It’s not really accurate to say that we came up to Dundee to bring Joe “home” for Christmas. Home, for him, is up here now. You can’t see the windows of his place on this shot but it’s close by. But he was returned to Yorkshire, at least — by 4pm. I like the zones of red on this shot, spacing themselves across the bottom.
At least I live in a town that still sustains not just one, but two proper butchers’ shops. These guys must make their entire annual profit at this time of year; I know in advance what it will be like when I go to collect my bird two days before Christmas. (Never a turkey, which is a meat I have never found all that appealing, to be honest.) There is no advertising intention to this blog, so can I also point out that despite depicting one of the establishments here, I actually ordered my meat from the other shop.
What small part of the world can be seen from our house, all looked like this today. With no reason to leave the house, I did not; picture opportunities were limited to using the long zoom to see what might be going on over the other side of the valley. They had their fires burning, anyway. This is also one of those shots that looks like I’ve taken it monochrome, but really have not; if anything I have beefed up the saturation a little.
In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s coming up to Christmas. Manchester city centre gets frantic at this time of year and in recent times I have done my best to avoid it: in fact I only have one more day there scheduled for 2022. The proprietors of this posh store on Spring Gardens (where all the stores are posh: next door is Vivienne Westwood) go for it every year to this extent; this year there’s the added layer of statement, that energy bills are just something other people have to worry about. But it does look pretty: even with the back of a ‘No Entry’ sign in the way.
A cold day today. Of course, ‘cold’ by British standards is not cold by, say, Canadian or central European standards, but we notice it in our own way. Look, someone in Royd Terrace has even lit a fire.
Decided I’d probably better put in an appearance in Manchester, but at this time of year it’s still barely sunrise when the 06:55 (constantly late-running) finally makes it there. I am pleased with this shot simply because it’s one of those that turned out just how I wanted it to when I pressed the shutter. I know the verticals are out of true, but that’s deliberate.
In an ideal world, this message would end, “…. and not just for Christmas”, but sadly it does not. Then again, it’s been up for several months now, waiting only for an otherwise opportunity-light day of photography for its chance to be shared with you, my faithful readers. So this is not the seasonal reference it may seem.
When I was in Dunedin, New Zealand, almost ten years ago, I saw a street, Baldwin Street, that claims it is the ‘World’s Steepest Street’. And it certainly was very steep, particularly at one end. However, taken as a whole, the gradient of the street from start to finish cannot have been a great deal more, and was possibly less, than Marlborough Street in Hebden Bridge, which I walk down (never up…) on occasion and can attest to the fact that it is very steep indeed. I have tried now and then to get a photo that really captures the gradient but before this one have never been happy enough to post one, however, today’s can make it. I do feel that the Guinness Book of Records people should really come and settle the question. Hebden Bridge or Dunedin? I pose the challenge. (I’m sure you know of a steeper one in Italy, say, but let me dream.)
Circumstances today brought me to Southport, a place that has featured twice on the blog before: here and here, both of them images of endless sand and sky (the sea here makes a notoriously long retreat at low tide, going out literally miles). These suggest the major function of the town is as a seaside resort, and that’s quite correct. So in late November, quite a lot of it looks like this.
I like this shot, except for the parked car. It’s impressive how often cars screw up an otherwise pleasing composition.
A day to reacquaint myself with people, who, generally, have not been seen on here for the last few days. Not that there will be many visits to Manchester coming up; I’m trying to minimise the need for them. And. by the way — Japan, brilliant stuff guys.
Being 42 