Let's go round again

Going round and round

It's that time of the month again. Remember last time when I said - ''Circles, rings, discs, orbs, plates, platters. Yep, July’s photo challenge is round things. If it can be measured anywhere between 359 & 361 degrees it’ll fit the bill. Get snapping and I'll post them on the 1st.''? Well, you did. And I have. Thank you.

I seem to have a brace of trees this time. Rol, I'll let you go first. ''No extensive research was needed this month - I found this straight away and reckoned I wasn't going to find a better circle. It's a hollowed out tree stump at Beeston Castle in Cheshire. The photo is only 13 years old, so a relative youngster.''

Next up is Helen. Helen Barrett is a superb journalist who recently posted this on Twitter - ''Staying on a Dutch barge, built in 1898, with its original interior fittings still intact. May never leave.'' She kindly donated this shot to July's photo challenge.

C at Sun Dried Sparrows never disappoints and has given me a rather wonderful pair. I'll let her explain. (I must just add that her email was titled Roundly Speaking). ''The first is a mill stone, once used by a local factory (now closed) dating back to the 1830s. It was used for milling herbs & spices to make fragrances, seasonings etc. I like the way the refracted sunlight forms and arc in the photo too, an unexpected circular(ish) bonus.''

C goes on to say -''The second is actually a speaker of all things, hanging from the roof of the garden centre. I think the bloke at the till thought I was a bit mad when I checked if it was OK to take a pic; I'd only gone in for some bird seed! C x''

C subsequently sent a couple more across which (like Riggsby's overspill below) I'm planning on putting in an end of year collection comprising all the 'outtakes' you wonderful people send me.

Stevie at Charity Chic, who I had the pleasure of meeting again last week, sent me this beautiful picture whilst waiting for his train - ''Roof of Edinburgh Waverley Station - my circles entry!'' Perfect, CC.

My good friend TS has really raised the bar this month. ''Hi John, here's one taken at Snape Maltings a couple of summers ago, looking out across the Alde estuary reedbeds through Barbara Hepworth's Family of Man sculpture.''

Our Californian correspondent Riggsby has, once again, sent me a shedload of photos to wade thru. I hope he doesn't mind but I've edited them down to what I think are the month's highlights!

This was the first to land: ''First circle for July, noticed in a second hand shop on Sunday.'' Beautiful, Richard. I'm sure it's not just me who has a penchant for old typewriters; in fact, what other kind are there?

Similarly, old jukeboxes. Riggsby doesn't say where this one was spotted - tho' he did notice the price - ''For interest, tagged at $8,000.'' A snip, I'd say.

''Overlapping circles on 9th. St. in Del Mar.''

I love cheeky entries. ''A drinking water machine at the local gas station.''

Riggsby bows out with ''Curled up kitty.'' I'm sure he'll tell us his/her identity in the comments below.

I said I'd got a couple of trees - here's #2 from Alyson. ''One from Lockdown. Hope it passes muster.'' Certainly does, Alyson. And it appears to come with a smaller semi circle behind it too.

Adam's gone all glam this month -''The glitterball at the Golden Lion, Todmorden, mid-afternoon last Saturday. Waiting for A Love From Outer Space with Sean Johnston to send it spinning outta this world.'' Sounds like I need to get myself to the Golden Lion.

A trio from me to bring proceedings to a timely conclusion. I've taken liberties with this first one, I know, and buggered about with the format. All I can say is, it's nearly a circle. (Spotted in Derby btw.)

Finally a couple from earlier in the week when I went up to York to meet with other like minded blogging coves. We call it BlogCon23. Next year we'll call it BlogCon24. We can write and count; who knew? The first is from the platform edge at Grantham Station. And the one beneath it is a brass Jorvik stud set into the footpath adjacent to a set of stone steps that take you up onto the city walls.

Once again, thank you to everyone who took part this month. I love you all! Seriously, I do. Next month's theme will be posted in the comments below in a week or so.

As Jimmy Young used to say, BFN.

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