The first class of the year, which as it usually is, is with newly appointed Manchester staff and not students. Which is why it was not quite so hard to get them talking to each other. I am pretty sure there are 42 people on this shot, fitting nicely with the (long-outdated) title of the blog… and that without too much cropping (OK, I did a bit).
A cloudscape, of sorts. Or is it an interior? The collage effect is caused by this being taken from inside (inside Halifax bus station, as it happens); the upper section is a reflection in an angled window. But how the clouds then cover the strip to to right — hmmm, I haven’t quite worked that one out yet.
The stuffed panda sits on a desk waiting to be helpful, while the two attendees wonder where everyone else has gone (answer: they’re in the lecture theatre listening to the keynote — unlike your humble photographer who bunked off that one too). It’s conference season.
26th August: my birthday. I have emerged, somewhat sluggishly, from my 40s — I am fifty years old today. Sheesh. Part of the celebrations involved a trip to the Picture House, with party bags and all, and also a guided tour of the projection booth, which was the main draw for me as despite being a movie fan I have never before been in one, the true business end of a cinema. Not that most movies still run on the sort of 35mm projector shown here; almost all are digital these days. And no, I haven’t worked out myself what is being depicted on this frame of celluloid. Some bizarre floating alien of some kind? Anyway — here’s to the next, well, probably not 50 years, but what will be, will be.
I have to write. I basically barricaded myself in the house to do so, even if only symbolically. These are the tough assignments: days in the house, working, grey and dull weather, and not even any family members around to pose for portraits. So here is the barricade, either a messy abstract of a shot or an interesting bunch of textures. What’s going on with the floor exactly, I don’t know, but that’s my house for you.
Back to work after a ten-day break, the sort of day where drastic measures must be taken to crank the brain into gear. Like concealing oneself in a very secluded but studiously decorated spot and pretending not to be on campus.
We went to Brussels by train, and our return journey terminated in the very marvellous St. Pancras station in London; this has featured twice before on the blog, but both shots were portraits taken down in the subterranean sections and neither featured its impressive architectural features. The pink writing reads “I want my time with you”… I can’t detect any subliminal advertising going on here, and this may just be a feel-good message for the sake of it, in which case, further credit to St. Pancras and its designers.
On a day when the rain came down so hard we were in some danger of flooding again, it’s nice to have some escapism thanks to the Picture House showing Goldfinger. How cool is Connery in this role? Male or female, you surely cannot but want to be him. And as was the case the last time this place did a Bond tribute, the ones up front look pretty cool too.
Graduation fortnight is over, the school holidays have started, and campus was blissfully quiet today. It would be lovely if it stayed like this forever; but we have about seven weeks.
Even less happened today than for the last two days, although this short period of purdah will end tomorrow. Isolation at home forced me to find subjects from the stuff around the house, like this — I mean, everyone has horned sheep skulls on their bedroom window sill, right?
