Two nights in a row with Clare’s family, but all the better for it – it’s been a good 48 hours. Here is Carol, Clare’s mum; her third appearance on the blog (after 24/9/11 and 26/7/12). A good shot considering I always get what lighting there is.
A happy New Year to you all. May 2013 bring fulfillment, enjoyment and love.
On 30th December 1972, Carol and Dave – Clare’s parents, thus, my parents-in-law – were married. Which makes today their ruby (40th) wedding anniversary. At least according to family legend, the wedding was held in the winter so as not to interfere with the sea bass fishing season – because that’s the kind of guy Dave is. Perhaps it’s true; I certainly half-believe it.
Anyway, a very nice celebration was had by all, and I took a very large number of photos (300+ today); picking one was not easy but this is my choice. Clare’s gran (she has both, still: this is Dave’s mum) is quite frail these days and could only come to the party for a short time, but this is a nice photo to capture them both together.
Made our way to the in-laws’ today and thus received a second tranche of Christmas presents, including this jar of olives (I like receiving foodstuffs for Christmas, and they definitely get used to their full potential); the message at the top of the green label is definitely worth sharing. The one at the top has a kind of sinister subliminality to it though.
Well, that’s what we call them isn’t it, even when the smallest independent retailer leaps in well before January to bring us the bargains. Actually I suspect it has always been that way.
An early post, but there won’t be any more photos taken today – felt ill this morning, went on a walk to try to blow it out, but it didn’t work so I’ve been in bed all afternoon. If I stay here tomorrow, that could be a photographic challenge. Anyway, this is the path down by the Hebden Water, as it comes into town at the bottom of Spring Grove.
After the annual Giving of the Gifts rite comes the next morn, where the populace indulge in the subsequent rituals, the Assembly of the Little Plastic Bits, the Finding of the Batteries and the Arguing over the Rules.
Was determined to present a photo that wasn’t ‘festive’ – not that I am anti-Christmas, I just fancied hitting a different theme. This shot was taken during the short walk we did in the early afternoon, a nod to the desire to get some exercise among the eating and drinking, and is altered slightly by the rain in the lens but not spoilt, I think. No White Christmas this year, though we have had some in recent years.
Anyway – a happy Christmas to you all, wherever you are and whatever your weather.
Last-day Christmas food shopping at the Co-op in Hebden Bridge today. These four dogs (the fourth one is a tiny shrivelled black curly thing, hiding in the background with its red-coated hindquarters just visible) were desperately awaiting the return of their mistress outside and yapping an endless yap that reverberated through the whole store. OK, I don’t know 100% that the owner was female, but I dunno, just a guess.
Family pre-Christmas get-together today. My Dad here lines up the family portrait, and records another year in his own way, as I add him to my record of mine.
Blackburn, Lancashire (as in ‘4,000 holes in…’). Why am I here? Because we were supposed to be going to see Blackburn Rovers v Brighton & Hove Albion, but there was some rain and the match was postponed because of a ‘waterlogged pitch’. Despite the fact that their considerably less-well-off neighbours at Accrington Stanley, five miles away, managed to play their game, as did every other club in the Championship today. We’d not come from that far away and were then going to my nearby parents anyway (see tomorrow’s picture), but some Brighton fans had set off from the south coast at 4am; the match was not postponed until 1.30pm. Bad show, Blackburn Rovers FC.
So here’s a picture of a side of a table in the Postal Order pub instead. I quite like the gaudy textures and patterns but at the same time muted colours, set off by that little semicircle of pink.
Being 42 