Old Homestead

Inland New South Wales, Australia

The pictures tell their own story 

An old story

And sheep gate fastenings

To follow up the last post on sheep gates in the Western Isles, Scotland, I have closed in and put together a selection photographs illustrating how these gates are fastened. Their hinges, locks, and make-do tie-ups have as much, if not more, variety and colour than the gates themselves.

The detail in their colour, form and texture, their patina, shows many years of wear and tear. And this is just a very small sample, there are thousands more out there. Fascinating.

Hebridean sheep gates

While in the Western Isles of Scotland last summer, June, my eye was attracted to the variety of gates used to manage the sheep. These are an important part of the island economy, for their wool is used in the manufacture of Harris tweed, a most wonderful and enduring fabric. The gates are quite unique in their narrow width, sheep width, not the more standard five-bar gate wide dimensions. Then there is their material; wood or metal, their colour; rusty red or old grey, and their condition; which reflects their age range and patina. All good patina, can never be faked.

There is no need to know where I found my selection, but if you go over to the islands, be sure to look out for a selection of your own. Some of their locations are in stunningly beautiful surroundings too.

Singapore by night

Here is a selection of shots I took while on a recent overnight stopover in Singapore. I was staying in a central hotel within walking distance of the new cool architecture around Marina Bay. So I took a walk around the bay after midnight when the city was quiet. It never sleeps. It was magical. I was all alone. I was safe. I was in a beautiful city.

The old city buildings are low and colonial.

The new city buildings are tall and modern - A view across the Esplande Bridge to Downtown Core.

The Helix Bridge across to the Marina Bay Gardens is a superb twisting double strand of steel.

Why do all major cities seem to have to have a giant wheel these days? - The Singapore Flyer

The Helix Bridge and the Flyer

So different, so pure, so style - The Marina Bay Sands Hotel

The ArtScience Museum - A giant flower-shaped design and technology museum

A natural floral design - palm trees in the gardens below the hotel.

More flowers - The Flower Dome. The flowers are at peace, no visitors to the glasshouse at night.

The walk around the outside of the building is an art experience in itself.

In behind the Flower Dome and the hotel stand the flowers of the Supertree Grove - art at its most stunning. This is a grove, or rather two groves of tree-shaped open structures, with plants growing up through the intricate open weave. Although the upright garden is not yet five years old the plants are growing well and their stems and leaves are filling the frames nicely, creating vertical flower beds, each resembling a tree. I haven't seen them by day, but I thoroughly recommend seeing them at night when they are lit in multiple colours, and hearing them, for sound is cast around them. I was there late, the colours were fixed on blue and there was no sound. However, I had the grove to myself and the experience was sublime.

A walkway links around the stems of a few of the trees - The Skyway, 22m high.

Other trees stand alone, stand tall. The height range is 25-50m.

I know someone who was part of the design team for this marvellous urban landscape. Thank you R and all the team for such a wonderful concept.

Then I took myself back to the hotel from where I took one last look at the colours and listened to the sounds of the night city.

What a city.