Please take a photograph of your group "in action." Don't forget to ask for permission from everyone for the photo to be published on the web. Then email it to the address below and we will upload it to the gallery.
Photography Group One 1st May 2024
Ten of us met at the roadside Car Park in Finstown on a day with little wind and some low cloud but with the sun trying to get through. We set off to the Community Garden where we found lots of lovely colourful flowers out as well as tree buds bursting forth. The Burn was a great source of images.
Jocky Wood was painting a new picnic bench with the appropriately titled Wood Stain! He does a great deal of the work on the garden as well as his own just up the hill opposite.
Six of us then headed for Binsgarth Woods.
The track was muddy in places but the spring flowers were out all the way. There was Pink Purselaine, Wild Garlic, Wood Anemone, and the invasive Salmon Berry. Since the tree leaves were not blanketing the light, one was able to get good photos close up. The Burn had lots of interesting tree roots and hanging tyres and ropes from the kids' dare devil antics. Then it was back to the shop for rolls and along to Tom's house for a cuppa and a nice piece of cake. Thank you very much for that Tom and all the stories too.
The next meeting will be going to Westray on Wednesday 29th May for the day. Arrangement will be made nearer the time.
All in all a lovely morning, taking time to look at the flowers and listen to the Wrens, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches and Robins singing in the woods.
Keep clicking.
Walking Group One 25th April 2024
Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.
Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.
The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay
Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )
The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.
Keep moving.
PHOTOGRAPHY - JANUARY
by Tim Wright - 15:22 on 02 February 2012
Nine of us met at Westbank on 25th January and saw a wide variety of photos and very good they were too. Bunty took us around Switzerland and to the Top of Europe, Richard showed us the better side of Budapest while avoiding the Grand Prix, and Jean took us to Japan with its Bullet trains and Kimonos. To finish Chris showed some old photos found in a suitcase in the attic at Grindalay. There was a lot of discussion as to the Manse featuring in the photos and further detective work needs to be done to locate it. Many thanks to everyone who made such an effort on the groups behalf.
Tea was then taken and cake eaten and thus revived the group photos from Woodwick were viewed. The very colourful fish boxes at Tingwall were quite a hit but the Woodwick burn and the ship’s bell were obviously inspirational too. The project “Winter/Midwinter” got us all going and Bunty and Barbara had even found snow in their travels south which was more than the Orkney based contingent had. Some excellent pictures from all sources. Well done !
The next meeting is at St Michael’s Church, Harry (on the hill behind the Harry Community Centre) at 2 pm on Wednesday 22nd February. Andrea Price has asked us to produce a small exhibition of photos of westside churches in late summer to coincide with the opening of the new Kirk in Dounby. We hope she will be at the St Michael’s church to let us in so we can get more details from her then. The monthly project is “Interiors” and can be interiors of houses, churches, sheds, attics, garages or even tins or bottles, whatever you think fits the bill.
Further ahead in to Summer, Hilary is thinking of fixing a trip for the group to Stroma. It is a place I have always wanted to go having so far managed to get to Switha and Swona. Anyway, more details later in the year.
In the meantime, Keep clicking,
Tim
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