PeverilPeril 3,268 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 The ancient valley's, shrouded in mist. Decades had passed since the ghost's had shown. Gliding on, they slowly appeared, the water's tryst. Now Rainbow's live here, so not alone. The ghost's emerge as stone and fence, Homes and sheep, long gone. Breeze drift us towards remembrance. But there will be no song. The City's needs for endless water. Valley's gone? Not for ever. Ladybower may lose it's daughter. For Mother Nature has no tether. You can tell that it is the first poem I have ever written. Managed to catch four rainbows from among the ghosts today 10 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,497 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 Really good PP, well done you! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 Great PP, I take it the cider went down well ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,084 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 Like it! My brother has a photo somewhere that our dad took of our mum outside the pub in Derwent village, with the tandem they used on their honeymoon. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,497 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 D'you ride tandem? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,594 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 I love reading your thoughts about Ladybower, PP , especially as you have written them in such a poetic way. Ever since my parents drove us there when I was little, I've been fascinated about 'what lies beneath'. I still find it an interesting place to visit but will look at it with fresh eyes now I've read your poem. Thankyou 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,267 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 Ey up, Chulla! You've got competition! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
West Bridgfordian 144 Posted November 17, 2018 Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 From the BBC... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-46236792 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeverilPeril 3,268 Posted November 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 Thanks for the link WB. We let our boat drift past the pump house pictured. In April I was catching fish in the area that the Lancaster was flying over. The reservoir was full then. When boat fishing close in to the bank it was hard to imagine that there was over fifty feet of water underneath. Access to the boat was tricky yesterday. Quite a slope when carrying fishing clobber. The view from a boat is so different than from the bank. The abandoned, sometimes almost vertical bank sides are a little sinister and a stark contrast to the surrounding countryside. Hopefully the res will fill up again over Winter and I will be back for the Spring fishing. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,084 Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Talking of Lancasters, my wife’s uncle, Tadeusz Szuwalski, told me once of when he had the task in the 1950s of piloting a Lancaster over Ladybower at less than 40ft with a cameraman hanging out the side, for the Dambusters film. It should have been 60ft, in line with the original raid, but the director thought it would look more effective at 40ft. (At least he was allowed to do it in daylight!) 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,497 Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 That’s incredible RobL, not for the faint hearted either. Having recently been on a 737 attempting to land at EMA in high winds and only managing on the third attempt, to actually fly a Lancaster at that altitude along the dam took some skill to be sure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Not bragging but I've been over at not much more than zero feet and I was flying a Cherokee. You should have seen the look on the fisherman's face! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,084 Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Ah, but a Cherokee is a bit smaller than a Lanc! I must admit that when this doddery old bloke told me, I was a bit sceptical, especially when he also said that he was the first pilot to land a helicopter on the roof of a building in Britain, but it’s all documented here - http://www.ww2rafcollection.co.uk/RAF_Collection/Ted.html#0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,497 Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Well done Ted, good man ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 If you aren't on Facebook you probably won't be able to see this, but it's 30+ photos of the former Derwent Hall which was submerged under the dam. https://www.facebook.com/Dave-Attrill-Photography- 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted November 19, 2018 Report Share Posted November 19, 2018 12 hours ago, LizzieM said: That’s incredible RobL, not for the faint hearted either. Having recently been on a 737 attempting to land at EMA in high winds and only managing on the third attempt, to actually fly a Lancaster at that altitude along the dam took some skill to be sure. It's in those conditions where a pilot has to actually fly the aircraft hands on rather than use the auto land. In a light aircraft it can be just as exciting. Normally you wouldn't take off if the weather conditions were beyond the aircraft's published limits but during a flight the weather can change and what would have been a landing virtually into wind turns into a crosswind one. The wartime airfields generally had three runways so you always stood a chance of landing approximately into wind but modern airfields generally have one runway (two directions) which are attenuated to the average prevailing wind conditions. Thus the EMA runway is approximately east/west. With a cross wind landing the aircraft on final approach can't line up with the runway centreline as it would be pushed off course. The technique is to point the nose into wind and make the approach crabwise. At the crucial moment when the aircraft has crossed the threshold, the pilot has kick the rudder pedal to point the aircraft along the runway. Judging this is crucial and is done just a few feet from the ground. This can be even more hairy when the wind is gusting and the controls virtually have to be wrestled with. Obviously pilots are well trained to manage such conditions and accidents are rare. Any landing you can walk away from is classed as a good landing! 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
West Bridgfordian 144 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Vandalism at Ladybower... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-46316985 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,267 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Typical. You let people in, destruction follows. Not everyone, but enough to show that the biggest and most dangerous pest on this planet has two legs and a penchant for scrawling its name everywhere it goes. Pathetic. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Yes, a few losses in the mud would be most welcome ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,377 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Is it really? In the grand scheme of things how bad is it really? Defacing walls is now considered 'art' and worth a lot of money. Graffiti on Roman walls is now seen as a precious historical resource along with crude pictures on cave walls. I have no doubt that some bearded weirdy in the future will write a dissertation on the meaning of 'Shaz L Tony' he found scratched on a wall somewhere. In my youth I've carved my initials on a tree - who hasn't? Pulling bricks out of walls is a no no I'll grant you but I really can't get over excited because some dickhead scratched his name on a wall. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 The real vandalism was probably flooding the village in the first place and moving people from their homes. Hopefully after a wet winter all will be covered over again. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
notty ash 370 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 I went on Friday. Quite startling the difference when you compare with old pics on the Web! Now Then And a closeup of Derwent Hall from a similar angle This is a shot from slightly further downstream of the village. The hall was just to the left of the photo. 7 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,267 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Such a beautiful building and place. My father used to cycle up there from Beeston as a lad. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Sacrilege, but I suppose we had to get the water supply from somewhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
notty ash 370 Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Some bits were retained for use elsewhere. The bell from the church is now in St Philip's Church in Chaddesden. The packhorse bridge was re-erected stone by stone further up the valley at Slippery Stones. Bits of the hall were recycled too, including the oak panelling, gateposts and other fittings. One pair of gateposts was re-erected next to the Ladybower Dam. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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