Category Archives: Portrait

Nov 09 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Portrait

Excessive waiter theatrics

Friday 8th November 2024, 6.10pm (day 4,824)

Waiter with flamethrower, 8/11/24

My PhD student of the last five years, Sara, passed her viva voce examination today — with only minor corrections, a very good result (for a good thesis, I honestly did think) — and so took me out to dinner at a Turkish restaurant in Manchester. The place’s waiters definitely had an overblown sense of theatrics. Salman, Sara’s son, looks somewhat apprehensively at one of them striding towards us with the kind of flamethrower that, if carried outside, would probably see him arrested for branding an offensive weapon. All this just to put a second or two of extra charring on the spicy meatballs. Food was good, though.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
Nov 05 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Inspecting the manuscripts

Monday 4th November 2024, 2.00pm (day 4,820)

Rylands manuscripts, 4/11/24

Another one of my Palaeography classes in the John Rylands Library. We have moved from Hogwarts (the old reading room) upstairs and into the new seminar room, with tape still on the windows. Checking out the manuscripts themselves is always the best bit, and they need to be ready, and cared for — would that students got to sit on such comfortable-looking cushions.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Nov 03 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Karaoke setup

Sunday 3rd November 2024, 5.00pm (day 4,819)

Karaoke guy, 3/11/24

A typical Sunday afternoon scene in the Railway, Hebden Bridge. The crow is a bit of added Halloween ambience, but otherwise, we could be on any weekend in the year…. and this guy is here, every weekend.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Oct 31 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Interior, Portrait

Young Frankenstein (that’s ‘Frahnkensteen’)

Thursday 31st October 2024, 12.15pm (day 4,816)

Young Frankenstein, 31/10/24

You’ve gotta like this movie. Not all the jokes work any more, by any means, but Young Frankenstein must be the finest parody-homage of any genre, ever. And at a completely decadent time of day, too, thanks to the Hebden Bridge Picture House’s Thursday morning “Elevenses” deal.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
Oct 28 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Portrait, Sport

Steve Gritt: worth my thanks

Saturday 26th October 2024, 3.25pm (day 4,811)

Steve Gritt, 26/10/24

The gentleman in the hat, pondering the action, is Steve Gritt, coach of Hornchurch FC. Though this story is, I am sure, of only the vaguest interest to most people, the reason I depict him on here today is that back in 1997 Mr. Gritt was appointed manager of Brighton & Hove Albion FC (a.k.a. ‘my lot’), when they were 11 points adrift at the bottom of the entire Football League and facing relegation and oblivion. A few months later, however, he had achieved the seemingly impossible, and Brighton survived with an (in)famous 1-1 draw at Hereford, who went down instead. 27 years later and the Albion are playing their eighth season in the Premier League. Not that Steve Gritt had anything much more to do with that part of the tale (he left the club in 1998) but all Brighton fans certainly owe him our thanks.

And so, realising that he was the coach of the club I had randomly come to see, I waited to shake his hand and give him that thanks as he came off the pitch. And I was pleased I had had the opportunity, and took it. OK, random stalker moment over, moving on…

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Oct 06 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Owter Zeds: 40th anniversary gig

Saturday 5th October 2024, 10.15pm (day 4,790)

Calling a band an ‘institution’ is something of a double-edged compliment, as it suggests they have been around a while — and the local Hebden Bridge institution that is (or are) the Owter Zeds were, indeed, celebrating their 40th anniversary at the Trades Club tonight, a gig I came all the way back from London to attend. And plenty of fun it was; if you like a bit of ska, you could do worse. The sax player gets on the blog for the second time, the first being over 10 years ago, when they were mere striplings of just 30 years’ experience.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Sep 28 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Tony, in his spot

Friday 27th September 2024, 6.30pm (day 4,782)

Tony, in his spot, 27/9/24

Those of us who drink in particular pubs regularly may or may not have A Spot. I wouldn’t say I do, even in the Railway. I have been found in most of its corners, at one time or another. But Tony is someone who has A Spot, and here he is, in it. If he sat somewhere else we might not recognise him.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Sep 26 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

This year’s newbies

Thursday 26th September 2024, 12.40pm (day 4,781)

New students, 26/9/24

For the first time since 13th December last year — I give a lecture in Manchester. Most of the recipients look happy enough at this point (perhaps because I wasn’t talking).

Tagged , , , , , , ,
Sep 25 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

High-contrast gear

Wednesday 25th September 2024, 10.35am (day 4,780)

On King Street, 25/9/24

One of the rare cases where I tag a photo as ‘black and white‘ but not ‘monochrome‘. I like the generally muted tones of the shot but the high contrast of the dress makes it stand out. And not just for that reason, either. Whatever she’s getting ready for, I hope it’s important.

Tagged , , , , , , ,
Sep 25 2024
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Gig crowd (or, the zombie apocalypse)

Tuesday 24th September 2024, 8.55pm (day 4,779)

Zombie crowd, 24/9/24

My mediocre kit is never going to take crystal clear photos in very low light, even if I do crank the ISO setting up to 1600 or whatever. But here, the lack of clarity is just the point. Surely the gentleman to the left is about to emerge from some horrible transformation and begin consuming human flesh. Although in the end, he recovered, and we all got on with watching the evening’s entertainment (Tom McRae, as it happened).

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →