Whiting's bridge on the Oxford Canal looking in need of a bit of TLC.

The past reflections aspect goes back getting on for 60 years to my 'formative' years when the canal was part of our local 'play' area. One Sunday when we were about 11 or 12 or so, 3 of us decided to see how far we could go along the canal before we got too tired or too bored to carry on. We didn't much think of what would happen at that point! We did tell our parents (part of) what we were doing and that we would be back around teatime ie 5-6pm.

So we started at the nearest point to our homes which was Tusses bridge (the next bridge along from the one above), and headed east along the tow-path. All 3 of us were pretty energetic youngsters and used to race one another around a short loop in the road next to our house where 10 laps was approx. one mile. Some of our races went up to 30, 40 or even 50 laps, so the idea of seeing now far we could get was a bit of a challenge! Thus we walked, trotted (now the term would be 'jogged'!) or ran. About 5 hours later, in the early afternoon, we thought that we'd better head back. We had no concrete idea of where we were, though we did know that it must be somewhere around Rugby, and that we could catch a (Midland Red) bus back to Coventry from there.

Looking at the canal map, I think that we must have been somewhere between Rugby and Hillmorton. I do remember leaving the canal and walking a short way along a small road which went over the main West Coast rail line, before coming to a main road where we'd seen buses travelling. It turned out to be the main Northampton to Rugby road (A428) and we were able to catch a bus back all the way back to Coventry. Little did we realise at the time how fortunate we were for the canal to be so close to a main road travelling in the right direction for us! I don't remember getting into trouble for being late back, so I guess we mustn't have been too late getting home!

Tags:   reflection bridge Oxford Canal coth5

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Harrold-Odell Country Park on a cold December afternoon.
The second, more distant, stretch of water is from a very high River Ouse which has flooded the water meadows. It serves to show the rashness of being tempted to build on a flood plain, thankfully not done along the Ouse Valley. A few miles away in Northampton the severe floods in 1998, in which 2 people died and 4500 homes were evacuated, were partly the result of too much concrete in places where it shouldn't have been.

Tags:   sunset Harrold-Odell Country Park reflection NGC coth5 NPC

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A solitary barge braves the winter weather and breaks the ice as it heads along the Oxford Canal towards Hawkesbury Junction.

Tags:   Oxford Canal barge reflection

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After exiting Elter Water, the Brathay flows towards Skelwith Bridge before joining with the Rothay and flowing into Windermere at its northern end.

The riverside path along its northern bank from Skelwith Bridge (& Skelwith Force) to Elterwater village is one of the most popular short walks in the Lake District (some people can be seen (approx centre shot). This view is from the south bank after crossing the footbridge above Skelwith Force and heading right along a thin path through the woodland to the river's edge.
Harrison Stickle wth Pavey Ark to its right (with the diagonal slant of Jack's Rake [closer view here: flic.kr/p/fftUSz ] above the furthest tree) are seen through the trees.

#49 - Water - 52 in 2018 Challenge

Tags:   Lake District Harrison Stickle Langdale water reflections

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A rather worn female emperor dragonfly laying down her eggs.

Tags:   emperor dragonfly Wicken Fen NGC coth5 NPC

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