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Home Brew Beer

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 27/09/2021 by Lewis Bates27/09/2021

One of my hobbies I don’t normally talk about is brewing my own beer and lager. Normally I place the beer in my barrels but as the barrels are all full of wine I bottled the last batches, I had some fun designing my own labels in Photoshop.

The lager kit I bought from Bigger Jugs proved to be the best lager I have made for some years. The bottle capper proved to be a great investment, making the job much easier. The new no rinse sterilizer is also a boon.

My wine brews are going well, this year has seen a huge crop of Gooseberries, Damsons and Grapes. Some 50 + odd gallons so far.

Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

Group Adverts on Facebook

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 15/09/2021 by Lewis Bates18/09/2021

Here are a few of the active group advert posts placed on your Facebook page, Chard & Ilminster in the past months.
We had received a good response, with many seeing our adverts, and I am sure attracting potential new members. These have been seen by hundreds of people in the past few months. I welcome new ideas on portraying to potential members just what we do. For an example, the Natural History post was seen by 121 in just a few days. This is free advertising, and we should do more to utilise it to get our message out.

u3a poster image family history
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u3a poster

u3a poster image badminton
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u3a poster image

U3A poster
u3a poster image

u3a poster image


u3a poster image




Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

U3A Social Cycling at Ilminster

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 15/09/2021 by Lewis Bates15/09/2021

Our group met for a coffee at Riverside Cafe Ilminster. This proved to be a good venue for cyclist.

Picture of members of group u3a
Picture of Riverside Cafe

Picture of Riverside Cafe
Picture of Riverside Cafe

Picture of Riverside Cafe
Picture of Riverside Cafe

Picture of Riverside Cafe
Picture of Riverside Cafe

Picture of electric bike
Picture of Riverside Cafe

Picture of Riverside Cafe

Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

Chaffcombe Art Carving

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 01/11/2017 by Lewis Bates01/11/2017

Dead Tree Gives Joy

A tree died in public land adjoining our church, so our local artist John who also attends to the land has carved the dead tree into a remarkable work of art for all to enjoy giving life to death. I think this is super! and would love to see it decorated by local children with fairy lights at Christmas time! A great gift to the community indeed.

Warm Colours

Here are some pictures of it, I think you will agree it is very good. The lines and curves remind me of early Christian Celtic art when the tree is lit by the sunlight it glows with a warm golden colour and is certainly enhances the approach to the church.

Sadly one or two locals consider it pagan and demand it be removed  and have even removed images of it from  the Social Media Facebook page so denying others to make a judgement….so if you want to see it get down to Chaffcombe soon.  What do you think?

 

More images of the artists work can be seen on this link Previous Carvings in Chaffcombe area.

Intricate carving

Warm colours
The numeral at base

Existing Carving in the Village Pound
Goood Clean Lines
Carving as seen from gate, sign made by local man

Lovely juxtaposition

 

 

 

Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

Macro at Seaton Wetlands

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 26/05/2017 by Lewis Bates29/05/2017

I went to the Wetlands at Seaton with the express intention of getting some macro shots of the insects there.
I was suprised at the lack of bees but easily found subjects to populate the Facebook Page.

The Shellduck ducklings were on show, see them in another post here.


Speckled Wood


Wasp gathering nest fibres


 

 

 

Posted in Insects & Macro, Photographic, Seaton Wetlands | Leave a reply

Little Egret Seaton Wetlands

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 22/05/2017 by Lewis Bates22/05/2017

Little Egret at Seaton Wetlands




Posted in Photographic, Seaton Wetlands | Leave a reply

Garden Bees

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 21/05/2017 by Lewis Bates21/05/2017

Time spent in the garden rewarding for bumble bees but no sign of any Mason bees.





Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

Cycling

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 19/05/2017 by Lewis Bates21/05/2017

Cycled today. The field scene at Cricket Malerbie looked good at the time with the bright sunlight and menacing clouds,  but not sure now. Used a Nikon P530 went faulty just out of guarantee will not zoom properly. Will not buy Nikon again, its a cheap camera (£230) but I do expect stuff to last more that 24 months.

Posted in Photographic, Village | Leave a reply

Rambling & Photography

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 11/05/2017 by Lewis Bates20/05/2017

South Somerset Ramblers

Rambling and photography just does not mix well unless you are happy to take the odd snap as the rest of the group leave you whilst you try to capture a good pic.

On two occasions I lost the group and did eventually catch up with them as I gasped for air running.

I now use only a compact when walking and if the scene is really good I return with a tripod and DSLR.

This image is just 184kb to display on web.Taken when out with South Somerset Ramblers

Image of Bluebells on a walk

Bluebells on a walk

 

Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

The Irish Stamp

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 01/05/2017 by Lewis Bates19/05/2017

One of my images taken in my garden of a blackbird in flight was chosen by stamp designers to adorn the centenary issue stamp commemorating Francis Ledwidge death in the first world war. The issuing date is 21 July 2017.

 

Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

Wren

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 01/05/2017 by Lewis Bates19/05/2017

Spent some time at Seaton Wetlands, the Wren was perched on a fence rail preening. Pics are a bit oof but I enjoyed seeing it. also the robin as hungry as ever posed.






Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

West Somerset Railway

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 19/04/2017 by Lewis Bates19/05/2017

My Friend Richard Fisher an American who lives in Pennsylvania has a love of English Railways and plans to create a model layout based on Crewkerne Station. To assist him I traveled to Bishops Lydeard the main station to Minehead for West Somerset Railway, to photograph the Steam engines at West Somerset Railway for his project. Here are some of my first attempts at this really interesting photographic subject. I plan to go again.











Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

Beer

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 22/01/2017 by Lewis Bates22/05/2017

A super sunny day spent at Beer lots of subjects to photograph. Used a Nikon P530 (with zoom failed) and my Canon 5d.






Posted in Photographic | Leave a reply

A Visit to Seaton

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 11/12/2016 by Lewis Bates20/12/2016

Sunday was a superb day with sunshine and blue skies. The evening sunset provided a soft light which any photographer would enjoy. The wetlands as always had subjects galore and the Robin kindly posed for me. Click to enlarge.

Sunset Seaton Beach
Sunset Seaton Beach
Island Hide Seaton Wetlands
Seaton Wetlands
Seaton Wetlands
Seaton Wetlands

Wren at Seaton Wetlands
Wren at Seaton Wetlands
Robin at Seaton Wetlands
Robin at Seaton Wetlands
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton

Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton

Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton watching the sunset at
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton
Axmouth Seaton

Posted in Photographic, Seaton Wetlands | Leave a reply

Solitary Bees

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 01/12/2016 by Lewis Bates20/05/2017
bee-banner2

Mason Bees matingmasonbees1

Did you know that female bees can chose the sex of their offspring? Female eggs are fertilised, males are not. Usually, female eggs are placed at the far end of the nest cavity and males eggs in the cells nearer the entrance. Males of a lot of species of solitary bee species emerge before the females, mainly so they can be waiting for virgin females to exit the nest and mate with them immediately. It therefore makes sense for male bees to be in the outer most cells.
Weather conditions play a big part in emergence timing.

Leafcutter bees pass the winter as pre-pupa, finally developing into adult bees in the spring. Bees like the red mason bee Osmia bicornis pass the winter as adults, if you open a cocoon of this species in February the bee will be sitting there and fly off fairly fast.

Winter is the best time to prepare for the next years solitary bee boxes.Clean any boxes from last year removing carefully and take out tubes and canes which contain next years larvae and place them aside in a safe sheltered outdoor place.

If you have used wood with holes drilled these may also contain larvea from leafcutter and mason bees. Although you may not be able to see them, they may be at the back of the tube.

masonbee1

Any canes which appear unused may still be used at the rear of the cane so do not discard them.

Cut new canes, use rolled wrapping paper, drill good clean holes in timber blocks, do not use treated timber.

 

mason-bee-emerg-web
In the past I made many boxes for sale in charity  shops, but the problem with this is people  who buy them have little idea of management and use them as garden decoration.

bug boxes

Bug boxes for Ferne Shop Chard

A miner bee sitting happily on my
thumb.

miner-slide

Solitary bees will pollinate more flowers than a honey bee.

 Take care of your bee tubes and remember that a woodpeckers tongue can reach well into a tube or cane removing all bee larvea so its a good idea to protect the box with a 1/2″ wire mesh. at least 2 inches from front of canes/tubes,

Mason bees will leave a gap at the end of the tunnell/tube blocking the entrance with mud with its brood a good inch or so behind.

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Posted in Insects & Macro, mason bees, Photographic | Leave a reply

Insects

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 22/10/2016 by Lewis Bates31/10/2016

Some macro shots taken in the Churchyard today at Chaffcombe UK

macro2210164 macro2210165 macro2210166 macro2210167 macro2210168

 

Posted in Insects & Macro, Photographic | Tagged insects, macro, wildlife | Leave a reply

Teal, Pheasants and Moorhens

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 20/10/2016 by Lewis Bates21/10/2016

Seaton Wetlands.

A dull day and high tide with few waders about in the morning. Spent a couple of hours here.

Some Teal brightened the morning feeding near the visitor centre. The Pheasants were evident released and ready to be shot anytime soon by someone who can afford to do this offensive “sport” Over 50,000,000 are released into the environment bringing disease and upsetting the wild bird food chain.

Teal at hide at centre
Moorhen

Pheasant strayed into the reserve
Pheasant

 

Posted in Birds, Photographic, Seaton Wetlands | Leave a reply

Seaton Wetlands

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 16/10/2016 by Lewis Bates16/10/2016

Little Egret obliged me today with this superb take off. Seaton Wetlands.

Image of Little Egret Seaton

Little Egret Seaton

and a Little Stint seen on the waters edge near Island Hide

16october9

Posted in Photographic, Seaton Wetlands | Leave a reply

Grand Piano Returns

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 04/09/2016 by Lewis Bates18/10/2016

The Return of the Grand Piano

An enterprising young musician living in the Chard area has decided to branch out making Baby Grand Piano Shells. He realised through his long experience as a performer that he got more attention and respect from the audience when he used his baby grand piano shell he made for his keyboard. His colleagues and friends started asking him to make one for them. So this amazing idea has taken off and orders are flooding in. The picture above is in actual fact a Keyboard placed in his piano shell!black with lid7

Replaces the X Stand

Normally a musician would use what they call a simple metal X stand to hold the keyboard into position whilst they performed, either standing or sitting. These are not visually exciting.
What he discovered was that he could sit comfortably and his equipment using a Baby Grand Piano Shell and this gave an extra dimension and an air of class to his performance.
The “shell” looks exactly like a grand piano and you would struggle to tell the difference from a real one.
You may all remember the performances by ABBA when Benny played at a baby grand, well this item will provide an on stage attraction.

Portable Grand Piano

Great part is its completely portable, with removable legs and the body will fit into most cars so its easily transported to the next Gig.

Weddings with Real Class

Those musicians who entertain us at functions like weddings are finding that this item is now a “must have” to provide that total air of professionalism. Some have ordered in both colours available white and black as they find this meets all functions and gigs.
Some local hobby music lovers who play at home have now latched on to this idea and are ordering them for their living rooms or playing area.

One Size Fits All

The Steveway Piano Shell is made to fit all keyboards currently in production, so it makes no difference whether yours is an expensive Yamaha or a low cost Casio you will look great sitting at your keyboard and be the envy of all.

Christmas Gift

Each Piano shell is made individually so you will have to place an order now to get it for Christmas.

Contact

Steve Walters can be contacted on his website www.stevewaypianos.com

Posted in Village | Leave a reply

Mute Swans

The Lewbat Pages avatarPosted on 07/04/2016 by Lewis Bates17/10/2016

Mute Swans landing , from Tower Hide Seaton Wetlands

swan-seaton1 swan-seaton3 swan-seaton4

Posted in Birds, Seaton Wetlands | Leave a reply

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Bug Boxes

The lagest box ovver 60cm x 30cm x10cm Buggingham Palace.
Buggingham Palace one of the many boxes made for sale in local charity shops.

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Group of nesting boxes made for charity shop.
Group of nesting boxes made for charity shops.
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