Starting today, Sunday 20th September, Mike Franklin Photography is pleased to unveil the new website design to replace the old MySpace presence. There are 6 galleries covering Landscapes, Sunsets, Black & White, Structures, Lake District and Abstract & Miscellaneous. Payments are handled securely by PayPal.
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Another photo appeared in Belgium’s DAMn Magazine #22 (A magazine on contemporary culture) illustrating an article on an exhibition at The Design Museum in London. The artists Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby’s ‘Listening Station’ was based on the acoustic sound mirrors along the South Coast….. Thanks go to Siegrid Demyttenaere and Claudine de Pauw at DAMn Magazine…
~ DAMn Magazine #22 – P78&79 ~
Original
~ Acoustic Sound Mirror, Abbot’s Cliff, Dover, Kent, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/80 sec : ISO 200
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Thanks to Sam Manley down in Truro I had another photo published in print recently… Another photo taken in Wells in Somerset was chosen as the front cover of the Health and Social Care Directory for Somerset 2009/2010.
~ Health and Social Care Directory for Somerset 2009/2010 ~
Original
~ Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/160 sec : ISO 200
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Last Sunday I spent a fantastic and fascinating day travelling the south east coast from the White Cliffs of Dover down to the Firehills of Fairlight near Hastings. From the WWII gun emplacements at St Martins Battery could be seen the faint outline of the French coast. Now, I never knew that the word ‘Battery’ came from the French ‘battre‘ meaning ‘to beat’ until I read it on an information board here. You learn something new every day, even at my age…
There a few photos taken from St Martin’s Battery on my post North Downs Way Walk – Dover to Folkestone – Photos.
On leaving Dover I visited the Battle Of Britain Memorial dedicated to ‘The Few’:-
~ Battle Of Britain Memorial Panorama, Capel le Ferne, Kent, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
4 photo panorama stitch
Spans 107° horizontally : 44° vertically
f/11 : 1/125 sec : ISO 200
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
After the fall of France in June 1940, Adolf Hitler contemplated invading Britain.
Before this could be attempted, the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe, had to destroy RAF Fighter Command and thus achieve control of the skies over southern England.
So the Battle of Britain came to be fought – officially between July 10 and October 31 1940 – and the Luftwaffe, and therefore the invasion plan, was thwarted.
The spearhead of the British defence was just under 3000 pilots and other aircrew of Fighter Command, of whom well over 500 died from all causes during the Battle. Their contribution at a turning point in British history was eventually recognised by the “immediate” award of the 1939-45 Star with Battle of Britain Clasp.
In a speech in the House of Commons on August 20 1940, as the Battle raged, Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, referred to the British airmen who by their prowess and devotion were turning the tide of World War.
He went on to declare, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Ever since, those who fought in the Battle have been referred to as “The Few”.
Those who earned that title are quick to stress the contribution to their victory of many other men and women in the RAF, as well as in the Royal Navy and Army and civilians in many capacities.
They often, too, stress the contribution to final victory in 1945 of the man who led them, Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding (1882-1970). It is often argued that without Dowding’s victory in 1940, other Generals would have been denied their triumphs later in the war.
The feeling of respect was mutual. To the normally unemotional Air Chief Marshal Dowding, The Few were, “My Dear Fighter Boys”.
Driving along the coast through Folkestone, Hythe and Dymchurch I ended up right out in the middle of nowhere on a spit of reclaimed land from the sea called Dungeness. If you are ever in this part of the world visit ‘The Pilot Inn‘ for THE best fish & chips I have ever tasted…
~ Dungeness, Kent, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 23mm
f/11 : 1/125 sec : ISO 200
There is a nuclear power station here and two lighthouses. As the land continually builds up here various lighthouses have had to be constructed over the years here:-
From Urban75.org
With its treacherous shifting banks of sand and shingle, Dungeness point has always been feared as a notorious black spot for mariners.
Advances in marine technology during the 16th century substantially increased the size and number of ships passing through the English Channel, with a corresponding increase in losses around Dungeness.
During one particularly bad winter gale it is said that over 1000 sailors lost their lives, along with many valuable cargoes.
The first lighthouses
Beacons were originally lit on the land to warn passing sailors, but to combat this growing problem, a proper lighthouse was constructed at Dungeness in 1615.
Its owner, Sir Edward Howard, was empowered by King James I to levy tolls of one penny per ton from all ships passing it – something that didn’t go down too well with fleet owners.
A steady build up of shingle saw the sea disappearing into the distance, so in 1635 a new lighthouse (‘Lamplough’s Tower’) was built closer to the water’s edge. This stood some 110 feet high and lasted over 100 years.
As the sea continued to recede, it was necessary to build a third lighthouse in 1792.
Lighthouse number three
Standing 116ft tall, the lighthouse (‘Samuel Wyatt’s Tower’) was built to a similar design as the Eddystone light, and was lit by 17 Argon lamps, magnified by silvered concave reflectors.
With the shingle bank continuing to grow in size and pushing the lighthouse further from the sea, work began on the present ‘Old Lighthouse’ in 1901.
The Old Lighthouse (‘The High Light Tower’)
Built by Patrick & Co of London, the fourth lighthouse was ceremonially opened by His Majesty, The Prince of Wales (later George V) in 1904, with its 150ft height making it one of tallest lighthouses in the UK.
Its intermittent light, flashing every 10 seconds, was visible for around 18 miles.
Sporting a steel roof and slate floor, the Top Lantern Room housed the massive circular lens. Weighing two tons, the whole assembly smoothly floated on a bed of mercury.
The lighthouse was operational between 1904 and 1960, before being superceded by the fifth lighthouse, situated about half a mile away.
This new lighthouse had to be built because the buildings of the nearby Dungeness Power Stations were found to be obscuring some of the light.
New lighthouse
Resplendent in its smooth, clean, modern lines and black and white paint job, lighthouse number five was constructed in 1961.
Officially opened by H.R.H. The Duke of Gloucester, the 43m high lighthouse was brought into operation on 20th November, 1961 and was the first one to incorporate the Xenon electric arc lamp.
The new Dungeness Lighthouse is visible for 27 sea miles. Converted to automatic operation in 1991, it is currently monitored and controlled from the Trinity House Depot at Harwich.
A short trip from here through Camber and past the new wind farm at Little Cheyne Court housing 26 turbines 115 metres high I arrived for a short walk around Rye. Rye used to be a port in medieval times but has since been left high and dry by the sea which is now a mile away.
~ Landgate Tower, Rye, East Sussex, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/80 sec : ISO 200
~ Rye Parish Church, Rye, East Sussex, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/40 sec : ISO 200
~ Harley Davidson, Rye, East Sussex, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 42mm
f/11 : 1/40 sec : ISO 200
After Rye was a short drive to Winchelsea and the strangely ruined church of St Thomas The Martyr (Thomas Becket – Archbishop of Canterbury murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by knights of Henry II).
~ Winchelsea Church, Winchelsea, East Sussex, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/40 sec : ISO 200
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After spending a fantastic 5 days up in Ambleside in the Lake District last week I thought I’d share a few photos that I took…
~ Grasmere & Rydal Water, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/30 sec : ISO 200
~ Rydal Cave, Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/3.5 : 1/200 sec : ISO 200
~ Rydal Cave, Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 26mm
f/4 : 1/150 sec : ISO 200
~ Waterhead Jetty, Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/22 : 2 secs : ISO 200
~ Waterhead Jetty, Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/15 sec : ISO 200
~ Loughrigg Tarn, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/9 : 1/60 sec : ISO 200
~ Tree, Nook End Farm, Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/3.5 : 1/160 sec : ISO 200
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A friend of mine asked me to take some photos of Rochester Castle, where they live, so he could present it to his wife as a birthday present. It was a balmy night with the sun setting behind a cloud over the River Medway.
I managed to take a couple of the castle bathed in the evening glow, a surreal take on the castle and a shot of the silver river as the sun set.
Nikon D40 : 20mm
f/11 : 1/2 sec : ISO 200
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/4 sec : ISO 200
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/6 sec : ISO 200
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/13 sec : ISO 200
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Looking through my old photos for something to turn into a card for a friend of mine’s birthday I came across some photos of the Cuckmere River near Eastbourne taken way back on the 4th November 2007.
From Wikipedia:-
The River Cuckmere rises near Heathfield in East Sussex, England on the southern slopes of the Weald. The name of the river probably comes from an Old English word meaning fast-flowing, since it descends over 200 ft (100 m) in its initial four miles (6.4 km)
The river has many tributaries at its upper end, the principal one being the River Bull; and its main channel begins at Hellingly.
After crossing the Low Weald area of farmland south, the Cuckmere breaks through the South Downs in its own valley, to reach the English Channel at Cuckmere Haven east of Seaford at the Seven Sisters. The lower part of its course is marked by meandering, which is a well-known feature of the area. The Cuckmere Valley Nature Reserve is located here. The Cuckmere Valley civil parish takes its name from the river.
The course of the river was historically diverted to allow improved irrigation for agriculture in the area. The area is a major tourist attraction, and on the west side of the river, where the A259 crosses the river at Exceat is the popular Golden Galleon Public House.
A collaboration of the National Trust, Natural England, Environment Agency, East Sussex County Council and various other environmental and conservation groups has been set up, and is talking to local residents, businesses and visitors about how to manage the estuary in the future. Presently, a shingle beach and artificial river banks prevent seawater penetrating the uppermost areas of the Cuckmere Valley. However, with sea level rise and increasing costs of protection, together with growing evidence that the area would be more ecologically rich if allowed to return to its natural state, it is planned to stop the repair of this blockade, which will result in the periodic flooding of this highly popular area. It is estimated, however that the benefit in terms of ecological expansion, will in the long term, act to improve tourism.
~ Cuckmere River, Cuckmere Haven, Sussex, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/160 sec : ISO 200
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Sunday 15th March – North Downs Way Walk – Dover to Folkestone – 9 miles.
~ Acoustic Sound Mirror, Abbot’s Cliff, Dover, Kent, UK ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/80 sec : ISO 200
Leaving the car outside Dover Rail Station I walked over past the Western Heights Fort, looking out over Dover Harbour, past a Templar Church and along the clifftops to Folkestone. At then end of the walk I caught the train back again to Dover.
~ Dover Castle ~
~ Dover Western Harbour from Western Heights gun emplacements ~
~ Dover Eastern Harbour from Western Heights gun emplacements ~
~ Remains of Templar Church ~
The remains of a small early 12th-century church built by the Knights Templar. The order of the Knights Templar was founded in Jerusalem in 1118 to protect pilgrims visiting the Holy Land after the First Crusade. The Order spread rapidly throughout Europe, with its work supported by the many estates donated by wealthy benefactors. In 1128 the order reached England, with this site becoming one of it’s earliest properties.
Templar churches usually have a circular nave, as here, in imitation of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Indications are that this site was abandoned before 1185. The remains were discovered by military engineers fortifying Western Heights in the early 19th-century.
~ Dover Harbour and coastal railway from Shakespeare Cliff ~
~ Folkestone, the A20 and the entrance to Samphire Hoe from Shakespeare Cliff ~
~ Samphire Hoe ~
~ Round Down (National Trust) and railway air shaft from Shakespeare Tunnel ~
~ Samphire Hoe ~
Samphire Hoe is a part of Kent, United Kingdom, consisting of reclaimed land made from 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl dug to create the Channel Tunnel deposited on the seaward side of the famous White cliffs of Dover. It is accessible by the public via single track tunnel controlled by traffic lights which crosses over the Kent Coast railway line. Visitor facilities are provided including car-parking, toilets and a cafe.
The ecology of Samphire Hoe is very special and what is now chalk meadow-land is home to a number of nationally rare plant species including the Early Spider Orchid.
~ Samphire Hoe ~
~ Samphire Hoe ~
~ World War II gun emplacement above Samphire Hoe ~
~ Acoustic Sound Mirror on Abbots Cliff ~
A forerunner of radar, acoustic mirrors were built on the south and northeast coasts of England between about 1916 and the 1930s. The ‘listening ears’ were intended to provide early warning of incoming enemy aircraft.
~ The English Channel from The Battle Of Britain Memorial ~
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Friday 20th March – South Downs Way Walk – Exton to Buriton – 12 miles.
~ Salt Hill ~
Nikon D40 : 18mm
f/11 : 1/100 sec : ISO 200
Leaving the car in Buriton I caught the bus at the Master Robert Inn – Countryliner Bus No 95 – to Petersfield Tescos and then caught another bus – Brijan Tours Bus No 17 – to Exton, River Meon stop.
~ The ascent from the disused railway line in Exton towards Old Winchester Hill ~
~ Fields on view from Old Winchester Hill approach ~
~ Old Winchester Hill ~
On the summit of the hill is an Iron Age hill fort. Within the hill fort can also be found Bronze Age barrows. The barrows date from between 4,500 and 3,500 BC whilst the fort itself is believed to be Celtic in origin. More modern archaeology dates from World War II when the British Army used the hill as a mortar testing range. Some unexploded Ordnance may still remain in ‘fenced-off’ sections of the hill however grazing hill-sheep access all areas so danger to the casual walker is likely to be low.
~ Descending down Whitewool Hangar towards Whitewool Farm. ~
Salt Hill in the middle horizon and Butser Hill far left horizon
~ Two continental jet airliners seemingly having a near miss ~
~ View from foot of Henwood Down towards Salt Hill ~
~ View from Salt Hill towards Butser Hill ~
~ Salt Hill Signpost ~
~ Salt Hill Signpost ~
~ Towards East Meon and Park Hill from Hyden Cross ~
~ Trees on Hyden Hill ~
~ From Hyden Hill looking back to East Meon (right) and Salt Hill (left) ~
~ Field & Trees at the top of Tegdown Hill ~
~ Windmill Hill, middle distance and Chichester Harbour faintly on the horizon ~
View from North Lane near Butser Hill
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