Weatherwatch: Des Coleman in Rushcliffe Country Park
Our Weather Presenter Des Coleman has been out and about across the East Midlands for our series "Weatherwatch", meeting those of who who regularly send in lovely weather photos for our 6pm programme forecasts.
Whether it's a landscape, a flower or wildlife, they're seen by thousands of viewers on each of our programmes, so who is the person behind them and what's the story behind their love for weather photography ?
This time Des has taken a trip to Rushcliffe Country Park in Nottinghamshire , a favourite spot for weather photographer Maggie Howlett.
She been taking photos ever since she was a little girl and Maggie said her best shots are weather ones as you can capture the clouds and the sun glistening off the water.
Before World War Two, the Rushcliffe Country Park site was open farmland.
The War Office needed ‘filling factories’ for making bombs and acquired the land in 1938. It was an ideal site, close to a railway, a supply of workers and had a water source.
The factory consisted 87 buildings spread over the site. As time passed, nature took over and wildlife returned. A country park was proposed, and a business park to make the site financially viable.
Demolition began in January 1990, the lake was dug out; Severn Trent filled it with water. Workers and volunteers planted over 140,000 trees.
Nottinghamshire County Council purchased the land and leased it to Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The Country Park opened on 27 August 1993, and looked sparse at first. But over time, it has matured and holds a wide diversity of plants and animals.
Here is one of Maggie's top tips for taking a great weather photo:
Watch as Des met our latest weather photographer Maggie, as they tour the park.
If you've got a weather or wildlife photo that you'd like to send us then just email it to us with your name and where it was taken in the Midlands to centralweather@itv.com
Or you can get it in touch with us via our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Your photo may appear on our programme at 6pm.
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