Friday 29th October 2022, 2.05pm (day 4,083)
There might only have been about 35 or so people at the game, but it was social enough — despite appearances at this point.
Social club
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: gallery
Exchange Square, in the dark
Friday 28th October 2022, 7.30am (day 4,082)
We have yet to put our clocks back, and so the level of darkness in Manchester this Friday morning is somewhat boosted by the extra hour, but even after this weekend things will catch up soon enough and this will be a common enough sight for me in the run up to Christmas. For now, Halloween tat is in charge. The spectral yellow blobs to centre right may or may not be evidence of spiritual involvement.
Busted by the jackdaws
Thursday 27th October 2022, 9.45am (day 4,081)
“That human is taking surreptitious bird shots again.”
“Hah! All that stuff about ‘not repeating himself’… Such rubbish. We’ve been on here before, I’m sure.”
“Yes, I remember that one. Glad you’re talking to me again now.”
“Hmmm, well, I’m still a bit miffed with you but I’m getting over it.”
Robin Poser
Wednesday 26th October 2022, 2.55pm (day 4,080)
What is it with robins as a species — why are they, more than any other type of wild bird, so completely unfazed by being a few feet away from a human? Not only that, but a human who has stopped walking, and is pointing a camera at them? This one even hopped from side to side for a minute, offering me a selection of poses. This one won. I hope he approves.
Thora the Mogwai
Tuesday 25th October 2022, 4.25pm (day 4,079)
Thora is, of course, not a mogwai — the creature that spawns the Gremlins in the movie of that name — but she sure looks like one.
Lonely shoe, King’s Cross
Monday 24th October 2022, 10.05am (day 4,078)
The latest in an occasional series on this blog — Abandoned Shoes, n+1. (A previous episode is here, for example.) As this one is waiting at the top of the subway that leads down and into King’s Cross station, perhaps it’s just trying to get home. I am reminded of a joke from an early series of Red Dwarf about “shoes having souls”.
Rail replacement bus hell
Sunday 23rd October 2022, 11.30am (day 4,077)
Quite enjoyed yesterday’s trip to Portsmouth, or at least Portchester, but I can’t say Southampton has endeared itself to me as a place this weekend, and that continued this morning when I attempted to leave it. With the railway closed for engineering works we were obliged to contend with that modern phenomenon, the ‘Rail Replacement Bus’. What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg, as, brilliantly, the authorities had decided that the perfect day to run these operations would be one on which Southampton FC were playing at home against Arsenal. Christ knows what it was like after the match — but fortunately by then, I was well away.
Portsmouth Harbour
Saturday 22nd October 2022, 11.15am (day 4,076)
After not finding much of interest in Southampton, I headed for the next city to the east, Portsmouth — a more agreeable spot. At least, to look at from across its Harbour, one of the greatest natural harbours in the world, and the explanation for why this has always been a naval base. The Spinnaker Tower, seen here, is 560 feet tall. I passed this point on my latest County Top walk, so feel free to look at that other blog for more photos and so on.
On stage, Southampton
Friday 21st October 2022, 8.15pm (day 4,075)
There aren’t many British cities where I’ve never set foot, but until tonight, Southampton was one of them. Boarding port of the Titanic and still one of the UK’s major ports, though still probably not as significant as Portsmouth nearby, which may rile Sotonians, but I am ignorant of the details of the local rivalries. This is the smallest picture, in kilomegabytes, to be uploaded for a couple of years.
New study
Thursday 20th October 2022, 11.40am (day 4,074)
Another day of intense inactivity. So uneventful was it, at least for me, that this is a photowhack — the one and only picture taken on the day. Plenty of work was done but in a physical sense I sat in my new study, listened to the rain on the roof, gritted my teeth at the iniquities of the British government. (If anyone thinks this farce is all going to lead to some fundamental change, think again — all we have is a number of corporate dictators still jockeying for position, until they can slip into place, without an election, someone like the bloke who runs the state in V for Vendetta.)
Yes, I have a new study — courtesy of a bit of moving and painting of what was, for at least 16 years, Joe’s room. But he doesn’t need it any more, at least, not most of the time. I kept Homer in there though, who is definitely looking at the camera.
Being 42 