Monkey business and rock-solid brothers – readers' best photographs
'Moai statues in the quarry that were never transported to the platforms.' Photograph: Daniel Alvarez
'A duck coming in to land in front of the Peacock Tower bird hide at the London Wetland Centre.' Photograph: Chris Watkins
'Hill Street Blues … a little bit of New York on Dock Road, with Everton's new stadium in the background.' Photograph: Graham Pink
'A viola in the snow in the plant box outside our flat.' Photograph: Inge Kersten
'Tango lessons in the rain at the Scoop outdoor amphitheatre.' Photograph: Don Blandford
'I took this photo at sunrise from my hotel terrace with not another soul in sight. It was the perfect way to see the town before any tourists arrived.' Photograph: Jonathan Sankey
'A bundle of Egyptian goslings having a rest in Dagnam Park' Photograph: Ursula Armstrong
'Descending from the old Navarino Castle, I came across the cavernous cave reputed to be the tomb of the mythical king Nestor. The view out looks down on to an almost perfect horseshoe bay called Voidokilia Beach.' Photograph: Jan G Bek
'I was walking through the Design District and noticed the shadow of the balcony of this interesting building.' Photograph: Colin Page
'Two Japanese macaques groom each other after a long soak in a hot spring at Jigokudani Monkey Park.' Photograph: Greg Hill
'The little observer by the seaside.' Photograph: Pingtian Zhou
'View of Mount Etna in Sicily erupting on the horizon, seen from the neighbouring island.' Photograph: Harry Truman
'The Tri Brata (Three Brothers) rock formation off the coast of Kamchatka in eastern Russia.' Photograph: Anastasia Klimchynskaya
'I was taking photographs of comfrey plants, which are very popular with bees. It wasn't until later that I realised I had captured a bee in flight. What a lovely surprise!'
Photograph: Jill Setterington
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BBC News
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- BBC News
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Indy Almroth-Wright BBC News, South BBC The battery-powered train completed a return trip from Reading via London Paddington and Oxford A battery-powered train has broken the world record for the longest railway journey on a single charge. The Great Western Railway (GWR) train, a specially adapted former District Line train, travelled overnight along a 200-mile (322km) route from Reading and back again via London Paddington and Oxford. It reached 140 miles (225km), breaking the record on Brunel Maidenhead Bridge at about 04:00 BST. The previous record of 139 miles (224km) was set by German train company Stadler Deutschland in Berlin on 10 December 2021. Great Western Railway The train completed the 200-mile (322km) route overnight The Rail Performance Society was on board to verify the record attempt. Vice chairman Nigel Smedley said: "We can confirm that, subject to final checks, the Great Western Railway Class 230 train travelled 200 miles on a return journey from Reading Train Care Depot without charging its batteries from any external energy source." Great Western Railway (GWR) made the attempt to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the railways. GWR engineering director Dr Simon Green said: "Today's record attempt has been a bit of fun, but it also underlines a serious point: investment in battery technology is essential as we look to replace our ageing diesel fleet." GWR is exploring if battery trains could replace its diesel fleet as it goes out of service over the next seven to 10 years. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Related internet links
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
An outsider's view: a portrait of post-Brexit northern Britain
Originally from the West Midlands, Merlin Daleman has lived in the Netherlands for most of his adult life. In 2017, the photographer embarked on a journey through the the UK that resulted in Mutiny, a photo book published by GOST. All photographs Merlin Daleman Driven by curiosity to understand the divisions in the UK made evident by the 2016 Brexit referendum, he revisited the previously familiar with the eyes of an outsider Daleman visited more than 60 towns and cities from Aberdeen to Bangor, Blackpool to Belfast and Fife to Skegness, surveying the streets on foot 'I spotted the young women walking into a coffee shop,' says Daleman 'Having left many years ago, I returned to find a country frozen in time,' says Daleman. 'While London had flourished, the communities of the north were left behind. Cities once full of factories were filled with food banks, barbershops and fading hopes 'I went to Possilpark in Glasgow and talked to people in healthcare and social work' A woman and a girl sit listening to a Plaid Cymru rally calling for Welsh independence. Since the Brexit vote, there has been a noticeable revival of the independence movement in Wales Daleman's images range from boarded-up shopfronts to rainy streets, canals and bright seafront businesses 'On the seafront at Skegness, I came across the rear entrance to the Pleasure Beach. The drainpipe cut through the word pleasure, almost as if striking it out – a detail that felt symbolic and ironic. Coastal towns have seen a decline in tourism since the late 80s, partly due to cheap holiday flights abroad' As Daleman passes through towns such as Bridlington, he captures people demonstrating humour, warmth, fortitude and a sense of community Noem Lorraine Wildes (left), founded Rainy Bakes. She prefers to be known not as a baker but as a cake artist. Clients bring her photographs, which she reimagines in sugar and icing. The business is based in Jaywick, often described as the most disadvantaged place in the UK 'At the food bank of the Elim Community Church, the number of visitors collecting a bag of free groceries had risen to 600 in a month, up from 400 the month before,' says Daleman. 'Volunteers told me they have seen this rise continue steadily in recent years' The book's essay, by journalist Niels Posthumus, draws upon an interview with Philip McCann, an economic geographer at the University of Manchester, who believes that hardly any other European country experiences such a stark geographical divide between rich and poor as the UK The economy of London – where national policy is formed – is larger than the economies of the next 14 largest British cities combined. A sense of disparity and disenfranchisement felt by many in the north is confirmed by economics. It is against this backdrop that the Leave campaign thrived, resulting in what could be considered 'a mutiny'. It is this that gave Daleman the title of his book
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Hot springs, empty beaches, forests and wine: exploring the unspoilt Greek island of Ikaria
There are no signs to the hot spring, but I locate it on the map and we drive to the end of the paved road. Overlooking the sea is a stone bench someone has dedicated to her parents, 'with gratitude and love as deep as the Aegean'. My dad died recently and the words strike home. I'm glad my mum has joined me on this little adventure. We walk down to the deserted cove at Agia Kyriaki thermal springs. There are old fishing shacks with stone-slab roofs, and shuttered cottages. Down an unmarked path, we find a rock pool where hot waters bubble gently from the sand, blending with the sea to a perfect temperature. Immersed in the healing mineral bath, I look up at juniper trees and blue sky, lulled by lapping waves and cicadas. Ikaria, in the eastern Aegean – named after Icarus, the Greek mythological figure who flew too close to the sun – is known for its forests, springs and wine, communist leanings and longevity. Its population of about 8,000 is spread across dozens of scattered villages over 255 sq km, with few dedicated to tourism, and it only really gets busy in July and August. We arrive in mid-June from Kos (ferries also connect Samos and Athens to the port of Evdilos) at the port of Agios Kirykos and drive north-east to Faros, which has a mile of beach without a single hotel. The house we've rented for our first few days, Lighthouse Lodge, is perfectly located next to a cafe-bar and two tavernas – the hot spring a few kilometres away. While Mum reads in the shade of a tamarisk tree on the beach in front of the house, I walk around the mastic- and thyme-covered cape to Drakano tower, with remains of fortifications from the fourth century BC. The lofty peak of Samos and the Fourni islands are the only features in an expanse of blue – the space and light are mesmerising. A few Greek families with young children linger on Faros beach until dark. At Grigoris taverna, we eat grilled sardines and soufiko, summer vegetables cooked slowly in olive oil, and drink Ikarian red wine. Then we fall asleep to the sound of the waves. The next day we explore the north of the cape, swimming in the clear turquoise waters of Iero bay, near the cave where legend has it that Dionysus was born. Getting to Monokampi, a pretty village 15km inland from Agios Kirykos, and our base for the following two nights, requires negotiating the forest-covered Atheras mountain, which stretches in a 40km ridge across the full length of the island, rising to more than 1,000 metres. Our route zigzags up a vertiginous slope, cypresses poking up from the tangle of trees. We're late and I call George, owner of Moraitika Farmhouse, to say we're on the mountain somewhere. 'Ten kilometres in Ikaria are not like 10km anywhere else!' he laughs. When we arrive, George shows us around what was his great-grandmother's farm, lovingly restored over 15 years. Three houses are now tourist accommodation, while the oldest one, from the 14th century, is like a museum to old Ikarian life, with a large fireplace for smoking meat, an inbuilt oven and a secret back door for escaping from pirate raids. A forest of arbutus (strawberry tree), oak, olive and ivy has grown over the once-cultivated terraces and the footpath his grandmother used to walk over the mountain. In the evening on the terrace, as the sun descends over the sea, we eat local cheese with an organic dry white wine, Begleri – all picked up en route, as we're a long drive from a taverna. Eleonora's falcons swoop, an owl hoots and there are tiny, bright lights of glow-worms. In the cool morning, birds sing their hearts out. We walk through Monokampi's village square, dominated by a huge plane tree, and follow a sign to Agia Sofia, a hidden chapel built into a rocky spur. Mum points out honeysuckle and walnut trees, and we pick mulberries and plums. The next day we descend to the coast and continue west, stopping at Karavostamo for a swim and fresh spinach pies from the bakery, then we drive on, looking for a place to stay for the next few nights. We stop above an impressive beach at Gialiskari, but there's the thump of music from a bar so we keep going. At Nas, we pull in at a taverna. After a lunch of courgette fritters, herby meatballs and homemade cheesecake with sea views, we think we might have found our place. We walk on until we spy a lush river canyon and a sparkling cove, and soon find rooms at Artemis Studio. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Steps lead down the rock to the bamboo-fringed estuary, where swallows and damselflies flit. The other bank is dominated by the walls of an ancient harbour and a ruined sanctuary for the worship of Artemis, protector of nature and wildlife. The waters flow from the deep, pine-covered Halari gorge, which extends several kilometres inland, with paths leading in various directions. The riverbed, with pink-flowering oleander and little waterfalls, fills with wild campers in mid-summer. For now, quiet reigns. We quickly fall in love with Nas. Mum swims in the freshwater lagoon with the frogs; I swim in the sea, which is cold enough to leave my skin tingling. When the sun sets into the ocean, we settle on Artemis's peaceful terrace for baked aubergine with kathoura cheese and red peppers, and goat roasted in olive oil and wine. The taverna is run by Thanasis, a musician who offers tours of his family's organic farm, and Anna, who has a ceramics studio and shop, where we take our time choosing pretty jewellery. After a breakfast of fresh juice, eggs and Ikarian smoked ham at nearby Reiki cafe, we head on to our next stop, in the village of Agios Polykarpos. We're staying at Monopati Eco Stay, which has studios of stone, wood and bamboo, with large windows framing a magnificent view of blue sky, canyon and forest. The owner says we will find his 87-year-old mother in the garden. Svelte and sprightly Popi, covered up against the sun, is thinning out her basil plants and beams at us. She shows us terraces filled with courgettes, sweet potatoes, aubergines and tomatoes. The next day she picks me apricots, shows me how to make basil pesto with walnuts and sunflower seeds, and tries teaching me to dance the ikariotiko, with a deep laugh when I mix up the steps. Her philosophy is: good food, good thoughts and outdoor exercise. Every morning, she looks at the magic of nature and feels gratitude. 'We only have one life – we must make the most of it.' Mum and I feel that exact sentiment as we wave goodbye. We've made the most of our two weeks of discovery in Ikaria. We leave not only revived by good food and rest, but energised and inspired by the sweeping landscapes and time together, with precious memories to last a lifetime. Lighthouse Lodge, Faros, from £105 a night (sleeps 4, minimum three nights); Moraitika Farmhouse, Monokampi, from £55 per house (sleeps 2-4); Artemis Studio, Nas, from £40 per studio (sleeps 2); Monopati Eco Stay, Agios Polykarpos, from £80 per studio (sleeps 4-6, minimum three nights)
