Crapaudvision : 'Fete de Noue' - parade of floats

A parade of recycled Battle of Flowers floats, kitted out for festive effect. On Sunday 13th December at around 6pm this procession ran from the Lower Park area along the Esplanade in St.Helier before fizzling out in the Waterfront region.

youtube.com/watch?v=rWv9jmphwh8&hd=1

Distant Coasts

It was very clear at the weekend. Not quite as clear as the best I ever saw (before I owned a digicam and I've been waiting to catch such great clarity ever since) but not bad at all. I had someone with me and couldn't really take much time over it, so these rushed snaps out of the car window will have to do...

It's not often we see Alderney this clearly. I wondered if that was a big white hotel down in a bay like Bouley Bay (I've never been to that isle)...



.. but it turned out to be a ship :)








That looks like a nuke-ular station (Flamanville)...







.. and reprocessing plant (great neighbours, huh?)





The closest point (I believe) is near Carteret. The radio mast is here on the map at Route du Semaphore.

I haven't found the wind turbines on the map yet :)




Farther South...






.. and Les Ecrehos, I hope I'll get a clearer pic one day.






So here it is, Merry Christmas... have a great 2010, and thanks for visiting this piccyblog.

Oops!

Just a quick one today ...

You've got to pity this homeowner on Grouville Hill - it's not even two years since the last accident demolished these gates, and the newly rebuilt entrance has been wrecked again!

Luckily nobody died this time.

I don't know what the proper warning sign description would be, but perhaps the powers-that-be might consider a warning sign something like this?

Crapaudvision Sport : Rally @ avenue

A bit of rallying for you, as I had all this video clips I thought I might as well glue them together before I delete them. Enjoy, if you like motorsport ...

youtube.com/watch?v=8TVxNw0LNNQ&hd=1

Best handbrake turn I actually caught:
youtube.com/watch?v=8TVxNw0LNNQ&hd=1#t=553




Some opinion about the rally : crapaudpinion.blogspot.com

Calm day at Havre des Pas - pt II

Did you notice I'm a sucker for reflections?








.. they even make bland buildings look better.







Low-rise seafront...







.. so, obviously a 7 storey eyesore will have to go here on the corner ... *sigh*






Will they find a way to ruin this too?







The moment the dog fell in!







Man's best damp friend.







Land Gull








Up on top

Calm day at Havre des Pas

It was pretty good for mid-late October, the pool was like a mirror so I set off with camera to see what I could come up with. Here's the view at La Collette, first...







.. and the new incinerator....







.. from the pool...







.. right here.






First, a moment's silence for the death of the charming seafront at Havre des Pas. This typically Jersey hotel is going to be replaced by a SEVEN storey modern art-deco rehash monster.





But who am I to argue, I'm not the one making money out of it. Instead let's look wistfully out to sea and count our blessings.







The entrance







Outside and in







It's like one of them there "infinity pool" thingies.
















Is nowhere sacred?







More next time....

Changes at Devil's Hole

Here are some pics from mid August that I've been sitting on for a while, but I might as well publish them while I decide whether to carry on with blogging my pics. There are a number of reasons for a lack of motivation recently. The audience isn't exactly massive (although a small number of very appreciative supporters certainly helps) and a lack of feedback is discouraging, I've been more keen on playing with HD video lately, blogger.com still haven't sorted out an RSS feeds problem which is annoying me, and it looks like some proposed change to the Data Protection Law here may force me to give up if I can't be anonymous any more. In addition, my personal life has reached a level of stress that I'm only just managing to cope with, with no clearly visible light at the end of the tunnel that I could be reasonably sure isn't an oncoming train :)

Plus, I'm finding that I've photographed so much of the island that it's really hard to find inspiration for photo-missions any more.

It also hasn't helped that the weather has been appalling for my kind of photography for what seems like months, and I have become fussy about 'quality of light' as they say. A lot of this summer seemed to be very hazy, with poor visibilty to the distance - for a zoom lens enthusiast like myself that's a bit limiting.

Anyhow, I haven't given up yet, and I've quite a few collections of video clips from various days out that I've yet to edit together, so when time permits.... there should be more yet from this crapaud!

---

Ample parking at the Devil's Hole pub "The Priory Inn"...







Not far down the path, the pond (and view of the statue) needs a bit of maintenance.







That's a new bridge...








.. and over the other side of the hole...







.. a reduced size viewing area...








.. with new platform.







New fencing (small coastal viewing area removed, to my annoyance) and revamped rest area.






View looking to the west








Access Denied







Back in the days before 'elf-n-safety' when people were willing to be responsible for their own actions, there were a number of routes down into the hole over the years. I guess I'll have to learn rock climbing rope skills if I ever want to get down there now.

Crapaudvision - Archirondel Cottage and bunker

A look around an old cottage at Archirondel on Jersey's east coast in St.Catherine's Bay. The property has been government owned for decades and rented out as social housing, but is now being sold on the open market. This is our last chance to have a look around and see the old WWII bunker in the garden, built by the German forces during the island's wartime occupation.

youtube.com/watch?v=kz4YkApJdTw&hd=1

Does blogger.com care any more?

See crapaudpinion.blogspot.com for one of the reasons why it has been a bit quiet here lately.

Yes, it has reached the stage where I just had to moan about it :)

Crapaudvision - St. Helier Harbour

5 minutes of a selection of views of Jersey's St.Helier Harbour quietly going about its business at low tide one sunny late summer evening.

youtube.com/watch?v=UUINUFAkOl4&hd=1

On the prom near the Gunsite

Run a cafe in an old bunker and call it the Gunsite, and the whole area becomes known by that name.







Towards Bel Royal / Millbrook.







Looking back...







.. from the Gunsite Slip.







I wonder if Beaumont Tower will ever become known as the Gunsite Tower? :)






I find pink/red tarmac repulsive, but green is delightful :o)








Looking up inland for a moment, don't ask me why.







Dogwalkers and...







.. St.Aubin's Fort.







.. right a bit, secluded coves 'behind' St.Aubin.







Into the light... Elizabeth Castle.







Birds and stripes.






Damp beach ...







.. enjoyed by walkers....







.. and horseperson.