While I had my “Pentax Box Open” deciding to part with the Spotmatic SP – I made sure I clicked the shutter of the SPII a few times to keep it ticking over. I’ve never really stopped and looked at it closely enough to appreciate how close it is to the much lauded K1000, in fact as far as looks are concerned it’s almost the exactly the same, just with the M42 mount rather than the “K” mount.
I’ve decided that I’ll keep the SPII with one 50mm lens and one 35mm. In fact I have one of those screw thread adaptors made by Pentax so I could use the 35mm on one of my K cameras should I wish. While I had it out, I thought I’d run a film through and give it an outing. Wimborne is about a 5 mile walk, quite a bit of it along side the River Stour. Above is the small foot bridge over the river to get to Canford.
Above left is Canford School, just before the footbridge. It’s a private school that occupies what was once Canford Manor. It’s been a school since 1923, but that’s recent history. The oldest standing part that remains forms part of John O’Gaunts kitchen and dates from 1400, now used for formal dinners and the debating society. The manor that once stood here appears in the 1080’s Domesday Book. The school has a long and interesting history, including the re-discovery of an Assyrian Panel that sold for 7.7 million! You can read that here if you wish.
Within the grounds is Canford Magna Parish Church (above). It’s a mixture of Saxon and Norman, and is believed to be the oldest working building in Poole! It may once have been dedicated to St. Augustine, but these days it’s just known as Canford Parish Church. When I did such things, I made two wedding video’s in this church and I can confirm that the inside is nicer than the exterior! Below the Bursar’s Arch or Canford School Lodge.
Further along the path, walking away from the school/manor, another curiosity, Lady Wimborne Bridge. Wimborne’s railway station once stood the other side of the river, almost as soon as a train left the station heading south, it travelled over the river and then almost immediately, over the drive/path up to the manor/school. A second bridge was built, but made to look like a suitable entrance to the estate! The last train passed over the top in 1977.
In the photo above the path is heading back towards the school, I turned by back on this scene and carried on. The path gives two options, one the gravel path amongst the trees as above, or a divert closer along the river, I chose that option and saw possibly the biggest display of “teasels” I’ve ever come across!
The two options join each other again, just in time to pass through a style type gate, in the darkness on the left (below). This was once the main entrance to the estate, the turnstile allowed people to walk the path while keeping out wayward cattle, today it stops cyclists dropping down onto the Stour Valley Way walk at speed! Next to it is what I believe to be Wimborne Lodge.
Most of the school main building, the gates above and quite possibly the Lady Wimborne Bridge were designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry – he of the Houses of Parliament fame!
All the photo’s were made on Foma 200 with the Pentax Spotmatic SPII and the 50mm. It’s a great performer, and as I’ve said before, no one (including me) needs anything else really. The only issue is the understanding that it’s a camera that was made up until 1976, in other words the “newest” of them are now 50 years old, and could fail at any time. I doubt financially they are viable to repair/service. Still, I’ll keep feeding film to mine as long as it wants to work!
I developed the film in BTTB, 5 mins A and 5 mins B, and got a good set of negs!
