Fraxinus excelsior

 

The Tyne Tunnels

The first two tunnels under the River Tyne were for pedestrians and cyclists.  The twin tunnels were opened in 1951 to coincide with the Festival of Britain and at their peak were used by 20,000 people a day, many of them workers in the shipyards and factories along the Tyne.  The first road tunnel opened in 1969 and the second in 2011.  I first went to photograph the pedestrian tunnel some years ago, before it closed in 2013 (for six years) for refurbishment.  On Sunday I went back for another look.

The wooden escalators no longer function and two have been replaced by funicular lifts (which were out of operation when I went).  The remaining escalators are now used as stairs, going down only.  Now I am reminded what the tunnels are like I may go back again with my camera, especially if the funicular lifts are working.

When seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Eric Cantona 1995.

Mother's ruin

These photos were taken one afternoon during the lockdown, as an experiment with a macro lens and a bottle of Isle of Harris gin.  The bottle is beautiful and the images it offers are infinitely varied, although it is interesting that the lens can see less detail than the human eye, probably because of the difference in focal length.  Here are just a few.

Half moon

I don't know if it was the high pressure and fine weather, or the lack of aircraft and road traffic, or a combination of the two, but the air seemed very clear in May.  This was a quick snapshot taken on the afternoon of 30th May in bright sunshine while I was mainly photographing starlings (on earth).  Today it has been cloudy and raining but that has given me an opportunity to download pictures from the camera.

Can you guess?

There is a lot of work to do in the garden at this time of year and the current restrictions mean there is no excuse for not getting on with it.  However, it is easy to get distracted and end up taking photos of the garden incinerator with the iPhone.  I suppose that's what happens when you get old.

The Baltic, Gateshead