Plans

Another walk was planned for to-day. But what happens to plans? Things turn out differently.

Found out this morning that a friend is 40 on Sunday. We knew his birthday is in January, but hadn't realised only a few days away.
So a trip to the shops was required. Just the local shops, admittedly.

Had to go to the supermarket as well. So we called for Lucy and took her. She didn't find the trip very exciting - she was asleep within five minutes!

And now it's almost time for all that 'happy new year' crap...

Winter Walks

We've had dry weather for more than a week now. Although there's high pressure, some days are very cloudy, while on others the sun manages to break through.

It's good weather for walking. To-day we walked round Downhill Forest which lies to the left of the A2 just past Castlerock.
The forest - more of a wood, really - was originally part of the estate of Frederick Harvey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry.
The lake in the photo was created as a fishpond, but is now home to ducks and waterhens.

We've had several walks, including one on Christmas Day. At 8.30 that morning my wife and I were on Castlerock beach. That particular walk was intended to relieve the stress of preparing dinner for ten people.
It worked too - we had Christmas Day free of arguments...

Christmas Cheer

No posts for a few days now...but it was Christmas, after all.

Which is a poor excuse coming from someone who doesn't really like the so-called 'festive season'.

Christmas is good for those who believe in the religious aspect. Or, it's good for small children who believe in Santa Claus. Of course, a cynic might say both of those groups are equally deluded.

For the rest of us, it's about too much - spending, food, alcohol, etc...

Happy Christmas!!

Enjoy....

Wind of Change

Another dark day, both economically and weatherwise.

A local factory - now almost the only local factory - announced 92 redundancies yesterday evening.
This factory - AVX Ltd - was established in Coleraine over 25 years ago. It makes ceramic capacitors for the electronics industry. At peak production some years ago, it employed around 900 people. This is now down to 390 - before the latest redundancies.
The jobs have gradually transferred abroad to countries where labour is cheaper. And now the economic downturn is seeing off the remaining workers.

The weather? Wet, with gale force winds.

Dark Days

We're into the dark days before Christmas. Days when it never really gets clear.

I usually find the month up to the shortest day very depressing but, for some reason, this year it hasn't bothered me.
The constant barrage of bad news on TV and in the papers should make anyone depressed. But not me - I feel remarkably positive, considering my circumstances...

Business Plan

Another meeting at the enterprise agency.
The next course on starting a business doesn't run until January. As I need to be organised before then, I am getting help with drawing up a business plan.

I've got an idea. But there's a lot involved in making it a reality.

Glasgow...or Edinburgh?

I was a bit confused to-day.
I had to go to a meeting in Glasgow, but I flew to Edinburgh. It's logical really - the meeting was in a hotel on the Edinburgh side of Glasgow. Last time, I flew into Glasgow and the traffic hold-ups were terrible. This time it was a clear run to and from Edinburgh.
It was just in Belfast that I had to keep reminding myself which gate I wanted.

No photos, because no camera. It's bad enough getting a laptop through security, without a camera as well.

I thought I would know more about my redundancy. I had a meeting with the regional manager but, apparently, that was just part of the 'consultation process'.

Decisions

Time for decisions about the future...

More Shopping

Still no photos. This was another shopping day - Christmas has got to be sorted.

Coleraine runs a free Park and Ride scheme each Saturday in December. The bus goes from the local retail park to the town centre.
We used it this afternoon - coming back, we got the last bus and were the only passengers.

Usually we would shop in Ballymena or Derry, both about 26 or 27 miles away.
Shopping in our own town was our way of economising.

Photography

Must get back to taking a few photos.

Perhaps that would take my mind off other issues?

Jobseeker

I believe Jobseekers Allowance pays £60.50 per week.

There aren't many jobs to pick and choose from in this part of the world.

I reckon it'll be back to self-employment for me. Yesterday I rang the local Enterprise Agency and got an appointment for to-day.
There's no financial help for going self-employed, but they run courses to help with starting a business. So I've signed up...

The First Day

The first day after the news that I am to be made redundant - after only eleven months in the job. A job I had hoped would last me until retirement...

It wasn't a complete surprise, of course. No job in financial services could be described as 'secure' at the moment.

A Bleak Day

My regional manager was over again to-day.

He didn't have any good news.....

Long Day

Left home at 8.30 this morning to drive to Newry. A two hour drive - about as far as I can go without leaving Northern Ireland.
Came home via Ballyclare, as I had a couple of calls to do.
Got home again just after 7.30.

So, once again, no time for photos.

Shopping

I did say there was good walking weather forecast...

But, no walking, just shopping. I think I heard Christmas mentioned.

Friday

Friday again.

Almost the weekend - with frosty nights and sunny days forecast.
Good weather for walking. And taking photos?

Snow Again

I should have taken a photo before I went to bed last night.
It had snowed heavily - well, I suppose there might have been an inch of the stuff.

I thought I'd wait until daylight. And this morning, it had gone...

Moral? Never put off, etc, etc.

Busy?

Over the last week, photo opportunities have been few and far between...Or have I just been too busy with other things and have failed to spot the opportunities?

Frost

The view from the back of my house early this morning. A really hard frost last night.

No Photo (7)

To-day was Team Meeting day.
For most people going to a team meeting in connection with work is relatively straightforward. But not for me.
My team meetings are held in Scotland - either Glasgow or Edinburgh. To-day was Glasgow, which meant I left home just before 6.30am and didn't get back until 10.00pm.
I should have been away earlier in the morning because, when I was queueing for security, I heard the last call for my flight. I got escorted out to the plane on my own - the last passenger to board.
Apparently the flight had arrived early, and was ready to leave early...so not my fault then!
On the way back, however, there was a twenty minute delay - well done, Easyjet.

Reflection

Reflection after heavy rain.

Beginning or End?

Depending on which way you approach it, this is either the beginning or the end of the riverside path I have shown recently.
Above is looking down the path towards Coleraine, while below, looking the other way, is the car park.

Belfast

We spent a few hours in Belfast to-day. One of the places we visited was the relatively new Victoria Square shopping centre. It's got a large House of Fraser store, along with a variety of other quite upmarket stores.
An attraction for shoppers - or tourists - is the dome above the centre. From here you can see the city in all directions. We decided to go up for a look to-day, but we left it rather late. By the time we got up, it was almost dark and all that could be seen was the reflection of parts of the inside of the centre - see the above photo.


This is the Belfast Wheel, with the City Hall behind it.
I went on the Wheel this time last year. You have a terrific view of the city when you're up at the top.

Reeds?

This is another view of the riverside path. I think these are reeds which grow between the path and the river.

Leaves

Looks more like winter now.......taken on the riverside walk I mentioned yesterday.
This is an alternative to walking down Castlerock beach, although I prefer the seaside.

High Tide

At high tide the river comes very close to the path which runs from just below the Cutts towards the town.

A Lock

Beside the sluice gates at the Cutts, there is a lock. This is one of five locks on the Lower Bann, which allow navigation of the river from Lough Neagh to the sea. The photo above shows the approach to the lock from upriver of the sluice gates. The small jetty has been constructed recently.


This is the approach to the lock.
The Cutts got its' name from the fact that a channel was cut into the bedrock of the river to bypass the rapids and allow navigation.

Calm Water

Upriver from the sluice gates the water looks calm. The area which is cordoned off is the danger area for small boats. Here the force of the current under the gates could easily destroy a boat.

Floodgates

There are three sets of floodgates on the Lower Bann. This is the final set at the Cutts, just outside Coleraine. The remaining 9km of the river is tidal.
The floodgates are used to control water levels in Lough Neagh - the largest lake in the British Isles - which has a catchment area draining 43% of the land area of Northern Ireland. The lough has only one outlet - the Lower Bann.


Canoeing is being promoted from a tourism perspective. The Lower Bann Canoe Trail runs the approximate 60km length of the river.


These photos were taken from the west bank of the river. Next to the east bank there is a weir, which can be seen in the above picture.

Bridge

This is a view of the Foyle Bridge in Derry/Londonderry/Doire (delete according to your political/religious viewpoint).
Personally, I have always known this city as Derry - in the same way as I have lived most of my life in Co. Derry. My use of the name reflects no particular political or religious belief.
The city is also known as the Maiden City. More recently, in a move aimed at tourists, it has become known as the Walled City.
I was too far away from the bridge to do it justice......better next time, perhaps.

Another Beach

This is part of the beach at Portballintrae. The Giant's Causeway is just behind the headland in the background.

Low Cloud

I drove from Coleraine to Limavady this morning. As can be seen, it was a miserable day. The picture was taken at the top of the mountain - well, what we call a mountain here...more of a big hill, really.

End of Autumn...

Just a quick shot of Mountsandel Wood, fading now from its' autumn glory.

No Photo (6)

Another day without a photo. A combination of work and personal business to-day.
Lucy had a hospital appointment in Belfast and, as her mum and dad don't have a car, I took them.
She was born with an extra thumb on one hand - apparently an extra finger or toe is quite common. This was her first time to see the plastic surgeon.
He said it would be a straightforward operation, but he wouldn't do anything until she was at least a year old.

No Photo (5)

A few days ago I said that I might have been over-ambitious in aiming to post a photo taken, on the day, each day.
In fact, until I have built up a reserve, there will be days like to-day when I can't post any photo.

I don't work set hours, so some days are busier than others. Not every day offers the same photographic opportunities.
But, I'll keep going...

County Hall

This is a view of the County Hall in Coleraine - looking across the river Bann from what was once part of the harbour. This site has been redeveloped and is now a retail store with associated car parking.

Early Morning

I was on the beach before nine this morning. As you can see, I was completely alone.
Judging by the footprints, however, other people were there before me.


This is a view of Castlerock, with the Mussenden Temple on the edge of the cliff in the distance.
The shot was taken from the pier at the Barmouth. The camera's lens was at full stretch, so the quality isn't great.

Promenade

If you live here the address, simply and grandly, is Promenade, Castlerock. Mind you, there aren't very many houses with this address. There were more houses built further back on Main Street, because the ground was higher and there was a better view of the sea.
According to what it says here, this should be known as an Esplanade.
Whatever you call it, it's where I park my car when I walk down the beach. My car isn't in the photo, by the way...

Car Park

On the other side of the road from the swimming pool, which I mentioned yesterday, there was a car park. Guess what.......it's now an apartment block!


The view of the back of the block was taken from a small car park which overlooks the village and the sea. It was dull and damp this morning, so it isn't possible to see the sea beyond the apartments.
The Belfast to Derry railway line is just visible in the bottom corner of the photo.

Swimming Pool

This was once the site of Castlerock's swimming pool.
I suppose an outdoor pool on the north coast of Northern Ireland was always doomed. People want pools to be covered over and to contain comfortably warm water.
Still, it's a pity it had to be replaced with another apartment block.



Perhaps I'm just jealous that I don't own one of the apartments. They've got a quite spectacular view, after all.
And I wouldn't have to drive from Coleraine for a morning walk...

Castlerock Beach

I have mentioned Castlerock before - it's a small coastal village a few miles from Coleraine.
I like the beach here because it's quite an easy walk from the promenade to the Barmouth. I did that walk early this morning, before work.
I would like to live right beside the beach, but perhaps I'd never get to work then...
The photo above was taken from close to the Barmouth looking towards the village. The early morning mist is just clearing away.


This is where the beach ends - in a contrast between old and new. Like all the seaside towns and villages in Northern Ireland, Castlerock is being swamped with new apartment buildings. Or rather, it was being swamped - the housing market is dead, no-one wants a holiday apartment, so all building work has stopped for a while.

Light

The photo above was taken from the top of Ramore Head, Portrush, looking across the West Bay.
The one below is a view of the Skerries to the east side of the town. The Skerries are a number of small rocky outcrops off the East Strand.


It was a lovely afternoon, so my wife and I walked right round Portrush.
The town is situated on a peninsula jutting out into the sea, with Ramore Head being its' outermost point.
It's a small seaside resort, long past its' heyday now.

Causeway Hospital

This is a view of the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.
I was visiting this afternoon because my wife's sister is a patient at the moment.
When I arrived it was virtually impossible to get parked. The car park isn't big enough - although, admittedly, there's no charge for using it.

Car parking has become a particular problem since the new restrictions on visiting hours were imposed. The recent outbreak of c.difficile in the Northern Trust's area has caused changes in the way our local hospitals are run.
There has been a return to the old ways - visitors not allowed before or after certain times. The only thing missing is the bell ringing to tell everyone "Time to leave".

I was a little late in leaving, so the car park had begun to empty by the time I took the photo. What really annoyed me when I was trying to find a space was the number of times two cars - parked at an angle - were occupying three spaces.
Is it that difficult to park a car properly?

Snow

I said it was getting like winter, but it's unusual for us to have snow this early. The photo is of Slemish near Ballymena. Like the rest of the Antrim Hills it's got a light coating of snow.
We've had a bad summer and autumn, so I hope this isn't a sign of an equally bad winter to come.
Apparently to-day was the coldest October day here since 1934.

Winter

The clocks went back on Saturday night, so it's almost dark by 5.30 now. Makes it feel like winter.
The weather is changing too. Only 6 degrees this afternoon, with a chilly northwest breeze making it feel colder. According to the forecast, it's to get colder as the week goes on.
There must be a possibility of frost to-night because the gritting lorries were out when I was coming home this evening. It was raining at the time, mind you, so I thought it sort of defeated the object of the exercise.

The photograph above is of Ramore Head at Portrush. It's more effective if you click to enlarge it.
Below? Well, just the end of autumn.

Renewable Energy

This windmill is a recent addition to our local skyline. It is situated in the grounds of the University of Ulster's Coleraine campus and provides part of their electricity supply.
There were a variety of protests about a windmill being constructed close to the town. Many people regard it as an eyesore.
I don't agree. I think windmills are quite elegant - and infinitely better than having a power station on your doorstep.

Late Afternoon Sky

Blue sky appeared briefly, late this afternoon. It was a windy, wet and miserable day, typical of autumn. Many trees have lost virtually all their leaves already. And a hint of winter is in the air.

Railings

Our local council have obviously decided that these railings should be highly visible. Perhaps they even glow in the dark?
I suppose they have to use special paint to prevent corrosion caused by the sea spray, but surely other colours are available. Or is it just undercoat?
This is part of the West Strand at Portrush at close to high tide.

More Rain

If there's a pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow, I should have spent the day searching around the second field back from my house.
Just think, I could be rich now...

Gale Force?

It was quite breezy to-day, but I didn't think it was bad enough to bring branches of trees down.
This was the scene in a local car-park.
There were no parking spaces, so the photo was taken out the car window.
The quality isn't great, but there was just one shot because I was blocking the way and the impatient person behind started blowing their car horn.

The Barmouth

The Barmouth is where the River Bann enters the sea close to the village of Castlerock. The river divides Portstewart Strand from Castlerock Beach. The photo above is looking up-river, while the one below is the view out to sea.

This little warning sign doesn't deter people from walking down the pier. But what it says is very true, as can be seen below. This picture was taken from the Castlerock side of the river.

Petrol...Prices Down?

In Coleraine a litre of petrol costs less than £1 again. OK, it's 99.9 pence, but that's less than £1. Diesel is still about 11p dearer than petrol.
The situation's a bit different when you cross the border into the Republic. The photo above shows petrol slightly cheaper than in the UK, but diesel is around 15p cheaper.
I have bought all my petrol and diesel at this filling station in Muff, Co. Donegal for a number of years. I have saved a lot of money over the years, because the price differential used to be greater. The exchange rate hasn't been in my favour for some months now. Around a year ago a euro's worth of fuel cost me 69p, now it costs 80p.
It's getting to the point where it won't be worth driving over the border to get petrol, but I'll still make the trip for my diesel.

Exercise?

Somerset Wood covers an area of 375 acres. It was originally part of Somerset Desmesne and was purchased by the Forest Service in 1944. During World War II it was an American Army base used for training exercises prior to D-Day.


The photo below shows the Exercise Cluster referred to on the sign at the entrance. There is some information about how this cluster should be used.
I didn't bother to read the details because exercise and I are not compatible. Apart from walking, that is.
There are two walks around the wood, the longer one being commonly known as the Trim Trail.

This is the entrance to the car park. I took this photo because the sun was shining!