Beach Huts, Sunset Glow & Venus

plus, a fishing boat with its lights on, that on first glance, looks like the reflection of Venus. Above it are the rolling hills of the Purbecks. And a couple of interlopers entering the scene, entrance stage left...

A good hour after sunset, it is almost DARK, hence the orange glow of streetlamps coming on. A RAW file that took half an hour to edit, as it was taken handheld at maximum aperture of a slow zoom (f3.5, 1/8th second and a not inconsiderable iso of 2000...

Down at the coast at Southbourne, it was glorious, warm and er, glorious. And, sssh, quiet.... Even the kestrel hovering was silent.

Yesterday, London was so LOUD!!!!!

I was in a cafe on Ludgate Hill (trying to) eat a late breakfast and there was pneumatic drill clacking away not ten feet away in the island in the middle of the road. Up at St Paul's Cathedral, was another one, whilst over the road was a building site, building. Not counting the buses, taxis and lorries, all revving, tooting and hooting, swearing and cursing at each other in mechanical profanity.

In the cafe, crockery was slung around with abandon, the staff almost shouting at each other, in ordinary conversation. They must be used to it. I've never seen so many folk in cafes, coffee shops and fast food joints (maybe posh restaurants too, I wouldn't know!) plugged into ipods, devices, all shut away from each other, insular, unfriendly, unsociable.

So, when the only sound today was the slight sssssh, wooosh of the sea, well, you know where I preferred to be. There was also a fab moon hovering over the table top peak of Henghistbury Head.

Many and HUGE thanks for all the appreciation of London waking up, yesterday. 

I hope to be back with you in the New Year, in the meantime, have an EXCELLENT Christmas, everybody!