DAVID'S PHOTOS OF THE MONTH

[davidb]

How many keepers does it take … ?

2014 and a trip to WWT London (Barnes). A stock take was in progress and the staff were out in force trying to catch their stock. It also allowed a health check to be undertaken.

[davidb]

I make no apologies for showing more images from the Bluebell Railway.

This photograph is from 2011. This is the interior of the Carriage & Wagon Works at Horsted Keynes. It shows the progress of the restoration of a London, Brighton & South Coast Railway four-wheel Brake Third carriage (number 949) built in 1881. It was sold (without the wheels) by the LB&SCR shortly after WW1 to a farm in Cranleigh and used as a storage shed. It was acquired by the Bluebell in 1998 and restoration began in 2004. Much of the restoration work is carried out by volunteer members. When at the Bluebell Railway join one of the tours laid on by the C&W staff.

The second image shows the state of the carriage just prior to the start of the restoration work whilst the third shows the carriage in 2019, still not complete.

Images 2 and 3 were grabbed from the Bluebell website and were taken by Richard Salmon, a member of BRPS.

[davidb]

South Norwood Country Park in 2018.

Whilst taking photographs of the wildlife in the pond/lake close to Elmers End Station I noticed this ball amongst the reeds. I thought it might make an interesting image so I entered it into one of the print competitions (as "Lost Little Ball") of 2017/18 and it earned me 9½ points but failed to impress in the Print of the Year competition. Oh well, you can't please all of the judges all of the time!

[davidb]

That's MARCH - now to start searching for April. The number of trips out start to increase as the weather gets warmer.

[davidb]

END OF APRIL …

[davidb]

April 2016 = Addiscombe Railway Park.

If you don't know this park there's not a lot to know. It was formed over what remains of the branch line from Woodside to Addiscombe. It starts next to Blackhorse Lane Tram Stop and continues to just north of Addiscombe (railway) Station. Addiscombe Station was a terminus with three platforms and a yard for storing out of traffic trains. After closure in 1997 much of the land was redeveloped leaving just the approaches (from about Capri Road) and the branch line to be later developed into Addiscombe Railway Park.

This photograph shows a monument to the railway adjacent to Dalmally Passage off Morland Road.

See more at - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiscombe_Railway_Park

[davidb]

April 2009 - Blackburn Pavilion, London Zoo

A sunbittern, native to tropical regions of Central and South America.

[davidb]

A couple of days before my visit to London Zoo, I visited the London Wetland Centre in Barnes.

This image is of Sir Peter Scott (son of Robert Scott of Antarctic fame) which is adjacent to the approach to the entrance/shop/administration building. Sir Peter Scott established the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in 1946. The London centre was opened in 2000.

[davidb]

2017 and I'm back at the Bluebell Railway. I'm at Horsted Keynes when British Rail Standard class 5 no 73082 "Camelot" from East Grinstead approaches the platform.

Note the carriage immediately following "Camelot" - this is a London & North Western Railway Observation Car built in 1913. Also note the 360 degree view. It's from this carriage that I photographed (a few years ago) a young lad observing "Camelot" running round the train at East Grinstead. While I got some good marks for the image, most were not of the highest kind!

[davidb]

April 2017. Woolwich for Tall Ships Regatta.

This is "Morgenster" (that's the Dutch for "Morning Star") built in 1919, moored mid-river.