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Showing posts from April, 2009

The Fens, Where we Live Now

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Vicki and I have moved to the Northeast of England near Cambridge. This is an area called the Fens. It is low and flat generally and shares a natural history with Holland in that it once was underwater and has been drained and pumped for 500 years. Indeed it was the Dutch who brought their expertise and technology of claiming land from the sea. Canals and windmills did the work at first followed by steam and now electric and diesel pumps. Here are some photos of what it may have looked like hundreds of years ago. We visited a National Trust property that tries to protect some old Fen land. These pictures were taken during our first house hunting trip. (Mamiya 645 Old School 2) In the heart of the Fens is the town of Ely also known as the Isle of Ely. It is on a small rise and at one time was an island on which is perched a small village and a Cathedral. The town is pronounced (EElee) as the wetlands around were abundant with eels which gave the town its name. The ca

St Lucia Holiday

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Last March Vicki and I decided to take a little holiday. What with the stress of having left her old job and the new beginning and fresh start of her new job it seemed the right way to start things off. We flew into the southern end of the island to the town of Vieux Fort and and stayed at Coconut Bay an all-inclusive resort of reasonable expense. These pictures were all taken on my Mamiya (Old School 2) film camera. This was a typical view from the beach. Vicki with some relaxing reading near the lazy river. This was a hill near the hotel entrance. Part of it was being quarried away. The hotel was situated in an old coconut plantation. This is the town of Vieux Fort. The island was contested many times by the French and British so while it has close ties to Britain as a Commonwealth country there are many signs of French influence. There was also a long history of piracy here. The Pitons are two distinctively shaped mountains. They form part of the flag and are featured here on the si