Talkingthailand

A Walk Around Sywell Country Park

A lovely place to walk around is Sywell Country Park near Northampton. The reservoir was built to supply water to the surrounding villages, but now it’s a country park with a gravel walkway around the lake, meadows, forest-like areas with different types of trees, and a variety of habitats for the wildlife that live there. (Woodland Trust).

As you leave the car park, there are lovely green areas surrounded by tall trees, perfect for a picnic or just to sit peacefully and enjoy the sounds of nature.

You have to walk up a flight of steep steps to the reservoir, but the effort is worth it as the views are fabulous.

I always walk to the right and the first thing I see are these two geese psyching themselves up to get into the chilly water.

Next, I pass a lovely red-bricked water tower which is always worthy of a photo (or two!).

This swan looks so elegant with its curved neck – an aquatic ballet dancer maybe?

There are so many different types of plants and these dried grasses will be shelter to small birds and mammals.

The path leads you through sometimes wooded areas and sometimes more open areas as you walk around the lake.

There are many types of birds to see and this swan was tending to her nest among the reeds.

This robin stopped long enough in the tree, so I could take a photo.

And this Great tit was busy feeding.

The path follows the undulated features of the countryside, so you get good views all around the lake.

And there are lots of trees and, as this was early in the year, they are still bereft of leaves.

Flowers here and there give a welcome splash of colour.

It’s good to see all kinds of wildlife getting a helping hand as these little bat houses prove.

And, it’s also a pleasure watching wildlife from these hides which are placed in certain locations.

On the walk home, I couldn’t help but stop and say hello to these fellows. (Don’t you find cows to be very curious – they always migrate towards you!)

This cute pony getting in on the action.

And I was happy to see that with Spring comes new beginnings.

Peace and love to everyone!

The Changing Seasons – January and February 2023

With 2023 truly underway, here is a run down of my January and February!

I have been wanting to go to Cirque Du Soleil for years and, finally, in January I took a trip to London with my mum and sister to see Kurios at the Royal Albert Hall.

Kurios is about an inventor who invents a machine that defies the laws of time, space, and dimension. As he reinvents everything he is joined by characters from another dimension who interact with him (Wikipedia).

The show was thrilling with crazy acrobatics and contortionists, great costumes and fabulous music. I could have sat and watched it all over again. The venue was just as stunning as the show!

Places to go in London — The Royal Albert Hall

And, for February, here are my ‘photos of the day’ from morrisophotography.

Places to go in Northampton — River Nene

Things to photograph at home — Love and Laughter Live Here

Enjoy your March!

The Changing Seasons is hosted by Ju-Lyn at Touring my Backyard, and Brian and Bushboys World

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently — though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.

For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different. Some focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.

But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.

There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.

Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them.

Discoveries, Memories and Smiles

The town centre of Northampton is small when you compare it to the likes of Birmingham and London, but it’s surprisingly full of things to see.

I live close to the centre, so I always walk there and, with camera in hand, I find some things that I have never noticed, others that bring back memories and some things that just make me smile.

I walk passed the Garibaldi Hotel all the time. I have never been inside, but something compels me to take a photo – I think it’s the green-painted wall with the sign on one side – but then I notice the date at the top of the other side. It was erected in 1897 – making it one of Northampton’s oldest pubs and it’s still open!

On the corner of Sheep Street and Church Lane, I manage to get a photo without any people and then I notice further up the street a club called Passion (the small white building on the right hand side) where I partied with friends on a mad Saturday night out many moons ago.

I’ve walked through the graveyard of St Giles Church before, but never stopped to just be in the present moment before.

I stand for a while watching this squirrel scamper about – it brings a smile to my face.

I also notice the trees full of beautiful pink cherry blossom.

I’ve spent many nights / afternoons with friends and family at the Mail Coach in the past. It’s one of the places I still go to. I remember meeting everyone there before I jetted off back to Thailand in 2014, they all came to say farewell, it was such a great night. This photo is again devoid of people which surprises me as I took this photo at 4.00pm on a Friday afternoon – I’m not complaining though!

I was on a mission to see things I’ve never seen before and I spot the ‘Rosa Concordia Signum’ which means ‘the Rose, Emblem of Harmony’ After a little research, I realise this is Northamptonshire’s motto.

There are two little alleyways in the town centre. One is Frances Jetty, leading from Bridge Street to St Peter’s Way. All the times my friends and I used this alley to get our taxis home after a night out on Bridge Street, I never knew its name. It really is amazing how much we miss sometimes!

The second alley is called Jeyes Jetty and this one used to run between the Drapery and College Street. Again, I was interested to find out that this alley is linked to the invention of Jeyes Fluid and used to be called ‘Screaming Alley’ due to painful dental extractions that happened there.

I’ll let you read the notice on the gate.

The New Testament Church of God is housed in this Greek-style building, complete with columns and arched windows and these carved stone faces and decorative capitals on another building up the road. Both things I hadn’t taken much notice of before.

I can’t wait to see what else I can find, what else evokes memories and what else will make me smile. 🙂

Something old, something new!

Last week, I published ‘Another Day, Another Walk’ and this week I am publishing ‘Something old, something new.’ The same walk a few months apart and this time I walked further and took the long way back home.

On my walks around the town, I may take the same or similar photos, but I always manage to find something new to capture.

And, after many years away from my hometown, I really enjoy exploring it!

Trees and water, buildings and wall art, birds and animals, graffiti, bridges and flowers are all things that I am drawn too and can’t myself taking a few photographs!

What are you drawn too?

Another Day, Another Walk

One of my favourite walks around Northampton takes just over an hour and circles around the town centre and along the River Nene.

Leaving home, I walk south along the A508 until I get to St Peters Way. I leave the busy road and walk along the footpath that leads me towards the River Nene with Carlsberg to my left.

I carry on walking and bear left, so the river is on my right-hand side.

Further along, I see South Bridge – which, in the 19th century, was the main entrance to Northampton from London (South Bridge – Far Cotton History Group (fchg.org.uk).

Across South Bridge, I see the entrance to Northampton Waterside with the former Latimer and Crick building next to it. The building has been converted into flats since then.

I continue to walk along the tow path and see the narrow boats moored up along the river.

At the end of the tow-path, I walk along the path into Beckett’s Park..

Under University Bridge..

And follow the path around Midsummer Meadow.

Until I see The Ark – a floating cafe serving coffee on the river.

Here, the path goes to the left and to the right. If you bear right and cross the river, you can keep following the path if you fancy a longer walk, but today I cross just to take a couple of photos from the other side of the river.

I walk back over the river and see an old Victorian chimney.

Then, I am back on a busy road again and walking away from nature, up passed the hospital until I get to the Wellingborough Road with The Spread Eagle pub on the corner of Market Street.

I cut through the houses to Kettering Road, up Clare Street, and passed The Swan and Helmet.

I’m always happy when I go out and about with my camera and even happier I’ve made the effort to get out into the fresh air – there is nothing better! Peace and Love 🙂

Thought of the Day – Hope

Last week’s ‘thought of the day’ was – smile. The next thing I got from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book – ‘Peace is every step‘ is – hope.

I am a hopeful person. I am someone who hopes that everything will work out in the end. Indeed one of my mantras is that everything DOES work out in the end.

We say things like:

‘Let’s hope for the best’

‘Hopefully it will be ok / Hopefully it will work out’

‘I hope it won’t be too long…’

Thich Nhat Hanh states:

‘If you can refrain from hoping, you can bring yourself entirely into the present moment and discover the joy that is already here’

Is hope an obstacle which stops you being in the present moment?

Whilst I want to enjoy every moment I have on this earth, I don’t think there is anything wrong with hoping!

For me, to hope is to keep positive, to work towards my goals, and to know that everything will work out in the end!

What do you think?

Inspirational Quotes — Everything works out in the end

Thought for the Day – Smile

A friend of mine told me about a book by Thich Nhat Hanh – Peace is in every Step, so I bought it. I can’t remember if I have read it from start to finish (I plan to (again!)), but I wrote down some things that resonated with me.

The first one is – Smile.

When I am out and about, I look at people that pass me by. I sometimes smile at them and sometimes I get a smile in return.

When I lived in Surin in Thailand, I’d often get annoyed at people because they kept looking at me (there weren’t many foreigners in that part of Thailand when I lived there the first time), but I soon realised that they were simply curious and if I just relaxed and took it in my stride and SMILED BACK, I was always rewarded with great big smiles and such enthusiasm. It really made my day and I hope it made theirs too!

“Sometimes, your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”– Thich Nhat Hanh

So, from me to you… catch my smile!

Peace and love 🙂

A Walk Around Delapre Park – in Photos

I love going out and about with my camera – I really need to do it more often! These photos are from one of my favourite places to walk around – Delapre Park.

Can you tell I like trees? And reflections. And birds! LOL 😉

I hope you enjoyed the views!

Summer Leys Nature Reserve – Revisited

I wrote about Summer Leys Nature Reserve a couple of months ago, but I actually went there for the first time in 2019. In June, 2022, I went back and enjoyed another walk there – this time taking photos of the animals and birds that use the reserve as their home.

We’ll get to the creatures in a minute, but here is a reminder of how lovely the reserve itself is.

I visited in the summer again and as you can see, the fields, flowers, plants and trees are in full bloom.

Now to the animals and birds which is what took me back to Summer Leys in the first place.

The first thing I spot is this butterfly resting on a leaf. I am not sure, but I think this is a Polygonia c-album – a species which is common around the UK (Wikipedia). Insects are notoriously difficult to photograph, but this one was kind enough to rest long enough for me to capture it.

As I wander along the path, I come out into open fields where these sheep are grazing or having a rest – oblivious to me watching them.

There are also a few Highland cattle at the reserve. These grazing animals help keep the grass short throughout the year

Close up of one of these huge beasts. Good job my camera has a long lens on it!

A much smaller mammal, the grey squirrel is a resident of the UK and can be seen everywhere from parks to reserves like this one. I love watching them scamper around.

There are so many birds to be seen here too like this bullfinch.

And this Long-tailed tit (you can just about see it in the trees).

The reserves gives the birds a little helping hand with these birdfeeders. If you stay quiet and in one place for a short amount of time, then more will come – like this Blue tit.

And this Great tit.

As a walk around, I see a flash of movement in the bushes and managed to capture this cute little fellow – I believe it is a Willow Warbler.

I think it’s great that places like this are dedicated to looking after the wildlife.

There are also different kinds of habitats for every species to have a chance of success!

No matter how big or small you are!

If you are ever in the area, I recommend a little walk around Summer Leys Nature Reserve, it’s a great spot for wildlife watching and getting back into nature.

Peace and Love.

The Changing Seasons – October to December 2022

October – December in photos!

October

I always try to get out for a walk at least once over the weekend and I can’t resist taking photos of the vivid colours of nature while they last this late in the year.

November

Four ‘photos of the day’ that make me smile because they evoke some lovely memories.

Places to go in Rotterdam — Centraal Station, Rotterdam

December

The weather changed for the worse in December and we had snow on the ground.

Sending you all love and best wishes for the coming year! Let’s hope 2023 is a year of peace, joy and wellness for us all!

The Changing Seasons is hosted by Ju-Lyn at Touring my Backyard, and Brian and Bushboys World

About The Changing Seasons

But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.

There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.

Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them.