A Trip Down the Coast

February has given us a mixed bag when it comes to weather and so a dry sunny afternoon drew me down the coast to enjoy the setting sun.

During the summer months the esplanade at Largs is a busy place, however even though the sun was out, there was a chill wind which kept most people away.

Next stop was Wemyss Bay where the coast is rockier. From here we watched the sun setting behind the Island of Bute.

Inverclyde Council Fireworks Display

My first visit to the Council's fireworks display in a few years and it didn't feel like a typical November night.

The weather felt decidedly warmer, drier and calmer than many past displays I have been to.

Using the recent James Bond film, Spectre, as a theme for the show, there were a large proportion of white fireworks in the display.

Overall, I was pleased with the event.

The Royal Scotsman

A regular visitor in Inverclyde this year, I decided to add to my gallery of of Royal Scotsman pictures.

57316 came down light to haul the luxury train to her overnight destination.

Fort Matilda Station is a good location to catch her on a long curve of track.

Flyboarding

Flyboarding was a word and a sport that I had not heard of until this afternoon.

It's a bit like a skateboard without wheels. A strong jet of water is fed from a boat or jet-ski through an umbilical and comes out of two nozzles on the bottom of the board.

It looks to be immense fun and experienced flyboarders can perform dives and somersaults in mid air.

Perhaps the best way to describe it is to look at the pictures of the two boys demonstrating their manoeuvres below.

Greenock Tobacco Warehouse

Greenock has many wonderful historic buildings, many of which are well documented, but this little gem has avoided my attention until this year's "Doors Open Day".

The late Victorian listed building is on Clarence Street beside what was once the Albert Harbour.

Many thanks to local architect Dominic Quigley and Absent Voices art project for preparing this building for public exhibition.

Decades of discolouration add texture to the stairwell

I don't think the chair is part of the building but I like the highlights on it

The light coming through the upper windows fall on the feet of the iron pillars

A frame within a frame

Commonwealth Baton

After having traveled around the world, the Commonwealth baton is almost withing touching distance of Glasgow.

The baton bearers were given the honour of taking the beautifully crafted baton through the  streets of Inverclyde, stopping off at selected local landmarks.

The relay will finish at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games on 23rd July in Glasgow.

The baton held aloft in front of the Free French Memorial in Greenock

A baton bearer enjoying her moment on The Esplanade

Evening pictures

Enjoying the improvement in the weather recently along with longer evenings, I came back home with these two pictures, both taken on separate days.

The first picture was taken at the last full moon earlier this month, when we had a beautiful clear evening with very little cloud in the sky. This was taken with a 500mm lens with the contrast and sharpness adjusted in Photoshop.

The view of Gourock from Lyle Hill is instantly recognisable but is still one of my favourites. For this sunset I took 3 exposures and combined them into a HDR image but I decided not to exaggerate the effect. A grey grad was used to stop the sky from being over exposed.

Loch Thom & Gryffe

We complain often enough about the weather when it is cold or wet, but it was neither of these when I took a wander aroung the Gryffe reservoir and Loch Thom area.

Having waited till late afternoon, the sunlight was less intense and ideal for walking in.

One of many streams arounf Gryffe reservoir

Gryffe reservoir

Heron patiently waiting the arrival of lunch

Loch Thom compensation reservoir

Corlic Hill

At a height of 1000 feet, Corlic Hill sits to the south of the east end of Greenock. At one time this would have been a popular Sunday stroll but this is the first time I have been on the hill.

Road to Corlic Hill

View of Greenock and Argyllshire hills

Gryfe Reservoir

Inverclyde

A rare afternoon of sunshine, especially in February, isn't a regular occurence here.

Making the most of it, I decided to stop off at a few locations after watching the demolition at Inverkip power station.

Kip village with the Argyllshire hills in the background

Girl with a suitcase, statue at Gourock pierhead

Old Greenock Academy building, now the set for TV series Waterloo Road

Inverkip Power Station - boilerhouse demolition

Another section of the power station was demolished this afternoon.

At 3pm the siren alerted everyone to the explosion which was about to bring the 57 metere high steel structure to the ground in a matter of seconds.

All that remains of the power station are the control room and the chimney which are due to be demolished shortly.

A last look at the boilerhouse standing upright

The explosions kick up dust around the uprights of the boilerhouse

Going...

...going...

...gone - in a massive cloud of dust

All that remains is a massive pile of twisted metal

Night time pictures

Following on the night theme from my last post, I've added a couple of pictures I took this evening in Greenock and Port Glasgow.

I've been promising myself that I would photograph Port Glasgow's Endeavour statue situated at the Fore Street entrance to Port Glasgow. Here is my first picture, taken in the gaps between cars coming in and out of the town.

At the junction of West Blackhall Street and Grey Place in Greenock, a wood elf stands welcoming cruise ship passengers into the town. Once inside the Oak Mall, she now stands on a plinth for all to see approaching the town centre from the west.

Dutch Gable House - Doors Open Day

As part of Inverclyde's doors open day, the Dutch Gable House in William Street was open for the public to visit.

The building is owned by Inverclyde Community Development Trust and has recently been renovated. The house was built in 1755 and is one of the oldest buildings in Greenock.

Entrance of Dutch Gable House

Ground floor room of Dutch Gable House

First floor room of Dutch Gable House

This house, behind the Dutch Gable House, is even older being built in 1751