Being 42

Stats are correct up to and including 19th November 2025, which was day 5,200 of the blog.

Places

In this time a total of 515 named locations have made it onto the blog (approaching one every 10 days on average), though some are collectives: for example, the Lake District, a label applied to everywhere within that National Park. “London” — pictured above (that’s the Thames at Kew Bridge) is also defined fairly loosely.

More than this number of different places have actually appeared, as when the photo is taken in or from some kind of transport, it is not always possible to specify a location. These appear as ‘Unspecified’ in the lists.

The 500th place to make it was Tayport, in Scotland, with the picture here.

The top 10 locations, ranked by number of pictures, are:

1. Hebden Bridge: 2,057 photos in my home town, or 39.56% of the total. The 2,000th HB shot was taken on 27th June 2025.
2. Manchester: 902 in the city where I work, occasionally anyway. 17.35% of the total.
3. The Lake District: 172, accepting its identity as a single location (see note above).
4. London: 165.
5. Leeds: 70.
6. Halifax: 61.
7. Brisbane: 51. (All in 2013.)
8. Moscow: 48. (None since 2017.)
9. Brighouse: 39 and
10. Brighton: also 39.

Between them these 10 locations account for 3,604 or 69.3% of all the shots on the blog. Twenty-four other locations have reached double figures, the latest one to do so being Preston, with the picture shown here.

The longest sequences of photos in particular places are:

• Brisbane holds the record, depicted on 15 days in a row (14/3/13 to 28/3/13).
• Hebden Bridge has a longest sequence of 14 days (22/3/20 to 4/4/20) although it’s not yet surpassed the leader. (It has had other longish sequences but I include only this one in the list).
• Melbourne: 11 days in a row (5/4/19 to 15/4/19).
• Toronto: 11 days (10/6/24 to 20/6/24), and also 10 days in a row (29/1/24 to 7/2/24).
• Yasawas, Fiji: 8 days (16/5/13 – 23/5/13).
• Alarm Forest, St Helena: 8 days (10/11/21 – 17/11/21).
• Kilimanjaro National Park: 7 days (28/7/15 – 3/8/15).
• London has also finally had a full 7 day run (21/9/25 – 27/9/25).

From 23/10/15 to 20/11/15 there were 29 consecutive pictures taken only in Hebden Bridge or Manchester, the longest such streak.

The record for the longest gap between appearances of a place has now been taken by Dunsop Bridge, which went 4,911 days, or around thirteen and a half years, between its first appearance on 27/12/2011 early on in the life of the blog and its second on 7/6/2025 (day 5,035), with the picture above. Stockport, at 4,721 days, is now the runner-up after its reappearance on 16/9/24. The place which has gone the longest time since its first and so far only appearance is now Øresund, Denmark, seen on 23/2/2012 but not since.

On three occasions, eleven different locations have made it in eleven days: 1) From 13/4/17 to 23/4/17: Manchester, Wolverhampton, Lancaster, Morecambe, the Lake District, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Markham Moor, Cambridge, King’s Lynn and Heckington. 2) From 11/3/22 to 21/3/22: Manchester, Burnley, Brighouse, Mytholmroyd, Leeds, Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield, Carlisle, Polbae, Glen Trool and Anwoth 3) From 8/7/23 to 18/7/23: Penicuik, Edinburgh, Black Isle, Strathpeffer, Nigg, Thurso, Braemore, Inverness, Broughton, Hebden Bridge and Ribchester.

There were seven consecutive days of named new locations between 22/12/20 – 28/12/20 (Easton-on-the-Hill, Cromer [pictured], Norwich, Beeston Regis, Wells-next-the-Sea, Horsey and Southwell). Though here note also 14/2/12 – 20/2/12 in Australia/New Zealand where two ‘unspecified’ locations snuck in: seven new places in seven days, but not all identifiable.

Counting different component parts of the UK separately, including its Overseas Territories, these locations have been distributed through 49 countries. (Some of the countries get in only because of flyovers or changes at airports, where I did not officially enter the country — these are marked by asterisks [*] in the list below.)

Four photos definitely include sight of the territory of more than one country: two include both England and Wales, one both England and France, and this one both Namibia (on the left of the river Cubango) and Angola, on the right. (I haven’t counted Angola on the list.)

England: 4,264 photos, or exactly 82% of the total. The Iongest run of English-only pictures started on 19/9/20 and eventually concluded on 3/6/21, a run of 258 days. Nearly half (48.24%) of the English photos have been taken in Hebden Bridge. The 4,000th English picture was taken on 15/12/24.

Accrington (5), Amersham (1), Arnside (2), Arundel (3), Ashton-under-Lyne (4), Aston-on-Trent (1), Atherton (3), Bacup (1), Bamber Bridge (1), Bamford (1), Banbury (1), Barrow (1), Barton-upon-Humber (1), Bath (3), Batley (1), Battle (1), Bedford (1), Beeston Regis (1), Berwick-upon-Tweed (1), Billsborrow (1), Birkenhead (3), Birmingham (6), Bishop’s Cleeve (1), Bishop Wilton (1), Blackburn (13), Blackpool (3), Bolton (7), Bolton Abbey (1), Bracknell (1), Bradford (38), Brighouse (39), Brighton (39), Brize Norton (1), Burnley (14), Burslem (1), Bury (5), Buxton (3), Cambridge (8), Capel (1), Carisbrooke (1), Carlisle (5), Carshalton (1), Castleford (1), Chapel-en-le-Frith (1), Chapeltown (1), Cheshunt (1), Chester (4), Chester-le-Street (1), Church Fenton (1), Cleckheaton (2), Clitheroe (4), Cloughton (3), Collingham (1), Colne (1), Congleton (1), Coverdale (2), Cragg Vale (5), Crewe (3), Crofton (1), Cromer (1), Crowborough (6), Darwen (2), Denholme (1), Derby (3), Dewsbury (4), Doncaster (10), Drighlington (1), Dronfield (1), Dudley (1), Dukinfield (4), Dunsop Bridge (2), Durham (1), Easton-on-the-Hill (1), Ebrington (1), Elland (4), Ellesmere Port (1), Elston (1), Emley (3), Fitzwilliam (1), Fleetwood (1), Foxfield (2), Garforth (1), Garrigill (1), Glasson (3), Glossop (1), Goole (1), Grange-over-Sands [pictured] (4), Greenfield (1)… [continued]

Halifax (61), Harrogate (3), Haslemere (1), Haslingden (1), Hassocks (1), Hastings (4), Haworth (10), Hebden Bridge (2,057), Heckington (1), Hereford (2), Heysham (7), Heythrop Park (3), Holmfirth (1), Horsey (1), Huddersfield (10), Hugh Town (1), Hurley (1), Hurst Green (1), Huthwaite (1), Hyde (1), Ilkley (2), Keighley (11), Kendal (1), Kidsgrove (1), King’s Lynn (1), Kirkby-in-Furness (1), Knaresborough (1), Lake District (172), Lancaster (22), Land’s End (1), Leeds (70), Leigh (1), Lincoln (2), Littleborough (13), Liverpool (14), London (165), Long Causeway (7), Luddenden (6), Luton (3), Lutterworth (1), Manchester (902), Mansfield (1), Marazion (1), Markham Moor (1), Marple (1), Marsden (2), Marshaw (1), Mickle Fell (1), Middleham (2), Middlesbrough (2), Midgley (2), Mills Hill (6), Milton Keynes (3), Mirfield (1), Morecambe (36), Mossley (1), Mytholmroyd (26), Nelson (1), Newcastle (10), New Mills (1), Newton-le-Willows (1), Normanby-le-Wold (1), Northallerton (1), Northampton (1), North Ferriby (1), Norwich (1), Nottingham (7), Oakworth (1), Oldham (7), Oxenhope (11), Oxford (8)…. [continued]

Penistone (3), Penzance (3), Peterborough (4), Pickering (1), Pocklington (1), Pontefract (1), Portchester [pictured] (1), Porthcurno (1), Portsmouth (2), Poulton-le-Fylde (1), Preston (10), Ramsbottom (1), Ravenglass (2), Redcar (1), Ribblehead (2), Ribchester (1), Richmond (1), Ripon (1), Ripponden (2), Rochdale (22), Rotherham (1), Runcorn (1), Sabden (19), St Ives [Cambs.] (2), Salford (6), Saltaire (1), Scarborough (1), Seaford (1), Seascale (1), Shanklin (1), Sheffield (9), Shildon (1), Sidcup (6), Silsden (1), Skelmersdale (1), Skillington (1), Skipton (2), Slaithwaite (1), Slyne (1), Snodland (1), Solihull (1), Solway Firth (1), South Milford (1), Southampton (2), Southport (4), Southwell (1), Sowerby Bridge (8), Stafford (2), Stalybridge (5), Steeton (1), Stockport (2), Stockton-on-Tees (2), Stoke-on-Trent (4), Stokenchurch (1), Strait of Dover (1 – see also France), Sunderland Point (1), Sutton Coldfield (1), Symonds Yat (2), Telford (2), Tipton (1), Todmorden (37), Tonbridge (1), Ulverston (1), Unspecified (13), Wakefield (3), Walsden (3), Waltham Abbey (1), Warrington (1), Wellingborough (1), Wells-next-the-Sea (1), Wendover (1), Wesham (2), Wessenden Head (3), West Bretton (1), West Bromwich (1), West Kirby (1), Westerham (1), Westhoughton (1), Wetherby (6), Whalley (2), Whitehaven (1), Whitworth (2), Widnes (2), Wigan (2), Woburn Sands (1), Wold Newton (1), Wolverhampton (2), Worksop (8), Worston (1), Wraysholme (1), Yarm (1), Yaverland (1), York (16).

Of these, the most recent one to be depicted for the first time was Mansfield, debuting (though not identifiably) on 15/10/25.

Scotland: 130. Aberdeen (8), Aberdour (2), Abington (2), Annan (1), Annandale (4), Anwoth (1), Arbroath (2), Ardlui (2), Ardochrig (1), Attadale (1), Ben Lawers (1), Biggar (2), Black Isle (2), Braemore (1), Broughton (1), Burntisland (2), Coatbridge (1), Cowdenbeath (1), Crianlarich (1), Doune (1), Dumfries (1), Dumgoyne (1), Dundee (28), Duthil (1), Edinburgh (11), Falkirk (1), Fort William (2), Forth Bridge (5), Galashiels (1 – pictured above), Glasgow (9), Glen Clova (1), Glen Esk (1), Glen Shee (1), Glen Trool (1), Gretna (1), Hamilton (1), Hoy (1), Inverness (2), Kenmore (1), Kilsyth (1), Kirkcaldy (1), Kirkwall (1), Lammermuir Hills (1), Lomond Hills (1), Longniddry (1), Lybster (1), Markinch (1), Motherwell (1), New Lanark (1), Nigg (1), Penicuik (1), Polbae (1), St Andrews (1), South Ronaldsay (1), Stenness (2), Stirling (1), Strathpeffer (2), Stromness (3), Tayport (1), Thurso (1), Tillicoultry (1), Unspecified (1).

Australia: 109. Adelaide (2), Ballina (1), Brisbane (51), Byron Bay (3), Cleveland (1), Cooktown (1), Geelong (1). Glasshouse mountains (1), Glenelg (1), Hobart (4), Kangaroo Island (4), Katoomba (3), Laura (1), Melbourne (12), Mulligan highway (1), Nimbin (1), Redcliffe (1), South Port (1), Stradbroke Island (3), Sydney (10), Torquay (1), Unspecified (1), Wagga Wagga (4).

Norway: 95.  Aursfjord (1), Bergen (37), Bodø (1), Bø (1), Finse (1), Gardemoen airport (3), Kristiansand (3), Lysefjord (1), Oslo (3), Ringvassøy (2), Seljord (2), Skulsfjord (1), Snilstveitøy (1), Stavanger (13), Tjeldstø (1), Tromsø [pictured] (14), Trondheim (3), Unspecified (6), Østerfjord (1).

St Helena: 76. Alarm Forest (21), Half Tree Hollow (1), Jamestown [pictured below] (30), Levelwood (5), Longwood (7), Sandy Bay (3), St. Paul’s (9).

Russia: 60. Domodedovo airport (4), Khanty-Mansiysk (5), Khimki (2), Moscow (48), Unspecified (1).

Wales: 44. Aberystwyth (2), Blaenavon (1), Cardiff (3), Carneddau (1), Connah’s Quay (2), Conwy (2), Devil’s Bridge (1), Flint (1), Holyhead (3), Llandudno (4), Llandyrnog (1), Llangollen (1), Moel Famau (1), Newport (5), Penmaenmawr (1), Ponterwyd (1), Portmeirion (1), Prestatyn (1), Rhyl (2), Saltney (2), Swansea (2), Tan-y-Pistyll (1), Treherbert (1), Unspecified (3), Wrexham (1).

The United States of America: 31. Atlanta airport (1), Buffalo (1), Carbondale (1), Chicago (1), Gilman (1), Honey Island swamp (1), Lake Pontchartrain (1), New Orleans (3), Niagara Falls (1), San Francisco (5), Stanford (2), Tuscaloosa (4), Ullin (1), Unspecified (1), Urbana (4), West Lafayette (3). Here, let’s list the states too, which are Alabama (4), California (7), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (3), Louisiana (5) and New York (2).

Canada: 31. King City (1), Mississauga (1), Toronto (29 – pictured).

Germany: 20. Berlin (8), Frankfurt (2), Hamburg (3), Lübben (1), Munich (3), Passau (1), Regensburg (1), Simbach am Inn (1).

Finland: 17. Helsinki (9), Oulu (5), Tampere (3).

Namibia: 17. Damaraland [pictured below] (2), Namib Desert (4), Ongava/Etosha (4), Shitemo (1), Swakopmund (1), Walvis Bay (2), Windhoek (3).

The Netherlands: 17. Amsterdam (4), Driebergen (1), Maastricht (3), Rotterdam (1), Schiphol airport (5), Wageningen (3).

Croatia: 13. Dubrovnik (3), Dubrovnik airport (1), Popovici (1), Zagreb (8).

New Zealand: 13. Collingwood (2), Dunedin (1), Heaphy Track (3), Karamea (1), Marlborough Sound (1), Nelson (1), Stewart Island (3), Unspecified (1).

Tanzania: 12. Dar es Salaam (1), Kilimanjaro national park (7), Moshi (3), Unspecified (1).

Ascension Island: 10. English Bay (1), Georgetown (6), Green Mountain [pictured below] (2), Letterbox Nature Reserve (1).

Denmark: 10. Copenhagen (3), Kastrup airport (3), Nyborg (2), Øresund (1), Æbelø (1).

Fiji: 10. Nadi (1), the Yasawas (8), Unspecified (1).

Iceland: 10. Akureyri (1), Dalvikurbygg∂ (1), Hverir (1), Keflavik (3), Reykjavik (4).

Channel Islands: 9. Alderney (3), Lihou Island (1), Pembroke Bay (1), Sark [pictured] (1), St Peter Port (2), St Martins (1).

France: 9. Paris (4), St Malo (4). Also the shot of the Strait of Dover/Pas de Calais (1): one of the shots to include the territory of two countries, in this case England and France.

Japan: 9. Osaka (2), Tokyo (7).

Republic of Ireland: 9. An Clochán Liath (1), Árrain Mhór (1), Dublin (1), Fanad (1), Glencolumbkille (1), Glenveagh National Park (1), Howth (2), Malin Head (1).

Kenya: 8. Lake Naivasha (1), Nairobi (7).

United Arab Emirates: 8. Abu Dhabi airport (1), Dubai [pictured] (7).

Indonesia: 7: Bandungan (1), Ketep Pass (1), Salatiga (5).

Northern Ireland: 7. Belfast (2), Derry (5).

Czech Republic: 6. Prague (6).

Italy: 6. Fiumicino airport (1), Rome (5 — see also the Vatican, listed below).

Portugal: 6. Cascais (1), Lisbon (4), Sintra (1).

Gibraltar: 5. Gibraltar [pictured] (5).

South Africa: 5. Cape Town (5).

Spain: 5. Barcelona (4), Unspecified (1).

Sweden: 5. Borås (2), Gothenburg (2), Unspecified (1).

Vietnam: 5. Ben Tre (1), Ho Chi Minh City (4).

Belgium: 4. Brussels (3), Villers-la-Ville (1).

Estonia: 4. Tallinn (4) [pictured].

Romania: 4. Bucharest (4).

Singapore: 4. Changi airport (1), Singapore city (2), Unspecified (1).

Greece: 3. Agii Deka (1), Lakones (1), Potamos (1). These are all on the island of Corfu.

Lebanon: 3. Beirut (3).

Saudi Arabia: 3. Jeddah (3).

Turkey [*]: 3. Istanbul old airport (2) and new airport [pictured] (1). These are definitely two different locations: the new airport opened in around 2019.

Slovenia: 2. Ljubljana (2).

Algeria [*] (probably): 1. Grand Erg Occidental (1). (If it’s not Algeria, it’s Mali.)

Egypt [*]: 1. Lake Nasser (1).

Ethiopia [*]: 1. Addis Ababa (1).

The Vatican City: 1. Rome [obviously] (1).

The remaining few pictures are accounted for by 15 photos that have been taken in or from planes where it is not possible to identify a country (such as the one above, which could be Belgium, France or Germany going on the route of the flight I was on at the time).

Geographical extremes are as follows:

Worldwide:

• Northernmost photo: The photo of the mountains on Ringvassøy, Norway, taken on 2/10/17 at approximately 69º 55′ North.
• Southernmost: Pretty much a dead heat between two photos taken on Stewart Island, New Zealand, on 20/2/13 and 22/2/13: both are more-or-less at 43º 53′ South.
• Easternmost: The photo of the dancers in Nadi, Fiji, on 15/5/13, at approximately 177º 25′ East.
• Westernmost: the one of the Aquatic Park Pier, San Francisco,  taken on 29/3/15 at around 122º 25′ West.

United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, but not including any of the Overseas Territories):

• Northernmost: Loch of Harray, Orkney [pictured], 31/7/25, taken from 59º 00’N.
• Southernmost: St Martin’s, Guernsey, 18/9/17, around 49º 25’N.
• Easternmost: The seals on Horsey Beach, 27/12/20, around 1º40′ E.
• Westernmost: In the Museum of Free Derry, 11/8/22, about 7º19’W.

Great Britain (that is, the mainland of the island only, excluding all offshore islands):

• Northernmost: Thurso beach, 13/7/23, approximately 58º 40’N.
• Southernmost: Porthcurno Beach, 8/3/23. Around 50º2’N.
• Easternmost: Horsey Beach, as above.
• Westernmost: Land’s End, 9/3/23. 5º42’W.

• Highest above sea level: discounting photos taken from planes, the highest was — and realistically always will be — this picture of the summit of Kilimanjaro. As I’m slightly below the summit here, this is about 5,885 metres or around 19,310 feet above sea level. The highest UK shots are the one approaching the summit of Scafell Pike on 19/5/12, the view from Skiddaw (2/1/19) and the picture on Ben Lawers (16/8/21); all are taken from around 3,000 feet above sea level. 

People

• Clare (the wife) appears on 176 photographs (an average of once every 29.54 days).
• Joe (the child) is on 164.
• 73 photographs can be considered self-portraits of one kind or another
• My friend Steve is on 14 photos
• Brother-in-law Pete and friend Mark: 9
• Friend Geri: 8
• My father Ian: 7
• My mother-in-law Carol, sister Vicki, and friend Doug: 6.
• My friends John B [sadly now deceased] and George: 5.
• Seven people are on four photos, fourteen are on three photos each, and forty other people [at least] are on two photos each.

The rest are single-serving models. Of these the cutest – of the single-serving models, before the wife complains – is this lady pictured here (at 7.15am, I will add).

I did think for years that no complete strangers had yet appeared on more than one photo but then I found an example: two photos of crowds watching Brighton & Hove Albion FC, on 3/5/14 (at Nottingham Forest) and 2/2/17 (at Huddersfield) clearly contain the same individual. And while I know none of these people personally, Vill Powell, former manager of Brighouse Town FC; the sax player of the Owter Zeds; and Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello have each made it on twice.

Apart from me, Clare and Joe, only two people have appeared on the blog in different countries: work colleagues Boris (Russia and the UK) and Dina (Canada and the UK).

Further celebrity-spotting — at least, these people count as celebrities in my world: Sigourney Weaver (surely one in anybody’s world: pictured) Bobby Gillespie; Saint Etienne; Michelle Ackerley; Peter Hook; Gogol Bordello; Perry Farrell; The Pixies; Goat; Dick Knight; Jürgen Habermas; Etienne Wenger; Emma Hayes; Julian Cope; the Charlatans; James Murphy; Paloma Faith; Johnny Marr; Roger Daltrey and Neil Young. I have no idea who the lady at the Amsterdam movie premiere was, but I assume she was a celebrity in the Netherlands at least, judging by the number of cameras (including mine) being shoved in her face.

Animals

Fourteen animals have definitely appeared more than once (with two further ‘highly probables’).

Cats: The record for an animal is six appearances (more than most people…) by Mathilda the cat, pictured on 30/7/14 , 8/3/15., 28/3/18, 28/8/18, 8/8/19, 3/4/20. The news is that she has finally passed on, sadly. Pictured here, Lucky the St Helenian cat (who hated me) has also been on twice.

Dogs: Eight dogs have been on more than once: Tara, the Railway’s adopted pub dog (also now deceased) has been on four photos; a whippet, first on 8/2/12 the second time in unfortunate circumstances on July 9th 2012. Maggie the black labrador (18/1/15 and 3/7/16), various pub dogs including Trixie, Reggie, Hugo (three times now) and Diamond have been on twice, as has my sister’s pooch Bella (e.g. 27/12/22).

Birds are less easy to identify for sure, but there have been some definites: the first Muscovy duck that adopted Hebden Bridge as its home appeared on five photos (4/2/12 , 7/7/13,  6/2/13,  28/5/14 and 17/7/15), but by now more than one of the ducks that have, down the years, comprised this little colony have made at least two posts. One or both of the geese that seem to inhabit the car park of the Co-op in Hebden Bridge (as seen on 18/12/23) must also have been depicted being herded across the road on 20/12/21.

There are some more possibles: impossible to confirm for sure, but I suspect the heron I call ‘Humph’ has appeared more than once, on (at least) 10/6/19, 23/1/17, 25/5/16 and 17/2/16 — have a look at the pictures and decide for yourselves. Then there’s ‘Maris Crane’, pictured here (5/11/20), who has surely also appeared twice.  Finally I think a jay that hangs around the area of my office in uni (last seen 31/5/22) may have been seen once before.

Birds are the most common form of animal to appear other than humans. Two golden eagles, the latest in July 2023 were great birdwatching coups although the wirebird spotted on St Helena is one of the rarest birds on the planet (there are something like 640 living), so let’s credit that one. A cassowary is probably the most exotic avian model, although a weka, a cockatoo, an emu, a red fody and, in suburban Kent, a parakeet also have a case.

Others: Jonathan the giant tortoise — see ‘Superlatives’ below — has made a second appearance. Other exotic non-bird creatures include an alligator, some elephants, three water dragons , seven monkeys (on three separate shots, in Nairobi, Tanzania and Gibraltar), a green turtle, a zebra and the absolute beauty pictured here (taken in the Ongava game reserve, Namibia, on 22/4/24).

There have been three documented deaths so far: the starling in the grasp of the hawk (on 5/3/21: believe me, the starling didn’t make it); the unfortunate wasp depicted being eaten by a spider on 17/12/18; and most recently, the woodlouse and another spider on 14/6/25.

Photowhacks

I only publish one photo per day, but a ‘photowhack’ is my term for when I only take one photo on a given day. This is usually a sign the day has been very boring and with dull light, to boot. There may have been occasions earlier on in blog history where I did not record these, but I have more recently been tagging them, meaning all recorded photowhacks can be seen via this link — there are presently 49 of them, including this shot, taken on 11/12/24. That was the second of the previously unknown phenomenon of two photowhacks on consecutive days.

Times

All times on the blog are rounded to the nearest five minutes (e.g. 8:55, 9:00, 9:05, etc). The most popular hours for taking photos reflect my average daily habits over time, like, when I am not sat in an office but wandering out in the streets, and the presence of daylight, as much as anything. 15:00-15:55 has long been the leader, with a present score of 557 (10.71% of the total); 14:00 – 14:55 stays doggedly runner-up on 548.

The latest picture in a calendar day was taken in Brisbane at 23:50 on 17th March 2013 (St Patrick’s Day – pictured). The earliest was 30/11/23 at 00:10.

However, reflecting bedtimes, the earliest genuine morning shot, that is, a shot taken after I had spent the first part of the day asleep and then got up, was at 3.45 am on 7th July 2014 [pictured below] and the latest night shot (end of an evening out) the one at 3.05am on 23rd June 2018.

From 17/2/13 to 11/3/13 I had 21 consecutive afternoon shots. After several runs of 6 consecutive morning shots, I finally managed 7 in a row between 7/3/23 – 15/3/23.

The complete distribution of shots by time is:

• 0.00 – 0.55: 5
• 1.00 – 1:55: 5
• 2.00 – 2.55: 1
• 3:00 – 3:55: 4
• 4.00 – 4:55: 3
• 5.00 – 5.55: 2
• 6.00 – 6.55: 25
• 7.00 – 7.55: 99
• 8.00 – 8.55: 255
• 9.00 – 9.55: 425
• 10.00 – 10.55: 388
• 11.00 – 11.55: 520
• 12.00 – 12.55: 470
• 13.00 – 13.55: 483
• 14.00 – 14.55: 548
• 15.00 – 15.55: 557
• 16.00 – 16.55: 440
• 17.00 – 17.55: 328
• 18.00 – 18.55: 212
• 19.00 – 19.55: 170
• 20.00 – 20.55: 100
• 21.00 – 21.55: 68
• 22.00 – 22.55: 55
• 23.00 – 23.55: 12

The same time appearing on two consecutive days is less rare than one might think — 44 times by now, most recently on 16/9 and 17/9/25 (3:40pm). It happens irregularly: In late 2022-early 2023 it happened three times in seven weeks, then didn’t happen for eleven months until 14th and 15th December 2023. I came close to four-in-a-row between 10/3/24 – 13/3/24: 11:25, 11:15, 11:20 and 11:25.

Some superlatives

Some of these are hard facts — others, blatant matters of opinion…

• World’s oldest living land animal whose age is known: Jonathan the giant tortoise, resident on St Helena (and here he is — he is at least 192 years old). He has appeared twice on the blog now: the picture above was taken on 7/5/24.
• World’s biggest pencil.
• World’s greatest cycle race, the Tour de France.
• The Vatican — the world’s smallest country, and also (probably) its biggest museum.
• Highest point in Africa, and world’s tallest freestanding mountain (Kilimanjaro).
• World’s most populous city (Tokyo) and busiest railway station (Shinjuku).
• One of the world’s top 10 views [pictured], according to the Lonely Planet (Preikestolen, Lysefjord, Norway) — and also Britain’s Best View (Wasdale in the Lake District), as voted by BBC viewers in 2007.
• World’s largest parliamentary building and, apparently, the world’s heaviest building — the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania.

• World’s northernmost city of over 50,000 inhabitants: Tromsø, Norway.
• World’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Plus, the tallest tower outside Asia, the CN Tower in Toronto — and the view therefrom.
• World’s tallest folly — Wainhouse Tower, Halifax (this has appeared three times now).
• World’s longest rail bridge over water (Lake Ponchartrain, USA.
• World’s oldest extant football club: Sheffield FC, and world’s oldest football ground, Hallam FC (the world’s second oldest club).
• World’s greatest living political philosopher (Jürgen Habermas).
• The Great Orme copper mine is reputed to be the world’s largest underground excavation from prehistoric times.
• World’s best restaurant — Noma in Copenhagen, as voted for on more than one occasion by restaurant critics.
• World’s tallest fountain, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• And finally, the world’s best beer — it just is. Cheers.