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  • Christmas Eve 2020
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The Christmas tree

I started this drawing on Christmas Eve - and have been working on it for the last 2 days

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J1P4

There's great comfort and joy in the Black-Headed Gull J1P4 being safely back from Norway for winter in South Devon for a tenth year.

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Rainbow at the railway bridge

A lovely dawdle to the Quay today and a view of Black-Headed Gulls on the old railway bridge with an intense rainbow backdrop. Luckily, I stayed dry.

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Cockwood harbour

The harbour at Cockwood is only full of water when the tide is very high. The rest of the time, the boats are beached and it's great for birds.

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Cockwood pond

This pond is on the village green at Cockwood, near Dawlish.

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Across the Exe to Exmouth

This is a view of Exmouth from Starcross, where I live. To the right is Dawlish Warren, then the sea.

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My only company

Dog in a field on Christmas morning

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Crafty

Making a quick getaway after raiding my plant pots for buried horse chestnuts!

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The gift of rain

Even lousy weather has its beauty

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Structure

Seen on the Hertford Union Canal. I have no idea what it is so answers on a postcard, please!

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Wet Boxing Day

The rain heralds a damp Boxing Day but this makes me smile and think of the summer which brings travellers to the sky above my home.

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Swan Lake

The Mute swan is present all year round, on just about any stretch of water. It never fails to bring a smile to my face and a feeling of calm.

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Collared Doves

Stuck at home, clinically extremely vulnerable with Long Covid. Collared doves in the garden keeping me company.

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Spelt loaf

Traditional festive bread making - with an attempt at a tree like design on the top!

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Glowing amongst the fallen leaves

A small lichen-encrusted tree fell in the storms, and fragments of its branches are being gradually distributed along the path. Today the light really caught this piece.

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Whitley Bay

I have always spent the holidays with family in landlocked Northamptonshire so this is the first year I have walked on a beach and seen the sea on Christmas Day.

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Lighting the way

Another of the drive leading to where I live, this was at around 3am this morning.

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The Orbit

The ArcellorMittal Orbit in the Olympic Park. The Park of my favourite places and home to many happy memories.

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Duck Lake

Ducks on the lake having their duck Christmas dinner

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Lazarus

In an old grazing watermeadow several ancient willows have split or fallen, only to be reborn. Never underestimate the will-to-life of a tree!

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Dunnock in my garden

Needed to lift my mood today so spent time in my garden photographing the birds. A grey wet day, not really right for photography, but it was so peaceful.

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Bleak Boxing Day

Bay on a bleak Boxing Day. The western end of the beach was packed with swimmers preparing for the Boxing Day charity swim.

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St. George’s

Local church and Mary Spencer Watson sculpture adorned with its traditional garland of tinsel.

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Abbey ruins

Abbey ruins with the Cathedral Tower peeping at the back.

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Cathedral view.

Whilst walking this glorious view across the field to the distant Cathedral Tower, bathed in winter sunshine.

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Fairies way

The drive that leads to me and the neighbours has been prettified for the winter.

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Christmas Night

A personal choice of decoration for Christmas Day.

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Bantham, South Hams. Devon

Bilbo wanted a drive and I needed a walk to relieve the tedium after a rain soaked morning so we headed the few miles to this wonderful beach. Job done.

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Lonely tree

Beautiful lonely tree at day break.

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Thames beach at Limehouse

A solo walk turned sociable - a chat with a mudlark and swans eyeing-up my sketchbook as a possible snack.

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All dressed up for Christmas!

The artesian well at Oare Marshes near Faversham, Kent. It usually has a flower or two on its top, but today it's looking particularly decorative.

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Snood

My sister Jo knitted me a snood for Christmas and I love it!

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Christmas on the Beach

This is “the beach” a specific area of one of the lakes at the nature reserve I live by. Beautifully quiet and still today

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Puzzle

Christmas is the only time of the year that I can quieten my thoughts enough to focus on a puzzle. True relaxation

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Drawing the living Christmas tree

I tested positive for covid so isolating - feeling a bit better so sketching indoors

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Winter

Heron overlooking Victoria Park West Lake

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In the wild

Happened upon some wild ponies while on my Christmas morning dog walk near Blaenavon, South Wales.

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Crab apple baubles.

Taken in my garden during a brief sunny interval this morning.

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Dog Christmas!

The whippet is slightly nervous at Christmas.

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View from Combe Hill, Buckinghamshire

Rain clouds over Combe Hill; sunlight on the Oxfordshire plain.

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Decoration

Festive (or maybe not?) art on a canal boat on Regent’s Canal.

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Tales from the riverbank

In tunnels in the tangled banks, unseen by human eyes, water voles are sleeping snug.

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All is safely gathered in

Nice to see the Dutch barn full of straw at one of my favourite farms.

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Solitary Blackbird

Bit poorly this Christmas so this is a blackbird through my bedroom window.

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Christmas Church Decorations

Taken this on walk during first Christmas alone in 8 years. The trees were a community project and were a beacon for me at this dark time.

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Tufted Ducks

I think that the duck on the right is preaching to the two on left. The effects on the water are actually the reflections from a tree.

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Looking for Santa!

Before the sun has risen and most sensible people are still in bed, that's the time to photograph a town to show it as it's best.

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Homemade Christmas

A happy memory of Christmas Past which always brightens my Christmas morning as it did today - a nativity scene knitted by my late Mum back in the 80s.

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Studio Christmas

The view from my bed this Christmas Eve night, cat sleeping on my feet just out of shot, almost everything I own in shot, it’s a small flat.

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Rolling in

A little after midnight looking across the water to mist covered fields.

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Misty moon

Close to midnight over the reservoir.

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A glimpse of blue

As I walked back from delivering the last Xmas cards some of the morning fog lifted and a glimpse of blue sky was visible for a moment.

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Suffolk ride

I went for a ride as part of the Festive 500

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Self-portrait

Hello

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Morning under the trees

My morning walk on the marshes passes through a small spinney. Some mornings it's bathed in sunlight. Other mornings... not so much!

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A Christmas Eve ornament

Sparkling in the garden in the rain.

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O tannenbaum

My little driftwood tree.

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Stoking the wood burner

The weather outside is frightful (mild and wet, the worst kind).

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Piano practice

Horrid weather so staying in!

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The allotment robin

This robin is the most delightful, and friendliest, companion whenever I've been on my allotment over the past few months.

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Isolating beech tree

About 10mins cycle ride out of a busy Lacock stands this young beech tree. I couldn't help thinking it was shielding because of covid!

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Silent Scream

Christmas 2021 in a single photo. (My brother carved this when he was still in his teens, over 30 years ago.)

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Slow burn

After a dim, dank walk the sun began to burn through the cloud. Ten minutes later there was blue sky, and robins singing.

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Murk

Everything is in retreat.

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Vanishing Point

Hertford Union Canal at Bow, heading to Stratford. I love how the stillness of the water allows for such perfect reflections.

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Skyscraper

One of two hay statues by Erno Barry’s in the West Lake, Victoria Park in East London.

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Reflections – A shepherd’s warning

The purple morning sky caught in the small water cascade from a weir.

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Sunrise Over Elsecar

A view from my garden across the valley between Elsecar and Wentworth in South Yorkshire. The domed structure is the ‘Hooberstand’ one of several follies in the area.

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Breaking the ice

A favourite pastime

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Choppy waters

Eldridges lock

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Ghost swing of summer past

On a grey day; the remains of a swing that brought joy during the first lockdown.

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Shadow of former self

North Yorkshire

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