Aust Cliff

Things I found at Aust Cliff:
Lower Lias embedded with pyrite crystals

From blogpics

A tiny echinoid in the Lower Lias

From blogpics

The stumps of an old pier

From blogpics

And Tammy at the Severn Bridge viewpoint

From blogpics

Then and Now Continued

This is the view about a mile out of Sharpness dock.

From blogpics

Back in 1968 it looked a little different.

From Severn Railway Bridge and Purton

Ebley Mill in the evening sun with the foreground blocked off by a builders screen. This might be the last opportunity to get this viewpoint because it looks like something big is going to be built.

From blogpics

And this is the same view in the mid 1960s showing a lot of rubble in the foreground Notice that the chimney used to be black and without the flare at the top.

From Box-G3

Finally here is Wallbridge. All accounts that I see call this the bottling plant even though it looks more like an Oast house. Today all that remains is some of the wall.

From blogpics

But in the 1960s it looked a lot more interesting.

From Box-G3

Then and Now extravaganza

We went out and spent the day following Peter Coleman's steps, or more accurately cycle tyre treads.
First was the railway bridge at Bristol Road, Stonehouse. This is what it looks like,

From blogpics

and this is forty years ago,

From G1681

The Severn Bridge nowadays has a road deck, bright white superstructure and dark brown concrete.

From blogpics

But when it was being built it had dull superstructure and bright concrete, oh and no road deck yet but a mini railway instead.

From Box-G1

This is Harriet and Dursley in high marshy grass.

From blogpics

And this is in 1967

From Severn Railway Bridge and Purton

Surfing Epney

Surfing in Gloucestershire is rarely rewarding except if you do it for the views. A bore passed Epney shortly before a splendid sunset.

From 2009_08_19SWEpney

The bore arrived more or less on time with a wave barely three inches high. The half dozen surfers didn't even get a splash.

From 2009_08_19SWEpney

Sandfield Bridge

I thought I'd take a better then and now picture of Sandfield Bridge. I printed out the original 1960s images and lined up the shot. The recycled railway track supports are the same ones but the wooden horizontals have been replaced with shorter ones.

From blogpics

However I didn't like the angle so I went back on Wednesday and framed it a bit better. The light was better too.

From 2009_08_19SWEpney

And here again is the original

From Severn Railway Bridge and Purton

I showed my reference picture to the bridgekeeper and he liked it so much I had to give it to him.

Building Society Savings

I've left it a bit late but today was the time to reorganise my savings. Building Societies have the annoying habit of bringing you in on a good interest rate but a couple of years later the interest rate plummets. For example, my Halifax "High Interest Account" is 0.8% and brings a new meaning to the word "High" that George Orwell would have been proud of.

Likewise Stroud and Swindon Building Society dropped their rate from 5.1% to 0.8% in six months so it was time to move the money. They have a new over 50s loyalty account. It sounded like just the thing for me. A good interest rate and I qualify being over 50 and a loyal customer. But the fine print said that I can only open it with "new funds" that must come from outside the S&S. How annoying! All the money of mine I already invested can not be used to get a good rate?

So I closed the account and took the money down the road where I get a better rate and with instant access. If the Stroud and Swindon wanted to encourage loyalty, then the 50 Plus Loyalty Account isn't helping.

Missed call scam

I got a missed call on 0870 2443 494 on my mobile. Apparently this is a number rented out by Cheers International Sales Limited. It is apparent that the company is a magnet for missed call scams judging by the evidence here. If you get a missed call on an 0870 number then don't ring it back unless you want to give your money to scammers. It is probably a good idea in any case not to respond to missed calls for any number that you don't know.