Dec 18 2023
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

My granddad, in Egypt

Sunday 17th December 2023, 12.25pm (day 4,497)

Grandad's Egypt pictures, 17/12/23

From a fake old picture to some real ones. These were taken in around 1945 when my Granddad, Harold Whitworth — my father’s father — was serving in Egypt towards the end of World War 2. He’s the chap with the dapper moustache sat down next to the guy in the turban; and the one on the left of the other shot. (Mildly dubious it might be to dress as a native stereotype, but I have photos of myself doing much the same in Fiji.) Anyway, these are the kinds of family references that now seem obligatory when visiting my parents for the annual-Xmas get-together — last year it was the family tree; in 2023, the box of very old photos.

I don’t honestly remember Granddad ever saying much about his experiences in the war; he was certainly not one of those ex-soldiers who go on about it to anyone who will listen. In these pictures it all looks like an extended holiday, but I’m sure it wasn’t. 

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Dec 17 2023
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Castleford, c. 1962

Saturday 16th December 2023, 2.10pm (day 4,496)

Castleford alley, 16/12/23

Castleford is a biggish place (45,000 residents) and I’ve lived not far from it for 30 years now, but today was the first time I had visited. (Yes, it was for football.) I was struck by how unreconstructed much of it was, rows of terraced houses and back alleys like this one. Most now filled with cars, spoiling the ambience a little, but this alley was clear, and with a bit of post-production I think this is not a bad facsimile of how it probably looked 60 years ago. There’s only one anachronism — the wheelie bins — but even those I will let pass.

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Dec 16 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

Sunset at the end of the week

Friday 15th December 2023, 3.45pm (day 4,495)

Friday sunset, 15/12/23

Once more I was in the work cocoon — specifically, the email cocoon — all day, only emerging as the skies looked like this. Another day, then, where there was not much to photograph, but at least it’s the weekend.

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Dec 15 2023
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Woman at work

Thursday 14th December 2023, 3.45pm (day 4,494)

Clare at work, 14/12/23

The woman in question being Clare, of course. We both adopted this position all day in fact. I liked her little ‘light cave’, and should point out the dubious fluffy mascot to lower right.

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Dec 14 2023
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Daily Post, Interior

The City Arms

Wednesday 13th December 2023, 6.20pm (day 4,493)

City Arms, 13/12/23

A busy stint of work comes to an end — this is Manchester’s third appearance in a row, and that hasn’t happened since April ’22. By the end of the working day I needed a pint, and the City Arms on Kennedy Street has definitely become the Manchester Pub of Choice. I’m not the only one who thinks this either, as it’s usually busy like this, but the beer is high quality. Note the old typesetting frame stuck randomly to the ceiling. Anyway, I probably won’t be here again until well into January — my work in this specific city is done for a while.

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Dec 13 2023
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Daily Post, Interior

Samuel Alexander, Professor of Philosophy

Tuesday 12th December 2023, 9.20am (day 4,492)

Samuel Alexander Xmas decorations, 12/12/23

Prof. Alexander’s bust has long graced the entrance hall of the building on Manchester’s campus that bears his name. This kind of thing happens most years, to be honest. He seems to bear it with stoic dignity. I don’t think he looks all that unhappy — a bit resigned, maybe.

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Dec 12 2023
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Last class for quite some time

Monday 11th December 2023, 3.45pm (day 4,491)

Last ETC class, 11/12/23

The last class of the semester, and as I’m on sabbatical for several months next year, the last one for me until late September 2024. And that’s just fine by me. I do — generally — like teaching but it is tiring, time-consuming work and if I want to do some proper thinking I can do with taking a break from it. The last class of the semester also gives rise to the annual ceremony of ‘having pictures taken with one’s professor’ — I make people upset if a 20-minute window isn’t offered up at the end.

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Dec 11 2023
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Daily Post, Hebden Bridge, Urban scene

Cheese

Sunday 10th December 2023, 1.25pm (day 4,490)

Cheese stall, 10/12/23

Now here’s the polar opposite to Monty Python’s Cheese Shop. If you don’t get the reference, just be comforted by the enormous variety here. Time to buy some Xmas presents — and maybe squirrel a few away on my own account.

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Dec 09 2023
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

Ex-cinema, Oldham

Saturday 9th December 2023, 1.45pm (day 4,489)

Oldham ex-cinema, 9/12/23

Spectacular urban decay. Oldham doesn’t look all that great at the best of times but on a dreich day in December it really comes into — or perhaps gets out of — its own. Bear in mind that not only is this clock wrong, but I suspect has been stopped for a couple of decades by now.

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Dec 09 2023
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

High-risk strategy

Friday 8th December 2023, 5.45pm (day 4,488)

Tom and Jenga, 8/12/23

One might think that Jenga and Red Stripe are a risky mix in the first place, but Tom’s ‘reacharound’ move just adds to the tension on this Friday night match-up. However, though the tower did fall — they always do, in the end — it was not for another few moves yet.

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