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davescm
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 17, 2026

Something for the Weekend – Part 263 – ‘Fixer Upper’

  • July 17, 2026
  • 104 replies
  • 1243 views

Thanks to all who took part in our previous ‘Jewel in the Crown’ challenge. There were some great creations made from the starter object.

This week, we have something different. Our starter image this week is a guest house building in the grounds of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, England. The abbey and grounds, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are well worth a visit. These guesthouses were built in the 12th century but fell into ruins in the 16th century when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.

The challenge for this week is to use your image skills to restore these guesthouses and make them suitable for habitation again.

The “rules”:

  • Use the starter image as at least part of your own image entry.
  • Anything goes, as long as it meets the forum rules on decency, copyright, etc.
  • Anyone, and everyone, is welcome to have a go, whether you are a complete beginner or a Photoshop expert. This is not just for our forum “regulars”.
  • The challenge is not limited to Photoshop. Any Adobe software can be used. 
  • There are no prizes apart from the chance to practice, show off your skills, or bring a bit of humor and fun. Don't be shy, join in and have a go!
  • The starter image is made available for you to use in this forum challenge only.

 

To download the starter image, click it then, when the image opens in its own window, right click and choose “Save Image As/Save Target As” (or similar depending on your browser).

 



When posting back your image, please use the reply button in this first post and use the 'Insert Photos' icon at the bottom of the reply box. If posting a comment on someone else’s entry, then please use the reply button next to their image post. Have fun!

 

Dave.

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    104 replies

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    July 31, 2026

    The new challenge is now up and running here : 

    Come and join in.

    Dave

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 24, 2026

     

    Fixed it!

     

     

    Jane 

     

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    July 26, 2026

    I’m sure when I saw this earlier the walls were whitewashed? Now we seem to have rainbow colours. I like the inclusivity, Jane.
    Dave 

    Kevin Stohlmeyer
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 24, 2026

     

    Kevin Stohlmeyer
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 24, 2026
    Looks pretty suitable for the habitat now...

     

    Community Expert
    July 23, 2026

    The monters came out! They were hiding. 🤣

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    July 23, 2026

    Now we have the building crew ready to start the restoration. 🙂
    Dave

    @mj
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 23, 2026

    Restoration completed on time and on budget ​@davescm . Who do I send the invoice to? 😀

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    July 23, 2026

    Now we know it is just an image - building projects never come in on time and budget, mj 😁 That’s a very nice job with the image, and meets the starting brief perfectly.

    Dave

    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 22, 2026

    I’ve cracked it.  AI, not AI?  Best thing since sliced bread. The work of the devil!

    We just need to say upfront, just like Rimmer in Red Dwarf declared himself a hologram.

     

    Ged_Traynor
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 23, 2026

    @Trevor.Dennis “Best thing since sliced bread” until it’s not 😉

    https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/22/tech/openai-hugging-face-ai-cybersecurity

    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 23, 2026

    We had the story on our TV news Ged.  As much as I love the creative power it gives us, I do wonder if too much is happening way too quickly. The OpenAI server that went rogue was not fully air-gapped, but it was in a so called ‘sandbox’ (you’ll know better than me what that means Ged) that was supposed to control its interaction with the rest of the world.  The OpenAI model will have learned from that attack.  Would it be too big a leap to assume other AI models will also access that knowledge?  

    I like Geoffery Hinton’s take on the subject:
    'If you want to know what life is like when you are not the apex intelligence, ask a chicken'.

    derekwatson
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2026

    A little ‘fixer-upper’…
     

     

    Derek Watson
    Leslie Moak Murray
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2026

    😅😅😅

    Harold Silva
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2026

    Quizas una tortufa marina sea la voz

    Harold Silva B.
    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2026

    I’ve always thought the Battle of the Alamo to be a particularly sad affair.  Poor Davy and his pal Jim Bowie.  Jim seems to have left his famous knife stuck in the wall, and it looks more like a machete.  One thing is for sure, ‘They wouldn’t want it up em.’ as Corporal Jones used to say.

     

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    July 22, 2026

    Nice job with the scene - and the old style of the image, Trevor. Unfortunately, Henry’s lot managed to knock down the monasteries some 300 years earlier. 😊
    Dave

    War Unicorn
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2026
    “Closer”

     

    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2026