So dull and dark are the November days.
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
and now the morn quite hides in the smoke and haze;
the place we occupy seems all the world.
John Clare, November
I often go on a bit about the weather (I am British after all, and live up to that stereotype at least!) This month has been particularly ‘interesting’ in that respect. We reached pretty much the middle of the month without once seeing the sun, but also without any rain. All we had was gloom!
Anticyclonic gloom
The BBC website explained it thus:
Is the weather getting you down? You are not alone. Mist, fog, low cloud and a distinct lack of sunshine seems to be the norm so far this month. It is mild for the time of year but it has typically been dull, grey and misty. …
Such areas of high pressure block rain-bearing fronts and often mean extended dry periods. In the summer this often leads to warm, dry and sunny days with light winds. In autumn and winter, while sunny, clearer days are possible, high pressure can also result in “anticyclonic gloom”. This is when high pressure traps an area of moisture close to the surface of the Earth. The moisture forms low cloud, mist and fog, which then cannot lift and clear as the winds are so light and the sunshine at this time of year is so weak. As the high persists, the low cloud continues to feed itself by re-thickening overnight as temperatures drop and moisture condenses.
Luckily the sun finally emerged and we had some welcome sunshine, albeit much colder and interspersed with bands of rain; the usual trade-off in an English winter in fact. My feature photo was taken near Kings Cross Station on the day the sun first appeared.
Staying local
All my other photos are local ones too, as we didn’t venture far afield this month. They include a shot from an evening with my photography group, when one of our members kindly opened up his home studio for us. The one type of photography I always say I never do is formal portraiture, but never say never! I enjoyed experimenting with his lighting set-ups and some member kindly volunteered to ‘sit’ for the rest of us.
Apart from that, Chris and I spent an enjoyable day with a friend at the London Wetlands Centre, which I’ll feature in more detail in a future post. We also went to a fascinating evening hosted by the Guardian newspaper featuring Michael Palin in conversation, talking about his diaries, travels and much more.
There were meals out (with friends and with my sister and her husband), and several gallery and museum visits. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is always an autumn highlight for me, and I also really liked Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily, at the Photographers Gallery.
Technical notes
The studio portrait and the shots from the Wetland Centre were taken with my Panasonic Lumix bridge camera, and all the rest were taken with my phone. Most have been at least a little edited with Photoshop Elements and some more heavily edited with Nik Color Efex. For the portrait I used Nik Silver Efex.
As always I am linking my selection to Ju-Lyn’s and Brian’s Changing Seasons challenge. Use the arrows to navigate the slideshow if you want to see all the images.
43 Comments
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grandmisadventures
Great pictures from a weird weather month. I really love the Christmas trees on the building- as someone who puts up way too many Christmas trees in my house I have to appreciate them putting trees on the building. And the sunrise picture is really lovely 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg 🙂 Those trees on Liberty’s are just four in a long line running all the way along the building!
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equinoxio21
Very nice Sarah. I just remembered I once had lunch with a blogger friend in Granary Square… A few years back.
Sarah Wilkie
We could do the same if ever you’re in London again 🙂 That part of town has been so nicely developed over recent years – it used to be pretty much a no-go area!
equinoxio21
Will do… It did look like it might have been no-go as many train stations were…
Rose
The otter(?) is cute. You have so many amazing photos, have you considered opening a photo gallery? I wonder how difficult it would be?
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, he’s an otter – an Asian short-clawed otter in fact. I’ll be posting more photos of him and his companion in a post about the Wetlands centre later this week.
Thanks for that lovely comment about my photos 😊 A photo gallery sounds like a full-time business so no, I wouldn’t consider that – I’m enjoying retirement far too much and wouldn’t have the energy for such an enterprise even if I agreed with you that my photos are good enough! But I’m hoping to have some images included in one or two exhibitions next year with my photography group 🙂
bushboy
Lots of cute Sarah, which are winners in my books. Love the boats too.
The flow of photos works well
Thanks for joining in The Changing Seasons 😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Brian, glad you liked this slideshow 🙂
thehungrytravellers.blog
Your opening paragraph about the first half of November is EXACTLY how we describe England whenever we get in conversations with people on our travels. Well, weather wise anyway. So many grey featureless days. Your pic collection betrays it, though…all looking good on those, as ever!
Sarah Wilkie
I think we have an unfortunate habit of remembering the grey days and forgetting the lovely bright ones in between!
thehungrytravellers.blog
You’re right, of course – and this morning is one of those lovely ones which remind us just how lovely it can be. Now, if you could just organise the same for 14th, that would be good.
Sarah Wilkie
Well, you never know …
Anne Sandler
You may not be traveling, but you are busy at home! I thought the portrait was great. I do do that type of photography either, not having any light systems, etc. But when it’s set up for you it’s fun. You did a great job.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 We do both like to keep busy and living in London there is always something interesting to do!
Teresa
That is what I noticed on London, always grey. But sometimes this is good for photography. Love your wetlands images. The sunset on rooftops reminded me of when I was looking out of my son’s windows on his apartment. Thanks for sharing Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Not ALWAYS grey – you can see the blue sky in some of my shots taken later in the month 😆 But you’re right, sometimes that is good for photography. Less good for my mood however!
Anonymous
Great portrait, Sarah. I can’t seem to get the slideshow to work. I opened the post in Jetpack, then on the web, but that portrait didn’t move! Any suggestions? I’d love to see the rest.
Sarah Wilkie
It’s a shame this has posted as ‘anonymous’ as I’m not sure if you’ll see my reply. In the hopes that you do, the slideshow should certainly work on the web. Did you click on the arrows as I suggested? You’ll find them towards the right- and left-hand sides of the black frame.
Rebecca
Gloom is no good: I would rather have rain than just dreary gloom…all the same, November is almost over, and here’s to a cheery (maybe snowy) December!
Sarah Wilkie
Oh no, dry gloom is slightly better than rain imho! And I don’t like snow in London (and it’s thankfully rare these days!) But yes, here’s to a lovely December 😀
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Lovely gallery! I like your portrait, and I did a double take at the Photographers’ Gallery. The person in the red jacket seemed to merge with the photograph she (I think she) was standing behind for a minute till i focused better!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anabel 😊 Yes, the hanging at that exhibition was unusual and it made me smile to see people’s legs sticking out like that!
restlessjo
He has a strong face, your model. Palin is one of my heroes so I’d have loved that. An exciting December ahead?
Sarah Wilkie
This was the third time we’d had the chance to hear Palin speak (one of my heroes too!) and possibly the best. He was at the National Archives a few years ago talking about filming behind the Iron Curtain (and indeed being there as it crumbled) which was also fascinating but covered less varied ground. As to December, the usual scattering of festive meals with various people, a blogger meet-up with Phil & Michaela (Hungry Travellers), family Christmas on Boxing Day and then up to Newcastle for New Year. Are you staying in Portugal or visiting the family over here?
restlessjo
I have 5 hectic days in Leeds before flying home on Boxing Day, Sarah. Still trying to decide which city I want to visit to see their Christmas lights. Probably Sevilla or Lisboa but nothing arranged yet. The run up to Christmas is lovely here. Tavira lights are switched on tomorrow teatime.
Sarah Wilkie
Sounds like a busy but enjoyable month 😄
margaret21
I was going to comment on the squirrel too. And all the Wetland photos. How did the conversation with Michael Palin and Miranda Sawyer pan out? I always think she’s quite acerbic, and not one for the ‘soft’ interview. Or perhaps it was more serious than that? Interesting anyway, I’m sure!
Sarah Wilkie
Those Wetlands are marvellous – have you ever been? Miranda Sawyer did a very good job with the interviewing. She’s clearly read the book and drew him out on some specifics in it but also asked about more general topics and let Palin have his say, making it more about him than herself as it should be 🙂
margaret21
Excellent, re MS and MP. No, I don’t know these Wetlands, and the London family have never mentioned them. Their sort of place, as well as mine, I’d say.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, you’d all enjoy it I reckon. A short bus ride from Putney Bridge
margaret21
👍
leightontravels
I enjoyed this gallery very much Sarah. At the end of December we will be heading back to the UK for 6 months so your recent doings and photographs have very much put me in the mood for our upcoming reconnection with ‘home’. The Michael Palin night sounds, fantastic, would have loved that myself. We have 2 days in London before we move onto Staffordshire, so your Liberty’s shot made me realise I have to take Sladja show Sladja some hotspots for lights, decorated facades and shop window displays. The squirrel capture is absolutely exceptional.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Leighton 🙂 I’m chuffed you liked the squirrel so much! I’m glad to have helped you get in the mood for six months in ‘Blighty’!
Heyjude
The squirrel photo at the Wetlands is a beauty. You are definitely not short of things to do and places to see in London.
Sarah Wilkie
Very true – that’s why we love living here! Thank you Jude 🙂
Annie Berger
I would definitely have a tough time living in England with the lack of sunny skies as we’re so blessed with those here in Denver. Granted, you have the world at your doorstep in London in the sense of so many opportunities to take advantage of and never be bored.
Exciting roster of photos – partial to the Liberty facade as it reminded me of my great aunt who designed for them. The houseboat image looked delightful – I would love to have a tour of it!
Sarah Wilkie
I wouldn’t want you to think our weather is always grey Annie, it can be lovely much of the time, but this winter has started very dull on the whole. Your great aunt must have been very talented – designing for Liberty’s is quite a coup! If you like the narrowboats, you might be interested to know that it’s possible to hire one for a holiday on a canal 🙂
Annie Berger
My great aunt, Nina de Garis Davis, was indeed a very talented artist. She and her husband were Egyptologists who spend much of their lives copying the paintings on the walls of tombs. Her art is displayed at The Metropolitan Museum in New York and she designed fabrics (scarves, I think) for Liberty’s. My mother inherited her home in Oxford. I may have mentioned Nina before. Steven and I named our first daughter after her, too.
Sarah Wilkie
I just Googled Nina de Garis Davis – what a fascinating woman and how cool to be related to her!
Annie Berger
Indeed! I have some of her paintings and also notes she drew and sent back home as postcards to England from Egypt.