I’m sure this picture will simultaneously warm the hearts of traditionalists and chill those who believe in progress in educational technology, but the speaker here was not using the blackboard, I can assure you. Or, indeed, Blackboard. A second monochrome shot in two days but the white balance of the original was blown and this made it look a whole lot better (as is often the case).
Abingdon Street is one of those little city centre back streets that I have found down the years and use because there is very little other traffic on it (wheeled or on foot). Hence why this guy can relax and have a kip, or indeed this guy, taken just on the other side of the road. Clearly it is a prime location in Manchester for morning constitutionals. Why the monochrome? It was the greyest day in weeks, and I felt like it.
I can’t believe there’s anyone who would wish ill will on ducks as a species. They aren’t aggressive, they don’t crap on your head, they’re good-looking and they pose very readily for the camera. What’s not to like?
After a long spell of extended summery weather, things may be changing. Wind is probably the hardest climatic condition to capture on camera but here is an attempt.
Most of the university campuses featured on this blog — and there have been a good many over the last five and a bit years, at least 20 I make it — have plenty of nice, green space. But the one on which I spend the most time, Manchester, has hardly any, it is the most urbanised, built-up campus I can think of. So it’s nice to picture some of its very rare green space on another very pleasant day. Even if this shot isn’t ‘green’ in the slightest. (It looked better in monochrome.)
Still sunny… but that little bit chillier, as we pass the Equinox and head into autumn.
Every year at this time the campus goes from being peaceful and quiet to a heaving mass of people. Still, if it wasn’t for them none of us would be doing what we’re doing. Sam Harris of the International Society at Manchester says hi to the gathered new postgraduates in Education: who collectively I am now responsible for…. (there are a couple of hundred more in the room than pictured here). Let’s hope they all fulfill their potential over the next 11 months or so.
At 554 feet, or 169m, this is the tallest building in the UK outside of Manchester, and also one of the world’s thinnest buildings: not apparent in this shot but the unseen third dimension is very slight. Only the topmost floors are seen in this shot, but these are the highest residential apartments in the UK. And apparently it makes a great noise when the wind is high. I like the way the windows had caught the vague sunlight this morning.
Gosh, it was an exciting day here in the household today, I can tell you. Still, I quite like this shot, considering the limited opportunities the day threw up; I like the various arcs and textures and that it’s nearly monochrome, but with that nice blue intrusion of the cup.
What is a summer, but a return to autumn? An end, but a start?
[Haiku warning]
