Caught the train to Birmingham International Station for the ‘Outdoors Show’ at the NEC. It was certainly worth the trip as I saw a few new things and it’s always good to be able to see the various tents to compare size, materials and pitching methods. The GPS stands were fairly disappointing as all my questions were answered with ‘no, it cant do that’ the main concern is the way the Ordnance Survey are continuing their vice grip on restricting map use on various makes of GPS. Considering it’s the Outdoors Show there were no decent rucksacks on display and I didn’t see one camping stove anywhere.

Dalehead village 21 June 1921. The location is now on the bed of Stocks Reservoir.

a close up of the left part of the image above

it is just possible to see the 1706 date on this enlarged image.

the same date stone before being re-interred at Stocks.

an undated image of Swinshaw Farm by Buck of Clitheroe. c1910

A close up of the doorway
The Children are:
l to r, Isobel (Bell) Robinson
and Nancy Robinson

the 1709 date stone before being re-interred at Stocks.

I’d just camped on the moors between Malham and Threshfield after a few days with some occasional heavy rain. I was fortunate to get a nice sunrise on my last morning.

Midday drove to Slaidburn for short walk to have a look at Hammerton Hall, an old Tudor manor house, which stands on the site of an earlier hall. I spoke to the farmer who told me some interesting things about the hall. Then I continued over Ten Acre Hill to the church on the Bowland Knotts Road. Inside was an interesting display of photographs of life in the valley in the 1930s.

Miranda today. Health and safety has surrounded her with railings.

Caught the 7am bus to Preston then the 08:17 train to Birmingham New Street. The bonkers thing is that when I bought the ticket it said I should change at Wolverhampton. I got off there and waited for the Birmingham International Station train which stopped at Birmingham New Street, which is where the first train I got on was heading. Never mind, I got to the National Exhibition centre for the Focus on Imaging 2010 exhibition.

There were a few new things but much of it was demonstrations of overpriced software. Of particular interest to me was the Gitzo traveller tripod. For its size and weight (1kg) was surprisingly sturdy. But a price tag of over £500 puts it out of my range. Digital backs for medium format cameras still haven’t come down in price so it looks like they’re a none starter. Last year I visited the stand with solar panels for charging some digital camera batteries. This year they were selling the same stuff with no developments in the last 12 months.

The Estate office at Stocks, Slaidburn.

date-stone 1706

date-stone IB HB 1671

This image was copied from a 35mm slide I made in the early 1990s from the glass plate of 1927. it shows the construction staff at the temporary Hollins village.

Walking through Chorley this morning I stopped to look at the brand new Chorley Pals memorial on the Flat iron market area. it looked great in the sunshine.

The Chorley Pals Memorial in the sunshine.

With settled weather for the day I decided to venture out on my bike for the first longer ride of the year. The previous sub-zero temperatures meant that cycling country lanes were not a good idea. A two wheeled bicycle and icy roads don't mix. I had a great ride via Garstand, Scorton, Bleasdale, Chipping, Longridge and Preston.

Cycling along a country lane through the Bleasdale estate. The sign said 'no cycling'