Aly & Phil

“Look here Aly, what we gong to do about this thing here?” gestured Mr Cunningham wrinkling his nose at the grey looking congealed gift sitting yet again on the dressing room table. “Surely it’s your turn to get rid of it this year?” retorted a noticeably put out fiddler.
“Isn’t it about time we told them we can’t stand the sight of the Guga let alone the smell or taste. I mean, its not exactly Gravadlax is it?”.
“I know, I know but I think it might come best from you Ally” suggested the pretty one, “you being an islander and everything. They’ll hardly take it from a mainlander eh? Anyway, we should come earlier in the year when they have not brought the blimin things back. That would make life a bit easier”.
“Oh brilliant, shall we just rub out the last 44 days then? Eh?” said Mr Bain, now in a petulant mood after coming dangerously near the dead beast on the plate and spinning round almost flattening his fiddle in the process.


GENTLEMEN, YOUR AUDIENCE AWAITS

“Oh bugger, I’m not going out till we sort this”.
“Nor me; hrumph.”
….
….
“Have you seen it out there ? It looks like a mass séance”

Right!!!; on Lewis?? You have got to be kidding!”

“Mmm, good point. Ok, here’s what we do; whoever plays the fastest tonight tells them to stuff their Guga.”

“You’re on. Come on, lets get on before they conjure up the beyond”.

Such was the behind the scene goings on at the recent Bain and Cunningham extravaganza at An Lanntair as the audience waited patiently in the dark. Still, it was worth it when the eventually did come on a the music was terrific and the stories well remembered. I await my source to tell me the outcome of this little tryst!


Oh, and todays snap was taken wif a Contaflex SLR of a certain vintage and loaned to me by The Coelyns - for which many thanks.

BTW; I came across this the other day so, if you want to learn Gealic see here.
and listen to this.

Finishing the roll of film

You know what its like you get near the end of a roll of film - 12 exposures in the case and 10 have been exposed - and you are desperate to develop the thing. Only, because I'm a cheapskate I cannot bring myself to waste the last two shots. So, on the way to see William and Gemma I spy this place where I carefully compose and shoot. Was it worth it??

Walkies

Going for a walk

I've taken on the task of walking a doggie during the week. The doggies name is something like 'Friet' but that's not how you spell or probably pronounce her name. Luckily this is one well behaved doggie so walkies is a real pleasure and this morning was no exception along one of the local beaches. The weather was typical of this place - one moment howling winds and rain and the next warm sunshine.

Port Nis

Of course I took a camera and finished up the film in my old Kiev rangefinder. The walkies picture was he last on the roll and further on in the roll I found this gem - from Port Nis. Might even get in the darkroom for this one .

Even further on the roll I came across this Cartier-Bresson inspired shot taken in Clifton Bristol just adjacent to the place where the recently departed Keith Floyd had a restaurant and I had a flat above. Floyds resturant even sponsored the club for a while!

Aara

Katya Kabanova

Katya Kabanova

By Murdo Janacek

I was pleasantly surprised by this offering of the Scottish Operas at the intimate An Lanntair theatre in downtown Stornoway. I’m not a regular opera goer although I seen a few so I thought I’d go along with my Eve.

Based as it seemed on a modern Hebridean saga of love and infidelity it opens even before it commences with an ex-customer of one of the many ale houses in Kalinovshader sleeping off his tiring imbibing under a copy of the Stornoway Star whilst a tourist ignores him and continues to look for Sammy the Seal in the harbour. A dramatic pianist then swept airily into the auditorium and began to tinkle the ivories beautifully although it was rather unfortunate that he seemed to have a cloud of midges round him that he flapped at from time to time. Still, I was hooked.

The tale unfolded apace with much singing at high volume about love and emotion and so greatly was I moved I can’t actually recall the plot in toto. Suffice to say that a lady was unhappy with her husband – and who can blame her since his mother was a nightmare – and any amount of delicate and lovely singing would not have endeared me to her. In fact, the daughter-law in question got so worked up about it with her friend – or it might have been her sister [being a cheapskate I didn’t have the programme] they had to have a cup of tea – with additives.

Anyway, then the husband goes off for a day or two – business perhaps, or not – and the D-i-L’s friend/sister says she has the key to the garden where D-i-L might meet a man – who happens to be the nephew of the beau of the husbands mother – who has the hots for D-i-L. [I hope you are keeping up with this]. Now, even in opera-world infidelity is a BAD thing Needless to say after a deal of too-ing and fro-ing, wailing and gnashing of teeth and all things expected in this sort of tale, the D-i-L stupidly decides to go along.

At this point the pianist seemed to have an epiphany and he and a singer chappie lapsed into a tuneful song for a few bars. This was be repeated twice more during the performance -apparently.

Well, would you believe it, D-i-L meets said young man in Castle grounds and falls in love – noisily. So noisily that the mother-in-law was never going to sleep through the event despite what they were saying. I was in the third row and my tinnitus was beginning to give me gip. Needless to say, D-i-L couldn’t keep her gob shut about the whole thing – husband comes back and a musical row ensues. Eh? Familiar?

To cap it all Di-L is so fed up she ups and goes to the grounds and downs a bottle of something terrible and falls singing to the floor where she passes out. I suggest this was a bottle of Buckfast since she got up later to take the applause. And all lived miserably ever after.

A great evening of despair and emotion interspersed with musical miserable-ness beautifully sung and acted by Scottish Opera. Many thanks for a lovely evening. Honest! I mean, even An Lanntair’s own technician donned a black suit and shirt for the occasion and looked just so smart I hardly recognised the chap.

Anyway, the snap is of fred [aka; Harry Hunter] ace kart driver from Flamouth.

Beach

I go to th beach most days since we have a selection of three beaches within minutes of home. Taking the air, stretching ones legs and calming the mind is the point of it for me but I do get overly excited when the light is lovely and the patterns and textures are amazing - which is most of the time. Here's a couple of snaps from Garry beach taken with the Zorki6 and FP4.

Some snaps from last week

This chap was having a quiet moment on Salford Quays. Such a change on environment for me.
I've taken this image before - but I like it so here it is again. The Lowry

Lith

Been messing with Lith again - this time wilt very hot lith and Fomabrom which gave me this very interesting print. I might add it does not do Eve any justice but I just love the textures I just hope I can repeat it

Mum

Twas lovely to see Mater the other day. Mum resides in Somerset and at 86 has decided just to do one more of her B&B - if she can fit it in with the other voluntary work she does - and her art. I've never really captured Mum well on camera but I do like this neg that might see the enlarger soon.

Just come from a house where the GUGA was on the stove ready for tea. A rather distinctive aroma one might say! Not sure the greyness of the thing appeals :-(

A few more from the recent trip

The coastline near Flamouth with some laid-up ships anchored on the horizon.

Well, here's Slow-hand Fred playing Kart-champ blues on my Uke. Playing better than me after 10 mins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paul looks on in their fine Cornish home.

I'm back

Mildenhall Cycle Rally

Yorkshire Sculpture park

Londinium

Phew! Don't ask me to go to England any time soon. Just had it up to here [motions vaguely over head] wif motorways, cities, rushing about and all. Had a lovelee time mind you - saw Mater and millions of chums. Went to Wakefield, Mildenhall [big up to all the cycling people we met - again] Ham near Londion, National Portrait gallery, Somerset, Falmouth, Cheltenham, Manc and the Velodrome [More cycling people] , Fort William and home. Eh?
Many thanks to all the lovely people we stayed wif and all those others who made our visit so enjoyable. But it is soooo very lovely to be back again.