Friday Bench (9); Hellesylt

Hellesylt is a small village in the Stranda Municipality, which is a part of the Møre and Romsdal County in the western part of Norway. The site of the village on the mountain sides at the end of the Sunnylvs Fiord is exceptionally picturesque. Right through the centre, 100 meters from Grand Hotel, the Hellesylt waterfall gushes down into the Fiord. This waterfall is one of the most photographed sites in Norway.

From Hellesylt the ferry to Geiranger leaves five-ten times a day during the summer season.

I visited the village briefly in 2005 and you can read about my day-trip from Geiranger on my Cruise Journal.

My favourite benches from last week include Rune meeting up with internet friends in Bergen, Barbara's at Two Jack Lake, Malyss's adopted benches at the Château of Versailles, Leatherdyke's dreary bench in Chesterfield, Dina's in the Jerusalem Hills, Nonizamboni's in Minnesota and PERB's historic benches near Rainier.

Planet X

I recently got this message from John Hartley with a request to pass the information on to All of Space!

Bad Timing

Mayan calendar
Ends in two thousand and twelve
My mortgage paid off

JC Hartley

Intrigued by stories that Nibiru, the fabled Planet X, is due to return to our solar system in the year 2012, messing with the Earth's axis, and wreaking wholesale havoc through tsunami and climatic change, and/or ushering in a new age of enlightenment, it occurred to me that here was material for a volume of Planet X related poems.

For those unfamiliar with Planet X theory there are websites, and individual blogs, ranging over the scientific, the compellingly scholarly, the cheerfully debunking, and the just plain bonkers. Some commentators locate Planet X as a servant of two masters, orbiting between our own sun and its dark twin; some go so far as to identify the system ruled by this dark star as the realm of the fallen angels.

Anyway you get the picture. With a bit of research, or else just by making it up, there should be enough to go on to supply poems dealing with ecology, chaos theory, hard science, hard science fiction, soft science fiction, astrophysics, metaphysics, theology, ethnography, and stuff about personal relations.

In line with the rising curve in production values of Othername Press titles the book will incorporate original commissioned illustrations, and hopefully an introduction/foreword from someone suitably hip from the scientific community.

Submissions can be sent by snail mail to Othername Press, 14 Rosebank, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 7RD, UK, or by email (in the body of the text, attachments will not be opened; put Planet X in the subject line), to othernamepress@yahoo.co.uk.

Please enclose SAE for return of postal submissions & acknowledgement of acceptance if required, but please be patient as the final shape of the book may take some time. I also work and study and have considerable claims on my time, as do we all. There is no limit to the number of submissions, but please, no Norse sagas. Payment by copy as usual.

ABC Wednesday - B is for Belle Vue, Manchester

This is the busy A57 Hyde Road into Manchester at Belle Vue. In the distance is the spire of Brookfield Church. Just across the road is the sign for Belle Vue Station.


Here is the footpath that leads down from the road to the platform.


Looking back at the bridge carrying the A57 over the railway line. The train is travelling between Manchester and New Mills in Derbyshire.


This is the platform on the other side of the line.

The first time I ever alighted at Belle Vue station was more than 50 years ago. The special steam train had travelled all the way from West Yorkshire. Our destination was Belle Vue Zoo which opened in 1837 and closed in 1977.

For more B posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Shadows and Leaves

Shadows and Leaves on Wellington Street, Southport, Lancs/Merseyside, UK.

Visit Hey Harriet to discover more contributions to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Friday Bench (8) St Peter's Square

This week's bench is by the fountains in St Peter's Square, Stockport, Cheshire. The area was somewhat derelict a few years ago but was recently transformed.

My favourite benches from last week include Deslilas's in Troyes-en-Champagne, the Sylvan Muse's outside a pub in Durham, Malyss's autumn benches, Rune's in Askvik kapell and Denise's bench by a frog fountain.

ABC Wednesday : Ashton Canal at Audenshaw

Approaching Ashton from Manchester, the mill on the left is Guide Mill, established by Oxley Threads in 1870 and still in operation.


In the other direction it passes under the A6104, a new road connecting Audenshaw with Droylsden and providing access to the M60 motorway.

Visit ABC Wednesday for more "A" subjects.

Shadow Sunday: Woodley

It is hard to tell here where the shadows end and the reflections begin on this stretch of the Peak Forest Canal at Woodley.

Another version of this photograph can be viewed on Geograph.

Visit Hey Harriet to discover more contributions to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Friday Bench (7): Knott Lane

This week's bench is on the corner of Dowson Road and Knott Lane, Hyde.


Dowson Road is the A627 out of Hyde towards Stockport. The road was built in the 1930s to bypass the village of Gee Cross.


Knott Lane is an ancient route that leads down from Hyde Chapel towards Cheetham Fold.

My favourite benches from last week include a carved park bench in Inverness, Rune's natural wooden benches, the Sylvan Muse's in Moorbank Botanic Garden, Barbara's at Horseshoe Bay, PERB's ornate two-seater, Dagrun's simple log and Mrs Nesbitt's recycled bench.

Gee Cross Well Dressing 2009 Video

Yesterday I went up to see the Gee Cross Well Dressing Ceremony.



Photos from my visit can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.


I didn't follow the band or visit all the sites this year.

For more about the Well Dressing ceremony, read my account of the 2008 Gee Cross Well Dressing and my photographs of the 2006 Gee Cross Well Dressing.

Shadow Sunday: Marple

Shadows in trees at Marple, Cheshire.

See the shadows in context on Geograph.

To find more contributions to Shadow Shot Sunday visit Hey Harriet.

Friday Bench (6): Eddie's Bench

This is Eddie's bench behind a drystone wall by the A670 from Ashton-under-Lyne to Mossley in Lancashire.


"In loving memory of Eddie Wrigley late of Tonge Bottom Farm. A dear husband, dad and grandad. Born 27.7.1925 Died 24.10.2001."


Tonge Bottom Farm is now the Hartshead Inn. It lies down in the valley at the bottom of a driveway off the the main road. You cannot see it from here.


This is what you can see. The view looks across to Hartshead Pike. The pike is not the highest part of the hill, but, at 940 feet above sea level, its prominent position has meant that, from early times, it has been the site of a beacon or signalling station. The present tower was built in 1863.

My favourite benches from last week include Phill & Mandy's island bench, Anne-Berit's in Mo i Rana, Leatherdyke's near a chippy in Chesterfield, Dina's bench with cat, Kerri's on the Stoney Creek Trail, Rune's in Kristiansand and Barbara's at the Pitt-Addington marsh. There have been others but I can't mention them all.

Shadows on Williams Road

Not far from Belle Vue station, Williams Road leads to the 1897 Victoria Mill, Gorton, Manchester.

You can see a fuller view of Williams Road on Geograph.

To visit more contributions to Shadow Shot Sunday visit Hey Harriet.

Friday Bench (5): Bench with Geese and Ducks

Walking through Stamford Park at Ashton under Lyne past the boating lake I suddenly came across a bench surrounded by geese and ducks.


Their home is this fishing lake and you can see the bench all forlorn now on the right.

My favourite benches from last week include the Sylvan Muse's in Durham, Jacob's empty bench in Ocala, Barbara's in Belcara Bay and Kerri's at Mabry Mill.