Views

Some views across the environs of Shipley View today. We begin with the view from Shipley Hill towards the town of Ilkeston, across the housing estate of Shipley View.

Our house is hidden amid the sprawl of the estate in the middle distance, while the tower of the church of St. Mary can be clearly seen in the distance, on the high ground which forms the centre of Ilkeston town. Between the two are some of the buildings of the Manners Industrial Estate. This was the site of the Manners Colliery and included many other industrial sites including a sawmill, brickworks, miles of railway lines and junctions and all the paraphernalia which went with it.
Another former Colliery site is seen in the next view. This time the site of the old Woodside Colliery, latterly the American Adventure Theme Park and now standing idle waiting for someone to 'take it on'.

The lake is more-or-less in the place where the fish pond for the old Shipley Hall once was and later the enormity of the open cast mine system which I mentioned a few days ago. Looks a bit different today - thank goodness!
A watery view next, across the stillness of Mapperley Reservoir with it's associated reflections.

The water looks a little muddy, due in part to the feeding carp stirring up the silts looking for food. Some of these carp are enormous and glide around looking for all the world like submarines, occasionally breaking the surface with their dorsal fins like conning towers.
Lastly, a view reminding us of the impending end of Summer and the onset of Autumn. The fields around Mapperley Reservoir are littered with these huge , plastic-covered rolls of hay.

What happened to haystacks? Why do they have to be shrink-wrapped in plastic these days? That's progress I suppose!