.

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Interesting rock formations

On the way home I passed through Hope village and stopped at the Grasshopper Cafe for a delicious pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate. I used to call in here 20+ years ago when it was the Woodbine Cafe and they served a perfect Camper's Breakfast all day long!

In Search of Something Special

So what have you been up to dear friends? Yes it's been a while since I was last here! All sorts of reasons. Plenty of reflecting and certainly plenty of creating. The time feels right to blow the cake crumbs off the keyboard and re-emerge. It's true to say I've missed this space. 

But I do need to step backwards in time here before I can begin to move forward. There are significant gaps to address. My trip to Barcelona had left me yearning to travel and I felt increasingly restless. Politics in the UK and the ensuing chaos and division unsettled me. My iMac slowly died on me too and uploading photos became a chore rather than a pleasure.

Around a year or so ago an unexpected opportunity for a trip came my way. I hopped on a long-haul flight and left behind the grey skies of Manchester.  Fortunately I also managed to escape The Beast from the East and the freezing weather! 

Fifteen hours later I landed in sunny California for the start of my adventure. 

Photographing Joshua Trees in the desert has been at the very top of my creative bucket list for many, many years. I remember way back being so intrigued by the enigmatic artwork of the U2 album The Joshua Tree. I had to see them for myself one day. 

Let me state from the start that I'm terrified of snakes so venturing into the desert was big deal for me! I'm SO glad I packed my boots in my suitcase! The thought of encountering a harmless grass snake in the UK makes me hyperventilate. The thought of coming across a rattler, well, I was worried I'd pass out with fear! And this was just the track to the house!

The rental oozed vintage and style inside and out. To say my heart was singing was an understatement. Think old type-writers and a working record player complete with a vintage vinyl collection! 

Just a few steps from the doorway and the wide open space was nothing like I had ever experienced before. I contemplated the power of nature and the fragility of human life in such a hostile, yet beautiful environment. 

Even the potted plants with their lengthy thorns commanded respect!

I didn't like to get too close to this arrangement of pots and prickly bits as I was still nervous of what could be lurking in the cool shadows!

And finally, especially for all my friends who appreciate rust and grunge! 

I hadn't quite yet reached as far as the Joshua Tree National Park but the question was beginning to prey on my mind as to what if it didn't live up to expectations? Deep inside I knew that I'd be bitterly disappointed. And then what to do after you've ticked off the top item on your bucket list? I had nothing else to fall back on. 

Side Streets of Barcelona

Capturing the streets in the city early mornings excites me. The street cleaners have washed away the grime of the previous day. The tourists are still leisurely eating breakfast in the nearby boutique hotels. Perhaps it's that I like being present in the city but I don't like the crowds. I contemplate purposefully seeking solitude in the city. 

This is Barcelona. The side streets. Exploring the side streets of cities.

Castlefield Manchester

“We want to open our doors and for nobody to walk through them.”

— The Wellspring, Stockport

By far one of my favourite places to photograph is the Castlefield area in the city of Manchester. A beautiful grungy tangle of historic waterways and railways - a reminder of Manchester's grand industrial past. This urban heritage site was perfect location to test out my Fuji x100t in a city setting. Although in recent months I've been using the camera in a wide variety of situations I always envisaged that urban settings would be where it would prove most productive. 

Castlefield is a paradise for photographers. I like to visit early mornings on a Sunday when it  feels like the city is still asleep and recovering from the revelry of the night before. The downside is that certain areas can leave you feeling vulnerable and especially more so as a female. At times I can be oblivious to danger as I'm absorbed in creating. Add expensive camera gear in to the mix and the chances of getting mugged can be perceived to be increased.  There are dark hidden spaces and uninviting deep murky areas of water. A place where the imagination can run wild. Nevertheless, there is a certain thrill which makes a great capture all the more worthwhile. 

I waited and waited for a lone figure to cross this bridge. When a bloke in a dark hoody crossed I knew as soon as I'd captured the scene that it would convey perfectly  the sense of place.

Looking up from the dark shadows below and I'm fascinated by the different structures crammed together - styles, shapes and textures. I would imagine not very welcoming after dark though!

The criss cross of cast iron structures add interesting shape and texture - and with beer barrels and graffiti thrown in the mix for added interest. 

Looking up again as a train rumbled overhead. Home to the pigeons!

I battled with my conscience whether to post this or not. This is someone's child. To be so alone. But then, like it or not, this is reality in the city. There's no avoiding the rough sleepers. I can not imagine how difficult survival is for these people. Homelessness in Manchester has been a controversial topic in the news headlines this winter. And whilst politicians and pressure groups and even those on the streets argue amongst themselves on how to ease the problem the desperation continues. 

Finally I had to sneak in a colour shot. I love to shoot reflections. A perfect blue sky would've popped the colour but I'm in Manchester and, as the saying goes, "it's grim up north" and yes, it was a grim day but that adds to the drama of the location!

The Fuji x100t is now my camera of choice for urban photography. I won't go into the technical aspects of the camera here  - there are plenty of reviews online for that - except to say that the quality met my expectations and it feels so very good in my hands.  The big plus for me is that I feel safer shooting with a smaller and more discreet camera and don't have to compromise on quality. Having said that I must tell you that my one scary encounter came not from a human but from a butch looking pit bull type dog who almost cornered me and made my heart race by the water just behind the far barge in the top photo! 

My charity of choice to support the homeless and disadvantaged local to my area is The Wellspring in Stockport. Any donation via their website is spent wisely.

Janet’s Foss and the Money Trees

Sometimes you see an intriguing sign and you just have to follow it... 

Curiosity got the better of me and so over towards Janets Foss I headed. The path lies on the edge of the village of Malham in Yorkshire. I'd stayed overnight at Beck Hall - a quaint and very old B&B standing alongside the babbling beck and so set off early before the crowds arrived. The substantial full English breakfast - minus the black pudding - had fuelled me ready for walking. 

This is a shallow crossing point for cattle. The presence of water hints at what lies further up stream. 

The neat path leads through kissing gates and  runs alongside farmland with grazing sheep. A couple of lambs with their mother eyed me suspiciously. The sheep here are bolder than the timid ones closer to my home town. Clearly they've ignored the sign on the gate though!

Farm outbuildings are perfect for capturing grunge and rough rustic textures.  A group of passers-by seemed bemused by me photographing a rusty old trough. They didn’t pause to look closer.

I spotted a family of camera-shy baby rabbits hopping in and out of the stone barn. 

The ground here was lower than my visit to the sole tree from my previous post. But even on the  lower levels you witness the harshness of the environment as weather-beaten trees bow and strain against the biting cold winds.

This trio of trees clinging to the edge of the ridge caught my eye. This was a stark contrast to what was to come further along the pathway.

A few strides further and I came across the National Trust sign for the Malham Tarn Estate and the scenery changed dramatically.  An enchanted wood beckoned.

The verdant woodland was striking. Green - so very green and fresh. The scent from the lush carpet of wild garlic wafted across the valley.

I caught a glint of metal on a fallen tree trunk. I took a closer look and saw that the bark was covered in coins which had been hammered into the tree trunk. Row upon row upon row of coins. I glanced further along the river bank and spotted more. These were tree versions of lucky wishing wells. You shove a coin in the tree and make a wish!

Even the solitary bees have their own bee book nests high up in the ash trees. They form part of a bee library.

In the distance I spotted a wall of water and quickened my step. Was Janet waiting for me with a cuppa? 

Ahh,  and so this is Janet's Foss - a small but perfectly formed waterfall.  Janet - or Jennet as she's sometimes known - Queen of the Fairies lived in a cave behind the water. So goes the local legend. 

A place to be still...

A place to sit on the rocks and clear the head of incessant chatter.

The running water soothes.

At locations like this I regret not carrying along my tripod. I find it difficult to get a comfortable balance of weight when out walking and I find that my sturdy Manfrotto tripod can be cumbersome. I can be clumsy and have been known to trip over them…

Ps The tripod issue has been playing on my mind of late. I returned home and bought a new travel tripod - the Manfrotto Befree! I've not yet managed to get out and about with it but I'll let you know how I get on with it!