I knew in advance that today’s shot would be taken at home in Hebden Bridge, meaning it would become the 2,000th HB shot to feature on here. Knowing also that not a great deal was going to happen on the day I thought I might as well make #HB2000 as typical as possible. Hi to Johnny and Mary therefore, who I see often enough in this spot, particularly in the summer. (In the winter we would be twenty yards to the right, and inside….)
Down the years I have come to the conclusion that if one wants to simply do as one pleases in public space in the UK, there are two foolproof methods for achieving this. First, try pulling on a high-visibility coat of some kind. No one will then question your behaviour. The other is to say, “We’re filming”. You are then permitted to fill any thoroughfare with junk, block rights of way with impunity, and do so on a regular basis for months on end. Whatever forthcoming TV epic has been in production in Hebden Bridge since the summer (and we know what it is: something about a female 70s punk rock band), it had better turn out good.
While I did get an interesting photo of Clare today it was definitely a posed shot, and I try not to have such pictures on here. Call me a pedant but it’s always been the case (and stated on the About this Blog page) — so let’s stick with it. Instead, another picture from inside a pub, or more precisely, the bar at Brighouse Town FC. We drowned our sorrows in advance, as by half time the team were 4-1 down and it didn’t get any better after that.
To mark the passing of the Tour de France, pictured yesterday of course, the people of Cragg Vale, a valley to the east of Hebden Bridge, created the world’s longest-ever line of bunting — 12,115 meters, or over seven miles, with nearly 60,000 flags (see this page for the details). It ran up the longest continuous uphill gradient in England, which the cyclists ascended after leaving Hebden Bridge yesterday.
And why the hell was I there at 3.45 in the morning? Well, off on another work trip — you’ll see where tomorrow. What I’ve also done is definitely break the record for the earliest ever morning shot on this blog. There have been three before at around 1.00-1.45am but all of them were from me having stayed up from the night before. Today’s was definitely the earliest shot at which I’ve had to respond somehow to an alarm call.
After 954 days this blog finally includes a picture from Scotland, with a few more to come over the next few days — I’m here in Edinburgh for the weekend, then a conference. This is no hardship — Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities. At the moment this does not add another country to the blog but after the independence vote next September, who knows.
Perhaps there are more representative shots to be got of the city but I think this one captures what this street is like, at least – a pedestrianised pub-lined highway, more or less. Incidentally the clock you see is an hour slow, it must still not have been put forward since last weekend. 5.30 was definitely the time the shot was taken.
Being 42 