Exploring The World Beyond My Front Door

Exploring the Sheffield Round Walk Part Two: Porter Clough and through the Limb Valley. On a warm and sunny August morning, I was finally revisiting the Sheffield Round Walk, a 14 mile sign-posted circular route that's broken up into four sections in the south-west of Sheffield. It's an excellent introduction to the city, covering urban green spaces and the open wilderness on the boundary of the Peak District. The route explores the Porter, Limb, Sheaf and Gleadless Valleys, each with their own distinct character and rich history. Earlier on in the morning, I had started the walk at the beginning of the first section at Endcliffe Park and had walked at an easy pace through the attractive parks along the Porter Brook before discovering Shepherd Wheel. I was slightly dismayed that I had taken so long to cover barely half of the first section, so I resolved to put my best foot forward and cover some ground. But first, a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. The friendly green...

Exploring the Sheffield Round Walk Part One: Endcliffe Park and along the Porter Valley.  The Sheffield Round Walk is a 14 mile circular walk made up of four sections in the south-west of the city. It's a fantastic walk that encompasses the very best of Sheffield, introducing the stunning countryside on our doorstep and contrasting it against the concrete and green spaces of the urban environment. If you're a local resident perhaps you've seen the route's waymarks with their distinctive acorn. The walk begins in the popular Endcliffe Park, following the Porter Valley out to the edges of the Peak District at Ringinglow. The route then turns back towards the south of the city along the Limb Valley, before emerging out of Ecclesall Wood onto Abbeydale Road South at Dore train station; that covers the first and second sections. The third and fourth sections resume from Dore station through Ladies Spring Wood, passing Beauchief Abbey before crossing Graves Park; Glead...

A look back at a few images from my old cameras and an introduction to the new. New beginnings often have their origins in periods of reflection and looking back, so in that spirit I thought my first post in a long time might take the form of a retrospective. I have a few photos languishing in folders that might never otherwise see the light of day. I still don't and may never consider myself a photographer. I enjoy using cameras as a way of gaining a fresh perspective on the world. I aspire to improve on the technical side of taking pictures to some degree but it will always be something to enjoy rather than slogging away, trying to reach a level of sterile perfection! Olympus SP-590UZ 2009 - 2010 This was my first ever digital camera, a bridge camera with a 26x fixed optical zoom lens; bigger than a compact camera but way smaller than a DSLR. I had bought it with my first Christmas bonus and ventured out into Ladies Spring Wood, which was close to where I lived at the...