All is safely gathered in

 

Summer has pretty much ended or at least faded out if my explorations in the last week or so match most peoples, not that warm spots still come out but for most of this week the morning temperatures have been around six to eight degrees c and the wind chill makes that feel even less.

Here the hay has been gathered in, bundled and placed in bales dotted across the fields ready for Winter while other crops have been harvested and transported having seen the combine harvester on the road this week.

I'm still seeing a good deal of bird and insect activity in the field.

DYB!

 Vintage posters and post cards have always intrigued me having a few of this district  not least for what life was like for people a good number of decades ago because sometimes change is so rapid we could not possibly imagine just what it was like.

Scouting while having changes within the organization of units, in some instances rebranding and changes in uniform is one thing at the core that has not changed because those core values still hold up.

This illustration still holds true because it is what we promise a very important promise that we live up to and is in the "Grand Howl" within Cubs/Wolf Cubs plus we  carry it forward in what we do elsewhere.

In many ways the best values remain the same and those certainly are included in Scouting.

Challenges that will be met

 The need to explain what is going on in a much changed world  whither or not it is children and young people or adults in their lives such as those in Scouting sadly isn't new even if what we are dealing with today is very different.

Back in days of these East end of London Scouts there was tension in the air with militarization of Nazi Germany, the demand by it to be given the Sudetenland that in hindsight was really the road to World War Two with all that meant to children, parents, not least fathers and its aftermath.

There were as now other more fun things going on like this opening of "queer" design of Scout Headquarters the boys were looking forward to on the other hand B.P himself felt it necessary to explain about the causes of war.

Nobody would pretend it was easy but we got by - scouting in all its forms got by, helping children and young people playing as it is now a role in helping society  - and the unfortunate necessity of having to impose further restrictions across England around Covid 19 on top any local arrangements will not get in the way of doing what is right by children and young people plus wider society.

Guidance will be considered when it come particular to indoor activity and altered if needed, any changes communicated to children, young people and parents but this movement and its ideas will be continuing in its commitment to its members and mission.

The meadowlands

 

Whatever may be decided when it comes to Coronavirus this week, as things from March proved, it won't come before me and this life as a Wolf Cub in spirit.

While out and about I spotted this patch of meadowland in the glistening autumnal sun although it took a few goes as it was breezy to get it as I wanted it to look as the buttercups kept blowing and so not looking straight. 

At one time such sights would be common place, indeed I remember clearly at our first house around the age of seven admiring them on the walk to school along the lane from the farm a classmate lived but in recent years the numbers have dropped off.

Also I have seen a lot more Butterflies about this year both Red Admiral's and also the Cabbage White Butterfly whose numbers also were somewhat down a few years back back.

It is possible the reduction in the amount of road traffic and associated pollution due to the current health emergency has aided their return.

The House that started it all

 

Way back in April 1986 I started a small project of photographing scenes and buildings connected with my life.

Back then I had a Kodak Disc film based camera and the results technically were disappointing even when some years later I had the pictures reprinted by a superior photo laboratory and since then on here and on the other blog I've featured similar images aided in part by being able to host them on a site and also by using better equipment that is also digital which makes it easier to host.

This was one of the first of the originals, a couple of nineteenth century cottages just within the village boundary near to the canal bridge our last entry was taken from that contains many of its original features although the skylight on the right no doubt for a loft bedroom does take away something and was not present back in 1986.

The gardens to the side and rear were quite extensive enjoying being out playing in them at the time.

This was the house a family I knew as I went to school with Steven and Christine Hamnett who was a Brownie lived in at the time and going further down the road toward the Mere set off down a short narrow track was the big Georgian house the Bateman's lived which I'd stop at when visiting Andrew, another schoolboy friend who you might say was fairly well to do and very influential in the district.

I kept in touch with them for a very long time.

Two modes of transport

After Wednesday blog we return to the same subject but actually going southwards to Kidsgrove and The Potteries in an era I used to explore when I was younger and first got into photography.

Things that have been added is the surfacing on the tow path which used to all grass (and mud in winter) and tidying up the fences that divide fields used by the farmhouse across the road.

This bit of the district is almost but not quite rural while the road on the far left just visible by the street light is more or less typical ribbon development, that road being built in the middle of the last century to overcome a bottleneck, this bit forks off into an area of farms and woodland mingled with parts connected to salt mining.

That's so typical of the North Staffs conurbation - you have a almost rural area with an industrial  past in the middle of it - but the upside as a recent edition of BBC Tv's Country File showed is just how green this area is because of such 'lungs'.

A recent survey showed we had the fifth largest amount of urban green spaces in England and that's before you take in the woods on the fringes.

Busy but peaceful

Returning to the theme that has been running through this summers exploration, here we can see the canalside being quite busy with one boat mooring, another going southbound towards Kidsgrove while the one on the right is heading toward Sandbach and Middlewich one September morning.

Outside of the boat activity it was pretty quiet that morning with just walkers exploring the nearby countryside or just sat enjoying the sun.

There had been concern since reopening numbers of users would be low I have to say it's been fairly busy given the restrictions still in place.

"It was like this..."

This week as I slowly recover aided by a sunny weekend ideal for being out  something did come a little into mind.

Whenever there is a group of you, it doesn't matter if it's men or boys for that matter there's always one or two who rise to the surface with the capacity to "hold court" with the pack with a air of quiet confidence.

Soon you find they are on their feet, telling interesting stories from the past about their lives and experiences it might be about school or work or about past camps usually with practical import such as a lesson learned to a audience in rapt attention.

One of things I loved from camp was this easy camaraderie between everyone from daytime activities shared to games, fireside singing before bed. 

It's the most magical thing I can think of. 

The train visit

While technically this photo leaves much to be desired with burnt out highlights and the like nonetheless this is a favourite of mine from the British Rail days where these Cubs are at  a station and seeing close up a electric locomotive in the then Blue and Yellow livery of BR.

For good or ill I saw many trains like this being taken to stations and railway works open days and this may well of been taken with some knowledge of railway staff given how close they are to the track.

Trains as the initiated know are a mixed experience with me as they apply to my own boyhood so you might well ask what would of I of thought of Akela had proposed such as visit.

I almost certainly of gone because things you'd see could help toward completing badges the thing was as we saw earlier this year I do find trains very interesting to the point if done right I can really enjoy it.

A concluding note: This week my cub shorts came in charcoal grey with a similar leg length allowing for a good foot and bit height difference from what I was around nine or ten to today and yes I feel a lot different. A whole lot younger!

Aye up duck!

As I'm recovering here, there's a picture I took last week of one of our friends along the canal on one of the better days in good light as summer lighting can be too contrasting to record well whither or not it's film you used as I did in the early days of blogging or CCD sensors in your digital camera.

You can see his reflection and at the same time where his webbed feet are

A scout is...

As we enter the Autumn I think it is opportune to remind ourselves of the values we aspire to not just while scouting although that is extremely important  but also in our day to day lives working with others but representing all that is good in it at all times.  

Still

The calmness of the water echoes that of the overall view as many vessels are out on the river Conway in North Wales showing the vast area and the fixed geological features on an excursion in June 2007.

There are many places connected to fishing and boat repairs around Conway apart from the Smallest Little House in Wales which I visited catching the local bus network from my base that week

This was taken on a ultra wide angle lens.

Exploring the Great Orme

Exploring can mean using a variety of means of getting to and about an area and this was a place I often visit that missed the early stages of this blog but does tie in with it totally which is going up the Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales which I did using the steam hauled railway.

That's the Summit complex with tea rooms, gift shop, exhibits and conveniences next to a radio installation on the left with the train making it's way down in view.

You can spot the heather growing near the areas fenced off that goats chew the grass  on.

There is a road network and here's a sign showing the way to St Tudno's church which is a good hike to get to having done it and lived!

Them goats can be observed most of the summer months up here looking out to the coast.

An interesting view showing an area I walked all the way to the shoreline with the drystone wall visable on the far right.

There's a tradition of people leaving their names spelt in stone on the Great Orme

Some indication of just how high and step this area is can be seen in this picture that may not present much of a challenge to the Welsh Mountain Goats but do to my wobbly feet and wonky co-ordination

These pictures were originated on film and carefully restored to digital correcting a few exposure challenges in the original negatives