I am sure the Muscovy duck gets as much pleasure from a good solid self-probing like this as we do a good shower. I know this picture could be sharper but this was a long zoom on a very gloomy day. A decent, stress-free weekend, but not at all a sunny one: we are heading for deepest November, the dullest period of the whole year.
After a week of gray, a spectacular sunset in Manchester city centre — I was far from being the only person trying to capture it tonight. One of those situations where if I’d had more time (instead of speed-walking the two miles from my office to Victoria station), I probably could have got a better shot.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November. The gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot. (Said V.)
Stats trivia…. the longest run of pictures on this blog, thus far, that were taken only in either Hebden Bridge or Manchester was 20 (15/4/12 – 4/5/12). Today is number 13 of the current run and with no plans to really go anywhere, by Wednesday next week the record will probably be broken. Time to find inspiration in very familiar places therefore. Like these wheelie bins on Princess Street on another grey and misty morning.
This stall is a familiar sight on the walk back up Oxford Road into the city centre: it’s there in the same spot every weekday, and maybe weekends too. I like this shot because it’s the one I meant to take, only it’s gone monochrome to obscure the fact that the square behind the woman’s head was a totally incongruous bright purple on the initial version. It still looks a bit conspicuous here but overall the effect is much better in black and white.
After the gorgeousness and gorgeosity (oh my brothers) of yesterday, today was one of the dullest days imaginable. Hence this shot. But I guess I quite like the graffiti, painted over rather unsuccessfully.
Utterly glorious day today. I suspect the chances of the rest of November being like this are remote, but hey, we can hope.
Five movies on all afternoon and evening at the Hebden Bridge Picture House (this town’s best asset if you ask me), of which I saw the last three — The Shining (gotta see any Kubrick on the big screen at any opportunity); The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (bizarre Spanish/Italian 1970s zombie movie filmed in the UK, though not, particularly, in Manchester, which also includes probably the most gratuitous nude scene in movie history); and The Wicker Man (among the best movies ever made). Would you have been brave enough to spend such an evening in the company of this man?
A dismal, rainy morning turned into quite a well-lit, mild and sunny afternoon, at least in Manchester. This leafy spot has appeared on the blog before — it is certainly one of central Manchester’s better locations if leaf-fall is your bag, despite being right next to the main arterial road that is the Mancunian Way.
Being 42 