The FR in Yorkshire

I've been on a family holiday this last week, we went to Yorkshire which was very relaxing. The scenery was pretty and the food and beer were excellent, however you don't care about that.

Are these sheep following me?

While we were there I went to have a look round the NRM as I'd never been before, I was very impressed and enjoyed my trip. I just happened to have a video camera with me (but no tripod so it is shot in wobblyvision). Lots of big shiny engines which were nice but the highlight for me was re acquainting myself with Livingston Thompson the only remaining double Fairlie in original condition. I thought he looked rather forlorn sat in the corner all on his own.

Another narrow gauge highlight had to be seeing the Lynton and Barnstaple carriage in unrestorred condition. I don't know whether restoring it would be a good thing or not, do you loose more than you gain? Probably better to just build some replicas and keep the historical artifact where it can be looked after.

Nice shed

 

Renaissance man

Gordon Rushton was in Porthmadog yesterday to promote the launch of his new epic book on the rebuilding of the Welsh Highland. At 450 pages and 2.2 KG it is not to be sniffed at and is full of exciting stuff. He spent the day signing copies and having his picture taken with the great and the good and Merddin Emrys and 87. A special headboard had been made and later in the day it was carried by Merddin Emrys up the WHR as far as Rhyd Ddu.

Gordon Rushton on Garratt 87

I chased the train up the line and got a nice shot at Bryn y Felin and then as the train pulled into Rhyd Ddu. The sun shone on and off and the rain kept away so I was happy, Hypno sheep was waiting for the train too, it knew Andrew Thomas was aboard.

Who are you looking at?

Waiting for a train again.

Stereo recorder that I use to make back up audio recordings and a B wagon brake wheel.

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside

This week the sun shone as though it was the summer which was great. On Wednesday I set off to Llandudno to capture 'The Queen of resorts' for the Year in Snowdonia DVD. This I duly did including several locations on the GT Orme where I got some nice shots of the Tram in action. The segment on the DVD will feature a few choice moments of tram action but I thought there might be some interest in the rest of the shots put together in a package; this is what you see here.

The tram is 3ft 6in gauge and cable hauled. The route is divided into 2 sections, passengers having to walk between the two tram cars at the halfway station. The views from the tram and the summit can be superb as they were on Wednesday.

What else did I shoot in the lovely sunshine? Nothing. On Wednesday evening I came down with the mother of all colds and spent the next three days coughing my insides out and using more tissue paper than the rest of the UK put together. Much better now thanks... and the sun? Behind the grey skies again.

T for T2 for one

I decided that I would risk the forecast of sunshine and showers and set off for the Aberglaslyn Pass with the camera in the boot. I parked in the little lay by at Bryn y Felin and put the camera in its rucksack and the tripod in its carry bag, strapped them on and walked down the fisherman's path as far as T2. The sky had patches of blue alternating with stormy black and grey, the walk took about twenty minutes and along the way it was warm but there were a few drops of rain too.

After clambering up to track level I set up the tripod and camera so that I had a nice shot facing Port that the train would come into from behind, the river sloshed by far below and it all looked quite promising. The bit of sky in the frame was grey but there was a large blue bit working its way towards it and there was a chance that it would look great when the train arrived. I was set up with about 15 minutes to spare so I got a few cutaway shots and stood waiting enjoying the view.

Looks like rain.

I heard a distant whistle and so got the camera ready; just as I checked the lens was clear I felt a large drop of rain on the top of my head, I keep it bald just for this purpose. Then there was another and  so I grabbed a rain cover from the rucksack and covered the camera. Another whistle, closer this time. The rain started to fall in heavy, summer style drops. Just in time I whipped the cover off and the train strolled into my shot as planned.

I packed up and got into the rucksacks again and climbed down to the path, by now it was raining steadily and as I walked briskly back to the car I got soaked. How we suffer for our art.

Here is the shot, I may use a very short bit of it as the rain isn't too pronounced in the wide shot at the beginning.

Down the mine

A busy couple of days in Festyland. Wednesday saw a trip to Llechwedd slate caverns to video the underground trips for the Year in Snowdonia DVD. It was a miserable grey and wet day so Llechwedd was very busy with quite long cues for both rides, however all the staff I met were very helpful and friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. Because it was so busy I just went on the rides as an ordinary punter and got most of what I needed. They invited me to come back on a sunny day and then they would have more time to help out with some more unusual shots, having edited it I think I'll take them up on their offer.

I've captured the Miner's Tramway quite well so it's mostly some more shots of the Deep Mine that would be useful. It is so dark and it is a bit of a rush to get set up so I didn't really get a chance to do it justice. I'd like to get a couple of shots of people coming towards the camera rather than all from behind all the time.

It would also be good to get a couple of shots of a slate splitting demonstration which I didn't get a chance to shoot on this trip. A few nice sunny shots of the outside would be good too.

La la land

This evening I've been working on the music that will accompany the chapter on Portmeirion in the 'Year in Snowdonia' DVD. It is now the correct length and the dynamic follows the general flow of the pictures. Next I will make a master recording of the finished mix and take it to the video editing PC. I will transfer the WAV file of the music  to the PC and import it into Vegas, the editing software. The pictures can now be tightened to the music so that the pictures change in time with the music, the changes are not sudden cuts but nonetheless it makes for a more satisfying flow done that way. Often editors will use a piece of music to edit pictures to, even if this won't be heard in the final package for just this reason. The music on this DVD will all be arrangements of traditional Welsh tunes and this one is Cwm Rhondda or as it is known in English, Bread of Heaven.

I have finally fitted most of my equipment into the space I have available, and this evening I found a space for one of my favourite synthesisers, a Roland SH101. (top left)  This is the oldest synth I own and dates from the 1980s. I used to use one of these back then when I worked with a friend on recording demos for Duran Duran wannabes, all dreadful but good practice for the two of us. We were Old Coulsdon's answer to Stock, Aitken and Waterman... not sure which one I was... Waterman I guess.

Crumbs

I popped up to Blaenau this morning to have a look at the stalls on the platform which had been organised in a similar style to Blaenau 30. Not such a good turn out from the traders which is a little disappointing, however Merddin did not disappoint.