Description: The Sandbanks Peninsular is a narrow spit of land about 1 km square, extending into the mouth of Poole Harbour (Dorset, England). Here you can catch the chain ferry across to Studland, dip your toes in the water on a glorious sandy beach, cast a line into the sea for the 'catch of the day', watch the boats entering and leaving the harbour, and dream that you could afford to live here! This shot was taken on 8th October 2026, with the beach almost deserted (I prefer to avoid the place during the summer months). The Haven Hotel (top left of shot) was built in 1887 on the site of the long gone North Haven Inn. Plans have been submitted to redevelop the site more recently, but thankfully these have so far been quashed.
Description: As a gardener, I have to admit that squirrels (grey ones especially) are not one of my favourite representatives of the animal kingdom. However, this one seems harmless enough. Captured on top of a Royal Mail postbox in the village of Lytchett Minster (Dorset, England), 14th October 2026.
Description: Possibly the most famous steam locomotive in the world, the Flying Scotsman is shown here departing Norden for Swanage (Dorset, England) on a golden autumn afternoon, during a visit to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Swanage Railway. Built in 1923 for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), in 1934 the Flying Scotsman became the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at a speed of 100 miles per hour. The locomotive re-entered service in 2016 following a complete overhaul and is currently resplendent in British Railways livery with the running number 60103. 25th October 2026.
Description: Sometimes mistaken for lavender, catnip or catmint (nepeta cataria) is a species of mint which often induces playful, euphoric behavior in cats due to the nepetalactone chemical it contains. This photograph was taken at Tintinhull Gardens, near Ilminster (Somerset, England), on 9th June 2026.
Description: The town of Sherborne (Dorset, England) is blessed with not one but two splendid castles. The old castle, now a ruin (captured here on the 9th June 2026), dates from the 12th century and was built for Roger de Caen, Bishop of Salisbury and Chancellor of England. A few centuries later, the story goes that after passing through Sherborne on his way to Plymouth, Sir Walter Raleigh was much enamoured with the old castle, and Queen Elizabeth relinquished the estate, leasing it to Raleigh in 1592. Rather than refurbish the old castle, Raleigh decided to build a new mansion in the Tudor style (Sherborne New Castle) in the adjacent grounds.
Description: Pink orchids are often associated with love, beauty, and refinement, making them a popular choice for weddings and romantic occasions. In some cultures, pink orchids are also seen as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity, and are often given as gifts to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and holidays. This one was captured in Sherborne (Dorset, England) on 8th June 2026.
Description: Pictured here at Shillingstone Station (Dorset, England) is locomotive number 30075, an S100 class 0-6-0 tank engine originally designed for the US army transportation corps for use in Europe and Africa. After WWII, over 100 of these engines were purchased by the Yugoslav State Railway and designated as 'Class 62'. They were so well suited to Yugoslav requirements that the company had another 90 built, including this one, now restored to running order for the North Dorset Railway Trust, based at Shillingstone, on the former Somerset & Dorset line. 30th May 2026.
Description: One of the eight ruined cottages at Worbarrow Bay (Dorset, England). The residents of Worbarrow and the nearby village of Tyneham were required to leave their homes here in 1943 as the Ministry of Defence requisitioned the surrounding land for use as a military firing range. The villages are open to the public on certain days but visitors are advised to keep to official footpaths due to the risk of unexploded ordnance. One imagines that despite the idyllic but isolated coastal setting, it would have been tough to make a living here from the land and sea. 27th May 2026.
Description: St Catherine's church (Hamburg, Germany) is one of the five principal Lutheran churches in the city. It is situated on an island near what used to be the southern boundary of the medieval city, opposite the historic harbour area on the Elbe river. It traditionally served as the church of the seamen. The base of the spire dates from the 13th century. Date: 20th May 2026.
Description: Opened in 2008, the International Maritime Museum Hamburg (IMMH) is housed in Hamburg's oldest preserved warehouse, Kaispeicher B, in the HafenCity quarter of the city. Exhibits include Peter Tamm's collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art, amounting to over 40,000 items and more than one million photographs. 20th May 2026.
Description: Den Gamle By (Old Town) is an open-air museum in Denmark's second city of Aarhus. The museum, one of the most popular in Denmark outside Copenhagen, includes full-size buildings and represents life as it would have been in the city in four eras (1864, 1927, 1974 and 2014). Date: 18th May 2026.
Description: Frederik's Church (also known as the Marble Church or Marmorkirken) is at the centre of the Frederiksstaden district of the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. The church was designed in 1740 by architect Nicolai Eigtved but the original design was never completed and it stood as a ruin for almost 150 years before being rebuilt to a modified design and finally opened to the public in August 1894. Date: 17th May 2026.
Description: On a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, stands the bronze statue of The Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen. The statue depicts a mermaid becoming human, based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Some say she is small and unimposing, underwhelming even. Nevertheless she is a major tourist attraction in the same way as New York's Statue of Liberty or London's Nelson's Column. My advice is go and see her for yourself, and make up your own mind! 17th May 2026.
Description: Nyboder is a residential area of the city of Copenhagen, consisting of rows of wooden shuttered, yellow-washed, terraced houses, originally built to accommodate the families of naval personnel during the rapid expansion of the Danish Navy under King Christian IV in the 1630s. 16th May 2026.
