No Christmas break in sight for the herons, who still have to fish, and thereby eat. This one, rightfully, looks with some disdain at the litter that has been chucked in the Hebden Water next to its usual spot at the weir. Bloody humans, leaving their crap all over the place. And it’ll be there for weeks, I bet.
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.
Outside Club Bloom on Abingdon Street. Clearly they feel they don’t need a “Deal or No Deal” fruit machine any more, so if you want one — or a traffic cone — help yourself. What we throw away in the modern world, though. In a SF book I once read there was a company called “Dumpmines” who made lots of cash through mining 20th- and 21st-century landfills for their valuable materials. Seems quite sensible to me, I’d invest in it.
I did try to go into Manchester today. The train got as far as Rochdale, where all services terminated thanks to a ‘points failure’. As I didn’t really care one way or the other, after a while of non-movement, I turned around and went back to complete my day’s work at home. It is a sign of my recent equanimity that it didn’t bother me. At least I got the chance for a photo. It doesn’t really look like anything has moved here in years, so it seems appropriate.
The flood came, and it went away again, and what it left behind are these piles of debris that were not carried there by the water directly, but removed from properties and left by the sides of roads and streets, just as in 2015. It’ll happen again, at some point, because the government does not care about the chronic water management problems of this place and the known reasons behind them.
This extremely battered old skip wagon was parked outside my house all day, presumably being used by the builders working two doors along, but if their scaffolding is as knackered as their wagon, I wouldn’t trust it. Still, it was something to photograph in an otherwise dull day: I like the different textures, lines, it’s like a collage almost.
After the collapse, the clean-up continues…. I pick this shot also because I like the subtle burst of light. It was another beautiful day today, much like last year’s 1st November: but after that, came the Great Wet of late 2015. Can’t see it happening this year however; but maybe after yesterday that’s just wishful thinking.
Thursday on Keighley Road is when the bin men come. Our neighbour was feeling ambitious this time round.
This is a rare ‘photowhack’: the one and only photo I took on a given day. That’s how exciting 21/8/14 really was.
Back home, but don’t get used to it. Beautiful sunny day today. Why someone had dumped this hospital wheelchair, the pile of metal chairs and the old stove in this little corner, I have no idea, but at least it provides some variety.
Being 42 