The big cat leaps into the sunrise of the urban jungle…. I walk past this sign every time I go to work in Manchester, and one nice thing about doing this blog is that I can see things anew; having never thought of taking a photograph of it before, it made itself rather attractive on this Monday morning.
Which is less savoury — the graffiti, or the notices which pepper this wall and try to keep the space private and enclosed? At weekends, at least, the town could do with the parking spaces. Eventually someone will come and paint over the street art, but the warning signs will remain.
Here’s this year’s Spring Festival (Lunar or ‘Chinese’ New Year) shot…. there are always opportunities for pictures like this in Manchester. These lanterns catch a little of the wan sunshine that illuminated the morning. And, it being Manchester, you get a crane photo-bombing, as well.
This is one of those shots that is more about the personal significance than the photographic quality. When I was growing up in Crowborough we knew members of the Chappell family, who owned this pharmacy and (though it’s not so apparent on the picture) a health-food annex to the right-hand side. In fact I think I put in my first ever example of what might be considered a day’s work in the latter, aged about 13. So I do have enough of a clear memory of this place to know that in forty or more years it has not changed ONE BIT. You’d have thought that they’d have spruced up the sign at some point — but no. It’s 1975 all over again.
What am I doing in Manchester city centre by 7.15am on a winter’s morning? I should still be asleep. Like the guy in this sleeping bag, though hopefully in a more comfortable and less public place.
Taken through the train window this morning, and more of an abstract than anything else: the rain (or rather sleet) drops on the window in the upper left quadrant are all too apparent. But it does at least illustrate that we had our first real snow of the winter today. Pretty feeble stuff, admittedly: but it was there.
Why head west? Why not south? Well, the valley runs east-west here so I guess they were trying to work out the best route. Anyway I think Canada geese (which these are — Branta canadensis) live in the UK year-round these days, so maybe they were just commuting up-valley to Todmorden.
For once, a football match captured in passing, rather than one I specifically attended. Calder Holmes Park, in town, is a picturesque spot to get competitive on a Sunday morning. One for the traditionalists…
Each month the “Friends of the Picture House” can nominate a movie to be shown there on a Saturday afternoon. Clare has been on the committee for about a year now and we’ve been feeding her suggestions. Finally, today, one came through: Quadrophenia. I may have had something to do with this… and so did Joe, for whom it is also a favourite movie. I’m sure The Favourite is a very good film too (it’s supposed to be), but it was the lower of the two that drew us in today. Have you ever had a movie request shown at the pictures? It’s fun, if you can make it happen.
I don’t want you to think I busted a gut today, either: although I did do work at home. It’s not a busy time for me. I’d say this is normal for January, but actually it isn’t: six years ago today, for example, I was flying over the Sahara on my way to Kenya. But in 2019 I’ve a couple more weeks at home yet, before there’s any real change of scene.
