Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024

I have been up the Shard and visited the Monument.  Both buildings have their charm and give unparalleled views of the London skyline.  I have seen Westminster and beyond from the London Eye where your excitement builds as the wheel slowly turns.  Eeventually when you reach the pinnacle of the journey, you have a super view of the Houses of Parliament and the Southbank where cars and trains move around like they are part of a model village.  There are many others that I have been fortunate to visit over the years and all provide an assortment of bird eye views of London.  Do I need to visit another high-rise viewing platform?  

Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
It is a long way down.
Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Diagonal lines created by the sun streaming into the viewing area.
Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Walking away from the view.

My recent visit to London was to undertake a planned photowalk organised by my photo-colleague Peter Thompson, that would take in the Regent’s canal and Shoreditch.  We covered most of the itinerary during the day. We were nearing the finish and about to reward ourselves with a cup of tea before heading off for our trains home.  We had walked the streets and towpaths of London and my feet were hurting.  I was weary.  Peter Thmpson suggested Horizon 42 as our final place to visit before that much needed cup of tea.   I was not sure what to expect from another high rise viewing platform.  Visiting the viewing platform is free but demand for tickets on the Internet is high.  Arriving at the entrance door to the building, the sign display indicated that tickets  were available.  A quick visit of the Horizon42 web site on my iPhone followed by downloading of the tickets, and we were through security and taking the ear popping lift to the summit. 

Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
The view with the Shard and the walkie talkie building.
Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
The view west
Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Looking east – Canary Wharf.

The Horizon22 viewing platform is simple but effectively designed.  There are split level floors and there is little to no décor on the white painted walls.  This maximises the light reflections and creates few distractions when taking and reviewing your picture taking.  Looking down from the upper platform, I noticed how the sun streams into the area creating shadows.  People are free to move around the spacious area and interact with the large windows that are present.  The day I went the weather was clear and the London landmarks were easy to spot.  The viewing platform looks out over Tower Bridge and the Shard.  I was able to see Canary Wharf and other places quite clearly.  I had my polarising lens cover on my Fujifilm x100v which minimised but did not completely eliminate the reflections in the glass from the strong sunlight.  In spite of this my pictures turned out well and I appreciated the view in between using my camera.

Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Looking East – Tower Bridge.

I enjoyed my visit to Horizon22,  the experience was good and I found the attendants to be pleasant and helpful.  I was not allowed to take my mini tripod up to the top but the security ensured that it was carefully looked after and I picked it up on my exit.

There is a photography bonus in the plaza as you exit the building.  You are able to  look up to the top of the building which makes for a good picture composition.

Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Looking up at Horizon22
Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Talking skyscrapers
Horizon22, Bishopsgate. London, March 2024
Taking time out for a phone call.

Would I recommend going up Horizon22? Definitely! The skyscraper is probably a better experience than the Shard which requires the purchase of tickets.  In comparison Horizon22 is completely free and a link to the website is below.

https://horizon22.co.uk

Having read my blog then you may find my account of 103 Colmore row in Birmingham interesting. Another viewing platform in yet another skyscraper.

Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.

At first a boat trip on Lake Windermere did not thrill me. I was not looking forward to being squashed and pushed around on an overcrowded boat with other tourists. So I was feeling very grumpy about the whole idea of a boat tip from Ambleside to Bowness. When we arrived at the boat terminal, I relented as I was the only one of the family who would be left behind and I did not know what I would do for the next few hours. Sandy bought the tickets and then went back and obtained a separate one for me. My grandchildren found it so funny that I was being such a grumpy Grandfather especially as they were the ones who generally were told off for having a strop. We waited at the ferry terminal for the boat to arrive.

Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
The Ferry terminal at Lakehead, Ambleside.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Entrance to the pier.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Passengers on the boat.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
A view from the boat.

Whilst standing at the entrance, I met Doug who worked for the Windermere Lake cruises. We had a lively conversation and my mood started to lift. We boarded the Swan Cruise boat, found some great seats for photographs and off we went. The scenery was stunning and both little and large boats passed us by. The grandchildren loved it.

Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Passing Low Wood Bay.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Sandy with the fells behind her.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Watching the boats go by.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Chloe and Sian.

We disembarked at Bowness and were completely engulfed by crowds of people moving around the Lakeside. Luckily just before my mood started to return, Rob, my son in law, spotted a good place for a drink. The Lake View Bar happened to have excellent views of the lake and provided super photograph opportunities. Why had I been so grumpy about this trip?

Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Arriving at Bowness Pier.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Fun at the harbour.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Watching the boats come in.
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
Calling all boats, your time is up.

Soon it was time to return to Ambleside, so we queued up and as we were at the front we were able to get seats right at the front of the boat. We set off from Bowness passing an armada of small boats darting around the bay. Once again, we saw the beauty of the lake and the shoreline although the clouds were covering the sun. As we reached Ambleside pier, the sun showed itself and I took a quick picture of the scene with the sailing boats lined up on the far shore. The picture was featured by Look North West tonight which was a nice surprise.

Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
The return journey home to Ambleside
Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
My picture featured on Look North West Tonight.

We had pre-booked dinner at the Wateredge hotel, a place I would recommend for visiting. The rain had arrived but the hotel had allowed us to use their tipi that was set up next to the lake shore. The hotel is excellent with good food, pleasant staff and excellent service. After a tasty fish and chips accompanied by a local beer, I had forgotten about the reason why I was so grumpy earlier in the day. The photographic record was a bonus and yes I do recommend taking a boat tip on Lake Windermere 🙂

Boat tip on Lake Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness, The Lake District, August, 2023.
The public pier at Lakehead Ambleside.

_________

Links to the complete series of my blogs around our visit to Little Langdale in the Lake District in August 2023.

Malvern Hills

The Malvern Hills are on our doorstep but surprisingly I have never walked over them. As our family holiday will be based in Loch Lomond, Scotland for a week in August, it was time to get some practice hiking done. In preparation for the walk, I purchased some new hiking boots and I wanted to break them in for a few climbs in Scotland. My daughter, Sian suggested the Malvern Hills and so together with Jim her husband we picked a Saturday morning in July. The spell of hot weather had broken but the forecast for the chosen weekend was rain and thunderstorms which was a worry. Fortunately such weather conditions never materialised bar a few occasional drops of rain.

Malvern Hills
Looking south from the Summit of British Camp


Our plan was to get up early and head for British Camp which is in the southern stretch of the Malvern Hill chain. The car park was empty when we arrived and even the Malvern hills Hotel over the road was very quiet. I was advised to start with this area of the Malvern Hill as some consider it to be the most interesting hill because of the large iron age hill Fort carved into the area. It is a quick hill to climb and once on the summit you have a commanding view of the surrounding geography. Looking North you see the hills in the following order, Black Hill, Pinnacle Hill, Jubilee Hill and Perseverance Hill. In the distance you can make out the highest of all the hills which is the Worcestershire Beacon. British Camp provides a super view, and my camera captured the scene well.

Malvern Hills
View of the Malvern Hills from British Camp

My camera for this adventure was the Fujifilm x100v. It is weather proofed, and ideal for the conditions on the hills over the weekend with the occasional drops of rain. The camera as you will have discovered is very versatile and produces excellent pictures as you will see from this blog. I had looked through many pictures of the hills and I had seen many postcard views. Also I knew that I would have difficulty matching any of the drone fly throughs or pictures that have been published. As always, I use my pictures to tell a story. The main story was the hiking over the hills and therefore some classic “here we are” people pictures are used in the story telling.

Malvern Hills
Sian and James on the summit of British Camp

With the Malvern Hills having been photographed many times before, I was interested in seeking out different views i.e. low down or interesting close ups. Any landscape pictures taken including points of interest in both the foreground and the background. The camera was set on Aperture priority and swapped between f/4 for closeups to f/11 for the landscape views. The sky was a touch gloomy but there was the occasional sun that broke through. Furthermore once you are up on the hills then you can see for miles and miles. The Fujifilm camera is ideal for this story telling as it allows quick pictures of the scene to be taken. It is not ideally suited for landscape photography but you can see if used within its strengths then you can get a good view.

Malvern Hills
Getting ready to hike Pinnacle hill.

Back to the walk, leaving British Camp we hiked up Black Hill with its steep incline and then onto the other peaks. The Malvern hills offer wonderful vistas of the surrounding countryside and on this walk, the air was clear, and you could see well into the distance. It was good hiking over the hills, but I was not fully fit for this type of activity. By the time we got to Perseverance Hill we were very tired, and we could see the Worcestershire beacon in front of us. We made the decision to turn back and the beacon would have to wait for another weekend. Coming back I took several pictures of the wild flowers and the views over the different counties on either side of us.

Malvern Hills
Lone Tree on Perseverance Hill and British Camp in the Distance
Malvern Hills
The grassy verge at the summit of Pinnacle Hill


Back at the car it was a relief to sit down pull the boots off and get ready for the journey home. The Malvern hills are a must as they have everything you need for a good hike. Luckily the weather was just right and we did not get too hot walking over them. We will be back not only to scale the Worcestershire Beacon but to visit the pretty town of Malvern on the side of the hill. Enjoy the pictures and would love to hear about your experiences of hiking over the Malvern Hills

If you are interested in the shoes that I had brought then I recommend the new Inov8 Roclite 345 Gore-Tex Walking Boots which I got at a great price from sportsshoes.com. I like these shoes as they are light and have great grip.
For up-to-date details of the Malvern Hills are covered by several good websites but I found this one to be the best.


One of the most photographic structures near me is the Windmill at Chesterton.  I had visited it for the first time earlier in the year and I wished to plan another trip where I could have my tripod with me.  I contacted a good friend of mine, John Bray, and we planned the visit between Christmas and the New Year.  To really appreciate the Windmill you need to have good weather especially if you are looking for a memorable sunset.  As luck would have it not only did we pick a good afternoon, it had snowed the night before which gave an added plus factor to the photographic outing.  John and I spent an hour and half at the windmill taking photographs as the sun slowly left the sky.

Many people gathered for the sunset

A lone sail against the sunset

Starburst against the Windmill

The sunset was a good one and there were lots of opportunities for pictures.  Even the moon got into the act.  The temperature dropped and whilst it was cold there was little wind.  We took lots of pictures and soon it was time to leave as the sunset was nearly finished.  Just as we were walking away John turned around and said look at that view.  It is the old saying always look behind you when you are walking away from the picture.  John is really quick on getting his pictures out on social media and they were excellent producing much reaction.  Here are my views of Chesterton windmill on a cold yet ultimately rewarding photographic session.

A high key view

Afternoon light on the snow

Light through the centre

Shadows of the sails on the Windmill

Looking towards the Sun

Moonshot

The sentinel looks towards the sun

Another moon shot

The end of the day

Two figures walking towards the Windmill

 

John’s Photographs are on his Flickr account.