Mark Annand
@markannand.bsky.social
Born at 313ppm. If it's nearby, enjoy www.twotunnels.org.uk.
"Ghostbusters" 'cos, that clarinet on the sidewalk.
Profile photo credit @confluentious
"Ghostbusters" 'cos, that clarinet on the sidewalk.
Profile photo credit @confluentious
The canal in Chester: the three-rise lock flight at Northgate isn't as built and is not the work of Telford - though he would have been involved in burying the bottom two lock chambers, altering the flight from an even more impressive five rise, yes?
November 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The canal in Chester: the three-rise lock flight at Northgate isn't as built and is not the work of Telford - though he would have been involved in burying the bottom two lock chambers, altering the flight from an even more impressive five rise, yes?
Before the current Southgate, on a long-gone tree close to the old Ham Gardens multistorey car park, the flock of wagtails covered that at night too. Not sure what happened during the years c.2007 when everything was a building site & dinosaurs held sway in that part of the city.
November 26, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Before the current Southgate, on a long-gone tree close to the old Ham Gardens multistorey car park, the flock of wagtails covered that at night too. Not sure what happened during the years c.2007 when everything was a building site & dinosaurs held sway in that part of the city.
Panoramic photo: part of the campus that once housed the College of Librarianship Wales / Welsh Agricultural College, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth.
Photo from 2019.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College...
Photo from 2019.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College...
November 26, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Panoramic photo: part of the campus that once housed the College of Librarianship Wales / Welsh Agricultural College, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth.
Photo from 2019.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College...
Photo from 2019.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College...
Could I resist adding a recursive touch to that? In short, no.
November 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Could I resist adding a recursive touch to that? In short, no.
Castle Mill basin ... tied up beneath the fossil coral reef there and tbh we expected crocodiles, or perhaps the sight of a live Dudley locust.
November 21, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Castle Mill basin ... tied up beneath the fossil coral reef there and tbh we expected crocodiles, or perhaps the sight of a live Dudley locust.
Full disclosure: 'some time ago', an expedition by water from London, heading for Dudley Tunnel in the Thames skiff Tyho. On the way through, we turned left and tied up in Cathedral cavern, clambering up a roof fall to take a photo of the boat at the entrance of a subterranean canal tunnel portal...
November 21, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Full disclosure: 'some time ago', an expedition by water from London, heading for Dudley Tunnel in the Thames skiff Tyho. On the way through, we turned left and tied up in Cathedral cavern, clambering up a roof fall to take a photo of the boat at the entrance of a subterranean canal tunnel portal...
{fx:Obi-Wan} Local authorities, the Clachnaharry levers are not the levers you are looking for.
November 20, 2025 at 11:31 AM
{fx:Obi-Wan} Local authorities, the Clachnaharry levers are not the levers you are looking for.
Fought my way to one of the display boards which concerned itself with the subject of 'Levers' and thought, ok, there must be a lever that'll reduce the friction for people travelling by public transport. That's one that the local authority has some powers to pull, let's do it.
November 20, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Fought my way to one of the display boards which concerned itself with the subject of 'Levers' and thought, ok, there must be a lever that'll reduce the friction for people travelling by public transport. That's one that the local authority has some powers to pull, let's do it.
Local authority is currently staging a movement consulation for the area. Sadly, when the event came to the city centre it was hosted in a rather small room that was already full of furniture and replicated typical conditions often encountered on the city's bus services.
November 20, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Local authority is currently staging a movement consulation for the area. Sadly, when the event came to the city centre it was hosted in a rather small room that was already full of furniture and replicated typical conditions often encountered on the city's bus services.
Early spring in Monmouth, March 2014, river debris trapped by an arch of the ancient bridge over the Monnow. Wondering if debris in that river contributed to the November 14th 2025 inundation.
November 15, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Early spring in Monmouth, March 2014, river debris trapped by an arch of the ancient bridge over the Monnow. Wondering if debris in that river contributed to the November 14th 2025 inundation.
It's only a single data point, always regarded November 6th as crisp - the date that most of the last leaves came off the trees while some small boys scoured the streets for spent rocket sticks.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
November 9, 2025 at 6:59 PM
It's only a single data point, always regarded November 6th as crisp - the date that most of the last leaves came off the trees while some small boys scoured the streets for spent rocket sticks.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
Travelled on two GWR Class 80xs yesterday. On both, a longstanding defect which can impact passenger safety. The seat padding fails: the support structure then imposes pressure, leading to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
November 9, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Travelled on two GWR Class 80xs yesterday. On both, a longstanding defect which can impact passenger safety. The seat padding fails: the support structure then imposes pressure, leading to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
Stonemasons putting in a lot of weight-reducing stuff at height, right there.
November 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Stonemasons putting in a lot of weight-reducing stuff at height, right there.
Oh and while we're on it, Bath's 6 and 7 buses need to serve the rail and bus stations. No more of this Covid-era timetable please.
November 3, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Oh and while we're on it, Bath's 6 and 7 buses need to serve the rail and bus stations. No more of this Covid-era timetable please.
Why should buses call at the Manvers Street stops? Because that allows for a far more robust journey for people changing from rail to bus.
November 3, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Why should buses call at the Manvers Street stops? Because that allows for a far more robust journey for people changing from rail to bus.
Bath Southgate department store: the frontage in Manvers Street, with underused bus stops. Blacked out windows meant that the previous tenant trashed this space - Marks and Spencer is about to change that and these will be shop windows again - and it's past time to have northbound buses call there.
November 3, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Bath Southgate department store: the frontage in Manvers Street, with underused bus stops. Blacked out windows meant that the previous tenant trashed this space - Marks and Spencer is about to change that and these will be shop windows again - and it's past time to have northbound buses call there.
IWA are on the nail with this. Also, anecdote not data but on the Bridgewater and the Ashton Canals - maintenance done in a way that allowed insects and flowering plants (including orchids) to thrive - in the centre of one of the UK's big cities this was good to see.
Photos from 2023. #UKcanals
Photos from 2023. #UKcanals
November 3, 2025 at 10:12 AM
IWA are on the nail with this. Also, anecdote not data but on the Bridgewater and the Ashton Canals - maintenance done in a way that allowed insects and flowering plants (including orchids) to thrive - in the centre of one of the UK's big cities this was good to see.
Photos from 2023. #UKcanals
Photos from 2023. #UKcanals
The scaffolding of four long months standing
Now departed
The week it left
Low sunlight through pendant raindrops made autumn jewels.
Now departed
The week it left
Low sunlight through pendant raindrops made autumn jewels.
October 30, 2025 at 12:08 PM
The scaffolding of four long months standing
Now departed
The week it left
Low sunlight through pendant raindrops made autumn jewels.
Now departed
The week it left
Low sunlight through pendant raindrops made autumn jewels.
Railbus at the platform at the long closed station at Cirencester Town. An exhibition in the rarely-opened station building, its interior under heavy refurbishment, tea, coffee, biscuits. Nothing not to like - just today and Sunday.
A timetable on display too. Kemble - Cirencester: 11 minutes.
A timetable on display too. Kemble - Cirencester: 11 minutes.
October 25, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Railbus at the platform at the long closed station at Cirencester Town. An exhibition in the rarely-opened station building, its interior under heavy refurbishment, tea, coffee, biscuits. Nothing not to like - just today and Sunday.
A timetable on display too. Kemble - Cirencester: 11 minutes.
A timetable on display too. Kemble - Cirencester: 11 minutes.
Always gives me the feels to have been the originator of a segment on a @gwr.com info screen. Hat to @walkwheelcyclet.bsky.social and @bathnes.bsky.social for backing @twotunnelsbath.bsky.social. 20 years since that cunning plan was a twinkle in the eye.
October 24, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Always gives me the feels to have been the originator of a segment on a @gwr.com info screen. Hat to @walkwheelcyclet.bsky.social and @bathnes.bsky.social for backing @twotunnelsbath.bsky.social. 20 years since that cunning plan was a twinkle in the eye.
Liking Bath's new international trains. Here at the platform is the 8:57 to Fort William
October 24, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Liking Bath's new international trains. Here at the platform is the 8:57 to Fort William
This is what the view into a bin with at least five rats in it looks like. Widcombe footbridge behind the station. Made a rat squeal at the bin and the contents went off like a roman candle as they hid.
October 22, 2025 at 8:16 PM
This is what the view into a bin with at least five rats in it looks like. Widcombe footbridge behind the station. Made a rat squeal at the bin and the contents went off like a roman candle as they hid.
Hopefully not the same way the UK upgraded the channel tunnel rail link it built in the 1890s...
October 22, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Hopefully not the same way the UK upgraded the channel tunnel rail link it built in the 1890s...
That material, rather expensive, that when used for shoe soles, onon smooth wet stone pavements/rock/wood the grip is unexpectedly non-existent. That.
(Photo from 2012, Lyncombe Vale, Bath #ThatWasThen)
(Photo from 2012, Lyncombe Vale, Bath #ThatWasThen)
October 22, 2025 at 11:59 AM
That material, rather expensive, that when used for shoe soles, onon smooth wet stone pavements/rock/wood the grip is unexpectedly non-existent. That.
(Photo from 2012, Lyncombe Vale, Bath #ThatWasThen)
(Photo from 2012, Lyncombe Vale, Bath #ThatWasThen)
On this day, please spare a thought for external comms people everywhere.
October 22, 2025 at 9:51 AM
On this day, please spare a thought for external comms people everywhere.