When I see someone I know on Google earth I immediately delete the browser page. Then when I go to visit these people in real life I find they never existed. So cool!

Vote accordingly....unless that too is a corporate aquisition. If so, move to NZ.

Are you surprised? Responsible capitalism devolved into Greedism years ago and many corporately purchased politicians smoothed the way....my humble opinion.

Ooooooo....soooo many buttons. I might need a license to drive this thing!

Oh..one more thing. I just traded up to a Nikon d800e with Tamron 24-70 VC lens from my Canon 5D. It arrived as I was reading your post! Wish me luck.

deneck,

Thanks again...great suggestions and tips. Unfortunately, I won't have the time I would like...5 days! That's why I checked in here at UHH ..an attempt to home in on the best places for day trips from Manchester. Yes, my wife and I are landing at HR airport and picking up a car for the drive north, and hoping it doesn't rain...this will be my tenth visit to the UK so I am familiar with some of what you report..but I've always kept to the south as Manor Park in London was my family home prior to WWII after which they moved to the USA. It's nice to hear your description of so many places that seem to have maintained their Englishness. I stopped visiting London a few trips back because it no longer seemed to be very English...a postcard of itself at best. I was quite shocked at the way the simplest of activities had a price usually collected by a machine and monitored by a camera. I hope its not too much like this up north...but I'm already cringing at the options for parking our rented car. At any rate, I know England is out there somewhere...driven into hill and dale by the march of time. I guess we can't expect time to stand still...same over here I suppose yet somehow less concentrated. So thank you again for your clear and concise observations and ideas. It's nice to hear from a true fellow anglophile. (On my last trip I surprised my wife by purchasing a London Taxi!.......OI!)

Deneke....thanks for your valuable travel tips. You should write a travel column! And thanks to everyone...I'm looking forward to ecperiencing and shooting all of your great suggestions.

NYjoe

Graham....your photographs say more than words can describe.

J.

Looks nice, Doddy....I'll only have a few days so I'll need to pick and choose. Your info is helping me make the best of my time.

J.

I am in awe....have you posted any images from this monster?

J.

I am in awe....have you posted any images from this monster?

J.

Is Blackpool crowded in early May?

PS: the ga645zi was a Fujifilm

Image Meister.....I sold a wonderful Mamiya 6 to buy my first 5d nine years ago. Then I missed it, so I bought a good used ga645zi. I had it for a year and shot two rolls that I think are still rolling around in my desk drawers. Then I sold a few of my b&w 5d prints and never looked back. When I was a boy I had an old mutt of a a dog named Tim...loved him dearly. Now I have Spanky....a goldendoodle ...and I love him dearly also and would not trade him back for old Tim.

(Download)

I guessed it would be Coney Island-ish....but I've gotten some of my favorite shots at places like that...i.e. Brighton's Palace Pier. "Deck chairs , rubber dingies, old Dad's braces hanging down.". What's it like in early May?