Category Archives: Interior

Apr 30 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

The house’s senior object

Wednesday 29th April 2020, 11.45am (day 3,170)

Doll and vice, 29/4/20

Lockdown continues so some obscure corners of my house get their chance on the blog. When we moved in, the previous owner had left all his furniture (he emigrated to Thailand and then — this is, sadly, true — died six weeks later). Over the intervening 19 years all that he left us has gradually been replaced, with the sole exception of this huge old chest of drawers in the attic, crowned by the vice that you see on the right here: its rather battered appearance is testament to its ongoing use for a variety of creative projects.. Between them then, these things have been here longer anything else and, as the drawers are far too big to get back downstairs (they must have been assembled in situ), they won’t ever be leaving with us either.

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Apr 21 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Work shirts (unworn)

Tuesday 21st April 2020, 5.35pm (day 3,162)

Work shirts, 21/4/20

The last time I was on campus was the 8th March (and it was deserted then, although that was because it was a Sunday). Since then, all work has been done at home, and the shirts I would wear to scrub up a bit in Manchester have gone unworn. Dry cleaning is another business that I assume has been deemed ‘non-essential’ at this time.

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Apr 19 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Family dinner, online

Sunday 19th April 2020, 6.20pm (day 3,160)

Dinner videoconference, 19/4/20

A couple of months ago, at least, we made an arrangement that we would visit my sister Vicki and family today for a Sunday out, let there be dinner, socialising, sunshine etc. This date got sucked into the COVID-19 black hole some time ago.

But thanks to the miracle of videoconferencing, we did our best to find a replacement. Seven family members, including myself, appear on the laptop screen at the back — Joe being the only attendee who cannot be seen. We ate well. It was fun. But it is not and never will be reality, and soon, we would like reality back please.

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Apr 19 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Crawling Action Man

Saturday 18th April 2020, 3.10pm (day 3,159)

Crawling Action Man, 18/4/20

As lockdown (British-style) extends into its second month we find our visual pleasures where we can, including in cute toys with retro 70s appeal — militaristic, yes, but look! press a button on his back and he crawls along the carpet. Great fun for about thirty seconds or so.

Action Man’s second appearance on the blog (after one was snapped on the top of a mountain in the Lake District on 1/3/12). Neither of them mine, I will add.

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Apr 18 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Essential reading

Friday 17th April 2020, 3.00pm (day 3,158)

WSC, 17/4/20

I said a few days ago that when one is imprisoned, the arrival of the mail assumes a new significance. I greet the arrival of this magazine with pleasure every month, but this one is particularly poignant: it’s 32 days since there was last any football played in Britain (my last game was at Blackpool on March 14th) and who knows what state the local game will be in when all this is finally over. When Saturday Comes has been going for over three decades now, so let’s hope it survives, at least.

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Apr 12 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

An invasion of Russia

Sunday 12th April 2020, 2.50pm (day 3,153)

Campaign, 12/4/20

I imagine that, worldwide, a few board games are being dragged from the dusty corners of cupboards where they have resided for some years. Or in the case of this Campaign game, decades.

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Apr 04 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Scallop shell

Friday 3rd April 2020, 11.05am (day 3,144)

Scallop shell, 3/4/20

Expect a number of these rather random shots to emerge on here while we are under house arrest. (For that is what it is.) However, I do like the feeling that this shell is glowing with warmth while the rain comes down outside the window behind. And with time on my hands I did randomly look at Wikipedia and it’s actually amazing how much there is to learn about the humble scallop. They can live for twenty years you know. And then end up as ashtrays, or whatever.

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Mar 30 2020
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Daily Post, Interior, Sport

The day’s big race

Sunday 29th March 2020, 3.40pm (day 3,139)

Totopoly, 29/3/20

I don’t know if I’m the only one having problems uploading pictures to WordPress at the moment: these difficulties explain why these posts are coming out at odd times right now. It’s been a case of when it works, grab the opportunity. Maybe it’s all a consequence of the ongoing hiatus in civilisation…. There must be many groups who are having to come to terms with changed circumstances. What are the inveterate gamblers doing at the moment, I wonder, with no (public) sporting events taking place? We did consider a live sream of our afternoon game of Totopoly. Number 2 did turn out to be the winner — odds of 5/1, don’tcha know. Clare in the background looks excited, as well she might, as she was the owner.

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Mar 24 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Words of the day

Tuesday 24th March 2020, 9.25am (day 3,134)

Words to ponder, 24/3/20

The UK is now formally — but terribly politely — in a state of lockdown. I will not be leaving Hebden Bridge for a while. If this blog is to keep going, new insights will have to be found in familiar places. The words here are to be found on the stairwell up to Clare’s treatment room, shared with a private tutoring service (temporarily closed).

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Mar 13 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

A double bill (in preparation?)

Thursday 12th March 2020, 1.30pm (day 3,122)

Shining double bill, 12/3/20

In case it’s not apparent, I’ve not been at work this week. This is not for virus-related reasons. I have no reason to suspect that I or anyone I’ve been in close contact with recently has become part of the 2020 media event of the year. But like most people, I am anticipating a period of time in the (possibly near) future where I have a couple of weeks left to my own devices, so no harm in getting some rehearsal done. I did bugger all today — except for making food, and getting through this double bill.

And for what it’s worth, I do think Doctor Sleep was a pretty worthy sequel to a classic movie, though whether Kubrick would have approved, I think probably not.

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