360 degree tour Darley Park for the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Evening Celebration and Darley Park Concert.

I have been working for several weeks on a complete virtual tour of Darley Park in preperation for the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Evening Celebration and Darley Park Concert which are both taking place in this park.
This will allow people around the world to look around the park in great detail using my full spherical 360° x 180° panoramas taken at various places. Mostly in May this year but I have also included some from years past that have never been seen before.

The Darley Park Virtual Tour Map.
Click the map image below to access the draggable interactive map. This has marker icons on it.
Simple click on an icon and click the link in the pop up that appears to view the 360 degree panorama from that location. Some panoramas have "jump links" within them allowing you to jump to the next panorama.



Or click -> Darley Park 360 degree Virtual Reality Tour.

I have just been to Darley Park (Wednesday 27th June 2012) and taken a new panorama on the slope in front of the stage which is currently being erected ready for Friday and Saturday.

This is a very large panorama and you should only attempt to view it if you have at least a 10Mb broadband connection otherwise it will take too long to load in.

Darley Park 360° Panoramic photograph in front of the Olympic stage.
In my panorama you can see the stage taking shape next to the Derwent, as you can see its going to be quite a big stage and the location withing Darley Park should allow everyone to get a good view of the events.

Once loaded in you can have a look around using the mouse or the icons at the bottom. Click the fullscreen icon to make the viewer fill your screen (just like the YouTube player).

Also I retook a panorama in front of the new Terrace Cafe area that is almost ready to reopen after months of redevelopment.

Darley Park 360° Panoramic photograph in front of the new Terrace Cafe area.

High Resolution version
This is a very large panorama and you should only attempt to view it if you have at least a 10Mb broadband connection otherwise it will take too long to load in.
Darley Park 360° Panoramic photograph in front of the new Terrace Cafe area.

Alternatively you can simply click on the links in my list below (still to create !) to go to the 360 panoramas :
Entrance on Darley Park Drive where the Olympic torch will pass.


Live streaming video of the Olympic Torch Relay.
Did you know that you can watch realtime live streaming video of the Olympic Torch Relay as it makes its journey around the UK?
So if you can't make it into Derby to see it, you can watch it here.
Live video.  <-- Click this link to view the Olympic Torch Relay live video webcam.

If the weather is nice on the Friday I will hopefully get some video of the torch as it comes through Derby and post it on my YouTube channel here - Andy Savage's Videos of Derby and Derbyshire.

Olympic Torch Relay Map Route for Derby Friday and Saturday :
In my map I have marked on the exact route that the Olympic torch will take complete with the times.
Red line for Friday evening and Blue line for Saturday morning.

Click the link below the map to view it full screen.

View 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Route for Derby, 29th June. in a larger map

Acurate 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Route for Derby on 29th and 30th June.

The map link above is compatible with smartphones. On an iPhone if you click on the link above it will show you a map like this here :

My Olympic Torch Relay route map for Derby on an iPhone.

You can zoom in on the route and tap the markers to get the times for the locations.

The Olympic Torch arrives in Derby on Friday June 29th 2012 at 6:25pm at Markeaton roundabout.
When the torch reaches the Olympic Torch Celebrations stage in Darley Park Double world Superbike champion James Toseland will light the Olympic cauldron.
The celebration, being broadcast live on BBC1, will include performances from urban pop star Loick Essien and Britain's Got Talent 2010 runners-up Twist and Pulse.

If you miss the torch on Friday then you still have a chance to see it early on Saturday. It will leave Derby Market Place at 6:41am
The very last chance you have to see it in Derby is at Royal Derby Hospital at 7:17am on 30th June 2012. It will leave there on its way to Burton on Trent.

Thanks
Andy

Mackworth Library, A 360 Panormic VR Photograph.

I meant to post this back in April but seem to forget so here it is.
This is a 360 x 180 degree interactive photograph taken near the newly opened Mackworth Library in Mackworth, Derby.
The new Mackworth Library, funded by the Big Lottery, opened on Thursday 25th March 2010 at 3pm. It was opened by Paul Pegg, chairman of Mackworth Estate Community Association.
At the opening there was a song from Reigate School Choir, and a free commemorative mug for the first six people to join the library.
When Mackworth Estate was planned out in the 1950s, it showed a library on Knightsbridge Recreation Ground but its only now that such a library has been built.
The library is located at the end of the shopping arcade on Prince Charles Avenue on the corner with Mornington Crescent.
Mackworth library is the second of three new libraries to be opened as part of a £2.7m project in the city. Last year Allenton Library opened and in june a new one opened in Chellaston.

Wait for it to load in and you can then drag the view around with the mouse (just like Google Streetview).



If you have a fast broadband connection and fast pc then try my high resolution fullscreen version :
High Resolution 360 VR Photograph of Mackworth Library, Derby.

Map location for Mackworth Library :

View Mackworth Library, Derby, Derbyshire. in a larger map

Hope you like it.
Andy

360 degree Panorama of Burton Road, Warwick Avenue Crossroads at night.

The current themed event has just closed on the World Wide Panorama website and the theme for this event was "Crossroads" so for my entry I created a 360x180 degree VR photograph at the major crossroads in Derby where Warwick Avenue meets Burton Road and Manor Road. If you live in Derby you will know only too well that this juntion has rather a lot of traffic using it so my plan was to take my panorama in the middle of the night to show a different view of it. I'm sure you will agree I've certainly captured it at peace.!
 
Click the link here to see my panorama :
Burton Road, Warwick Avenue Cross Roads panorama.

This requires Flash (i.e. if you use YouTube then it will work).

Please check out all many other entries around the planet by other VR photographers :
All entries for the Crossroads event.

Thanks
Andy

Lara Croft Way, Derby Now open. 360 Degree Virtual Reality Photograph of the new road.

As of today, Tuesday 27th July 2010, Lara Croft Way was fully open in both directions.
Here is a 360 degree VR photography I took of the new road. Just like a Google Streetview view but better, using complete Spherical VR photograph 360 x 180 degrees.

The view you can see in my photograph is the new round-a-bout at the top of Babington Lane. This traffic island joins Lara Croft Way, Burton Road, Mercian Way (opening later in 2010), Green Lane and Babington Lane.

Use the mouse to drag the view around...
Lara Croft Way 360 degree V.R. Photograph.



If you would like to see a high resolution, fullscreen version of my VR photograph of Lara Croft Way then click the link here :
High Resolution 360 degree view of Lara Croft Way, Derby.
I have made it so it auto-resets the view, so if you zoom fully all the way in and release the mouse button then after 4 seconds it will zoom back out again.

As well as Lara Croft Way being opened up fully today, Burton Road between this round-a-bout and Mount Street became two-way. It felt very strange driving in front of The Duke of York pub "the wrong way" after all these years.
Also Normaton Road between the new round-a-bout and Melbourne Street became two-way, thus meaning no more having to crive around Mill Hill Lane and Mount Street.

Unfortunately I think the traffic light timmings need some serious looking at because I tried the new route and it took 25 mins to get from Osmaston Road to Burton Road because the lights near Leopold street were only staying green for 10 seconds.


Lara Croft Way Map.
Here is a detailed map showing the exact location of Lara Croft Way in Derby, Click on the link below the map if you want a larger version you can print out :


View Derby inner ring road - Lara Croft Way and Mercian Way. in a larger map

The next road to open will hopefully be Mercian Way which connects to this round-a-bout and leads down to Abbey Street.

Andy

Greyhound Pub, Friar Gate - A 360x180 degree VR photograph outside.

Following on from yesterdays post on the Greyhound pub reopening I thought I would make a 360x180 degree virtual Reality photograph so you can see what it looks like and its position on Friar Gate.

I have created an interactive 360 degree high resolution photograph in front of this pub so you can see exactly where it is located on Friargate and what it looks like, click the link and then use the mouse to look around and zoom in :
360 view of The Greyhound Pub, Friargate. <-- Click link for a great 360 view of The Greyhound pub.
It is like google streetview image, its an interactive 360 degree photograph that you control using the mouse.
To move the view around simply click with the mouse and drag the viewpoint to where you want to look. You can look in all directions including up and down. As well as the mouse, you can use the control buttons at the bottom of the viewer or even the keyboard cursor keys and +/- keys to zoom in/out.
Here is my VR photograph of the Greyhound Pub, Derby :


I photographed this at 06:52 on 21st May 2010, the day after it reopened.

If you like this VR photograph then you might like to view my High Resolution FullScreen version of it by clicking this link here (need broadband and fast pc) :
High Res/fullscreen VR photograph of Greyhound Pub.
This one has a button at the bottom that toggles the viewer so it fills the entire screen (same as youtube videos do, Hit esc to exit fullscreen mode or click the fullscreen button)


I hope you like it.
Andy

Mercia Marina, World Wide Panorama - Willow Tree Tea Rooms VR Photograph.

My latest entry on the World Wide Panorama website which has just gone live. The theme for this panorama event was Food so as always wishing to promote Derby and Derbyshire things with my panoramic photography I decided to capture the Tea rooms at the Mercia Marina complex at Willington.


Here is my entry:

Willow Tree Tea Rooms at Mercia Marina, Willington.
Once you have clicked on the link above wait for the interactive panoramic photograph to load in
It is best viewed in Fullscreen Mode.
In case you have never heard of The World Wide Panorama:
The World Wide Panorama began in March 2004 and has become an ongoing series of events. Photography takes place on the solstices (longest and shortest days of the year) and equinoxes (day and night of equal length). There is also a "best of" each year.
I have contributed 19 360 degree panoramic photographs over the years.


A VR panorama (VR for virtual reality) is a specially created computer image that goes all the way around the viewer. It is a revolutionary way to document a particular place and time – the next best thing to being there.

VR panoramas are interactive - Use the mouse to rotate the panorama, use Shift and Control to zoom in and out.

Take a look and explore the world through VR photography.

Hope you enjoy
Andy

Heage Windmill, My Virtual Tour wins a Judges Special Award at Renaissance Heritage Awards 2009

Since 2007 I have been working with the volunteers at Heage Windmill to help promote the great work they do by using my panoramic photography skills. Back then it consisted of just two 360 degree panoramic photographs taken inside the cap of the windmill where people can not go due to safety reasons. This mill exhibit was popular with visitors and in 2008 I offered to take some new 360 degree photographs for them. What started off as a simple idea soon became a major project consisting of 26 full 360 x 180 degree (spherical VR) photographs all linked together by hotspots.
This allows disabled people or anyone that is not able to climb the mill stairs the opportunity to take a really good look around the windmill. I designed the virtual tour for them so that when you hover the mouse over areas of interest then it tells you what the various parts of the workings are used for.
Because my VR tour encompasses the entire windmill site it is also useful if you visit on a rainy day.

In July, Heage Windmill won the Judges Special Award in the Renaissance East Midlands Derbyshire Heritage Awards 2009 (see photograph of the plaque) ...
"For an innovative solution to providing access to the mill, delivered by volunteers, to a very high standard."

As well as creating the high resolution full virtual reality tour at the windmill I also created a reduced mini vr tour for their website which you can take a look at here :
Heage Windmill mini Virtual Reality Tour.

Heage Windmill is open every weekend from April to October, why not go along and see this great windmill in action. There is nothing quite like seeing the only working 6 sailed STONE tower mill in Britain turning around in the wind.

For more information please visit their website :
Heage Windmill website.

You can even buy Heage Windmill Flour from Belper Farmers Market. The market runs from 9am to 2pm on the second saturday of every month and takes place on Belper Market Place.

To see a list of the other winners see the website:
Renaissance East Midlands Derbyshire Heritage Awards.

My interactive map for Heage Windmill:

View Heage Windmill in a larger map

I have also created a driving video of how to get to Heage Windmill from Belper :
Belper to Heage Windmill video.


Thanks
Andy