Swansea Bay finds.

With Tom happily ensconced at Swansea University it's good to see that he's out and about!  The submerged forest is particularly impressive. They are the remains of a birch tundra woodland that grew 10 000 years ago flourishing as the climate warmed - the sea level was then some 22.5m lower. By the beginning of the neolithic period the sea level, as the ice sheets melted,  began to rise submerging the coastal woodland on the Gower peninsula. They began to emerge again as the sediment began to be stripped away off them in the 1980s.

At low tide the submerged forest is clearly visible. Top left: tree stump. Bottom left: eroded wood found on the strand line. Bottom right hand two -  birch bark. top right: sting winkles. 

Beach finds:  A rather attractive and large marble and various bricks including one from Tondu near Bridgend which had brickworks until they were demolished in 1977.

Port Carlisle and a walk along the wall.

A glorious autumnal morning, so we drove round the Cardurnock peninsula and then walked from Westfield Marsh back west into Port Carlisle. The light was superb. Lots of redshank, lapwing, golden plover and little egrets. A fascinating history too of this small port.

Little egret and grey heron 

Red-breasted merganser.

Redshank reflections.

Mawbray banks; a mixture of late summer and autumn.

A rather inauspicious walk along the coast at Mawbray (shores of the Solway), but then you look at the photos and you think 'We are lucky!'

Criffel across the Solway...and in the sun!

Fox moth caterpillars.

A good mix of summer and autumn. 

Goose barnacle sea-post ....

Following on from the original sea- post ...another sea-post; this time covered in goose barnacles; surrounded by pebbles and an edible crab. All the barnacles, pebbles and crab have been needle felted.

The original post.

Goose barnacles that we have found washed up on a variety of occasions.

The barnacle post.

Norman Cornish Exhibition - Castlegate gallery, Cockermouth.

A superb exhibition at this small but renowned gallery. I don't really 'do' portraits but these really portrayed the time and landscape,; they have such a strong sense of place. They made me want to go out and sketch people - I will soon change my mind though! For more information see http://www.castlegatehouse.co.uk/exhibitions/cornish-at-castlegate/ - well worth a look!

Classic Cornish...

Norman's mother - so lovely to see pen drawings valued on almost scraps of paper - a spiral bound tear off pad.

Field sketches ...fab! 

Gelli printing with love....

A series of prints combining the gelli plate and some hand made foam hearts and homegrown ferns. The less successful prints were cut into four and then extra printing added on top as a focus ...at least I may be ready for Valentine's day...if not Christmas!

The Leander at Parton

Finally, the weather cleared up, so a quick walk on the beach at Parton. Lots of pottery finds today, but best of all a full steam run-by of the Leander. She was built in 1936 in Crewe and  was named after HMS Leander which in turn was named after the Greek Leander - from the myth where Hero, one of Aphrodite's priestesses fell in love with Leander.

Leander at Parton - bottom left - in Woodham's scrapyard, Barry, before restoration.
Photo:commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24382813

HMS Leander (Worldnavalships.com)

Beach finds at Parton 

Parton beach