Sunday 28th October 2018, 2.20pm (day 2,621)
The clocks went back last night, and winter draws closer. But no one has told this tree yet and it’s determined to go out in a blaze of glory.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: gallery
The only one watching
Saturday 27th October 2018, 2.40pm (day 2,620)
I realised today that my obscure football match habit has become extreme when I turned up at this game in London [*] and was literally the only spectator present. But hey, it was a good game, 3-3, and the background mix of buildings, for photography purposes, very pleasing. So why shouldn’t I have done that on a Saturday afternoon in central London? No one else experienced this but me.
[*] if you really want to know, Fitzwilliam Old Boys v Bealonians in the Amateur Football Combination, Division 1.
Clare being 42
Friday 26th October 2018, 4.20pm (day 2,619)
I started this blog on 26th August 2011, my 42nd birthday — hence its name. We can now demonstrate that I am 2,619 days old than Clare, who reached that same milestone today. It is right and proper therefore that for this one day she can be both the subject of, and co-contributor, to the blog: as she is, today, “Being 42”.
As subject — above, Clare on the phone to Joe, who has been whisked off to Berlin for the weekend with 25 other 15- and 16-year olds on a school trip (no, I don’t really want to think about it either). We took advantage of this opportunity to bugger off down to London for a couple of days, but this shot is taken in Manchester’s Piccadilly Tavern before we got on the train. And no, it wasn’t deliberately taken at 4.20pm either. Honestly.
And as special guest contributor to the blog — we decided that as I was always going to offer one of her today, she would offer one of me. Here’s me descending to Euston tube station in London, later in the journey… being 42 years + 2,619 days old.
Happy 42nd birthday darling xxx…
Beer pump (sad?)
Thursday 25th October 2018, 4.05pm (day 2,618)
Perhaps it was early to be in the pub but I was fed up with work by 4pm today. But perhaps not as doleful as this beer pump appears to be. An inanimate object with a secret inner life? Quite possibly.
Smoking spot
Wednesday 24th October 2018, 2.05pm (day 2,617)
I’m sure even non-smokers appreciate the notion of the smoking spot. There’s almost always someone sitting on this bench in Pall Mall Square, Manchester, whenever I walk past and I’ve been eyeing it up as a portrait for a while but seeing as it’s the kind of shot which would only work if I was facing straight on to the subject, then the risk of being busted is rather high. However I got away with it today. And it’s another quite good wall, isn’t it… not uniform at all.
Chester station
Tuesday 23rd October 2018, 2.35pm (day 2,616)
Another day, another railway station to add to the collection. Though unlike yesterday, no giant purple aliens: just this couple having a snuggle before one or both of them heads off for wherever.
With this shot Chester nicks, from Amsterdam, the record of ‘place with the biggest gap between appearances on the blog’. On 10th June 2012 the picture (of burlesque artiste Ginger La Rouge) was taken here, but nothing since, making the gap 2,326 days.
“Move along, nothing to see here”…
Monday 22nd October 2018, 4.55pm (day 2,615)
…so the guy second left seems to be saying. Why this tableau stands near platform 14 of Piccadilly station in Manchester at the moment I have no idea. Perhaps just for the photo opportunities.
Autumn produce
Sunday 21st October 2018, 12.30pm (day 2,614)
Having eulogised the plums and blackberries already this year — and for good reason — let us also add the glorious amount, and richness, of 2018’s apples as well — not to mention a second good crop of rhubarb. In this aspect, no one can complain about the year.
The Parkinson Building, University of Leeds
Saturday 20th October 2018, 8.50pm (as you can see) (day 2,613)
A Saturday night out in Leeds. However, there are no photos of that, thanks to fascist doormen who seemed to be worried that my Mario Testino-style gear (cost of camera, £250) would somehow be a threat to image rights the world over. So here, instead, is the architectual centrepiece of the place where, many years ago — 25 this year, in fact (good grief) — I first came as a student. It’s still a cool building. And all in all a nicer campus than the one I presently work on (sorry, Manchester, but it’s true).
First one up?
Friday 19th October 2018, 6.10am (day 2,612)
Pulled duty on the 6:32 train to Manchester for the first time in a while, making this the earliest true morning shot since January 2017. Maybe I wasn’t the first one up in the whole town but there weren’t many of us. A long week of work comes to an end. Is it Christmas yet?
Being 42 