This was a photograph that simply had to be taken. I just love the contrast of the green and browns of the landscape and the rainbow colours in the centre of the image.
The picture was taken on the North Yorkshire Moors at a beautiful spot with a dreadfully unfortunate name: The Hole of Horcum (fact: it’s ranked 11th on the Rude Britain list, a list of places with inappropriate names). We were parked up in a lay by where there was glorious sunlight but off in the distance it was raining and this was the result.
For me, this was a slightly bizarre trip down memory lane. I was up in North Yorkshire off-roading to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the car manufacturer Jeep, and I shall be blogging about my experiences next week. Going back almost 20 years, however, I was the local newspaper reporter for this very area.
One of the most notable news stories  I reported on during that time was a road traffic accident at this spot. It involved a lorry driver who drove over the edge of the Hole of Horcum. You can’t appreciate it from my photograph, but it’s a drop of 120 metres to the very bottom.
On the way down, his lorry flattened a large tree and came to rest on the trunk, pinning it in place on the ground. The driver had been flung from the cab of the vehicle and came to rest in the root ball of the tree. Before the emergency services could rescue the driver, they had to pin the tree in place because they were worried the lorry could slip, thereby catapulting the tree back into place and crushing the driver in the root ball.
It was a massive rescue effort in a remote location. Even so it was a success and the last I saw of the lorry driver, all those many years ago, he was making a very good recovery. You can read a news report of the event here. It’s possible I wrote that very article but it was such a long time ago I can’t remember.
Enough of my reminiscing. I’ve linked the image to the #MySundayPhoto linky hosted by the marvellous Photalife blog. Please click on the badge to visit the linky and rest assured, anyone else who takes part is unlikely to bore you with stories from their youth!
30 thoughts on “Sunshine on a rainy day”
Wow, that’s a big rainbow. Beautiful. I have to say that name makes me cringe though. Hopefully there is an interesting story behind it? Glad you’ve been having fun anyway. #MySundayPhoto
I have no idea about the origins of the name of the beauty spot, but it certainly is cringe worthy isn’t it?? Glad you like the picture.
I love your reminiscing! What an incredible story! I’ve seen a few rainbows this week too, but they don’t look quite as good hanging over houses at school run time!
Yeah, this rainbow was kinda asking to have its picture taken. And as you can tell, we weren’t on the school run!
What a beautiful moment to capture #mysundayphoto
Thnaks Carol, it was quite a moment to capture wasn’t it?
Love the colourful rainbow trying to add colour to the landscape
Thank you for linking up
ANd doesn’t it add colour? Thanks for hosting #MySundayPhoto Darren.
Oh my goodness, what a drop! But glad the driver is recovering well and hopefully he’s back to driving again. That’s a beautiful rainbow and a beautiful snap of Yorkshire!
It is one of the ore picturesque parts of Yorkshire. I used to walk here a lot when I lived in the area.
omg what a lucky escape that is so scary, and what a beautiful photo, the rainbow is so vivid x
Yeah, it is a beautiful spot but you could easily drive off the edge if you weren’t looking. Ended up here entirely by accident as well but it is a poignant place for me.
Beautiful photo and I’m so glad the lorry driver was ok after such an awful accident!
Glad you like the picture. The driver was doing very well when I last saw him. Hope he made a 100% recovery.
Love the barren landscape of the Yorkshire Moors, lit up by the gorgeous rainbow #MySundayPhoto
You’ve pretty much explained the image! Yup, the colour shining out across the Moors was a sight to behold.
Amazing rainbow with all the colours so clear
I htink it’s the dark colours in the foreground that make the rainbow stand out.
That is beautiful. I do love a rainbow,…
The rainbow shone out at me with the fdrak background. Just had to take the pic.
Love the colors and textures. What is a Horcum?
Glad you like the picture. I think Horcum is simply Yorkshire dialect. Even so, the inference is, shall we say, a little on the cheeky side.
Wow! Its like a rainbow stairwell coming down. So solid in colour in too! #mysundayphoto
A rainbow stairwell? I like that idea a lot!
What a fantastic story to go with a beautiful photograph – very fitting. I love the colours in the foreground too. Great capture.
It is quite a special story isn’t it? The colours in the foreground are as important to the picture as the rainbow I feel.
Stunning shot – love the contrast of colours with the browns and the pretty rainbow and what a story to go with it. So glad that the lorry driver made a good recovery!
Thanks Louise. It was pure luck I ended up at that very spot. And it is a very beautiful spot indeed with quite a story to go with it.
What a gorgeous photo, the rainbow is so bright. Beautiful. What a coincidence to end up in the very spot of that terrible accident.
It was quite a coincidence to end up there again, albeit a pleasant one.