Flood Level 1968

This is Pensford - historically a coal mining village.

Back in the summer of 1968 the River Chew flooded and the Chew Valley saw significant loss of life, in addition to the inevitable property damage.  I was only 8 at the time and was delighted to be given the day of school as a result.  Well, I'm not sure we were given the day off as such.  I stood at the bus stop with my sister for a good hour or so before we decided that the school bus wasn't coming so we might as well go back home.

Now before you start, I absolutely agree about HDR, I'm not a fan either. But the light was dreadful when I came to take this shot, and some sort of combination of exposures was probably going to be required.  In the event I decided to go the whole hog and "HDR the hell out of it" which is what I've done.  

As mentioned this is the coal mining village of Pensford, in the North Somerset coal field.  People tend to associate coal mining with the Midlands and North of England, but there was mining locally here.  With the rather smashing railway viaduct behind this will one day make a cracking shot.  But it needs to be taken at a different time of day, with better light.  I shall be back in due course!