Margate Jetty Art: A Glimpse into the Victorian Past

A vintage postcard depicting Margate Pier in its heyday, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century. The pier stretches out into the sea, bustling with activity, with people strolling along its wooden planks and enjoying the seaside views.

The Victorian Pier:

Margate, a charming seaside town in Kent, England, has a rich history intertwined with its iconic pier. Initially constructed of wood in 1824, it was rebuilt with iron in 1855 and extended over the following years, the pier was a marvel of Victorian engineering, attracting visitors from far and wide. It served as a popular destination for leisure, entertainment, and transportation.

A Hub of Activity:

The pier was more than just a walkway; it was a vibrant hub of activity. Visitors could enjoy a variety of attractions, including:

• Bandstands: Listen to live music performances from talented musicians.
• Pavilions: Explore shops, arcades, and tea rooms.
• Fishing: Cast a line and try your luck at catching fish.
• Horse-drawn carriages: Take a leisurely ride along the promenade.

A Symbol of Seaside Pleasure:

The pier's popularity peaked during the Victorian era when seaside holidays became a fashionable pastime. Families and couples flocked to Margate to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the fresh sea air and scenic views.

A Changing Landscape:

Over the years, Margate Pier has faced challenges, including storms and structural damage. It closed in 1976, was badly damaged in 1978 and underwent occasionally demolition until the final section was completely removed in 1998.

The artwork below was created by me based on a Victorian era postcard I have in my collection, copies can be purchased from my Colin_picture_this Zazzle store on various products. You can also transfer the design to alternative products of your choosing as required.

Clicking the image should open a link in another window to my Margate Jetty collection on Zazzle.

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A Glimpse at the Past: The Runcorn Transporter Bridge

A Timeless Beauty

This captivating image transports us back in time, offering a glimpse into the industrial landscape of the past. The imposing structure at the heart of the scene is the iconic Runcorn Transporter Bridge, a marvel of engineering that once connected the English towns of Runcorn and Widnes across the River Mersey.

A Bridge Across Time

Built between 1901 and 1905, the bridge was a testament to the ingenuity of its designers. Its unique transporter mechanism, suspended from cables and moving along a track, allowed vehicles and pedestrians to cross the river without disrupting the flow of water traffic. For many years, it was a vital link between the two towns, serving as a lifeline for commuters and businesses alike. The bridge closed on the 22nd July 1961, the day after it was replaced by the Runcorn-Widnes high level bridge, now the Silver Jubilee Bridge, the transporter being demolished shortly afterwards.

A Changing Landscape

The image also provides a glimpse into the industrial era. The factories and smokestacks lining the riverbank are a stark reminder of the region's economic activity at the time. The bustling port, with its ships and barges, further emphasizes the importance of the river as a transportation hub.

A Modern-Day Landmark

The approachers to the transporter bridge on both sides of the River Mersey still remain today, on the Widnes side of the river the former power house still stands now a Grade II listed Building.

A Timeless Legacy

This evocative image serves as a reminder of the bridge's enduring appeal. It is not just a piece of infrastructure but a testament to human ingenuity and a symbol of the region's rich industrial heritage. As we look back at this historic landmark, we can appreciate the role it played in shaping the lives of countless people and the lasting impact it continues to have on the community.

The artwork below is based on a postcard in my collection and is thought to date from the early days of the bridge. It can be bought on a number of products from my Colins_picture_this Zazzle store, click the image and a link should open in another window.

Thanks for looking, please take a moment to view my Zazzle Stores via the links below.

Clicking any image should open a link to the Zazzle collections for that store.

Camp Nou, Barcelona Artwork.

 The Spotify Camp Nou Stadium is a football ground in Spain and home to Barcelona FC. Opened in 1957 the Camp Nou is currently undergoing a major refurbishment which will see capacity expanded to 105,000 form it's current 99,354. The new stadium is expected to be completed sometime in 2026 at a cost of 1.73 billion euro's.

This artwork was completed by me in July 2023 based on a pictures I took in June 2022.

Clicking the image will open a link in another window to a higher resolution, un-watermarked version of the picture.

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The picture remains the copyright of Colin Green.

Town Gate, Heptonstall and Hebden Bridge Signal Box Artworks.

 Created by me based on 2 pictures I took in November 2013 are these images of Town Gate the main road through the village of Heptonstall and the signal box at Hebden Bridge Railway Station. Both can also be seen on Clickasnap un-watermarked.

The versions shown here are watermarked and lower resolution. Clicking either image should open a link in another window to the Clickasnap version.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Willow Hall Dam Autumnal Artwork

This original artwork created by me is based on a picture I took in March 2018 around Willow Hall Dam, Sowerby Bridge. The day had seen a number of snow showers but i'd still gone up to the dam to get out of the house for a while. To the west of the lake are some old abandoned outbuildings -garages that were of interest even though they had nothing particularly characterful about them.

The original picture is shown above. Whilst I like the picture I didn't think that there was enough going on to make it in to an artwork, so I decided to give the artwork below an autumnal look fill of bright reds and oranges to give it a look of breaking dawn, the finished artwork below.

Clicking the picture will open a link in another window to the un-watermarked version on Clickasnap.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Lumbuts Mill Artwork

 

Lumbutts Mill Water Tower. This Artwork created by is based on a picture I took. I gave the picture a sunset colour scheme as a nod to the areas links with the 1838 Mankinholes Riots to give the impression of a passion.

Thanks for looking, please take a moment to share and follow me on social media. The picture can also be seen on Clickasnap by clicking the image.

The picture remains the copyright of Colin Green.

International Football Stadiums of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

 These artworks were inspired by the joint bid by England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland to host the Euro 2028 finals. They were put together for a short video collection - slideshow.

I am currently only sharing these pictures on here, copies are available to purchase from EBay UK if you would like sized 6x4.

Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Home stadium of the Republic of Ireland football and Irish Rugby Union teams, it was opened on the 14th May 2010 on the site of the former stadium Lansdowne Road. It has a capacity of 51700 and cost 410million Euro's to construct.

Hampden Park, Glasgow
Home to the Scotland international football team and until recently Queen's Park FC, Hampden Park opened on the 31st October 1903 with Queens Park beating Celtic 1-0 in a league game. The first Scotland International played at Hampden was against England on the 7th April 1906 when a then world record crowd of 102741 watched Scotland Beat England 2-1. The stadium was extensively renovated in the late 1990's and now has a capacity of 51866. The largest crowd ever to watch a match at Hampden was 149547 for a British Home Championship fixture with Scotland beating England 3-1.

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Home to the Wales Rugby Union team and occasionally hosting the Wales Football team now, the Millennium Stadium was opened on the 26th June 1999 at a cost of £121 million. It has a capacity of 73931 and the record attendance for a Wales Football international at the stadium is 73062 on the 19th November 2003 in a Euro 2004 Play Off that saw Wales lose 1-0 to Russia.

Wembley Stadium, London.
England's national football stadium, Wembley was completely rebuilt in the early 2000's and re-opened on the 9th March 2007. The cost was £789million and the rebuilt stadium has a capacity of 90000. The stadium also host's a number of football finals, the Rugby League Challenge Cup final and internationals. The record crowd at the new Wembley is 89874 for the 2008 FA Cup final between Cardiff and Portsmouth.

Windsor Park, Belfast
Home of the Northern Ireland Football team, Windsor Park opened in 1905 and at its largest could hold over 60000 spectators. Renovations in the 1990's and 2015 have led to the stadium now having a capacity of  just 18500. Despite being the home stadium of potential co-host's Northern Ireland, Windsor Park is unlikely to feature in Euro 2028 as UEFA hosting rules require all stadiums to have at a capacity of at least 30000. Hopes are being pinned on a new stadium at Casement Park to meet this requirement. The record attendance at Windsor Park was for a 1-1 draw between Ireland and England in the 1956 British Home Championship. 

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on social media. The video can also be seen on YouTube and Tik Tok.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Lealholm Post Office and Service Station

Taken whilst exploring a section of the Esk Valley Railway, I'd just been to look at Lealholm Railway Station and walking back to the village centre I passed the post office and service station which to serve the village of Lealholm (Population approx. 380) and nearby rural villages and communities. I liked how what looked like a house had become probably a central part of the community.

The picture was taken using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera on the 27 August 2022, the artwork was completed on the 29 August 2022. Both can be seen and purchased on Clickasnap. I am currently working on a 2nd artwork to be completed shortly.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on Social Media. The pictures can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

All the images remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Beggar's Bridge

 Beggars Bridge is a Grade II listed sandstone single arched bridge spanning about 48 feet across the River Esk, near Glaisdale Village, North Yorkshire. The bridge is thought to have been built in 1619 on the site of an earlier structure that had fell down, some of the stone taken from the earlier bridge.

The story of the bridge is that Thomas Ferris the man responsible for the construction had been born the son of a poor local farmer. Eventually he fell in love with the local squires daughter, who when approached for her hand in marriage refused believing Ferris to be a beggar.

After this rejection, Thomas decided to travel and make his fortune and upon trying to say goodbye to the squires daughter found the River had flooded and made crossing impossible. He left, and made his fortune and when he had returned married the squires daughter. He became the Sheriff of Hull from 1614 and Mayor in 1620, and had the bridge built in 1619 so that no future lovers shall be parted as he and his future wife had been.

The artwork below was created by me based on a postcard I had collected. Clicking the image should open a link in another window to my Clickasnap artworks album.

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Watermill at Ixworth

 The watermill at Ixworth is an original digital artwork created by me based on an early 20th century black and white postcard. It shows a typical English rural scene of of a water powered flour mill with horses awaiting loads outside and a mill pond before the bridge.

The mill is thought to ave been built in the early 18th century and still stands today although no longer used as a flour mill. The building is 3 storeys and timber framed.

The picture can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share. The artwork remains the copyright of Colin Green.

Albert, Connel and Forth Bridges Artworks.

The major plus point to my job is that as a long distance lorry driver I get to see many parts of the United Kingdom I wouldn't get the chance to see. Because of this I get to photograph, sketch and create artworks of these places I visit. I recently set about creating a set of bridge pictures and the first 4 can now be seen below and on Clickasnap. They are based on pictures I have taken on my travels, in this case around Scotland and on 1 occasion to Northern Ireland.

There are 4 artworks to see below, they can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap. Copies can also be purchased if you require, just follow the link under each picture.

Connel Bridge, Oban, Scotland.

Built as a railway crossing over Loch Etive in Western Scotland, the Connel Bridge was opened in August 1903 by the Callander and Oban Railway to carry the Ballachulish Branch Line at a cost of £43000. In 1914 a roadway was added and the bridge was then used by both motor vehicles and rail traffic, however trains had priority and the roadway was closed whenever to vehicles whenever rail transport passed over. This continued until the railway was closed in the late 1960's. The bridge is still single track with traffic lights enforcing the right of way.

Connel Bridge is cantilever in design and has a span of 524 ft, it has a height restriction of 14ft. Near to the bridge are the Falls or Lora, because of the strong tidal flow caused by these the bridge was designed the way it was built. The A828 road runs across the bridge and Oban Airport is a little to the north.

The Forth Bridge

Opened in 1890, the Forth Bridge crossers the Firth of Forth to the east of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is often referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge, but its official name is the Forth Bridge due to it being the first crossing to be constructed connecting North and South Queensferry, the other 2 road crossing opening in 1964 and 2017. The Bridge is a UNESCO world Heritage site and probably the most famous man made construction in Scotland. It was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, with construction starting in 1882 and at its height involving over 4600 men employed in the building of it.

The Bridge was completed in December 1889, and after tests were completed was officially opened by the Duke of Rothesay on March 4 1890 when he drove home the final gold plated rivet.

Built in a cantilever design, it has a total length of 8094ft, a maximum width of 120ft at the piers, a height of 316ft, and allows a clearance of 150ft at high water mark for ships to pass underneath.

Albert Bridge, Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Albert Bridge was completed in 1890 and crossers the River Lagan near the centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Designed by JC Bretland to replace an earlier bridge that had collapsed in 1886, the bridge cost £36,500 (£5200000 in 2022 Value) to build and is named after Prince Albert Victor, the Grandson of Queen Victoria.

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All the images remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Allan Park Art.

 Recently updating a set of images I posted in November 2016 of Allan Park, I found a set of 3 artworks I created of the park featuring the bowling green, a set of steps inside the park and a flower in bloom.

Allan Park is a public gardens and playground set in a woodland clinging to the Norland hillside. The park was once the grounds of Allan House which was purchased by the local council in 1922 and converted in to a public park. The park is something of a hidden gem being within a couple of minutes of the town centre and railway station, but never seemingly busy possibly due to its location on the other side of town from the major population centres. The park features a number of woodland walks, a playground and bowling green but no toilet or refreshment facilities, another reason it's probably quieter than most public park in Calderdale. Another feature of the park is the top of the Scar Head Tunnel entrance can be found by following one of the paths. The tunnel being part of the now closed Rishworth Branch Railway Line along the Ryburn Valley Bottom. Click here to see my November 2016 post featuring 11 pictures taken around the park.

The 3 artworks below are based on some featured in that set of photo's. They can be seen below or full size, resolution and un-watermarked only on Clickasnap.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share, all the images remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Saltburn-by-the-sea Art

 Saltburn-by-the-sea art is a set of 7 art works by me of various scenes in the area around Saltburn Pier. They are based on original photo's by me or public domain postcards. The full 7 can be seen below with 3 also available  to view to view on Clickasnap full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

Hunts Cliff and Bridge

Saltburn from the Pier

Saltburn from Hunt's Cliff

The Pier at Saltburn-by-the-sea

Saltburn Promenade Southwards

Saltburn Tramway

The Ship Inn and Hunts Cliff

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share, all the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green

Luddenden Village in Art Images

 Luddenden Village art is a collection of 18 images created by me based on photographs I took around the village in November 2013. They can be seen in the YouTube slideshow or below and feature many scenes that will be familiar to people who know the village well.

Luddenden village grew up around the Luddenden Brook that flows through the centre, it was first mentioned in 1274 with reference to a corn mill that was powered by the brook. Over the next few centuries a number of mills were built alongside the brook and the area became more known for textiles than corn. Old lane was once the main route through the valley as people journeyed to and from Halifax, but this was replaced by the main turnpike road 1/2 a mile to the south which was constructed in the mid 18th century and the similarly named Luddenden Foot grew up around.

The village has a war memorial dedicated to Luddenden and Midgley, St Mary's Church and the Lord Nelson Inn, which was a frequent haunt of Bramwell Bronte, brother of the famous sisters when he worked on the nearby railway. Sadly since the 1980's a number of small shops and businesses that served the local community have closed, leaving a village of houses to remain.

The pictures below feature in the video above.

Old Lane was once part of the main packhorse route towards
Halifax, the M62 motorway of it's day until replaced by the turnpike
in the mid 18th century.

St Mary's Church.

The Luddenden Brook, this once helped to power of a dozen mills
for the textiles and corn (Flour) industries.

In the basement of the former St Mary's School, there were 3 holding cells,
although one has long since been removed. The 2 remaining have the townships
of Midgley and Warley inscribed in the lintel. The nearby Luddenden Brook
was the boundary between the 2, the removed cell is said to have had
Luddenden inscribed above it, no evidence remains. The cells were built
along with the school in 1825 and are not thought to have held occupants
since the 19th century.

The steps disused since the late 80's early 90's once provided
access to the offices of a mill that once occupied the site. Much
of the mill was demolished and replaced by housing.

Luddenden Brook and High Street Bridge.

Luddenden & Midgley War Memorial, unviled 1923.

Lord Nelson Inn from the churchyard of St Mary's.

High Street, Luddenden, the building towards the bottom was
the offices for the steps pictured earlier.

Inside St Mary's Church.

Luddenden Brook.

A closed off stone doorway alongside Luddenden Brook.

A memorial wheel to represent the ones that the corn mill that
once occupied the valley would have used.

Former Water Horse Trough at the bottom of Stocks Lane.

This cobbled yard is actually a bridge over Luddenden Brook, providing
access from High Street to High Street Court.

Lord Nelson Inn.

St Mary's Church clock tower.

Luddenden brook flows over the weir viewed from the churchyard
of St Mary's.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share, all the pictures can also be seen on my Clickasnap account full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

All the images remain the copyright of Colin Green.