Birds eye view, capturing Nailsea in picture – with perfect detail
Peter Speight was announced as the winner of Nailsea Town Council photo competition ‘Images of Nailsea’. Peter described his photo beautifully as;-
‘A view over Nailsea from the Wraxall fields on a late afternoon in September. The town rises gently above the wonderful green valleys of the Land Yeo and Kenn rivers with the limestone hills beyond. The surrounding area boasts an extensive network of lovely lanes and paths enjoyed by many for the beautiful countryside and wildlife.’
Cllr Anita Smith, Chair of Nailsea Town Council presented Peter with his prize and a certificate in a presentation at the Tithe Barn. Anita says ‘We had some wonderful entries for the Nailsea Town Council Photography competition and it was hard to pick the winner but this stunning image really is a unique perspective of Nailsea. It is not only a testament to the Town, but, also a source of inspiration for a future.’
The second prize went to Matt Luft with a morning image of Nailsea. Matt described his photo saying;
’This is a Drone photography shot with Christ Church in the foreground and Nailsea Shopping Centre behind. I wanted to capture Nailsea early in the morning with a beautiful sunrise. I felt that a good structure that represented Nailsea well was Christ Church right in the heart of Nailsea’
Third prize went to an image of the Nailsea Glassblower statue in winter covered in iridescent winter cobwebs, described by the photographer Peter Burns as;-
‘ A picture reflecting the historic nature of our town together with the cold, harsh reality indicative of a labour intensive, long gone, local industry.’
Pictures of the winners receiving their prizes
Other highly commended images were by
Bernadette Emms ‘I have taken a couple of photos from my back garden looking towards Tickenham Church. It is a lovely view we enjoy in all seasons & I wanted to capture it & share it with the people of Nailsea, before it is lost forever. ‘
Gordon Bennett ‘Adge Cutler, Hannah Moore and Redvers Coates enjoy winter sunshine in Millennium Park. These three are important characters in the history of Nailsea, representing music, social reform and industry. They mark the start of the Festival Way, a mostly traffic-free cycle route linking the centre of Nailsea to the centre of Bristol.’
John Hyde ‘Memories at the Barn defines Nailsea as a dementia friendly and aware community. The photo beautifully captures the iconic image of the roof structure: symbolising the supportive nature of our group. The inclusion of our members happy faces typifies the social interactions and connections made during a weekly session, over a cuppa and a biscuit.’
Liz Youngs ‘Backwell Lake is a local nature reserve on the outskirts of Nailsea, popular with nature lovers and those wanting to take some exercise in a pleasant setting. Home to mallards, mute swans and moorhens, there are usually Canada geese, little egrets and cormorants, too. Jackdaws often roost in large numbers. With luck otters and kingfishers can be seen. 19 species of dragonfly have been recorded and bats often appear at dawn and dusk. There is a car park and a 800m level surfaced path encircles the lake, with benches every 100m and two viewing points.
Michael Emslie ‘Nailsea High Street: What a Gas! We luv’s r shops wiv Kake Decerations and Lectricals – JB we luv U’
Sam Wilmot ‘Two views from Fosse Close on a rainy day. Shot on film in November 2023. ‘ and ‘Silver Street Nailsea. Shot on film in October 2023. ‘
