Bristol University Botanic Garden

Having a few days off, we decided to visit some local bits and pieces that we've not managed to get to in the 17 years I've been in Bristol. First up was the Bristol University Botanic Garden in Stoke Bishop. The gardens are well worth a visit, especially at only £3 a head, as there is a lot to see, including some tropical hothouses. I actually had a bit of success taking photos of some dragonflies - not quite as horribly blurred as some previous attempts - and also my best effort at a flying bee. I also dug out the panoramic pinhole camera, with some success. It's worth mentioning that I got the film processed at Asda - £2 processing only and he did the job in the 25 minutes it took us to do some shopping....
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South Lodge Garden

On Sunday we visited South Lodge Garden in Clearwell, Gloucestershire - they are part of the National Gardens Scheme but opened specially for a clothes-optional visit organised by a local naturist group. And what a lovely garden it was, helped of course by it being a warm sunny day. Keep an eye out for their open days - well worth a visit, clothed or not....
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Devon Break

A few photos from a very pleasant couple of days in Devon. We went down on Thursday after work as a friend was playing for the Exeter Music Group Symphony Orchestra at Exeter Cathedral. They played Rachmaninov's "Die Toteninsel", Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and his Symphony No 5. The 1812 is one of the few bits of classical music I know, and it was rather splendid - real cannons recorded in Plymouth earlier in the week plus the Cathedral bells and bells from a couple of other local churches piped live into the cathedral. Stirring stuff! Friday morning was spent wandering around the centre of Exeter, where I took some photos of the interior of the cathedral. In the afternoon, the sun was warm enough to go to the beach at Budleigh Salterton - the cliffs sheltered us from the cool wind and it was really rather pleasant to sit out and feel the sun on your skin at long last. On Saturday, we stopped off...
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