2017 - Second Time Around
w/e 07 January 2018
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490

Well another year has rolled by and here we are at the start of 2018. It's been my custom in recent years at the turn of the year to look back over the previous twelve months and pick a picture or two from each month that didn't make the cut first time round; then to list them in chronological order showing some of the places visited or events attended in each particular month as an annual review. This year I've decided to do it a little differently.

January

I was surprised looking back at 2017 at how many different parks we had visited. There are of course the local ones, Victoria and Chaucer Old Park (several times), plus Shipley Country Park and those that are a little further afield like Markeaton which we visited in March, Chaddesden in April and Allestree in May. You can add Highfields at Nottingham to that list in May but we started 2017 with our customary January visit to Wollaton Park (above).
June

There's always a picture waiting to be taken in Victoria Park whatever the weather and whatever the season but throughout 2017 there were a number of events held there too. Among others were the Celebration at the end of the refurbishment works, the Summer Sounds Concert, Brass and Wind Pipe Band concerts throughout the summer season and this event pictured above held on Father's Day in June.

Wollaton,Derby, Gedling, Attenborough

It was also in June that we made a return visit to Wollaton Park; saw the "Weeping Window" poppy display at the Silk Mill Museum in Derby; had a wander around Gedling Country Park and paid a visit to the Nature Reserve at Attenborough. And we mustn't forget the events at the Erewash Museum either which included "Swing Back to the Forties" in June and the "Beach" during the school summer holidays.
Classic Car Festival x 2, Festival of Water x2

August was another month packed with events. We saw the return of the Classic Car and Heritage Vehicle Show in the town centre and there were also some classic vehicles on Gallows Inn Playing Field when the Festival of Water was held on the adjacent Erewash Canal.

August

At the Festival of Water the canal was double-parked with narrow boats side by side and the towpath crowded with sightseers but the week before that event we caught a bus to Sandiacre and walked the four miles back to Ilkeston along the towpath. Then it was quiet and peaceful but none of the images I captured during that walk have seen the light of day on the website until now with this one above. The tranquillity of this scene though is under threat as it is from where the proposed HS2 rail viaduct will cross the canal - twice!
Stanton Rd Cemetery, Victoria Park & Gates, Park Cemetery

Unlike some months there were no events of note to photograph during March and the majority of the images on the site for that month featured various spring flowers. There were crocuses in Stanton Road Cemetery overlooked by the Ilson Giant, more in Victoria Park where the new entrance gates had also been installed whilst Park Cemetery had a fine display of daffodils in front of the twin chapels.

November

Apart from the Remembrance commemorations November was similar to March with few events. Even the Christmas lights switch on which normally takes place in November didn't happen until December 1st but we did take a look at the decorations in the town centre. We also took a walk around Spondon Village where I even titled the page "Nothing Happened", another in Shipley Country Park and yet another where we caught a bus one way and walked back. That one like the Sandiacre to Ilkeston walk resulted in a number of images that are still unpublished but the route took us across Kirk Hallam Meadows and up the footpath by the Pewit Golf Course (above) and across the Recreation Ground.
September

And talking of walking leads us nicely into September and the Autumn Footprints Walking Festival across Erewash and Amber Valley. I could have picked any one of literally hundreds of images to illustrate this month but I particularly like this one from Wyver Lane at Belper across someone's flower garden to the River Gardens.

Autumn Footprints


September was also the month we photographed some of the former school sites in Ilkeston and visited another of those aforementioned parks. That one was West Park in Long Eaton where we concluded the Tree Trail that we had been following but the vast majority of the images for September were from the Walking Festival (above).
December

The weather during the Walking Festival was changeable throughout the sixteen days with more "wet" days than I remember in previous years but when it came to December those hankering for a White Christmas would have been disappointed when the snow fell a couple of weeks early.
February

It was cold in February too but no snow although there was a thin film of ice on the disused Nottingham Canal that we saw during a winter walk. Another winter walk during the month took us to Shipley Country Park (again) and we also stopped off at Oakfield Farm Shop to pick up some meat and enjoy a guided tour to see the farm animals whilst there.
April

We had more miscellaneous walks during the year, one of which took us in April to the Erewash Canal (above) in Ilkeston and we were also by the canal when we went to a Sandiacre Lock Open Day when the Lock Keeper's cottage was open to the public. We began the Hermit's Walk at Dale Abbey (viewing the bluebells in passing) with Part 1 in April and Part 2 followed in May but we still have to complete the rest of the route. And of course with Easter falling in April in 2017 we had the Christian Walk of Witness through Ilkeston too.
May

As well as the second part of the Hermit's Walk, it was in May that we visited two of those parks mentioned earlier, Allestree at Derby and Highfields at Nottingham but nothing says May like the blossom that graced the town throughout the month.
July

There were a number of anniversaries that were marked during the year including several that remembered the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces. In fact Armed Forces Day was marked in June with nationwide events, Merchant Navy Day in September and Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day in November. Several significant dates from the Great War were also remembered. "Celebrated" is the wrong word to use with these remembrances of these conflicts but several events such as the 80th anniversary of Disney's Snow White film release were celebrated at West Hallam Well Dressings Festival (above). We also visited more Well Dressings in July at Crich and Fritchley.
Matlock Bath, Chaucer Old Park, Charter Fair, Osborne's Pond

And last but by no means least we have October. We had a stroll along the Lover's Walk in Matlock Bath, a look at the autumn colour in Ilkeston and of course there was the Charter Fair. Another walk returned us to Osborne's Pond in Shipley Country Park but it would be remiss on me not to mention one other celebration.

October

That marked the anniversary of our marriage in October 1967 and were fortunate enough to receive some lovely cards and presents from our family and friends to mark our Golden Wedding anniversary.
So that just about wraps up the review of 2017 and I haven't even mentioned Straw's Bridge and Stoney Clouds Nature Reserves; Kirk Hallam's Lakeside Festival, the Moorgreen Scarecrow Trail, League of Friends' Summer Fayre at Ilkeston Hospital, the Arena Church's "Serve Day", a walk around Breadsall or the fact the Ilkeston's Carnival became a victim of the weather and was cancelled again but you can find all of these (except the Carnival) by following the links from the "Favourites 2017" page which shows all the winners of the weekly "Pick A Picture" vote. Now onto 2018 and let's do it all again!

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