Wednesday 8th November 2017, 10.30am (day 2,267)
A cold and frosty morning but it turned into the latest in a run of very beautiful days. A train strike kept me working at home today and I cared not at all.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Category Archives: Urban scene
Outside the pub, Friday evening
Friday 3rd November 2017, 5.25pm (day 2,262)
It might only have been a three-day week as far as I was concerned — but I’m still allowed to enjoy getting to the end of it.
Demolition
Thursday 2nd November 2017, 9.20am (day 2,261)
The ‘Manchester Technology Centre’ on Cloak Street clearly is no longer technological enough, as it becomes the latest building in the city centre to succumb to ‘creative destruction’. Will the fabled eco-park finally arise in its place?
Trees at sunset (early…)
Monday 30th October 2017, 3.50pm (day 2,258)
The clocks have gone back, and there’s no denying we are now firmly in autumn. The first intimations of sunset came worryingly early this evening. For some reason I feel especially reluctant to let go of the summer; the coming of winter gives me no feeling of comfort this time round.
Misty morning
Friday 27th October 2017, 8.05am (day 2,255)
It became a very bright and sunny day in Manchester but at 8am the whole city centre was wreathed in this rather eerie mist. A long and busy week comes to an end; time for a break….
Gagarin
Tuesday 24th October 2017, 10.30am (day 2,252)
Well, if you hit a theme, sometimes it’s worth continuing it. From yesterday’s post-Soviet-style statuary to the real deal today, the monument on Leninsky Prospekt to Yuri Gagarin, first man in space. Whatever you think of the Soviets’ attitude toward economic issues, it’s hard to deny they did good statuary.
Khachaturian
Monday 23rd October 2017, 7.25pm (day 2,251)
Here I am in Moscow again, a place I seem to find impossible to avoid for very long. But I guess I’ve got used to it down the years. In the centre there remain many picturesque little lanes (flanked by real estate worth billions of roubles, no doubt); here, on an extremely cold evening, I found what looks like a piece of Soviet realist art but this monument was in fact unveiled in 2006. It commemorates the composer Aram Khachaturian — you might not have heard of him, but I virtually guarantee you’d recognise his Sabre Dance.
Bonsalls, the ironmongers’
Saturday 21st October 2017, 11.15am (day 2,249)
Bonsalls is a Hebden Bridge institution, the sort of hardware store that you thought you only now saw in movies. If it helps prop up the house or garden, you can get it in here. Probably it has been here since Victorian times. But it does take credit cards.
This is also a photowhack — that is, the one and only photo taken on a given day. It was far too wet and rainy to take many other worthwhile pictures. ‘Storm Brian’ they are calling it, like they decided to give it the most prosaic name beginning with B that they could think of. Storm Barabbas? Storm Balthazar? Storm Boogie Nights Woah-Woah-Woah….? There must have been hundreds of more interesting names.
Exchange Square tram stop
Friday 20th October 2017, 8.55am (day 2,248)
The smudges on the lens, the unnaturally reflective ground, the kind of stoically pained look of the lady with the blue bag, yes, it was another fine autumn morning in Manchester. I’m glad this week’s over, it has been very tiring. But Worktober ain’t finished yet, unfortunately.
Early start
Thursday 19th October 2017, 6.55am (day 2,247)
First time I’ve pulled a duty on the 06:59 for a while. First time I’ve been at the station before sunrise in an even longer while. The world turns…
Being 42 