Boating past Mother Shipton’s Cave

Two girls row their way up the River Nidd at Knaresborough in North Yorkshite. To the left of this scene, behind the large tree, is Mother Shiptons Caves, a local attraction. Mother Shipton herself was a prophet who supposedly foretold various events including the Great Fire of London and the defeat of the Spanish Armada amongst others. She was born in the cave to which the area is now known.

The attraction is well known for its “petrifying well” where visitors over the years have hung objects beneath a flow of mineral-enriched water where they gradually turn to stone. All manner of objects are there, including children’s toys, ice-skates and even Queen Mary’s shoe, each gradually becomeing encrusted in mineral deposits as the years go by.

For a while the attraction was owned by the magician, Paul Daniels, a staple of television entertainment when I was younger. Mr Daniel’s is no longer with us and I’m unsure as to who owns the attraction these days.

Mr Paul Daniels
A performer of magic
On television

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 26 May 2021

Homes on a hill

I’ve had a long day full of phonecalls. Almost back-to-back all day long with no more than half-an-hour between each. As a result I feel like I’ve achieved little (even though the calls all served a purpose). To make it worse I’ve had a low-grade headache since I got up and, for a worrying moment, almost felt I was going to drop off to sleep during one of the calls!

But the working day has concluded now and it’s time to think of something to post on my blog which, today, is a small set of photographs of homes on a steep hill in Knaresborough.

Though gentle at first
The street soon increased incline
Taking us downwards

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 26 May 2021

Squeezed in between

This scene was photographed somewhere in Knaresborough, although I can’t remember precisely where (and my XA3 doesn’t do GPS tagging!). Anyway, I liked the way this house looked squashed between the two other buildings. The road-sign, wiring, and planter add a bit of interest too.

Down the narrow path
A house is squashed in between
Its foreground neighbours

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 26 May 2021

A butcher, a baker, but no candlestick maker

A couple more photographs from our damp, grey day in Knaresborough. The town centre isn’t particulalrly large but, like many market towns, it has an appealing selection of independent stores which are a refreshing change form the same branded chains you tend to find taking over larger towns and cities.

When in Knaresborough
We came across a pie shop
And treated ourselves

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 26 May 2021

Knaresborough viaduct

The railway viaduct at Knaresborough carries the line to Harrogate across the deep valley containing the River Nidd. It opened in 1851 and cost £9,803 (which equates to around £1.4m today – a figure that seems nonetheless quite low. I wonder how much labour and other costs would otherwise inflate a modern day similar construction?). The viaduct had originally been intended to open three years earlier but it collapsed shortly before completion necessitating a complete re-build.

Across the river
Carrying passengers to
Harrogate and on

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 26 May 2021

Boats on the River Nidd

A couple more frames of the expired Fuji Sensia, these made during a trip to the Yorkshire market town of Knaresborough. It’s a lovely town to visit, but the weather was less than great on the day we visited, with scatterings of rain and dull overcast skies most of the time we were there, although – wouldn’t you know it – it brightened up as soon as it was time to leave!

Anyway, there wil be quite a few more photos from Knaresborough appearing over the coming days, but most of them are black and white (which better suited the conditions, to be honest).

Red and green ladies
Lined up on the riverside
Waiting for oarsmen

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Fujichrome Sensia 100 (expired 2003).

Taken on 26 May 2021

A farm above Miller’s Dale

While most of the photos I made on my walk around the Tideswell area were black and white images shot on HP5+, I also took a couple of colour photographs too. These were courtesy of my Canon Sure Shot Supreme, which I’d tossed into my coat pocket before I’d left the house. I kinda wished I hadn’t taken it along as it continually banged, worryingly and annoyingly, into limestone rocks every time I climbed a stile. Luckily it didn’t seem to take any critical knocks though.

The two photos were shot on a roll of expired Fuji Sensia 100 reversal film. After successfully shooting my previous roll of expired slide film (some Kodak Elite Chrome) with the Sure Shot Supreme, I decided to use it again with the Sensia and shoot it at box speed. As with the Elite Chrome I have some more rolls of this same film so this was essentially a test to see how it fared. Most of the roll was shot over the following couple of days on trips out with my wife, but these two pictures of a farm on the hillside above Miller’s Dale were the first ones I made.

As withe my previous rolls of 35mm expired slide film, I seem to have lucked out with some decent results. Although a little bright in places (the white painted farmhouse was in full sunlight), nothing has been blown out and the colours are pleasing.

More expired slide film
To be well tried and tested
And prove it still works

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Fujichrome Sensia 100 (expired 2003).

Taken on 24 May 2021

The descent into Tideswell

The final three photos I made during my walk around Tideswell Dale, Miller’s Dale, Monk’s Dale and then across the meadows back to Tideswell itself. The final three photos from the Yashica Mat at least – I also shot a few more frames with the OM-2n which had spent most of the day tucked in my backpack.

The skies were beginning to get more threatening by this stage and veils of rain could be seen falling to the south and west. Luckily though, I managed to avoid all the showers. Unluckily, the chip shop where I thought I might treat myself to a well-deserved lunch, was closed. 😦

I wanted some chips
But instead had to go for
A tuna sandwich

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 24 May 2021

Look both ways

Another couple of photos made near the village of Tideswell. I found this location on Google Maps while planning my walking route and decided it would be a good location for a photograph or two.

The puddles on the track add interest but also meant slick mud and, if you look closely, you can see evidence of my passing in the middle of the lane.

The pictures depict the lane in both directions, although not from the same precise point.

Muddy puddle track
On a day with atmosphere
A draw for my eye

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 24 May 2021

Howdy cow

Walking across the fields towards Tideswell was something of a test. The footpath passed throught a whole bunch of fields with a stone stile forming part of the dry-stone walls to be climbed between each. While I’m not getting any younger, stiles dont generally pose me much of a problem, but on this day I discovered that my hiking boots don’t grip very well on limestone, particularly that which has been worn smooth by countless other feet! This meant I had to be super careful climbing over each and every one.

The route took me past a field of cows though, and one of them walked over to look at me with a curious gaze, so I made a portrait.

A curious cow
Walked away from its herd mates
To see what was up

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 24 May 2021