Pale tulip against a dark background
Flowers,  London,  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  The Changing Seasons,  Themed galleries

Gallery: a May selection (2023)

May 30, 2023 / 18 Comments

Sweet May hath come to love us. Flowers, trees, their blossoms don.

Heinrich Heine

May is an especially lovely month in England. At the start of the month spring is at its height, while by the end there are hints of the summer to come. With spring being late this year, the early part of May felt more like April, with chilly winds and frequent showers. But the trees were green at last after the winter bareness, and there were flowers everywhere!

We started the month in Newcastle, where we’d paid a flying visit for a football match. And I ended it in Norway, at the annual Virtual Tourist Euromeet. In between there were local walks, visits to the cinema and restaurants, to favourite coffee shops and to the garden centre to replace plants lost to the winter frosts.

One highlight was the qualification of our football team, Newcastle United, for the Champions League. They haven’t played in Europe for twelve years and not been in the Champions League for twenty, so this is a huge achievement. And even more so given the fact that eighteen months ago they were bottom of the table and facing relegation! As you can imagine, we celebrated over a few beers with fellow London-based fans.

I don’t have photos from that evening to share but you’ll find plenty of flowers, including my usual spring obsession with tulips! Plus a couple of street art shots from Newcastle and a handful of London scenes. Meanwhile photos from Norway will have to wait until next month …

Technical notes

Most of these photos were taken with my phone, but for some around the house, garden and park I used my Lumix bridge camera. All were edited in Photoshop Elements, many also in Color Efex Pro and two with Silver Efex Pro.

As always I am linking my selection to Ju-Lyn’s and Brian’s Changing Seasons challenge.

  • Shutters of a barber's shop with painting of a barber
    In Newcastle 2023-05-01
  • Black and white mural of a distorted skull in a crescent moon
    Street art in Newcastle 2023-05-01
  • Close up of yellow and red peppers
    Ealing grocers 2023-05-03
  • Classical carving of a woman
    Gate post ornament, Syon Park 2023-05-04
  • Building with arched windows surrounded by trees
    The Great Conservatory, Syon Park 2023-05-04
  • Pale tulip against a dark background
    Tulip 2023-05-08
  • Sprays of pale mauve flowers against a brick wall
    Wisteria, Ealing 2023-05-14
  • Spray of pale mauve flowers
    Wisteria, Ealing 2023-05-14
  • Pale tulip against a white background
    High-key tulip 2023-05-14
  • Man painting in long grass with trees around
    Artist in Walpole Park 2023-05-16
  • Old fashioned shopping arcade with red carpet and banners
    Burlington Arcade, London, decorated for the coronation of Charles III 2023-05-19
  • Man on raised chair having shoes cleaned by another
    Shoe cleaner, Burlington Arcade, London 2023-05-19
  • Bright yellow multi petalled flower
    Begonia in our garden, Ealing 2023-05-21
  • Small dark red flowers and bright leaves
    Auricula in our garden, Ealing 2023-05-21
  • Pink rose surrounded by dark leaves
    Rose in a neighbour’s garden, Ealing 2023-05-24
  • Bee flying among yellow flowers
    Bee and laburnum, Walpole Park 2023-05-26
  • Spilling over a neighbour’s wall, Ealing 2023-05-26

18 Comments

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