A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had ordered a macro lens.  When I went to the shop there was only a display model so I asked for a new one to be ordered.

What should have been simple turned into a saga…

On the day the lens was due in store, I rang up to see if it had arrived because I had arranged for someone to pick it up from the store for me and I didn’t want them to have a wasted journey.  The assistant whom I spoke to couldn’t find any trace of the order though it turned out the lens was in the store even though they couldn’t find it.  On opening the box at home I found that the lens cap was missing.  The lens that had been ordered was obviously another display model.

Next day I phoned the store to explain the problem and was told they couldn’t get any more of that type of lens and the one I had was one of the last two available but if I was unhappy I could have my money back.  I made a special trip back to Birmingham to return the lens because I didn’t feel it was right to dump the problem on my local store when it was not their making.  On arrival I explained the problem to another assistant who then checked how to proceed with the manager, who was close by.  After explaining the problem once again, the manager commented that I must have been given a display model.  I was then asked if I wanted a new one ordered…

I explained that I had been told that ordering one wasn’t possible due to lack of central stock.  Apparently it was now possible and would take about two weeks to come in.  I said no thank you and made alternative arrangements.  My ‘new’ lens arrived yesterday.  I tested it quickly around the house before the light levels got too low for decent photographs.

The morning in Birmingham wasn’t completely wasted because amongst other things I enjoyed a nice brunch in the open air.  I also managed to pick up a useful brochure of all the lenses for my camera which I would have missed if I hadn’t had the trip out.

So here is one of my first test shots.

Scratching an Itch

22 Comments CherryPie on Aug 5th 2011

In 1933 a memorial cloister was built to commemorate the 8th Duke of Roxburghe.  The cloisters were built in the style of the original cloisters.

Enter...

Within...

The Light of the Matter

8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 4th 2011

Kelso Abbey was built in 1128 by the Tironesian monks (originally from Tiron, near Chartres, in France).  During the 1540s it fell into decline at the hands of Henry VIII’s army.

Kelso Abbey

Kelso Abbey

10 Comments CherryPie on Aug 3rd 2011

I invite you to join me over at Vision and Verb where today I reminisce about work over the years.

8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 3rd 2011

Floors Castle is home to the 10th Duke of Roxburghe who inherited the estate at the age of 19.  For that last 20 years he has worked on ensuring that estate is self sustaining and financially viable for future generations.

The history of the castle:

The site for the building of Floors Castle is a natural terrace overlooking the River Tweed and facing the Cheviot Hills, the heartland of the Roxburghe Family Estate.

It lies on the opposite river bank to Roxburghe Castle, once the strongest fortress along the former border with England.

In 1721, William Adam was commissioned by the 1st Duke to make additions to the eastern end of an existing tower-house to create a plain, but symmetrical, Georgian country house.

The 6th Duke invited on the Scotland’s leading architect, William Playfair, to remodel the castle between 1837 and 1847. He drew his inspiration for Floors from the highly ornamented picturesque style of Heriot’s Hospital in Edinburgh.

The result is a romantic fairytale castle with its roof scape of turrets, pinnacles and cupolas.

Floors Castle

Turrets

Balancing Act

14 Comments CherryPie on Aug 2nd 2011

Recently the publisher of this book contacted me to see if I would like to read the book and provided feedback.  On receipt of the book I was immediately impressed by the quality of the photos and the ‘Did You Know?’ and ‘Top Tip’ highlights that feature throughout the book to emphasise information.

The book covers all aspects of bees and bee-keeping, providing lots of information for anyone who is interested in bees, not just bee-keepers.  In a chapter called ‘The Joy of Bees’ the book starts by detailing the history of bees and man’s relationship with them, the relationship spans back thousands of years.  Bees have been used in sacred rights throughout the ages.  The book tells us that in Britain alone there are over 200 species of bee and that not all are social like the honey bee.

The book is split into chapters such as; understanding bees, first things first, your bees, through the seasons, reaping your rewards, troubleshooting, and taking things further.

The chapters take the reader through all the stages of bee-keeping, from understanding bees and how to keep them through to bee threats and diseases and how to mitigate them.  The book also covers the honey bee by-products such as honey and beeswax.

At the end of each chapter there is a check-list of the issues covered making it easy to recap the main points.  These check-lists are also repeated at the end of the book in a comprehensive list. The book also gives a list of useful websites and further reading.

The book contains a wealth of information, I really enjoyed reading it and will refer back to it. As well as learning about the art of bee-keeping, I was introduced to  quite a lot of information about bees in general that I didn’t know before.

The book is published by Flame Tree Publishing who can also be found on twitter @flametreetweet.

14 Comments CherryPie on Aug 1st 2011

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

Dalai Lama

Mimi has launched the 8th BlogBlast for Peace which is taking place on 4th November 2011. Bloggers around the world join on that day to promote the same message “Dona nobis pacem” which is Latin for “grant us peace”.  You can find out more about the day and what inspired Mimi to launch the very first BlogBlast on her blog.

I invite you to join us on the day.

4 Comments CherryPie on Jul 31st 2011

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