Stuart Aken
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stuartaken.bsky.social
Stuart Aken
@stuartaken.bsky.social
10K followers 13K following 3.4K posts
Published writer. Photographer. Environment, science, humanist, walker, ancient & happily married. Find my work here: https://stuartaken.net/ I DO NOT follow DMs, porn, & users w/o profiles or posts.
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stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I close today with a shot taken in North Yorkshire. This is the stream that runs from the waterfall known as Hardrow Force. The approach is through a pub in Hardrow village and takes the visitor along one of two paths, either side of the stream. Definitely worth a visit.
An active stream flows away across rocks between rocky banks, with a path on either side. A few trees dot the right hand bank and the whole scene is from a narrow valley whose sides slope down to the paths.
November 27, 2025 at 6:01 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; Tonight, I close with a shot from today's short walk in the Forest of Dean. This particular view wasn't possible previously and has become so only after significant thinning and felling of mature trees for timber. The small path centre bottom was formerly not visible.
Many trees crowd into the space, all backlit by bright November sunshine. A small path is just visible centre left at the bottom.
November 26, 2025 at 5:36 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I end the day with another shot from yesterday's walk, as today's was a little dull. These mature beech trees overlook a wide valley planted with many different trees. They present an area in which it's possible to wander freely as it's free of undergrowth.
Tall, mature beech trees line the bank in the foreground and spread down the valley slope behind. Beyond the trees is a rising hillside on the far side of the valley, with a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, all under a blue sky patched with white clouds.
November 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you today with a couple of shots from our morning walk. The deer, part of a herd of about 30 that ran across the track in front of us, were a real bonus. The other shot is from further down the track as it leads from Brierly towards Cinderford in the Forest of Dean.
A small group of deer, part of a larger herd, cross the path as it rounds a bend through the trees in the Forest of Dean. A stony track runs from the bottom centre toward distant trees, with a closer tree leaning out over it, all under a blue November sky.
November 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
Here's another of my books that will be on sale in York. If you're anywhere near on 6th December, you could visit the York Book Fair fb.me/e/65ew3jRVT
and find lots of books for yourself or for others as gifts for Xmas.
#YorkBookFair2025
Poster showing the cover of the third volume of the Generation Mars Sci-Fi trilogy, 'Return To Dust' along with a short excerpt and a description of the story.
November 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I finish for tonight with this shot taken a few days ago in the Forest of Dean, England. Today was dull and grey, so a fairly brief (2 miles) wander under the drizzle but no pics. Tomorrow promises more photogenic weather. Fingers crossed!
Tall, mature hardwood trees stand at the left edge, their bare branches now sporting only a few autumn leaves. The ground beneath is carpeted with the fallen leaves and the track passing the trees descends through more trees showing only a little of their autumn colours now.
November 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot of a beck in North Yorkshire that eventually feeds a small waterfall called Janet's Foss, a very atmospheric place that my wife always finds calming and welcoming.
A lively beck runs from the distant left of the shot to the near right, where it leaves the picture amongst rocks. The stream runs through a green field bordered by a drystone wall at the top left of the picture and trees grow behind this and along the distant horizon.
November 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; tonight, I leave you with a shot taken a short while ago on one of our frequent walks in the Forest of Dean. The fallen tree gives the impression the narrow path there may be blocked, but the gap beneath it is actually fine - taller folk would be wise to duck, though!
A narrow track leads through vegetation and trees bearing their full autumnal colours. An old tree has fallen across the path, suggesting it may be closed, but only tall walkers would need to duck to get under the trunk.
November 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 11:58 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 11:56 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
This is another of my books that will be on sale in York, England. If you're anywhere near on 6th December, you could visit the York Book Fair fb.me/e/65ew3jRVT
and find lots of books for yourself or for others as gifts for Xmas.
#YorkBookFair2025
#WritingandBooks
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November 20, 2025 at 11:35 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
If you're anywhere near York on 6th December, you could visit the York Book Fair ( fb.me/e/65ew3jRVT) and find lots of books for yourself or for others as gifts for Xmas.
#YorkBookFair2025 #ScienceFiction #SpaceOpera #MeetTheAuthors #YorkEvents #Futurism #SpeculativeFiction
November 20, 2025 at 10:49 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; didn't manage any shots today - too cold in that north wind, so I leave you with a shot from the Forest of Dean from this time last year, when there were more leaves still left on those autumn trees.
Tall, mature trees decked in autumnal leaves line a broad path through the Forest of Dean, England, under a clear blue sky with the sunshine casting shadows across the fallen leaves on the ground.
November 19, 2025 at 4:44 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; tonight, I close with a shot from the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, taken a couple of years ago on a visit. It's wonderful walking country, and the people there are pretty great, too!
A broad green field climbing a hill fills the foreground. It is surrounded by drystone walls in grey. Above, lie further similar hills ascending to a limestone scar right on the top of the furthest. A blue sky overlooks the entire scene and a small group of walkers gather at a stile in the wall at the top of the first field.
November 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
Book Review, published on Medium, here: medium.com/reviewsday-t...
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The cover of the novel, The Temporary Gentleman.
November 18, 2025 at 4:53 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I close tonight with a shot from today's walk in the Forest of Dean, where the autumn colours are just about coming to an end as the temperatures fall and winter winds begin to arrive. Still a great place to walk, whatever the weather.
Tall hardwoods line a broad path through the Forest of Dean, England, as the morning sun casts shadows across the ground. There are few green leaves now, as most have either dropped or turned into the autumnal shades, adding brightness to the scene.
November 17, 2025 at 5:05 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
This is just one of my books that will be on sale in York, England. If you're anywhere near on 6th December, you could visit the York Book Fair fb.me/e/65ew3jRVT
and find lots of books for yourself or for others as gifts for Xmas.
#YorkBookFair2025
Blood Red Dust, title of book 1 of a trilogy of sci-fi novels set on Earth and Mars after the home planet becomes uninhabitable as a result of Climate Change. The picture shows a poster with the book cover and an excerpt from the book and a quote from one of the 5 star reviews.
November 16, 2025 at 5:19 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; after another day of dull, uninspiring weather here in the forest, I thought I'd leave you with a shot from a stay in Yorkshire a year or so ago. This is the stream that runs from Gordale Scar down toward Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
A small and lively stream tumbles over rocks as it runs down a alley under steep, rocky cliffs. The waterfall that cuts the initial part of the valley is hidden in the rocky cliff at the extreme right of the picture.
November 16, 2025 at 4:41 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; yesterday, it rained without stopping. The forest has become muddy and a little slippery underfoot, so we walked down to the river, much swollen by rainfall in the nearby Brecon Beacons of Wales. It will probably flood by this time tomorrow.
The near bank, covered in waterside plants, is partially submerged in the brown waters of the fast-flowing river that takes up the middle third of the picture. Beyond, the trees on the far bank are now mostly devoid of their autumnal leaves.
November 15, 2025 at 4:54 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; on a day when the rain has never stopped, I leave you with a shot taken earlier in the week from a lovely walk in the Forest of Dean. Those autumn colours are slowly leaving as the trees lose their leaves.
Mature trees line a wide track running through the Forest of Dean. Some of these broadleaves are decked in autumn colours, others still bear green leaves. The track is dotted with fallen leaves and the sky is blue.
November 14, 2025 at 4:20 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful: finishing off the day with a shot taken in North Yorkshire a couple of Novembers ago. The stark tree seemed to beckon a photo with that dark, stormy sky behind!
A stark silhouette of a bare tree forms the foreground, with more distant trees beyond, all backed by a stormy sky as the sun goes down.
November 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
A #BookReview of interest to writers and wannabe writers:
medium.com/@stuartaken/...
The cover of the book under review, How to self-publish your book for free and not get conned.
November 13, 2025 at 5:31 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave tonight with a shot taken from a walk earlier this month in the Forest of Dean. The bracken is dying back, but this eccentric tree is only just starting its move toward autumn.
Bracken, turning into its brown and orange hue for autumn, lines the track at the foot of the picture on either side. Above it, a tree in full leaf leans eccentrically across the path, showing only the first signs of its autumn colours.
November 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
Is religion the most peculiar collection of human beliefs?
November 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
fb.me/e/65ew3jRVT
#Yorkbookfair
Sci-Fi for the discerning reader.
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Eight book covers of novels in the Sci-Fi genre.
November 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM