Forgotten hobbies

Not blogged for a while so thought it time I did.   I have been trying to sort through cupboards and book shelves in an attempt to de-clutter a little.

Today I have been looking at stamp albums.  I used to love collecting stamps as a child and I think it helped me to learn a bit of geography.  This included where different countries were and what their names were in their own languages and well as their currency and who their monarchs were.  When I go to the post office to post overseas I have to ask for stamps and they just print out a label now instead of giving you stamps. For me part of the excitement of receiving mail has always been receiving a new stamp and even today I cut the stamps off any envelopes and keep them in an envelope with the idea that some day I might get round to putting them in an album.

 Children today don't seem very interested in stamps at all.  I have tried to instill an interest in stamps in all my children when they were younger and Darius received his first album, together with a lovely collection of Australian stamps, from my mother when she first met him on a trip over when he was five.   In turn all of them have started collections at some time.  Sophia found her small collection when she was sorting her room last weekend.  She remembered doing it for her collector's badge when she was a Brownie.

Today I plan to show the albums to Stuart to see if he might be interested.  When Imran was young I started sending him first day covers whenever one was issued.  If I missed one I sometimes bought a presentation pack instead.  Looking through the album of 59 first day covers and presentation packs I wondered if they might be valuable.  I was so disappointed when checking on ebay to find they were selling for about a pound each.  Only sentimental value then!

So many subjects are covered on stamps.  There is always a new set every Christmas and also to celebrate anniversaries of different organisations.

Christmas 1991 

75th Anniversary of Scouting

Not sure where this one came from but I think it was the start of the collection

Sport is well covered too, this one for football and we also have one with golf courses on. 

Historical event are also depicted on stamps

From the Civil War 1642 - 1651

  

To the D Day landings of  6th June 1944.  

This one I sent to Sam as Imran had lost interest by that time. 

This set were issued for the opening of the Channel Tunnel on 6th May 1994.

This set commemorate the 50th anniversary of the George Cross in1990

Green issues are also covered

I like the animal and birds ones as you might guess. 

This is the latest one which I bought this year

I think the collection is one that I won't be parting with unless of course one of the children want to claim it. 

Wetland Walk

Lovely day so decided on a walk at Newport Wetlands.  Hadn't been for a long time and thought the spring flowers would be putting on a show.  Sadly I was a bit early for that. 

 The Wetlands was developed as a home for the birds who were displaced with the development of Cardiff Bay a few years ago.  As far as I can see nobody told the birds and I see very few there.   But I really do like walking there especially on a sunny day like today.  

 It is built next to Uskmouth power station so my photographs today are mainly of that as there were not many flowers to see.  It is a coal fired power station and here you can see the big pile of fuel waiting to be converted into electricity.  

It occupies quite a big area with several large buildings. 

As you can see there are a large number of big pylons. To carry the power to wherever it has to go. 

After walking past the power station the path join the Wales Coastal Path.  

The coastline here is the Severn Estuary and on  the opposite side of the estuary you can see the Somerset coast and the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm.  Difficult to see them here but if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will. 

 Across the water you can see the Somerset coast and also here the rubbish that has washed up with the tide. 

Don't know what this is but probably some old fencing that has been exposed as the water levels have changed over the years.

I did see a few flowers and butterflies. 

 Saw a big patch of lady's smock by the power station and several butterflies but none of them stayed still long enough for me to photograph them. I saw small tortoiseshell, red admiral, small white and peacock. Did manage to snap this small tortoiseshell on a dandelion. 

Coltsfoot seed heads

Don't know what this blossom is but it looks very pretty.

The East Usk Lighthouse looks out over the estuary.

View of the power station  from the bird hide at the end of the lagoon.

The path through the woods

In the distance there are 2 wind turbines, much cleaner electricity than that produced at the power station. In the foreground is the reserve's visitor centre.

If the birds do ever find their way here they shouldn't have any problem finding their way home again.

 I did eventually see some birds.  A family of coots in the pond by the visitor centre. There were 2 adults and 2 cootlets.  This is the best photo I could get with only 2 of them in it. 

This sculpture of bull rushes is near the entrance to the reserve.  Couldn't see any information about who made it. 

I checked a map when I got home and noted that I had walked 6 kilometers. No wonder I was tired!