High Tide

Hight Tide at Hoylake, Wirral. 11.10am March 29th 2021. 12 sec @f11. 100 iso.

The Shotwick 9 – South Africa and England.

The last two stories belong to a South African and a Englishman born in France. Lieutenant Hugh Robert Fuhr RAF 67th Training Squadron - died 10am 14th June 1918 - aged 19 Born on August 24th 1898, he was the eldest son of Harry Augustus and Marie Elise Fuhr of 31 Upper Albert Rd, King …

The Shotwick 9 – The American pilots

Three of the airmen buried in Shotwick were from the USA, New York, Hyde Park & Arlington Heights to be specific. These are their stories. Lieutenant Leornard Sowersby Morange RAF 55th Training Dept Station - died 11 August 1918 - age 22 Son of Edward A and Julia Sowersby Morange of Bronxville, New York, USA. …

The Shotwick 9 – the Canadian pilots

Amongst the 9 training fatalities at RAF Shotwick during the last year of WW1 there were 2 young Canadian men. This is their story. Lieutenant Harry Nelson Hastie RAF 9th Squadron - died 12th June 1918 aged 24 Lieutenant Harry Hastie was a pilot under instruction meaning he could fly solo. He was born on …

Remembering the Shotwick 9 – Two incidents on one day

I wrote yesterday about the WW1 pilots graves i have discovered in a village not far from where i live. This is the first of their stories. Flying Cadet Vernon Francis Gibson 51st Training Depot Station - British - died saturday November 9th 1918 aged 19 Vernon Gibson was only 19 years old when he …

Daffodils

If youre having a difficult day then here is a bunch of flowers to cheer you up

Remembering the Fallen

I bought my daughter a book of WW1 poetry recently and it has inadvertently started me on another quest. The search for local Commonwealth War Graves in my area from the first world war, hopefully telling you the tales of the fallen; respectfully attempting to remember them 100 years on. This all started with my …

Stuck in Lockdown

It is 12 months since the UK Government announced a national lockdown including shutting all pubs. I hope these guys haven't been in here that long.

The return of an old friend part 2

After getting my old Pentax ME Super fixed last week i had an opportunity to take it out for a shoot last week. It was the first time i had used it in over 32 years and it was incredible how everything instantly came back to me. I knew exactly where all the controls where, …

6 Months Retired

I've just realised that i have been retired for 6 months. In some ways a long 6 months, in other ways it has gone fast. I haven't done half of what i should have done and even less of what i've wanted to do. Coronavirus has kept us pinned down and despite coming through the …