Tag Archives: black and white

Jan 13 2026
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

David is ready

Monday 12th January 2026, 1.50pm (day 5,254)

Mandi and David, 12/1/26

Three years and four months ago, in September 2022, Mandi and I met David when he arrived in Manchester to begin work on his PhD. Today saw the culmination of that work, and his efforts, when at 4pm or so he was officially awarded the title of Dr David (or Chu-Yang) Chang. Congratulations to him — believe me, if anyone deserved it for sheer level of work, it was him. The culmination perhaps, but not the end of the relationship: we hope he’ll be around for at least a little while yet.

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Dec 26 2025
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Daily Post, Landscape

Firth of Tay

Thursday 25th December 2025, 12.10pm (day 5,236)

Firth of Tay, 25/12/25

The Firth of Tay makes a second appearance in a row, though this time, it (rather than a train) is the focus. The tide is definitely out. Taken from the top of Dundee Law, on what has become the mandated Post-Present Christmas Day Walk, as there often isn’t a great deal else to do on the day except the eating, drinking and watching movies part — which did follow. A Happy Christmas to you, wherever you may be and however you spent it.

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Dec 23 2025
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Re-engaging with the favourite child

Tuesday 23rd December 2025, 5.30pm (day 5,234)

Joe’s first appearance since — chainsaw in hand — 4th August. It’s Christmas. It’s time to re-engage.

Re: the title. You do understand Joe is our only child, right? Just checking.

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Dec 19 2025
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Putting up the poster

Thursday 18th December 2025, 4.30pm (day 5,229)

Poster day, 18/12/25

Time for the annual ‘student poster day’ where my charges are tasked with demonstrating what they might have learned over the last few weeks. Some even manage to do this: but I suppose they all try. This is happening nearly a week later than last year, and, definitively, marked my last professional engagement of 2025. As far as the University of Manchester are concerned I now do not exist until 5th January. Let there be celebrations, etc.

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Oct 13 2025
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna, Sport

Ladybird on Guinness

Sunday 12th October 2025, 2.10pm (day 5,162)

Ladybird on Guinness, 12/10/25

Far too nice a day to stay in, something that the ladybirds had also decided — there are plenty of them around at the moment, probably getting in their last greenfly before it becomes too cold and they die or hibernate or do whatever it is they do over the winter. My pint of Guinness didn’t have any hanging around on, or in, it but maybe this one was just resting on the cool plastic for a while. Is ladybird.guinness.football a ‘What3Words’ waiting to be used?

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Sep 23 2025
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

Sir Nigel Gresley (without mallard)

Sunday 21st September 2025, 1.15pm (day 5,141)

Gresley statue, 21/9/25

On my regular visits to London I have been walking past this statuesque chap since 2016. The sculpture is of Sir Nigel Gresley, designer of the famous Mallard locomotive, which still holds the speed record for a steam locomotive. The statue is about 7 feet high — Sir Nigel wasn’t, though. Apparently, the design was to have originally featured a duck (that is, a mallard) as well as Sir Nige, but this was left off in the end, after, and I quote the Guardian (via Wikipedia) here; “possibly the most acrimonious argument in the long, pedantic history of the railway hobbyist”.

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Aug 27 2025
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Unexpected presence at birthday drinks

Tuesday 26th August 2025, 5.15pm (day 5,115)

Stormtrooper, 26//25

5.15pm on day 5,115 and it’s the start of the 15th year of the blog. All of which is numerologically pleasing but has nothing to do with the shot, and the shot has nothing to do with my birthday as such. As the stormtrooper helmet was there, it got worn by Mark, at least for a short time. Tony looks on in his usual measured fashion.

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Aug 16 2025
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

On campus, Friday morning

Friday 15th August 2025, 9.45am (day 5,104)

On campus portrait, 15/8/25

Going on the visual and auditory evidence on this Friday in August, and the occupancy rates of nearby car parks, I might have been the only person to actually be present for work in the Ellen Wilkinson Building today. It was certainly a quiet one, anyway. I like the patterns on this shot, and a general feeling of monochrome calm.

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Jul 10 2025
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

Taking in some air

Wednesday 9th July 2025, 12.10pm (day 5,067)

Skylight, 9/7/25

You could consider this an abstract. Or, a sign that I didn’t particularly leave the house today and so was needing to point the camera at something that could be seen from within it. Or that I’m spying on the neighbours again. Either way, that’s been nearly four weeks at home, and 18 of the last 26 photos in Hebden. Time to go somewhere else for a bit.

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Jun 17 2025
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Daily Post, Interior

8am shift

Tuesday 17th June 2025, 8.05am (day 5,045)

Commuter crowd, 17/6/25

These days it’s 8:52 that is my more usual arrival time into Manchester Victoria, on days when I deign to show my face there. Today was early, for me. I had forgotten how much busier it is. Everyone is being sucked towards the ticket gates as if by a tractor beam.

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