Category Archives: Urban scene

Feb 04 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Not too cold for a T-shirt…

Tuesday 3rd February 2026, 2.50pm (day 5,276)

Winter t-shirt, 3/2/26

I have noticed down the years that one thing that can be guaranteed to astonish foreigners about Britons is the ability of some of them to walk around in clothing that is, manifestly, inadequate for the temperature. I have to say that in this, I agree with them. I could not believe that this guy was wearing only a T-shirt today. It was, to put it bluntly, frigging freezing this afternoon. I was in two T-shirts — a jumper — a big coat — and a scarf, and it was still chilly. Is his blood formed of antifreeze? How does he tolerate this? Words fail me.

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Jan 30 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Barbican

Wednesday 28th January 2026, 11.15am (day 5,270)

Barbican estate, 28/1/26

I like the Barbican estate in the City of London, particularly on a sunny and pleasant day. If someone were to offer me the chance to live anywhere in London (it’ll never happen) I would choose here, it just seems like a fairly peaceful and attractive spot despite, or perhaps because of, all the brutalism. It’s interesting to look at a map of modern London and trace the outline of the old medieval, walled city: many of the place names make it clear what used to be there — Moorgate, Smithfield, Barbican.

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Jan 29 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Approaching the Temperate House, Kew

Tuesday 27th January 2026, 12 noon (day 5,269)

Kew Gardens, 27/1/26

A first-ever visit to Kew, and yes, it counted as work — as the nation’s premier botanical gardens this was a crucial node in the networks of information, learning and capital which formed the basis of the British Empire from the 18th century on, and to which St Helena and Ascension Island were intimately linked. Ahead, one of the entrances to the Temperate House, which at one point was the largest glasshouse in the world, and is still the largest surviving Victorian one.

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Jan 28 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Fruit and veg

Monday 26th January 2026, 11.10am (day 5,268)

Fruit and veg, 26/1/26

Actually, maybe there aren’t any vegetables in view here — technically. Tomatoes are definitely fruit and I guess peppers are too. But what the hell. There are certainly some decent ingredients available throughout this city: it sucks them in from the countryside, like it sucks other kinds of capital, financial, environmental and otherwise.

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Jan 26 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Living way up in the air

Sunday 25th January 2026, 2.00pm (day 5,267)

Walthamstow apartment, 25/1/25

I am now staying in London for a week, and for all of it I am going to look out of my hotel window and see these balconies. I wonder whether the couch you see here will be used much in January, but I guess it’s something that makes one’s elevated rabbit hutch a somewhat more agreeable place to live.

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Jan 17 2026
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Daily Post, Hebden Bridge, Urban scene

The treetops

Friday 16th January 2026, 9.40am (day 5,258)

Treetop houses, 16/1/26

The ‘treetop’ houses on Heptonstall Road have featured before, I am sure, but forgive me if I don’t dig out the hyperlink right now. But once again, you were getting something that could be seen from my place. At least, after today, my marking duties are over for a while.

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Jan 15 2026
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Daily Post, Hebden Bridge, Urban scene

Gathering of blue and red lights

Wednesday 14th January 2026, 5.40pm (day 5,256)

Police van, 14/1/26

Another day with a photo that will fail to enter the world’s, or even my own, stock of Great Pictures, but it’ll be like this for a while, I’m afraid. It’s always a little worrying to come home and find an ambulance and police van parked outside the house, but whatever had been going on, it wasn’t at our place. These little moments of incident take place behind walls, and we see the outcome but never discover their origin.

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Jan 10 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Wires to play with

Friday 9th January 2026, 10.50am (day 5,251)

Box of wires, 9/1/26

I don’t think I would like this guy’s job as such, which, thinking about it, would seem to require spending a lot of time kneeling on cold, hard pavements, particularly in early January. On the other hand, tell me I’m not the only one who would quite like to while away some time unplugging and rearranging all of these, just for the hell of it.

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Jan 09 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

It all comes back down

Thursday 8th January 2025, 10.15am (day 5,250)

Dismantling ice rink, 8/1/26

Every year, the square between the National Football Museum and Manchester Cathedral is occupied by an ice rink from early November. Then, every year around this time, it is dismantled again. I guess it keeps some people employed. Presumably there is some order involved; piece number 697 is getting ready for filing, for example.

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Jan 01 2026
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Brighouse station ramp

Thursday 1st January 2026, 5.50pm (day 5,243)

Brighouse station ramp, 1/1/26

An abstract, though it does represent the fact that the two trains I caught today were punctual to the minute: a good start for 2026. Let’s see how long it takes before this perfect record is broken; I predict Sunday.

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