Snow storm

Looking towards the Hollybush pub, just over the top of the bridge, the temptation was to hide in there until the snow finished.

Moorland pony

This little fellow tried to eat my camera bag.

Above Hazelhurst Viaduct

Above Hazelhurst Viaduct and looking at the bridge from yesterdays photo.

Canal bridge

Patterns in the snow on a canal bridge

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas to all, I will be spending the day away from the computer, it deserves a holiday too, so best wishes to everyone and I hope the day brings you everything you wish for.

Photo from down on the canal outside the Hollybush pub where if all has worked out (writing the post on the 19/12) we will have spent some time on Christmas eve.

Snow line

Snow just hitting the tops above Leek

Canal snow

Snow on the canal near Leek

Hen Cloud

A snowy day on the Roaches

Warning

Sign on a grass verge just outside of Grindon.

Hazelhurst in the Snow

Hazelhurst in the Snow

Lazy days

A nice spot in the summer, but not right now.

Becalmed Leek

Selling 100% organic natural bath and beauty products, some by small artisan companies, some by bigger brands such as Neals Yard Remedies, the uk’s biggest organic skincare company, Becalmed is a tranquil oases from all that hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping.

Owner Kate is all about giving the best possible service, from the beautiful products to her well-being treatments offered by 9 therapists. She assures us that she will be able to find a treatment or product along with a friendly bit of advice about any skin problem that any of her customers might have; and she knows what she’s talking about!

If you’re feeling becalmed enough, she also sells bathroom accessories, nightwear, lingerie and gifts. So it seems there really is something for everyone, it’s definitely worth popping in and becoming becalmed.

The Hand Bag shop, Leek

Ok, I'm a bit out of my comfort zone on this one, being a man, but The Handbag shop is a great little shop and we men known you girls love your handbags so I thought it would be just the shop to highlight. Also if any men out there are stuck for a gift, for that special person, this might just be the place to look.

Bo-Bells

Bo-Belles is a charming childrens boutique bursting with fabulous clothes and accessories for babies, boys and girls from birth to nine years. It prides itself on selling individual quality pieces that have been handpicked from independant suppliers and cannot be brought on the high street and therefore offering something different.

Bo-Belles is about the whole experience. We have a great range of unique clothing and gifts, set in magical surroundings and it prides itself on its great customer service. All purchases are beautifully gift wrapped so that you can just hand them over to the lucky recipient!

Being a mum of 2 children, I understand the importance of having great quality clothing but at an affordable price and so therefore, the prices are very reasonable. I love the fact that I only buy small pack sizes of the clothing too, so you wont see your children dressed like everyone elses!! I am incredibly proud of Bo-Belles. I absolutely love my job and it is a pleasure to work in such a beautiful shop and offer that something special to all our customers.

Getlifes yard

This is how a shopping area should look, think York or Chester, or at least the old bits. A real gem just off the now generic high street full of chain stores and charity shops. Take a rest-full stroll down the cobbled street past quaint shops and the excellent Cafe Clique.

Bibelot

bibelot [ˈbɪbləʊ (French) biblo]n

1. an attractive or curious trinket
2. Leeks newest and most attractive shop.

Welcome to Bibelot’s beautiful new shop at No. 2 Sheepmarket, Leek. We have recently moved here from Getliffes yard after completely renovating the building which had been empty for the past 10 years. We now have two floors of retail space packed full of fantastic goodies for you to browse.

Bibelot is the only authorised Cath Kidston stockist in the area. We carry a large range from the British designer including bags & accessories, homeware, stationery, toiletries, children’s items and haberdashery. Alongside Cath Kidston we stock gorgeous accessories and china from Avoca of Ireland, handmade products from Poppy Treffery in Cornwall, Jewellery from Tatty Devine of London plus many other fantastic products from a range of British designers. We love to support local crafts people and sell some lovely handmade local items including jewellery and crochet blankets.

Alongside our British made products we stock a great range of Children’s games and accessories from our ever popular recycled lunch bags & vintage style games to a range of craft and sewing kits. Bibelot also sells vintage and collectable Lego minifigures and we run a Lego loyalty card for our regular Lego fans.

Our haberdashery range has expanded and we now stock floral and dotty oilcloth by the metre, some fabulous pick and mix buttons, pom pom ribbon, ric rac and an array of felt craft items as well as a beautiful vintage style sewing range from Merchant and Mills. We also sell a great range of craft, sewing and knitting books.

Colloco, Leek

Here is the first in a small set of post highlighting some of the best places to shop in Leek during the run up to Christmas.

Welcome to Colloco gift shop – stuffed full of fabulous things which we hope you’ll like as much as we do.
We have great gifts for men (aren’t they always the hardest to buy for?), Women’s gifts with a difference, teenagers gifts and children’s.

Much of our Stationery selection is sourced from British designers when we can and the majority is printed on recycled paper here in the UK. However the Americans produce some really well designed papergoods (as they like to call them) so we have hand picked some of our favourites journals, notebooks and address books for you. The Listography’s are a list makers dream and a fantastic gift.

Homeware is close to our heart and we have carefully picked our ranges of prints (including Bold & Nobles cool TypeMaps and Aardvarks manifesto designs), tableware (from our local makers in Stoke on Trent Repeat Repeat and Little Walton Bank), accessories for your kitchen (Stuart Gardiner tea towels are always a good seller) and mugs, lots of mugs – they are always the fall back gift it seems, everyone uses a mug!

No gift is complete without a greeting card (and maybe some wrap) – we love the fact that 99% of our greeting cards are designed and printed by UK designers on recycled paper. Cards for most occasions, birthdays and Christmas of course, tags and wrap. Our soft spot at Colloco is for Letterpress cards, we hope to be bringing more to our website soon.

If you know your brands you can have a peek through our ranges just here- Aardvark, Bold & Noble, Black & Blum, J-Me, Koziol, Little Walton Bank, Momiji, Nanoblock, Newgate Clocks, Repeat Repeat, Stuart Gardiner, Talking Tables, and Wild & Wolf.

Froghall Canal

The newish moorings at Froghall.

Consall railway tracks

View of the railway from out side the Black Lion pub Consall.

Rudyard lake.

A panoramic of Rudyard, click picture to view bigger.

Consall Lime Kilns

Consall Lime Kilns newly refurbished by Prestec

Finished

St Mary's Leek after the restoration work has been completed.

Foxtwood Cottages

How would you like to wake up to this view, you can just by staying here, Foxtwood cottages, a lovely collection of holiday cottages right down by the canal and backing on to this great pool. The cottages are close to the village of Foxt and right by Froghall wharf and only a short walk along the canal to Consall and The Black Lion.

Christmas light switch on Leek tonight.

The Staffordshire Moorlands calendar has been going for about 20 year and this year all the images are mine. This is a wonderful showcase for my work and also looks to be an on going commitment with 2013 already being discussed. See here for more details.

Tonight I will be taking part in the Christmas light switch on in Leek, I have got a stall on the market so pop over and say hi.

Leek remembrance day 2011 part 3

Leek remembrance day 2011 part 2

Leek remembrance day 2011

Staffordshire Moorland calendar 2012

The Staffordshire Moorlands calendar has been going for about 20 year and this year all the images are mine. This is a wonderful showcase for my work and also looks to be an on going commitment with 2013 already being discussed. See here for more details.

Diesel days

Diesel engine on the Line outside the Black Lion Consal, took this just feet from where I was enjoying a meal and a pint.

The Black Lion

A perfect Sunday stroll with a pint or two at the Black Lion in Consal.

Railway line, Rudyard

Nice shadows crossing the line at Rudyard.

Butter Market Leek

A sunny day in Leek and a great close up of the Butter Market clock tower.

Rudyard, low water.

A shot from the dam at Rudyard showing the low water level, although all the rain falling at the moment could change this.

Autumn colours 2

Another shot just below Rudyard lake, this little pier has always intrigued me.

Autumn colours

A start of the autumn colours coming through just below Rudyard lake.

Welcome sight 2

The same spot as Monday but taken last December after having walk from the far side of the Roaches as the road was blocked.

Welcome sight

Getting back to the car after a pre dawn shoot above Back Forest, see Wednesday for the same shot last December.

Early morning

Just after sunrise near Rudyard.

Keep out

A farm gate just outside Rudyard.

Sunrise

The Sunrise just out side Rudyard near Leek

Misty morning

Taken in February of this year but just how it looks out there at the moment, its got to be my favourite time of the year. The picture is of the river Churnet out towards Consall.

Derby street Leek

Derby street Leek from the Monument.

The Roundabout Leek

Taken from the top of the monument.

Portrait Event 10th September at Brough Park leisure centre
by Brett Trafford on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 9:49am

Looking for a quality family portrait but don't want it to cost the earth?

On Saturday 10th September I'm converting a room at the leisure centre in Brough park in to a photo studio for the day

Photographic session run for 1/2 an hour starting at 9.00am till 4.00pm. The cost is just £40 including a free 10" x 8" print. The session can be for family groups, couples, kids, bands, or even just one person. This is a great opportunity to get family photographs while the tan is still showing and have them ready for gifts at Christmas.

St Lukes Leek

St Lukes Leek seen from an unusual view point.

Portrait Event 10th September at Brough Park leisure centre
by Brett Trafford on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 9:49am

Looking for a quality family portrait but don't want it to cost the earth?

On Saturday 10th September I'm converting a room at the leisure centre in Brough park in to a photo studio for the day

Photographic session run for 1/2 an hour starting at 9.00am till 4.00pm. The cost is just £40 including a free 10" x 8" print. The session can be for family groups, couples, kids, bands, or even just one person. This is a great opportunity to get family photographs while the tan is still showing and have them ready for gifts at Christmas.

Next stop love.

Photographed a wedding at the Churnet Valley Railway on Sunday, and would like to wish Sarah and Alex all the best for the future.

Give the DJ A Break

A quick advert for a good friend and local DJ super star! The picture is one of mine given a cartoon treatment.

We present to you a night of Eclectic music with a twist.
YOU are in control of the DJ.
Think back to your childhood, think back to moments in time, think back to treasured memories, and think back to the events that moved you and most of all think back to the MUSIC that encompassed these times.
This event is all about MUSIC in its purest form., be it pop, rock, classical, hip-hop, dance, opera, soul, bluegrass, movie themes, chill-out, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, ANY year, ANY music, ANYTHING GOES!!
It’s not about making people dance, it’s what music moves you. It’s not about catering to everybody else. It is all about you.
What you need to do:
Think of YOUR favourite THREE pieces of music... Easy isn’t it?? Nope, thought not. When you start thinking and delving into the furthest reaches of your mind you can think of loads.
Pick your favourite THREE and then expand it to up to SIX, this is to ensure that we don’t get any music played twice.
You can bring your music on vinyl, cd or mp3. The mp3’s can be on any device you want as long as it’s got a standard headphone jack. If it has a special connector, be sure to bring it with you. Come up to me with your play-list and I’ll play it out loud.
The event starts at 21:30, be sure to turn up early to secure your place.
I am not going to give you examples of what to pick, I don’t want to influence your judgement. It’s all up to you.
I think you’ll be surprised with my play-list
Cheers
Nick Sheldon

Portrait Event 10th September at Brough Park leisure centre

In what I think is a bit of a first for Leek I'm converting a room at the local leisure centre in Brough park in to a photo studio for the day on the 10th of September. Photographic session run for 1/2 an hour starting at 9.00am till 4.00pm. The cost is just £40 including a free 10" x 8" print. The session can be for family groups, couples, kids, bands, or even just one person. The maximum number that can be accommodated at one time is 7, but if you have more just call and I will see what can be done (size does matter).
This is a great opportunity to get family photographs while the tan is still showing and have them ready for gifts at Christmas.
The shots below will give you an indication of the type of portraits available, all these were done in the home, some under less than ideal conditions.