Category Archives: Stranger

Aug 27 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Jazzmen

Saturday 26th August 2017, 4.10pm (day 2,193)

Jazzmen, 26/8/17

Happy birthday to me — fortysomething again. I’m sure if you have been following this blog long enough you know the exact figure. With me being on my own in Urbana this week it was never going to be the most sociable anniversary but I did my best back at the Sweetcorn Festival’s second day. The New Orleans jazz band were the best feature. Another talent I wish I had — I seem to recall some forty years ago playing the clarinet in the school orchestra and so maybe I should reword that, ‘another talent I regret losing’. Still, perhaps I’ve picked up others along the way. Onward, onward with my 49th year on the planet. Whoops, there you go — I gave it away.

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Aug 26 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

The owner of the ‘Iron Post’

Friday 25th August 2017, 10.20pm (day 2,192)

Iron Post, 25/8/17

The Iron Post is a pub in Urbana. Many years ago — well, twelve anyway (in 2005) — this place saved our bacon on the 4th July when it was the only pub in the city that was open for food and drink. I also remember being here in 2006 and talking to this guy — he had a beard then — on the day that the state of Illinois passed the ordinance which forbade smoking inside any public building. It’s safe to say he wasn’t happy. He won’t remember me, but when I returned this evening for a beer and saw him sat in the far corner of the bar doing his books, or whatever it is, I recognised him.

And so ends the sixth full year of this blog. I set out to do one — I’ve done six. I may as well keep going, there are still things in the world worth depicting. Are you sticking with me? Good, let’s do some more.

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Aug 18 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Rolling up

Friday 18th August 2017, 9.15am (day 2,185)

Cigarette break, 18/8/17

Well, I assume he’s rolling a cigarette, but perhaps he might just be playing a tune on the world’s smallest harmonica.

Last day in Manchester for a fortnight, anyway. If things work out — I have, let’s say, a logistically complex next 72 hours, but the payoff will be good if it does…

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Aug 16 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Before the match

Tuesday 15th August 2017, 7.20pm (day 2,182)

At the Three Pigeons, 15/8/17

“Come to the football, son,” he said. “All the glamour and excitement of FC Halifax Town v Dover Athletic, playing out before your eyes. That’ll be better than a night on those silly video games, won’t it?”

I hope they both stayed until the end, anyway. 0-0 after 86 minutes: final score 2-1 to Dover. Enjoyable in the end but perhaps not for Halifax Town fans.

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Aug 08 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Out for a drink

Monday 7th August 2017, 3.30pm (day 2,174)

Mother and baby, 7/8/17

Returned to work today — albeit at home. Too long a day to spend entirely in the house sorting out a pile of email and draft student work however, so popped out for a drink in the afternoon, which is when I saw these two, doing the same thing and seemingly happy about it. (Was tough to get the camera focused on her face as opposed to the drinking straw, mind you.)

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Jul 17 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger, Transport

Tired

Monday 17th July 2017, 3.35pm (day 2,153)

Tired, 17/7/17

It’s actually not a bad place to catch forty winks, the train home — I manage it frequently. Like these two gentlemen, I am tired…. but have now just three days left before my summer break.

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Jul 03 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Evening in Argyle Square

Sunday 2nd July 2017, 6.40pm (day 2,138)

Argyle Square, 2/7/17

Still in London, and back in the usual haunt of Argyle Square, home of the cheaper hotels around King’s Cross. And a nice place to chill out on a sunny evening, as it was. Like the textures on this shot, and the colours.

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Jun 12 2017
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Sat in row B

Sunday 11th June 2017, 4.55pm (day 2,117)

Cinema row B, 11/6/17

I can’t have been getting outside much lately, for this is the sixth consecutive interior shot, and usually exteriors easily outnumber them. This afternoon’s entertainment at the Picture House: Alien: The Latest Franchise (OK, maybe it’s not actually called that); not bad I suppose but these are starting to get like the Nightmare on Elm Street series, let’s just crank out the xenomorph goo again and not worry whether anyone notices the lack of plot or character. Passes the time on a Sunday afternoon I suppose.

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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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