Category Archives: Stranger

Jun 06 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

The Ugra TV presenter gets ready

Tuesday 6th June 2017, 9.40am (day 2,112)

Ugra TV, 6/6/17

Khanty-Mansiysk lies in the Ugra (pronounced Yoo-Grah) region, the centre of the Russian oil industry — the money generated from same being the reason why a relatively small (100,000 people) and isolated city can sustain a few major conference centres, a national league ice hockey team, an airport, and indeed a life in a region where winter temperatures fall to -50ºC on a regular basis. Linguists may recognise the placename as contributing to the name of the Finno-Ugric group of languages, so if you speak Hungarian, Estonian or Finnish, this is where your ancestors came from.

Ugra TV seemed to think it worth covering the IT Forum that we attended this morning: no idea what is happening with the guy’s hands behind the presenter here, either it was something highly significant to her on-screen appearance, or he was just copping a feel.

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May 22 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Stairwell, Salt’s Mill

Sunday 21st May 2017, 3.25pm (day 2,096)

Salts Mill, 21/5/17

Salts Mill was financed by Sir Titus Salt, and when it was completed in 1853, was the largest industrial building in the world. Salt built a ‘model village’ around it for his workers, Saltaire, most of which survives today as the kind of place middle-class people like me sometimes hang out on a Sunday to eat, drink and look at overpriced designer ware. But it’s worth a visit should you be in the area, so Saltaire can become the 190th identifiable location to feature on this blog in its 2,096 days of operation.

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May 19 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Exchange Square

Thursday 18th May 2017, 7.40am (day 2,093)

Next, as usual, 18/5/17

Now that Manchester’s new Exchange Square tram stop is finished it gives you a whole new place to sit and feel depressed about the day to come. I am sure we have all felt like this on occasion at 7.40am on a Thursday.

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Apr 30 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Great hair

Saturday 29th April 2017, 4.00pm (day 2,074)

Dreadlocks, 29/4/17

In my mind there is an alternative version of me with hair like this, but of course I would look silly and anyway would never get through that long stage of frizziness where it’s neither one thing nor the other. I guess for this guy the dreads are much more appropriate and probably permanent.

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Apr 13 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Three blokes walked into a bar

Wednesday 12th April 2017, 6.50pm (day 2,057)

Oyster bar, 12/4/17

Something tells me these three have been drinking buddies for a long time. They are all consuming their pints at the same speed, note.

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Mar 28 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Cherry blossom worship

Tuesday 28th March 2017, 10.40am (day 2,042)

Blossom worship, 28/3/17

Last full day in Japan. A couple of free hours this morning were spent in Shinjuku-gyoen park, along with several thousand other people, most of whom seemed to be cooing over the blossoming cherry trees (sakura), with dozens of Japanese engaging in what I could only perceive as a form of fundamental nature worship beneath each one. A total stranger asked me in the hotel elevator this evening whether I had seen the blossoms. They even have national news announcements, blossom forecasts if you like, stating where the best displays are to be found. I don’t dispute these plants’ beauty, but I can’t help thinking — you know, we have cherry blossoms in England too. They’re just there. But clearly I’m missing something.

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Mar 21 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

This week’s transit lounge (Helsinki)

Monday 20th March 2017, 4.55pm (day 2,034)

Helsinki airport, 20/3/17

I am sat in my hotel room in Tokyo as I type this, but there can be no photos of Japan for this day as I didn’t touch Asian soil until Tuesday morning. This is Helsinki, which a few years ago had several shots on this blog in its own right but since then has become another one of those places (Copenhagen, Schiphol, Istanbul….) seen as an airport transfer but not otherwise ‘real’. How does it compare? Well, it has a decent amount of booze in it as you can see. And there was sunshine, which was certainly more than there was in Manchester on departure, or indeed on Tokyo on arrival, both teeming with rain.

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Mar 17 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger, Transport

Heading home

Thursday 16th March 2017, 5.55pm (day 2,030)

Going home, 16/3/17

Long day for me today. In on the 7am train out of HB and back on the 17.45 from Manchester, on which this shot was taken. I felt like the woman in the middle.

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Feb 27 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Waiting room, early train

Monday 27th February 2017, 6.55am (day 2,013)

Early waiting room, 27/2/17

I don’t make a habit of getting the 06:59 service from Hebden Bridge to Manchester — a two-carriage cattle truck most days. But when I’ve a 9am meeting that can’t be missed, it’s the safest choice. At least it is getting light at that time now. Don’t normally frequent the waiting room either, but it was raining outside today. Welcome to Monday.

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Feb 19 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Family playing Gauntlet

Saturday 18th February 2017, 2.25pm (day 2,004)

Playing Gauntlet, 18/2/17

The room full of vintage arcade and computer games at the National Media Museum in Bradford is a cheap form of entertainment during weekends and school holidays — and as a result has featured on this blog before. This family seem to be enjoying their time on the collaborative game, Gauntlet — if you grew up in the 1980s I’m sure you remember it…

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