Things to photo, before it's gone

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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There are a number of things I do want to photograph, before they are gone. But one thing I want to take a photo of, is Fiddler's Ferry. I noticed Wikipedia call it Fiddlers Ferry, but I am sure it does have an apostrophe. Fiddler's Ferry power station is on the border of Widnes and Warrington, and not too far away from Runcorn.

The whole family went out for a meal last night, I had the light option. ( fatty liver scare) It was a birthday meal for a member of the family, and I made sure I had my camera fully charged up. I can't believe I forgot to put the camera in my pocket. I could not believe it, the Restaurant was bang on the doorstep of Fiddler's Ferry, and I forgot my camera. I really did curse myself last night.

I did not know you could get that close, I have seen it in the distance since I was a child, or rather a young man, but never thought to explore it any further. Anyway, now I know just how close I can get, and from what vantage point to take the photos from. I am going to go back and get some photos, before it closes down. It is supposed to be closing down March 2020.
 
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jonbeeza said:
There are a number of things I do want to photograph, before they are gone. But one thing I want to take a photo of, is Fiddler's Ferry. I noticed Wikipedia call it Fiddlers Ferry, but I am sure it does have an apostrophe. Fiddler's Ferry power station is on the border of Widnes and Warrington, and not too far away from Runcorn.

The whole family went out for a meal last night, I had the light option. ( fatty liver scare) It was a birthday meal for a member of the family, and I made sure I had my camera fully charged up. I can't believe I forgot to put the camera in my pocket. I could not believe it, the Restaurant was bang on the doorstep of Fiddler's Ferry, and I forgot my camera. I really did curse myself last night.

I did not know you could get that close, I have seen it in the distance since I was a child, or rather a young man, but never thought to explore it any further. Anyway, now I know just how close I can get, and from what vantage point to take the photos from. I am going to go back and get some photos, before it closes down. It is supposed to be closing down March 2020.
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We went to fiddler's ferry power station on a school trip when I was about 10. Maybe they do guided tours? It might be worth a phone call.

Just had a quick look and this was all I could find https://sse.com/whatwedo/ourprojectsandassets/thermal/fiddlersferry/
 
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Jimbo1878 said:
We went to fiddler's ferry power station on a school trip when I was about 10. Maybe they do guided tours? It might be worth a phone call.
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Not overly keen on guided tour style of photos, I prefer doing my own thing, getting photos from how and where I see things.
But thanks for the idea anyway. (y)
 
Jimbo1878 said:
We went to fiddler's ferry power station on a school trip when I was about 10. Maybe they do guided tours? It might be worth a phone call.

Just had a quick look and this was all I could find https://sse.com/whatwedo/ourprojectsandassets/thermal/fiddlersferry/
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Fiddler's Ferry also has eight towers. I have some photos that I took with the 300mm lens, but I want to get closer. I was amazed at the size when I got so close, I thing I would have needed a wider lens to get them all in.
 
jonbeeza said:
Fiddler's Ferry also has eight towers. I have some photos that I took with the 300mm lens, but I want to get closer. I was amazed at the size when I got so close, I thing I would have needed a wider lens to get them all in.
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The towers are huge. It's really the one thing I remember from the trip as a 10 year old standing so close to something of that size.
 
I've wanted to get a shot of the towers with steam flowing out from them for ages but every time I'm nearby with a camera ....nothing and every time I don't have a camera ....tons of the stuff.
 
Andysnap said:
I've wanted to get a shot of the towers with steam flowing out from them for ages but every time I'm nearby with a camera ....nothing and every time I don't have a camera ....tons of the stuff.
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You had better hurry up then, the towers are going to stop steaming by March 2020. Not sure what is going to happen to the towers, not sure if another business is going to operate from the site.
 
From Wigg Island during construction of new bridge (taken 4 years ago), you can go further along Wigg Island so the bridge won't be your way, but I'm not sure you would get all 8 cooling towers. I'm also not sure that you will get steam for all 8 now, as I think its running at 50% capacity at the moment.

Fiddlers Ferry.jpg
 
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Mr Perceptive said:
From Wigg Island during construction of new bridge (taken 4 years ago), you can go further along Wigg Island so the bridge won't be your way, but I'm not sure you would get all 8 cooling towers. I'm also not sure that you will get steam for all 8 now, as I think its running at 50% capacity at the moment.

View attachment 268965
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Really nice photo. (y)

I got pretty close, A562 Widnes Road. From where I was I could not have gotten even two towers in, I would have had to find another point, to get all eight towers in. I did not have my camera with me anyway, one of the very few times when I forgot.

Probably would have been better with the Compact at 24mm, rather than the DSLR at 35mm, although I could just go with the kit lens at 18mm.
 
My wife worked for AEP when they owned Fiddlers Ferry in the early noughties, before they pulled out of the U.K. market, sold the power station to SSE, and made my wife redundant.

In our living room, we have a beautiful b/w print a photo (taken on large format film) of the base of one of the cooling towers that she rescued from going to landfill when the London office closed.
 
Musicman said:
My wife worked for AEP when they owned Fiddlers Ferry in the early noughties, before they pulled out of the U.K. market, sold the power station to SSE, and made my wife redundant.

In our living room, we have a beautiful b/w print a photo (taken on large format film) of the base of one of the cooling towers that she rescued from going to landfill when the London office closed.
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Thanks for that bit of information Rob. (y)
 
This is the kind of thing I photograph quite a bit, and I don't live that far away so I went down over Christmas for a look. There's plenty of spots in the area to photograph it if you do a recce on Google Earth beforehand. I keep meaning to go back with my drone, it's just been a bit wet and windy since Christmas!

I can't post the pictures I took as I'm on my works computer, but there are some on my blog https://blog.mechanicallandscapes.com/2019/12/31/539-fiddlers-ferry-power-station-1/ and https://blog.mechanicallandscapes.com/2020/01/04/540-fiddlers-ferry-power-station-2/
 
viewfromthenorth said:
This is the kind of thing I photograph quite a bit, and I don't live that far away so I went down over Christmas for a look. There's plenty of spots in the area to photograph it if you do a recce on Google Earth beforehand. I keep meaning to go back with my drone, it's just been a bit wet and windy since Christmas!

I can't post the pictures I took as I'm on my works computer, but there are some on my blog https://blog.mechanicallandscapes.com/2019/12/31/539-fiddlers-ferry-power-station-1/ and https://blog.mechanicallandscapes.com/2020/01/04/540-fiddlers-ferry-power-station-2/
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Fiddler's Ferry is only ten minutes away from me, and I can't believe I have not got around to exploring it further. I always see it in the distance, and see it most days when I am out and about. It was just that I was in Widnes/Warrington for a meal yesterday, and I was only a stones throw from the place, so close in fact, if I had of taken a photo, I would have only been able to get one cooling tower in the photo. I just did not have my camera with me.

I am going to go back again, and look for a suitable spot for getting some photos.

Just had a look at your blog, some really nice photos on there. Just going to have another look now. Thanks for posting the link. (y)
 
jonbeeza said:
Fiddler's Ferry is only ten minutes away from me, and I can't believe I have not got around to exploring it further.
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It's often the things closest to home we forget to photograph until it's too late. In my case the mill my mum worked in during the 1970s and '80s which is now a housing estate.
 
Ed Sutton said:
It's often the things closest to home we forget to photograph until it's too late. In my case the mill my mum worked in during the 1970s and '80s which is now a housing estate.
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I have been feeling the same really, things that have gone, and I wished I had of taken a photo of it.



viewfromthenorth said:
This is the kind of thing I photograph quite a bit, and I don't live that far away so I went down over Christmas for a look. There's plenty of spots in the area to photograph it if you do a recce on Google Earth beforehand. I keep meaning to go back with my drone, it's just been a bit wet and windy since Christmas!

I can't post the pictures I took as I'm on my works computer, but there are some on my blog https://blog.mechanicallandscapes.com/2019/12/31/539-fiddlers-ferry-power-station-1/ and https://blog.mechanicallandscapes.com/2020/01/04/540-fiddlers-ferry-power-station-2/
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Reading the bit on your blog "Years ago I used to work in Liverpool and drove past Fiddler’s Ferry on the M62, but like anything you see every day, began to stop noticing it. So with the end in sight, I thought I’d go and take a closer look".

I have realised I failed to take an interest in things that I see every day, I assume it is going to be like that always. But when it's gone, it has gone.
 
Musicman said:
Sort of on-topic... :)

A photo I took of the old Croydon Power Station in 1982 (it's now an Ikea store)



Beddington 1982 by Rob Telford, on Flickr

And Fawley near Southampton, which is about to be demolished (a real shame as it's a super building, especially the control room)


Fawley by Rob Telford, on Flickr
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I know things evolve and change has to happen, the pollution those structures must produce, it is still sad to see them go. I do like those photos, first one gives me a strange longing for the past, kind of feeling. (y)
 
jonbeeza said:
I know things evolve and change has to happen, the pollution those structures must produce, it is still sad to see them go. I do like those photos, first one gives me a strange longing for the past, kind of feeling. (y)
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I know AEP were experimenting latterly with mixing biomass (i.e. wood pellets) in with the coal at FF and Ferrybridge to reduce the net carbon output of the stations. Unsure if SSE continued with that.
 
Musicman said:
I know AEP were experimenting latterly with mixing biomass (i.e. wood pellets) in with the coal at FF and Ferrybridge to reduce the net carbon output of the stations. Unsure if SSE continued with that.
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Been reading the SSE website, and it is pretty high tech stuff they do there, too much reading for me. :)
 
In another thread were I was rambling on about trying film again, I tried a roll of black and white film the other week. I have sent the roll off, and I am just waiting for it to come back. I took a couple of photos of Fiddler's Ferry, although it was at the long at 300mm. I was a little shaky, not sure if shutter speed was fast enough, probably turn out poop, due to camera shake.
 
IMG_2982a.JPG

Just a quick snap with the Compact and cropped, so image quality is rather poop. I took the photo this morning, from the Runcorn side. I will get better photos, or rather try to. I will try and get much closer next time. Fiddler's Ferry, taken from Phoenix Park in Runcorn
 
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IMG_1306.JPG

Fiddler's Ferry power station.

Just a quick snap while waiting for our food. Not a very good photo, just taken hurriedly as it would not look good, to be out taking photos. I managed to get a quick video while waiting in the car park.

It is amazing just how big these structures are. I could not get them all in the frame. It is a very poor photo, I do know that. :)
 
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