Wednesday 19th November 2025, 2.40pm (day 5,200)
Definitely just a dusting — but, nevertheless, today was easily the coldest day of the winter so far. And I guess we must say winter has now arrived, at least, in West Yorkshire.
Bit o’ snow
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: photography
Poison dart frog
Tuesday 18th November 2025, 3.05pm (day 5,199)
This little feller is, at most, two inches long but what does he care? In the wild these kinds of frog accumulate enough poison in their skin to kill a dozen people. But apparently they acquire it by eating certain types of ant and other insects, and when fed a different diet in captivity, the toxicity is lost. Maybe he doesn’t know. If he did, would he care? (Taken in the Manchester Museum’s vivarium, where saw some of his cousins before, in 2014.)
Memorial Gardens
Monday 17th November 2025, 12.55pm (day 5,198)
No significant commentary today, just a pastoral scene on a relatively pleasant day of weather, one where I was glad I was not sweating it out in Manchester or some other such office space. It’s getting chilly, though.
View over Halifax
Sunday 16th November 2025, 2.00pm (day 5,197)
The view of Halifax from its northern districts (Illingworth, Holmfield) is as good as one could probably expect of the place. The kids attending Trinity Academy school get this all the time, in fact. Wainhouse Tower, the world’s tallest folly (official), makes at least its fourth appearance on here.
Sir Nigel Gresley, and admirers
Saturday 15th November 2025, 12.30pm (day 5,196)
We were passing through York station today when this impressive hunk of metal pulled in on platform 9, and we were almost crushed in the stampede of trainspotters and steam enthusiasts which greeted it. But it’s a photogenic object, so I joined the crowd for a minute or two. The Sir Nigel Gresley, named after the engineer whose oversized statue now stands at King’s Cross, holds the post-war steam speed record of 112mph — and unlike Mallard this speed was achieved not on some specially organised run but with a train full of passengers. And it arrived more punctually at York this afternoon than any of the other train companies’ services.
The gutter gets a workout
Friday 14th November 2025, 2.35pm (day 5,195)
The latest anthropomorphically-designated bout of crap weather, ‘Storm Claudia’, apparently came through today but while things were definitely damp this wasn’t a major event. Either way, staying indoors and watching next door’s guttering struggle a bit seemed like a good move. I had work to do.
Working out
Thursday 13th November 2025, 11.35am (day 5,194)
As seen in Sackville Street Gardens, Manchester. It seems a fairly light workout. It’s a shame he wasn’t stood more in the light but maybe it works better this way. I think he knows he’s being photographed.
On the roof
Wednesday 12th November 2025, 10.45am (day 5,193)
This is not a time of the year when much seems to happen. Four years ago I was on St Helena in November but even then, 12/11/2021 was being spent in quarantine (and battling ants). There have been a couple of late November trips. But right now I’m just happy not to have been in Manchester today. Meanwhile, shot n+1 of ‘bloke(s) working on a roof’. With autumn leaves.
Between platforms
Tuesday 11th November 2025, 12.15pm (day 5,192)
Platforms 4 and 5 of Manchester Victoria station, to be precise (making this, incidentally, the 900th shot taken in Manchester). The sign is meaningless in context, but the pigeon seems to be wilfully defying it anyway. On the left (4), the 12:15 to Redcar Central and on the right, the 12:15 to Blackburn, both punctual. But was I on my way into work late, or coming home early?
Remembering
Monday 10th November 2025, 3.40pm (day 5,191)
Time passes, we are mortal. Swifty (Derek) was only seven years older than me — but he caught pneumonia not long ago, and that was it. Today was his funeral. Too many people now who have featured on here who have died.
Being 42 