Tag Archives: 47

A rather pointless road sign

Friday 17th March 2017, 8.55am (day 2,031)

Pointless arrow, 17/3/17

This alley heads off Cross Street in Manchester and then ends after about twenty metres in the blank white wall of the building you see ahead. That building must have been built quite a while ago now, like in the 1970s at the latest. No car or other vehicle has come down this street in a long time. And as the double yellow lines imply, you aren’t supposed to even use this as a lay-by.

So why the arrow? Why a nice, bright, reasonably freshly painted ‘turn right’ sign (when Cross Street isn’t even one-way)? Answers on a postcard to Manchester City Council please.

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Heading home

Thursday 16th March 2017, 5.55pm (day 2,030)

Going home, 16/3/17

Long day for me today. In on the 7am train out of HB and back on the 17.45 from Manchester, on which this shot was taken. I felt like the woman in the middle.

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Contrail weave

Wednesday 15th March 2017, 5.50pm (day 2,029)

Contrailscape, 15/3/17

On evenings like this it is as if the flight paths are creating some kind of tapestry. There is the latest weave going in, from top left. We humans seem to have found various ways to fiddle with the climate, and these artificial clouds are just another example of that, but they’re so everyday now, do we even think about them as much as we should?

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AMBS building site, Oxford Road

Tuesday 14th March 2017, 1.05pm (day 2,028)

MBS building site, 14/3/17

Not the most exciting photo either but at least it indicates I had schlepped my way down to campus for the first time since March 2nd. Which, like most of Manchester has been throughout the whole lifetime of this blog, is being rebuilt — here, the Business School, part of the whole ‘campus masterplan’ that will turn us into some world-leading something-or-other, if the money doesn’t run out first, anyway.

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MacBook (there went my day)

Monday 13th March 2017, 6.25pm (day 2,027)

MacBook, 13/3/17

With all due respect to its intellectual and conversational benefits, a day teaching at home online is not going to be the most exciting day photographically. Never mind. In a week’s time I shall be on my way to Japan.

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Choosing dinner

Sunday 12th March 2017, 4.45pm (day 2,026)

Dinner menus, 12/3/17

Uneventful Sunday due to having to work, after which the in-laws came round and took us out for dinner, which was nice. Here we study the menus attentively although four of the five diners all ate the same thing anyway (roast lamb). And very nice it was too.

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By the old bridge

Saturday 11th March 2017, 3.50pm (day 2,025)

Under the bridge, 11/3/17

Back home — for a few days anyway, before my next trip out. I have said it before, and doubtless will say it again, that I like both travelling and coming home; being at home, and travelling. May this pattern of life continue. The structure in the background is the bridge built around 1510 that gives this town its name. The man is paying tribute to the ducks, I think, with offerings of food. The girl is just chilling out.

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Boarding, Tromsø airport

Friday 10th March 2017, 8.00am (day 2,024)

Tromsø airport, 10/3/17

Last morning in Tromsø. It started snowing. I could say I took the good weather with me, but it was crappy at home too (although not below freezing). Great week though — many good things to enjoy.

It crossed my mind that with Tromsø being on a small island, I have not been on the mainland of Europe at all this week. Small islands (not, like, Great Britain or New Zealand) that have appeared on this blog: Tromsøya, Kvaløy (this week), Snilstveitøy (also Norway), Kangaroo Island, Stradbroke Island, Tasmania (Australia), Stewart Island (New Zealand), Wayasewa and Wayalailai (Fiji), Æbelø (Denmark). None in the UK… perhaps I should make an effort…

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Dinner, the aftermath

Thursday 9th March 2017, 11.05pm (day 2,023)

Helene after dinner, 9/3/17

I could have uploaded another picture of snowy land- or urban-scapes but let’s pay tribute to the people who have made my stay in Tromsø a highly enjoyable and hospitable one. Helene relaxes after dinner, and deserves to, as she cooked it — elk bourgignon apparently, a new one on me but it was very tasty. With plenty of wine to wash it down as you can see (not an inexpensive proposition in Norway). Thanks to everyone for having me…. back home tomorrow morning.

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Skulsfjord

Wednesday 8th March 2017, 2.25pm (day 2,022)

Skulsfjord, 8/3/17

I guess when I pre-imagined the Arctic, this is what I thought it would look like. Skulsfjord has a cool name and sits in the northern part of Kvaløy (Whale Island), to the northwest of Tromsø. There are worse places to visit on a Wednesday afternoon.

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