Category: Great Ayton
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Synchronised swimming
Except that one member of the quintet needs a bit more practice. Canada geese are more often associated with larger bodies of water but this flock has taken up residence on the River Leven by the Low Green in the village. And already there are complaints about their droppings on the green. Canada geese are…
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Middlesbrough Sunset
It’s been a while since I posted a sunset. A refreshingly cool dog walk provided the opportunity. Very hazy, probably the sea fret that’s been hugging the northeast coast, I thought the sun would fizzle out but with just a pinprick of sun left, I think it turned out alright. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Capt. Cook’s Monument
A hostile environment of supercooled ice crystals, 20º below freezing. And 20,000′ below those cirrus clouds, it’s the hottest day of the year. Capt. Cook’s Monument, the obelisk on Easby Moor, that’s visible for miles around, towers above a group of schoolchildren enjoying being outside. It’s great to see some schools still value outdoor education.…
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Common spotted orchid
Out litter picking after a hot weekend and came across this orchid. The name suggests it may be common but finding it growing in abundance in an abandoned quarry well used as a playground by BMX bikers is heartening. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Lenticular clouds
Super clouds this morning. Lenticular clouds I think formed when high winds flow over an obstruction such as a mountain range producing a standing wave such as you often see in whitewater on a river. If the temperature at the top of the wave drops to below the dew point, moisture in the air will…
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Marwood School
The stone building overlooking the River Leven is Marwood school, opened in 1851. It was endowed by the Rev. George Marwood of Busby Hall to provide Anglian education for the children of Great Ayton. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Great Ayton Village Fete
It’s carnival day in the village. A biennial event. The procession begins to leave the Low Green on its slow progress up to the High Green. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Easby Moor
It’s that mellow time of the year with every other field growing rapeseed. Used for animal feeds, vegetable oil and biodiesel. Easby Moor in the distance with Captain Cook’s monument. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Grey Wagtail
Spotted this little beauty along the River Leven, feeding on insects and invertebrates amongst the gravels. But disappointed to discover it was only a “grey” wagtail. Surely the yellow on its underside would have warranted a better, more expressive name. Scientific name Motacilla cinerea. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Quaker Graveyard, Great Ayton
The Religious Society of Friends was first recorded in the village in 1689 with the ending official persecution when the magistrates at Thirsk issued a certificate to establish a place of worship. This would have been a room in a private house but by the turn of the century, a specific meeting house had been…