From Pittenweem to the Cold War

One of our days out during our Scottish holiday featured a very curious combination of destinations. We began at the delightful fishing village of Pittenweem, on the Fife coast.

After a stroll through the village we ended up at the harbour where we found a plethora of colourful fishing boats. Chatting to one of the locals we learnt that the iron structure pointing out from the top of the harbour building a winch which is used to fill the boats with ice to keep the catch cold.

As we stood on the harbour wall, a trawler returned to harbour, followed by a flock of gulls.

Click on any image to see it enlarged.

One of the local inhabitants.

After a tasty fish and chip lunch we headed back out into the Scottish countryside and found a flock of sheep who were intrigued by our presence!

During our drive to Pittenweem that morning we’d noticed a tourist sign announcing ‘Scotland’s Secret Bunker’ (not so secret now!) which piqued our interest so we headed there to investigate. This unassuming house was the access point for a bunker where the government would have kept track of nuclear radiation over this area of Scotland and helped keep what was left of the country running in the event of a nuclear attack during the Cold War.

There were a number of these scattered around the UK and we’ve visited the one at Kelvedon Hatch (not far from our home) in Essex before so it was interesting to compare them. Like its Essex counterpart, the Scottish bunker is accessed via a long corridor and some stairs, leading you deep beneath the surface.

As we explored the building we saw the different activities which would have taken place there, from monitoring the weather and wind (to see which way the nuclear fallout would have travelled) to keeping the core functions of government going.

Because staff would have lived here for many months the bunker also has dormitories, a chapel and a canteen.

Rather unexpectedly we learnt the bunker is home to two cats these days - no doubt tasked with keeping the mice under control. One of them, called Cleo, obligingly posed for a photo. Of course, the cat flap is a more recent addition - it certainly wouldn’t have been up to the task of keeping out the nuclear radiation!

Many of the spaces were decorated to give a sense that the staff had just popped away for a moment. These human details and the dramatic lighting made these places quite eerie.

Telephone switchboards and weather monitoring. One of the tools that would have been used to learn more about a nuclear attack was a giant pinhole camera positioned on the surface. In the event of a nuclear blast someone would have been sent above ground to unload the photographic paper from the camera and then develop it. The image of the explosion would then have shown the direction and size of the explosion. Fortunately none of these plans were ever needed but it’s a fascinating glimpse back at this period of history and how government would have continued if the worst had happened.

The station doctor has evidently been here a very long time!

Photos taken 28 April 2023.

Low tech London

I’ve long since known that I work best as a photographer when I give myself some photographic restrictions. That might be working with a single prime lens, or sometimes even shooting with a camera which is really simple. During a recent visit to London I went very low tech, taking just my Holga 120 camera and my 6x6 format pinhole camera along.

For a cheap camera (mine cost me a princely £21 on eBay) the Holga’s plastic lens is remarkably sharp, but it has a very characterful look, with a distinctive softening around the edges. The viewfinder offers an approximation of what’ll appear in the finished photo - a quirk I’m still getting to understand better, as you can see in my photo below.

I wonder who visits a park with benches but takes along their own seat?!

A trio of photos from around BBC New Broadcasting House.

A little multiple exposure fun around the Post Office Tower.

And finally, one pinhole photo from the courtyard outside New Broadcasting House.

Photos taken April 2023

Hidden in the Sussex countryside

Tucked away in the depths of the Sussex countryside, at Tortington next to a farm, I found the delightful church of St Mary Magdalene.

Photographing churches on sunny days can be a challenge as it creates a huge contrast between the bright windows and the dark interior. Despite that, a day like this also brings a gorgeous glow to churches like St Mary’s so it’s worth making the effort to work with the light,

Through the arched window(s)… Click on any image to see it enlarged.

Photos taken 17 April 2023

St Giles' Cathedral

Fourteen years on from my last visit to St Giles’ Cathedral I had only the vaguest of memories of the building so it was interesting to return and see what I’d forgotten.

Tourist season had definitely kicked in so it was tricky to capture wide, sweeping views of the Cathedral but I found plenty of lovely corners to aim my camera at and the low spring sun created some beautiful contrasts.

One clear memory I did have from last time was the many regimental flags, some of which have aged so much they’re translucent.

My favourite part of the building was the Thistle Chapel, with its ornate ceiling and wonderful characters on the pews.

Just before I left I spent some time sitting in the nave, taking in the architectural shapes and noticing where the Cathedral had been altered over the centuries. A rather more modern addition are the extraordinary ‘space ship’ lights which I rather like!

Photos taken 3rd April 2023

Georgian Splendour

My exploration of Edinburgh today offered plenty of contrasts. I spent some time at the wonderful St Cecilia’s Hall - a concert hall built in 1763. Its oval performing space is the height of Georgian elegance, although I did curse the modern projector screen which filled the stage and prevented me getting a photo of that end of the hall, with its beautiful pipe organ!

I was particularly taken with the oval roof light and its simple, sleek lines.

More elegant architecture along Princes Street.

Edinburgh is built on the side of a long extinct volcano which means much of the city is very hilly. Many of the streets run parallel to each other along the side of the hill, but rather than expecting pedestrians to walk long distances around the end of each street, there are many narrow alleyways (I would call them twittens but I imagine there’s a local Edinburgh name for them too!) which cut between them. Some of them involve navigating lots of steps or steep slopes, but they make for some great photo opportunities!

Old Assembly Close isn’t a close at all - you can walk right through and out the other side!

Looking up to the light along one of the alleyways.

Photos taken 30 March 2023

Bridging the Clyde

During a recent visit to Scotland I spent a very enjoyable day strolling along the River Clyde with my friend Matt. The dramatic cloudy skies just called out for a black and white treatment - very photogenic, even if they did empty their contents over us so we ended the day looked like drowned rats!

A long disused crane alongside the river. The small rotunda beneath it once contained the lift shaft to a tunnel beneath the river.

Matt told me this bridge is known as the ‘Squinty Bridge’ by the locals on account of its offset arch!

Another curvaceous bridge across the Clyde.

Our walk took us beneath several railway bridges too - this one offered some particularly dramatic contrasts of light and shadow.

Photos taken 29 March 2023

A wondrous respite from the rain

For my birthday a couple of weeks ago I treated myself to a day in Cambridge, although sadly the weather didn’t take any notice of my request for good weather. Instead it poured with rain - hardly conducive to spending time looking for interesting characters on the streets.

Rather than getting drenched I bought a ticket to visit Kings College Chapel where I at least knew would keep warm and dry. During a previous visit I discovered the Chapel has underfloor heating - a real boon if getting the magic photo requires you to lie on the ground!

The vaulting at Kings is exquisite so my eyes were perpetually being drawn upwards.

A stolen view through to the choir.

Two small scenes from the choir

Arches within arches in one of the side chapels

A final glance back at the trumpeters on the organ and that wonderful ceiling.

Photos taken 9 March 2023