Ahem!! They are 'bollards'. Thankyou.

I just called them the little black and white things.

Someone who didn't know what a bollard was would have no idea what you were talking about.

I called them bollards at first but but they might properly be called 'mooring posts' (picqero?)

I have to apologise to Gatsby who thought there were only 6 differences. That was my mistake, I had said 6 at first. I thought I'd been quick enough to correct the number without further comment but it seems not.

My only lame excuse is that this is first attempt at 'Spot the Difference. I'll try not to make the mistake again. Sorry Gatsby.

Edit: ...and he did get the 7th difference after I said there were 7.

So what is the difference between a mooring post and a capstan?

Ah, yes Telly I do believe you are correct. According to Britannica online:

"Bollards (mooring posts) on the lockside are used for holding vessels steady by ropes against the turbulence during lock operation;"

"capstan: mechanical device used chiefly on board ships or in shipyards for moving heavy weights by means of ropes"

I remember we used to sit on the capstans when we went on dependent's cruises when my spouse was in the Navy. No wonder I'm always going in circles.

Well my first thought, as you know Maartin, was to call them bollards then I thought of capstan and wondered if I had got the wrong term.

I thought of bollards, wasn't at all sure about the word, resorted to thingys...

Thank heavens! I finally got the last one! Yippee!

Now I can uncross my eyes! Phew!

They look like glasses of Stout (dark beer) to me.

I've given up on finding the seventh difference. I'd never make a good detective....

Members seem to have stopped sending in the differences and perhaps now is the time to post what they are:

1 - Smoke appears from chimney.
2 - Mooring post missing on left hand side.
3 - Flowers missing from shrub on right.
4 - The white on the left gate is grey.
5 - Some grass has appeared on a bald spot on left near bollard.
6 - Mooring post missing on right side near back.
7 - Patch on right wall of the lock.

Some technical points:

The photos can't be too big. They are designed small enough to sit side by side on the average screen. That's probably the best way to try and present them. However, those using low screen resolutions, or not running the browser in a full Window, will see the photos one above the other. This is by design. To have it otherwise might mean those people would have to scroll horizontally (as well as vertically) in order to see the photos and read any posts that come after them.

The photos being small unfortunately makes it more difficult to spot the differences but it's all a compromise. The next two photos (starting a new thread) will be slightly larger than the above ones.

Not all photos lend themselves to Spot the Difference. Close-ups are not too good because there isn't enough content to alter. Objects in distant shots can be so far away that subtle changes would be virtually unnoticeable and therefore unfair.

Because of this, I have been trawling through Photo-a-Day for suitable photos. I've chosen one of ren33's for the coming week and hope I can ask others if theirs can be used for future weeks (if it looks like something can be done with them). I'd need to ask for a larger version of a photo than the 320 pixel one displayed. For the week after next I've done one of my own photos, so all's well for the next two weeks anyway.

I'm glad you enjoyed Spot the Difference. I'll try and do one a week from now on.

I think this is a great idea and lots of fun. I'm sure I don't have any photos worth playing, but you have my permission to use any if chosen.

Everything ClaraSue said, I say too.

It was fun, now can we have some of the more amusing 'descriptions', anonymous of course?