Category Archives: Portrait

The dog’s watching, at least

Saturday 25th July 2026, 3.30pm (day 5,448)

Llanfairfechan Town, 25/7/26

There are seven potential spectators in this picture, all present at Llanfairfechan Town FC in the later stages of a Welsh Cup Qualifying Round tie — five human and two canine. Fairly obviously, three of them are definitely watching the action, and they ain’t the three guys in the middle.

I hope they did pay attention in the end, because this turned out to be one of the better football matches I have ever seen. When this shot was taken the visitors were 5-2 up, but the final score — Llanfairfechan Town 5, FC Queen’s Park 5.

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Gowns on, and off

Monday 20th July 2026, 10.05am (day 5,443)

Gown returns, 20/7/26

It’s graduation season. Bearing in mind that the very minimum one needs to spend to get a degree from my august institution is in five figures, and for a 3-year undergraduate programme it is now approaching £30K (more, if you are an international student) just in fees — you’d think the UoM might just give them their gowns to keep, as with a wedding dress. But no.

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David Byrne and his band

Saturday 18th July 2026, 9.30pm (day 5,441)

David Byrne, 18/7/26

For someone who is now 74 years of age, David Byrne — who is the white-haired chap with the guitar to the lower right — can certainly still put on a show, one that I, personally, have waited some forty years to see. It’s a shame he and his former Talking Heads colleagues have belied the name of the band and not spoken to each other since about 1991 but the orange-clad, sprightly young(er) things on stage with him at the Piece Hall last night were a wholly adequate substitute. So look! It’s David Byrne….!

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Caterpillar back

Friday 17th July 2026, 6.40pm (day 5,440)

Caterpillar back, 17/7/26

Perhaps I’m spending too long indoors but this does evoke a caterpillar for me — including the cigarette, a connection maybe only subconscious when I took the shot, but which Tenniel’s Alice in Wonderland illustration makes more clear the following morning.

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Wet Leg

Wednesday 8th July 2026, 10.10pm (day 5,431)

Wet Leg, 8/7/26

If I was 23 years younger, looked like Rhian Teasdale (vocalist and general frontperson of the band Wet Leg), could play the guitar and sing, I’d probably be seeking a career in rock stardom too. She seems to be making a pretty decent job of it.

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Cookng manoeuvres

Sunday 28th June 2026, 2.10pm (day 5,421)

Market cook, 28/6/26

Whatever is cooking away under the lids, I have no idea, but as with every Sunday, the general miscellany of the market on St George’s Square proves attractive. Food, trinkets, old military uniforms — nothing as useful as a pair of shoelaces though. For such things, we are forced to leave town.

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Cyberpeople (green cohort)

Friday 26th June 2026, 8.45am (day 5,419)

Green headphones, 26/6/26

Back to work — for a day, anyway. This photo is very low quality thanks to being taken through not one, but two windows, but I couldn’t resist capturing it. In Doctor Who the evil Cybermen, half-organic, half-robot, always had these headphone-like contraptions clamped to their heads. The attendees at whatever conference sub-group was happening in University Place this morning were clearly wanting to try out the look; what’s more, they seem to be offering a rather Irish take on it.

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Sorting out the numbers

Friday 19th June 2026, 12.05pm (day 5,412)

Marathon number 19/6/26

C is here to run in the Midnight Sun half-marathon, talking place Saturday night, and was obliged to pick up her number today. Along with ten thousand other people, it seems. Well done to the people sorting through all those bits of paper with RFD tags stuck on them.

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Clare’s immediate desire

Tuesday 9th June 2026, 10.50am (day 5,402)

Tea message, 9/6/26

So much so that, apparently, she had the sign ready beforehand. So it goes when we are both working at home on a given morning.

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White Swan garden reflection

Wednesday 3rd June 2026, 3.30pm (day 5,396)

Swan garden reflection, 3/6/26

This is a self-portrait — logically I will be on it somewhere, and you may discern me under the red umbrella nearest to this shiny ball thing. I’m in the garden early — but then again I started work early (7:45) and sat upstairs marking for several hours. Semester 2 is now officially done, though, as far as I am concerned.

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