Real-Cycled Coffee

Yesterday I had a great cup of coffee made on this beautiful replica of a vintage espresso machine.

Not a button or switch in sight, just handles that have to be pulled and taps that have to be twiddled.

All under the expert control of the proprietor James Honey.

James has only recently taken on this pitch on the Piazza, right beside the Open Air Ice Rink.

Mind you, I not sure I would like to pedal it back to his base at the end of a busy day.

Fire and brimstone

There were clearly some powerful sermons being preached last Sunday morning.

The Full English Breakfast.

The knitted breakfast.

West Bay, Dorset

West Bay lies at the other end of the 18 mile long Chesil Beach from Portland, 

which featured in yesterday's post.

One of the many beautiful spots in this area, even late on an autumn afternoon, is Hive Beach, 

which is home to the famous Hive Beach Cafe which is probably the best seafood restaurant in Dorset.

Tombolo

When visiting Weymouth, in Dorset, last weekend I was able to visit Portland Island, which provided the shore based headquarters for the 2012 Olympic sailing events. As you can see from this Google Earth aerial shot, Portland is joined to the mainland by a narrow causeway, a TOMBOLO

From the highest point on Portland there is a wonderful view along Chesil Beach, the 18 mile pebble beach and the lagoon behind it, stretching north west from Portland to West Bay.(see tomorrow's post)

Follow the "Tombolo" link above for more information about Chesil Beach.

The Sensible Shoe Shop

Sensible Shoes?

What a difference two months make.(2)

As the summer crowds leave the beach, (see yesterdays post), so the atmosphere in the narrow streets behind The Esplanade changes. There are just as many flags but the shoulder to shoulder, summer strollers, have gone.

















In the little gift shops, the seasons also change. Buckets and spades, bats and balls, windbreaks and kites give way to colourful, winter hats and fleece jackets.

What a difference two months make.(1)

We were visiting friends in Weymouth, Dorset, last weekend. 

This attractive town, which hosted the sailing events in this year's Olympics,

is almost exactly 100 miles along the south coast from Plymouth. 

Most seaside resorts present a totally different face to the world in the busy, mid summer

 from their quieter autumnal one. 

Twitchers

Definition of a Twitcher

 - a bird watcher whose main aim to to collect sightings of rare birds.(British informal)

Some twitchers enjoy hunting in a group,  .....

.... while others take a more relaxed approach.

The Fisherman's Text Message

                                                            Fishes sorted. 

How are you doing with the loaves?

A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step

and the digging of an enormous hole in the road begins with lifting a single paving stone. 

The Lookout

Hold on tight.

Will his patience be rewarded?

Even though it is getting colder, windier and wetter, the shore fishermen never give up

.

Spot the differences.

I photographed this part of a larger sheet of characters, displayed in a window on the campus of Plymouth University.
By running your eye along each line you can detect the minute differences between one character and the next.

Nine

Running the full length of one external wall of The Guildhall, in Plymouth's City Centre, is a frieze of wonderful small sculptures.

This one shows Moses with the Ten Commandments, and he is  pointing at number nine.

But what does number nine say?

Well, if you are a Christian, it depends what denomination you are.

Disjointed.

Crime Scene

The Art Shop in Mayflower Street  is clearly a very dangerous place for artists' mannequins.

Then and now

From the very earliest days of outdoor photography, sailing craft have held a fascination for photographers.

Very little has changed.

Graceful craft under sail making their way out of Plymouth Sound towards the open sea, 

still capture the imagination

On Friday morning this beauty had the Sound to herself as she made her way along the shore of

 Mount Edgecumbe Park, behind Drake's Island, and on towards the Breakwater Lighthouse, 

then out into the English Channel.

I wonder where she was bound.

A Sistine Moment

Seaside venues often look forlorn and deserted once the summer season is over 

and the Tinside Lido is no exception. 

But as I passed by, a day or so ago, my mind drifted back to the frenzied activity of a few short months ago, as workmen rushed to get everything painted and ready to open, and I had a Sistine Moment.

The Beach Huts on the Foreshore. (2)

On any day of the year, no matter what the weather, the view over Plymouth Sound, 

from the beach huts which I featured in yesterday's post, 

is always interesting, often beautiful, but never the same on two days running.

The Beach Huts on the Foreshore (1)

Summer is definitely over and Autumn is firmly in charge. 

These wonderful red, yellow and green beach huts are shut till next spring. 

They enjoy one of the best positions along the waterfront. 

They catch any ray of sunshine and have wonderful views of Plymouth Sound.( take a look tomorrow)

Smile

Couples making the most of what could well be the last dry, sunny day for some days to come.

Underneath the arches.

Very early on Sunday morning on the riverside under the Tamar road and rail bridges.

Sunday Sunrise

Dawn on the River Tamar yesterday