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Friday 30 January 2015

Sunsets Seen From Hill Head

It is now over two months since we began our new life living by the seaside and I would never have believed that the feeling of sitting at my laptop here looking across the Solent to the vista of the Isle of Wight is so tranquil.

This morning the only shipping seen so far are both of the Red Funnel Ferries travelling from Cowes to Southampton. The Cruise Liners of various Lines and Sizes tend to pass homeward in the very early hours and leave around 6pm in the dark. 

However, those ships produce a wonderful sight in the distance being overhauled in lights from the decks and the staterooms as the occupants will be preparing for their first dinner on board. Such sweet memories. I want to go again. 

The P&O Oriana at Night

The combination of my telescope and the Canon snap shot camera placed at the lens produced this fuzzy shot of the Oriana as she passed by on 26th January headin to I know not where.

For over two weeks we had the spectacle of the Hoegh Osaka Car Transporter on Sunday 4th January, lying on her side on the Bramble Shingle Bank, there until she was eventually righted to a 5% list a week of so ago and towed back to Southampton where they have now offloaded some 1400 cars that were on board. The big success with this story is that there was no spillage from her full tank of fuel. 

    Car Transporter in the Sunday Morning Mist

Almost Upright as the Salvage crew level the Ballast in her Hold on 21st January. These brave men have been swinging on ropes as the coped with and worked on her in the original 52% of list.

We also saw Fred Olsens Boudicca heading off before hearing some days later that she had an Engine Fire off of the coast of Morocco. I am not sure what is happening there now?

However,

This Blog is supposed to be about Sunsets, which, despite have Rainy Days as well as quite a few Stormy Nights have been spectacular. 

The Winter Sun is Low in the Sky therefore the sun is setting over the west End of the Isle of Wight where we have a full view of it. Soon there will be a peiod of it dropping into the Solent between the Needles on the Island and Hurst Castle on the Mainland.

During the Summer Months it will be setting more to our West over the New Forest  

Here are a selection of those Sunsets so far that I have taken from our home from an upstairs window.

This first set were taken on 30th November






A Couple from 5th December


One without that Lamp Post 

On the 6th December we just had a lovely red sky to enjoy.


Again on the 7th when the neighbour had his bonnet up.


Then 10th December was a Misty Evening


 Lost in the Mist.

This series taken on 20th December during our Dog Walk along the Beach also features the local Hardy Kite Surfers who seen to enjoy whizzing between the Shingle Banks which are a feature of the low tidal scene here.






 



By the time I got home the sky had turned a deep red.


On Boxing Day 25th December this early sunset shot is taken through the Yachts in the local Haven. Almost a Black & White image.  


 During our 29th December Dog Walk this was the scene.



 So Calm again today.

 The effect on the Marchwood Power Station & Fawley Refinery


 People watching from the Meon Shore

 One Distracted Fisherman







At Home again, The sun reappears for a while


Finally Gone!


On the 18th January I was driving along the coast road at Stokes Bay coming from Gosport when I just had to stop and take this fast changing sky.





By the time I arrived home it had changed again to this


This week on 26th are the last of my photos. I am sure that there will be many more as every clear sky day brings promise of yet another fine SUN SET. 





I hope that that was not too boring but it is good to log these vents here for me to go over again and again later during those stormy evenings to bring hope when a depression seems to have stuck forever.

Frank

Thursday 29 January 2015

Back On Line Thanks to Virgin Media

I Am Reminded That, Longer Term Loyalty Provides No Benefit.

Who was it that introduced all of this 'Market Competitiveness' that would provide better Customer Service among the Utilities etc?

Almost two months from the day we moved into our new home, we were due to be re visited by a BT engineer to install our phone and broadband.

Believe it or not, no one turned up and there has never been any communications from BT to say why. 

Having been a Loyal Customer of BT for the best part of 45 years, the next day I decided to incur more of their 14p per minute for my mobile call to them and the endless 'Selling' talk we have to endure before being transferred to someone to speak with.

Much to the apparent 'Surprise' of both of people I spoke with, I cancelled the order.

Fortunately our area of the South Coast is fully supplied with the Virgin Media Fibre Optic Cabling and the previous owner had been with them. 

It took but a few days and an additional few minutes for the Virgin Engineer to have us working and had fitted a Fantastic Virgin Router which supplies Super Fast and Unlimited Broadband throughout the house.

Despite the fact that We Have Already Moved, and our BT order was to fit our New House with their service, a Letter was received the next day at (and Redirected from) our old home of two months ago, asking me to return their BT Broadband Router. 

In the words of Victor Meldrew 'I could not believe it!' 

They could not be bothered to communicate with me about my Order Delays but 'Now that I have taken my Ball away, they want their Pitch back' 

It may come as no surprise if I tell you that I think that they will have to wait quite a while as it may take a longer while for me to find it?

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Sorry for my Absence - I have Moved Home and Still Have NO Internet

 Boxes and Boxes of Family Stuff

The Mog had to go on its own.

The Biggest of The Three who moved us.

The Best Team of Movers in the World. Great Guys All.

The Mog At Home in the Sunset.

And What Winter Sunsets at Low Tide.

 Helpful Neighbours

The Beach below our New Home

Feeding Our New Friends

Plenty of Sailing to watch



Not all of the Passing Shipping is Happy - The Stricken Car Transporter Hoege Osaka deliberately run aground on the 'Bramble Bank' having begun listing badly. 

Now she has been Floated Off and being towed somewhere East of here still at 45%

Just a quick overview. More news and photos later

Frank