After a the sky lit up on Friday the 19th of June, a gut feeling then told me.

It was on the evening of Friday the 19th of June 2026, that at 21:26pm, the sky completely lit up, with a delightful deep orange tone to it, that changed over a rather short period of time, before it completely faded away again, but after that, I was thinking to myself, 

"Well judging by that sky, tomorrow on Saturday the 20th of June 2026, that with the cloud cover, with the warmth and with the sun, that surely there was going to be another sunset, another work of art that nature will provide, surely that will happen."

And surely enough on the evening of Saturday the 20th of June 2026, what did I notice? Well for a start I noticed that the sky was beginning to slowly but surely change colour, and immediately I just had to grab hold of the metaphorical flying tripod with a camera attached to it, and send it into the air, and surely enough as mere moments went on, passed by I was witnessing in real time, nature creating a work of art, a painting in the sky, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture.

"The evening Glow of Suburbia and The Valley."

"As the sky lights up over Suburbia and Beyond."

"From Suburbia to Sunset."

"As the rooftops of Suburbia Glow."

"The Painting of the Sky over Suburbia begins."

"A Pastel Horizon, a Town Glows."

"Over the rooftops of Sunset Town."

"Pastel fire over Suburbs and the Town."

"Art of Summer, The pastel Clouds and Sky a Glow."

When the Summer Woodland provides a sense of calm and Beauty along with Art. Finding serenity of the Woodlands at Shipley Country Park.

Summer is one of those seasons that has  a certain charm to it, for it is a season in which the landscape seems that little bit more alive and lush, but there is also another location in the summer which can also offer a lot of joy and opportunities to capture, and that of course happens to be within the woodlands - yes throughout the year woodlands have a habit of being curated and crafted by nature, in the Winter they seem bare, come the Spring life starts to emerge and the lush foliage of greens and layers within the woodlands also change, from carpets of colour to beautiful greenery, in the Summer they come alive with greenery before of course the theatrical colours of Autumn start to appear, before they head off into a deep sleep again for the Winter. 

And it was on Thursday the 18th of June 2026, that I was back at Shipley Country Park, a parkland that has a varied and changing landscape, rolling hills, vistas, views, wildflower meadows and of course some small but perfectly formed areas of woodland that are managed but also not over managed, which means they have a little bit more of a natural feel to them, and this time around walking around the woodlands of Shipley Hill/Horsepool Hill, at Shipley Country Park, what did I come across? Well the magical sense of Woodland Calm, Beauty and Arts, along with serenity and of course the soundtrack of birdsong which made things that little bit more special, for artworks is what you find within a woodland in the summer, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture this time around. 

"Gentle and Soothing, Shades and Light."

"The Square of Summer and Green as it Glows."

"Following the Road through Summer."

"Warm Summer Light, Bathing."

"A Giant Grows, Sculpture Glows."

"The Giant in The Growth of Green."

"Within the Gallery of Summer Woodland."

"The Sculpture and The Summer in Portrait."

"Seeking Sculpture, as the Afternoon Light it Shines."

"Framed is the Shades of Summer Woodland and Beauty."

"Summer Solitude."

"The Magical Theatre of Summer Woodland."

"The Woodland Summer Stage."

"Seeking the Foliage, Arts and Lights."

"Summer Light and Giants of Woodland Calm."

"The Summer Theatre of Woodland Glow."

"The other Woodland World."

"Summer as the Rhododendron Light Shines."

"A Wall of Green and Faded Colour Clings On."

Colours within an art gallery surrounded by Suburbia, and a bit of "Confusion?!"

Suburbia and urban areas really are rather "complex systems of planning." But throughout the years there has always been that element of creating areas for people to escape the many four walls, concrete and bricks that Suburbia and urban areas are known for and that element of creating areas for people to escape happens to be parkland, no matter which city or town you are within there will always be some kind of park or parkland or even parks. And on Sunday the 14th of June 2026, the local park was calling, for it was a friend who said something along the following lines the other week which was,

"Have you seen the beautiful Wildflowers on the local park?"

Me, I said no, but I had seen other photos of the Wildflowers on the park that my friend was on about. And as Sunday the 14th of June progressed and time went on, it was finally in the afternoon that I took the metaphorical plunge and ended up visiting the local park, where I came across swathes of colour, for it was like walking around an art gallery, with the various wildflowers carefully blending together almost like a Monet painting, and walking around the park and of course the small but beautiful sections of woodland that the park contains, I also encountered a bit of confusion, for it is certainly Meteorological Summer and yet I also encountered some rather early Conkers already growing! For is Summer going to have something of a false Autumn element to it, or is there going to be a rather early Autumn that arrives at the latter end of Summer? Who knows. But below are the photos that I had captured walking around the local park. 

"Sea of Purple."

"The Portrait of Summer Colours."

"Where the red and colours Glow."

"Floating over a Sea of Colour."

"As Nature Grows the Art."

"A Painting, a Work of Art as it Grows."

"Layers and Elements of Summer Arts."

"The Three Red Poppies stand there Guard."

"When nature paints a Painting before me."

"A City of Colour, a city of Floral Delight."

"The Summer Dreamscape."

"Where the Gentle Red and Green it Glows."

"Summertime Confused?"

"A Portal to Woodland Calm."

"Light and the Woodland Dreamscape."

There must be something about the month of June and Rainbows. For art in the sky can happen with just moments to capture it.

 

"Art in the sky from 400ft." It was on the 14th of June 2025 that I had looked out of the window and noticed that, 

"The season of Summer was not exactly being like Summer. For instead of sunshine and blue skies, what had I seen out of the window? Well that of course happened to be a rather dark, and grey, moody looking sky, and within that sky, art, the art of a Rainbow that was spanning the horizon. The only issue was - how do I manage to capture this glorious work of art that was in the sky, from the ground I could not manage to capture it, then I had literally moments to grab the metaphorical flying tripod with a camera attached to it, sent that into the sky, and the result was that I managed to capture this photo of a glorious Rainbow that was gracing the skies of The Nottinghamshire town of Eastwood, and towards the East, towards Kimberley and beyond, and of course The Erewash Valley. Needless to say that I had managed to capture something beautiful and magical."

Of course though fast forward12 months from June 2025, to Tuesday the 9th of June 2026, and well what a day it had been, especially for a Summer day, and amongst the rain showers, and hail, along with lightning and thunder, by late afternoon the weather was still a little bit meh, to say the least. Yet at 17:52pm what happened? Well one minute it was raining, the next it had stopped and immediately in the mind I had the following thought which simply said - "surely there is going to be a Rainbow in the sky." Moments later I looked out the window and noticed a low down arc in the sky, the clouds looming and grey, and between the clouds, little pockets of blue sky. 

Then with moments to spare, I got the metaphorical flying tripod with the camera attached to it, and captured the following two photos, overlooking Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, with a view towards The Hilltop area and beyond to Kimberley and Watnall. For art in the sky can happen with just moments to capture it, and when it does, you really do find something quite spectacular. 

"Catching the Colours between the Showers."

"The Portrait of Colour, a June Rainbow."

The Iconic towers of Ratcliffe-On-Soar: Power, Beauty and surely there is still time to save them.

"As the River Flows, the Sculpture of Towers Stand and Watch." The photo on the left was taken in April of 2026 - for it was a sunny late Spring afternoon and here I was visiting Trent Lock, a location that could very easily be described in the following way, 

"Trent Lock, a location where Water meets, for it is here that The Erewash Canal meets The River Trent, it is a location that has a certain kind of magic to it, where history of yesteryear can still be seen and sensed, and it is also a location that has a certain photogenic quality, for it is also a location that sits close to the border with Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire - but most of all it is a location that has been shaped and forged by industry as well, passing industry and present industry, and yet there is also another element to Trent Lock that makes it a unique and interesting place, and that is the towers that rise gently like concrete giants from the other side of the water that no matter where you are within this setting seem to dominate the skyline. But for how long? Well the sad thing is, that these concrete giants may not be around for much longer and yet we, us humans could change that."

Fast forward from April of 2026 to the first week of June 2026, and  I ended up coming across an article which said the following "Notts-Based Photographer, Harvey Tomlinson is Up for a National Geographic Award for his Photograph of Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station." And then what happens? On Wednesday the 3rd of June 2026, 9pm on More 4, was a program with Kevin McCloud, you may or may not have seen him presenting Grand Designs, but his latest series is called quite simply - Kevin McCloud's Listed Britain, and for anyone who likes Architecture and the arts of the built environment then it might be the ideal tonic and program of escapism. But what made the episode that little bit more interesting on the 3rd of June 2026? Well, Kevin McCloud himself was visiting this site where these now defunct concrete giants stand, and they stand empty and sadly unused, unlisted as well. A Stark contrast perhaps to say the more futuristic Lloyds building in London. But that aside, what Kevin McCloud was looking at was these giant concrete giants, and a site which now sit empty and without purpose. Or do they? 

For these towers were very much alive - now though they are silent, and they are awaiting their death. But what happens if they could be saved? What happens if this landmark of industry and architecture could be used in a slightly different way - and well they can. You only have to look abroad at certain countries within Europe and beyond where Cooling Towers and industry has been preserved, a few examples of cooling towers which in Europe (and further afield) have been preserved are the following, 

1. Inota Power Plant, Hungary - Again this is a former power plant with cooling towers which is now the home to a repurposed venue for music and arts, where the cooling towers are used for projection screens. 
2. Wunderland Kalkar, Germany - A place of leisure, a place that is a theme park and in a former cooling tower what is there? Quite a large ride that forms part of the wider theme park. 
3. Pirelli Headquarters, Milan in Italy - Pirelli is of course known worldwide for the tires that they produce, but architecturally what did they do? Well for their Headquarters they used a cooling tower which was part of a former power station. 
4. Orlando Towers, Soweto in South Africa - Want to do something interesting, and use an empty space, well that is what Orlando Towers is, it is a former coal powered power station which again has cooling towers and that complex is now an extreme sports centre and hub. 

And that is just four locations that the wider public, the wider community, the wider outside of the box styles of thinking have come together and found a way in which to reuse architecture and preserve it, preserving history. Of course after the segment with Kevin McCloud visiting Ratcliffe-On-Soar, he ended up talking to someone from The 20th Centry Society, a group of people who are campaigning for outstanding buildings, and you might think that Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station, is not outstanding but it is. It is a place of history and of architecture that combined makes for something interesting, the person who Kevin McCloud spoke to, said something to this effect, 

"That you can actually purchase a cooling tower and that some have been for sale for the price of a house."

A quirky way perhaps to save a piece of Architecture, and it got me thinking that these iconic cooling towers and the site of Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station really has so much potential, the potential for it to be changed into a site for arts, a festival site perhaps? A site for arts and the artistic community perhaps? A Site of learning and science - okay, an example of that could be take a leaf from MAGNA in Sheffield, where a site of industry has once again been preserved and transformed. But all it needs to make this happen is a little bit of "outside the box thinking" and that is the key. Why in other countries are interesting industrial pieces of architecture, that includes old power plants saved? Surely here in the UK, it is time to start taking note, to look more to the future and to think more along a progressive line and see what can be done. 

And if we can do that, then surely there is still some time, a window of opportunity a case in point to save industrial artefacts, landmarks that have shaped the landscape that they exist in, to perhaps transform the land that they are on, into places of arts, places of beauty where memories from their industrial past can still be seen, memories still shared, and a place for the public to still enjoy, perhaps that is what can be done to Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station, and yes headlines over the past couple of days have said the following,

"Uniper signs up Erith for demolition contract at Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station."

But despite that headline, things have been done in the past, where something on the brink of demolition, where architecture that is on the cusp of being destroyed has indeed been saved, by the power of people, some of whom have links to a particular building or buildings, some of whom can see the potential for future use, from parkland and spaces that can still encompass the architecture that stands, and surely it is not too late to save the iconic structures of Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station, and the cooling towers that have graced the landscape for many a year, to save them it just needs some outside of the box thinking to be done. 

Artworks and Beauty of a Rainforest, but in Derbyshire?

Derbyshire most certainly is a county that has something of a "varied and rich kind of landscape." Which of course has the delightful agricultural and rolling gentle landscapes of hills, to the dramatic limestone dales of The Derbyshire Dales which form the White Peak, all the way through to the wild and windswept moorlands of The Dark Peak, and its various Gritstone edges and peaks. But Derbyshire is also home to something else, and that something else happens to be, 

"One of the only Temperate Rainforests in England. Which is called Padley Gorge, a magical area that throughout the seasons has a certain something different to it, for it is in the Spring and Summer when it is at its most lush, and within the Autumn, it comes alive with a glorious and theatrical colour, which is most certainly worth capturing."

But it was on Saturday the 16th of May 2026 - that I had a visit to a Woodland that I have not visited in quite a while, that woodland happens to be located right next to the village of Shipley, a hidden village situated between Ilkeston and Heanor, that just so happens to be right on the border with Shipley Country Park. However though this section of Woodland, no matter when I have visited in the past always seems to be full of artworks, sculpture and changes just waiting to be captured, in the Autumn it glows with the theatrical colours that nature paints, and whilst I had not visited this section of woodland for quite a while, well here I was - and of course what had also happened? Well it had rained, which made things that little bit more special, for this time around I took a brief and short walk around this delightful section of woodland, and I came across the Artworks and Beauty, of a woodland that really did look akin, after the rainfall to that of a rainforest, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture. But as I came away, I had the following question in the mind,

"For is this small section of delightful and untamed woodland where nature creates and curates the artworks of the trees, the lush greens and the beautiful colours of Autumn when they arrive, for is this perhaps a Temperate Rainforest? For it has the quality for it to be perhaps. But at the end of the day, even if it is a small section of Temperate Rainforest, it really is something else to behold."

"The Trunks and the Frame."

"Lush, Green and Life with Serenity."

"The Woodland Heart Dances."

"Rainforest Dreaming."

"Light and Green, A Rainforest Dance."

"Colour and Glow. Where the Rhododendron's Grow."

"As the Arts of a Rainforest Glow."

"Sanctuary in the Woodland Cathedral."

"The Rainforest Light, A Glow so Bright."

"Height and Colour down Low."

"A City of Trees, Buildings clad in Green."

"The Rainforest Wall."

"A Bridge in Woodland Light."

"Fallen into the Serenity of Sanctuary."

"Following the pathway to Middle Earth."

"The Bridge of Fallen. And the Rhododendron Kingdom."

"Rhododendron Sanctuary. Chaos or Layers?"

"A Frame."

"The Rhododendron City."

"The Fallen Highway, Nature Flows."

"Colours Glow, Lush Green and Vibrant Symphony."

"Sculpture, Arts, Woodland and Rainforest Gallery."

"The Light, And a Rainforest Scene, afternoon Light and Shine."

"A Wall of Art, a Wall of Layers and Colours."

"The Bridge, and Woodland Glow."

"Woodland and Rainforest Mystery."