Moreton Corbet,

Its been a very hectic few days with work and being out and about as much as possible, so the blog has been a bit neglected, sorry. To be honest, my head and heart are still at the top of Snowdon and everything else seems to pale into insignificance.

I have been struggling to think how I can top climbing Snowdon, but then I remembered that I got into all this to be a better photographer, not mountain climber. Although I do love being out and about in this beautiful Country of ours, I don't want photography just to be a secondary something I do when I am there. So I need to refocus and find a better balance.

At the end of the previous blog, I promised more details about my trip to Moreton Corbet, the derelict Elizabethan Manor just outside Shrewsbury.

I found out about it on a website which details many great places to photograph around the country, a great site to browse. shot hot spots

It's not far from me and I do happen to remember that there is a fantastic farm shop en route that does the most amazing cakes. Battlefield 1403

Moreton Corbet is incredible. It just sits in the middle of the field, with a modern farm opposite. Parts of it look completely intact, while most of it is in ruins.

There are the remains of a castle beside it, but to me they are typical castle remains in that there is not much left, but the house is fascinating.

The above picture is me playing around with Panoramas. Not quite worked out how to get it all straight. It is all sort of leaning into the middle. Something to work on. It was made up of 4 shots and then merged in Lightroom. I am still amazed at what can be done relatively easily.

It is completely free entry and you can walk all around it, through it and, in the small cellar area, under it!

You can find out more about it at this English Heritage Website moreton-corbet-castle/ Its probably wrong of me, but I can't get too fascinated in the history of some of these old buildings. They were owned by "this family" and then "that family", people I have never heard of and am not interested in. To me, it is an object of beauty to admire and photograph and if that makes me shallow, so be it!

Lessons Learned: I am loving taking black and white pictures. Never something I have been that keen on, but the whole experience is a learning curve and you never know what is going to appeal until you play around. Another lesson for life in general I think!

When you do something amazing and so far out of your comfort zone, it changes you and you expect everyone else to see the change. Unfortunately, apart from your friends, no one else does. So I am going to mark the change by having pink streaks put in my hair, so whenever anyone asks "why on earth have you done that?", I will say "because I have climbed a mountain!"

Diet Diary. Please, lets not mention the diet today. Not going well. I can climb mountains but can't resist cake. Hopeless!