HNLMS De Ruyter

This frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy passes close to the Mount Batten Pier,

as she heads out to sea during recent NATO exercises.

Talking to the dog

A very windy day on Mount Batten Pier 

A simple, solitary pleasure on a sunny afternoon.

Paddling across Plymouth Sound.

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It's off to work we go.

One of the activity groups at the Mount Batten Centre,

heading up from the shore line of Plymouth Sound.

A simple, solitary pleasure on a sunny afternoon.

Looking across to Mount Batten Tower.

Mount Batten Tower (1652) lies directly opposite the Royal Citadel (1660s), on Plymouth Hoe, 

where the River Plym enters Plymouth Sound, thus between them they can control who enters

Sutton Harbour and the Barbican around which the original town of Plymouth grew.

Even in deep mid winter ...

... there are days when the sun briefly shines.

Two boys on the seawall at Mount Batten.

Home in time for Christmas

This little vessel is passing inside the Mount Batten Breakwater 

on the way to her berth in the River Plym.

Home is the Hunter, home from the hill,

And the Angler, home from the pier.

                                                   with apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson.

Mount Batten Pier, at the mouth of the River Plym, 

reaches out into Plymouth Sound and is very popular with anglers.

The Old Man and the River.

This chap is enjoying a refreshing dip on a slipway of the Mount batten Water Sports Centre,

on the River Plym, near its entrance to Plymouth Sound.

Across the river lie the commercial wharves at Cattdown.

Rush Hour in the Cattewater

Vessels of all shapes and sizes passing the Mount Batten Breakwater, 

as they sail, in and out, through the Cattewater, at the mouth of the River Plym, where it enters Plymouth Sound.

The lone paddler in the bottom left has a close up view.

The City viewed from the South West Coastal Path.(1)

The River Plym flows into the picture from the right, 

passes under the watchful gaze of the Tower on the Mount Batten promontory,  

along the Cattewater Breakwater and into Plymouth Sound.

Roll sound. Roll camera. ACTION!

"He's going to sprint as fast as he can, so make sure you keep him shot the whole way."

Film making on the Mount Batten Breakwater.    

Paddle Boarders

From the shore it looked as if these two were walking on water,

but it was only on telephoto inspection that I could see the reality.

Morning Departure

This small craft is making its way past Mount Batten Pier, and out into Plymouth Sound.

A couple of hopeful fishermen have already chosen their spots on the pier.

The Hounds of Spring.

This pack are enjoying a fresh, spring afternoon walk along the Mount Batten Breakwater.

What I hadn't known until very recently was that "That the Hounds of Spring" is the title of a fine piece of music for a wind orchestra.

Click to see a performance of the piece 

Tonight we change the clocks to British Summer Time

It is a pity we can't change the thermometers to summer time as well.

On Thursday, although the sun was shining and people were strolling along the Mount Batten Pier, 

there was a very strong wind chill factor.

Muscle power, wind power, engine power.

Coasteering - Their very first expedition.

These youngsters are getting their first taste of 

Coasteering - climbing and scrambling along the rocky coast at Mount Batten, Plymouth.

It won't be long before a few of the more adventurous ones are joining organised groups 

on pretty challenging expeditions.

Take a look at these youngsters coasteering in Cornwall.

The Malloys of Cannery Row ?

Many years ago, when I was very young, I had the great good fortune to have been introduced 

to the works of John Steinbeck, when I was given a copy of  "Cannery Row".

 I still have that copy of this warm, humane and very funny story of a group people, down on their luck, 

living in the Cannery District of Monterey, California.

It all came flooding back to me recently when I came across this rusty old boiler at Mountbatten.

Two minor characters in Cannery Row are the Malloys.

Mr. and Mrs. Malloy live in a boiler in the vacant lot. 

Mr. Malloy is a landlord: he rents out big rusty pipes on the lot to men who need a place to sleep. 

And with power comes … discontent. Mrs. Mallory was totally happy before they became property "owners," but now she starts wanting stuff like lamps and curtains. 

Even though their boiler doesn't have any windows.