Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the day “March 2, 2012”

02 Mar 2012

So yesterday this big fish made my day!!! A beautiful manta ray came along the wall dropoff, and happilly swam really close to me and my divers. What a special sight!! Majestic, beautiful creatures. They really do ‘fly’ along in the water, with small waves of their massive wings. Stunning!!

The day before had been an exhausting one. It started at 6am, and I was not home until 9.30pm. This was as I guided my first night dive. Pretty scary stuff, 8 divers, have to lead, find fish, keep an eye on everyone, and find your way back to the boat in pitch black!! It was beautiful though. At one point in the dive I stopped to do a bio-luminescent part. You kneel on the sand, turn all your lights off and wave your arms like a mad man. This creates tiny sparks of marine plankton who when moved emit a…

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02 Mar 2012

The Pigs of Preston Tower and Chathill

Northumberland is a fine county and places emerge that are wondrous and enchanting. One such place is a small hamlet about 3 miles inland from Seahouses called Chathill, not so far from the A1. Here there is a small manor house that has a tower built in its grounds. The tower hosts amongst other things a huge bell and a prison cell. Entry is on a trust basis and costs maybe £2 placed into a wooden box. The tower is well worth entering and up on the third floor one finds that you are on the roof and above the bell. Be warned, the bell is loud and midday when 12 chimes emanate it is an experience for sure. The views over the countryside are splendid.

As you can see below photography can be great here. The views over the fields can be like a Turner painting , the weathervane became an inspirational slide for one of the talks I give on Atomoxetine for ADHD and the flying Cello photograph should not be here as has nothing to do with Preston Tower, but my current favourite slide.

The grounds also host some nice walks through the forest and one can take a number of routes. a decent 2 hour walk can be had. On the last occasion there were some odd noises coming from a field that turned out to be piglets in very playful mood that follow you as you walk along the path. Most occasions we have been there we were the only souls so it cannot be described as busy. This place is a real find. Visit and enjoy.