I was curious about this insect I spotted feeding on a flower in North Berwick. I had never seen this species before.

From this photo it looks like a moth of some sort:-

Edited to add (7/8/24): I have received a comment on my flickr account telling me it’s a hummingbird hawkmoth. Thanks, Keith.

Public sculpture seems to be a feature of The Netherlands. This sculpture lay to the east of John Frost Bridge:-

Just to the northeast of the bridge this building had a model cow on its roof:-

Closer View:-

This building was very 1950s-60s in style:-

An impressive looking church in Arnhem:-

Last June we once again visited the good lady’s brother and his family in The Netherlands. They live on the outskirts of Opende, on the border of Groningen and Friesland provinces.

Imagine our surprise when we came across an outbreak of pirate iconography on our first walk into the village. This mock-up of a ship from what seemed to be items lying about a farmer’s field was our first inkling:-

In the village itself there was lots of bunting festooned on the houses and gardens. This house also has an araucaria (monkey puzzle) tree:-

As well as bunting, this house also had a flag of Groningen province on display. Many houses in The Netherlands fly their province flag:-

In the town proper the Valkery Festival seemed to be the source of the pirate theme:-

The entrance featured an inflatable octopus:-

More than a few houses had embraced the pirate theme:-

From Retford we carried on south and stopped at Downham Market in Norfolk.

It has a distinctive clock tower in the market square.

Reeds Homestore has lovely stained glass and rounded windows:-

This building also had stained glass windows:-

Some very traditional buildings:-

I hadn’t planned on stopping there so hadn’t looked up the town’s War Memorial beforehand so as a result we didn’t spot it but there are pictures of it to be found on the internet.

Walking further round Dean Cemetery I found this monument to John Irving, Lieutenant on HMS Terror, one of only two men the remains of whose bodies were returned to the UK from the Franklin Expedition:-

Close-up:-

Burghead Well, it seems, is something of a mystery.

When we picked the keys up from the visitor centre situated above the harbour the custodian told us the well contained freash water but was tidal. Well it is near the sea and estuaries are tidal.

Information board (to left above):-

Entrance:-

Steps in Water of Burghead Well:-

The Well (note floating football!):-

Wall and roof:-

Ceiling:-

In Saturday’s Guardian there was a good article on various sporting teams’ nicknames.

Apparently The Pilchards, aka Perranporth, a team from Cornwall, once had a manager who said “I’m gutted.”

As well as The Pilchards and multivarious others it mentions Scotland’s own Doonhamers, Bully Wee, Blue Brazil, Loons, Red Lichties and Hi Hi.

Stamford FC in England are nicknamed The Daniels after that country’s fattest man Daniel Lambert. Albacete in Spain are seemingly known as The Clockwork Cheese.

I was surprised that Harrogate Town’s tag of the Sulphurites wasn’t included as it is on the surface a bit strange. (Not htough when you consider the town’s arigins as a spa due to its sulphur springs.

Not to mention The Flying Donkeys (ChievoVerona) whom fans of their city rivals Hellas Verona were fonds of saying that only when those animals did achieve that feat would Chievo ever appear in Serie A. Chievo had the last laugh though when in 2001 they played in the Italian top flight for the first time and their fans adopted the nickname i Mussi Volanti. Sadly Chievo, though still registered, no longer play in the Italian pyramid system due to problems with financial viability over tax liabilities and a dispute about Covid dispensations.

The walk up towards the Antonine Wall above the Roughcastle Tunnel gave us a great view of the aqueduct we had just traveled on:-

A subsequent boat was making the trip:-

Aqueduct from other side (stitch of two photos):-

Roughcastle Tunnel Entrance from Falkirk Wheel side. Note “traffic” light:-

Emerging from the Roughcastle Tunnel leads the boat into a canal basin which has a lock connecting to the Union Canal. the lock is too small to allow the Falkirk Wheel’s boats through:-

Roughcastle Tunnel entrance from basin:-

Closer view showing aqueduct beyond:-

Boat approaching Roughcastle Tunnel from Falkirk Wheel:-

I shot the above video from the path which leads to the Antonine Wall above the Roughcastle Tunnel, from where there is a view towards the aqueduct:-

On boat:-

Mechanism:-

Leaving wheel to approach Roughcastle Tunnel:-

On wheel while it rotated:-

Wheel arm rotating:-