Sculpture

It is surprising how much sculpture comes into ones life - apart from the stuff looming over us in city streets. We took off to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park recently and then the Hepworth Gallery don't you know. And then to Forest of Dean to visit some tired old sculptures on the fine trail there.

Wedding. Non-std snap

Taking tea with The Coelynes

Looking through a letterbox

As it happens, many of the houses here on the island have no letterbox slots in the door or else have them screwed or taped shut. It's the wind you know, blowing this way and that at high rates of blow-ness. So Ihave a couple of old cameras that I can change in the letterbox shape exposure as some sort of compensation [see what I did there? Pathetic I know!]. Nice little cheapie cameras like the one Joel Lintz uses. I like mine - Pentaxs.
I took the Pentax Espio Mini on holiday with me and had some fine fun.

See, lovely for boats and, some wildlife snapping too :-)

Guests

Whilst we were away off island as it were, we went to a lovely wedding. In the Lakes of all places. Nice mansion house, lovely peeps I use to work with in the last century and what have you. They haven't changed. Much. My good pal Derek got married and no-one fell into the trifle, no-one ended in hospital that I know of an, the sun shone.

These are some of the guests.

"What do we want? Coconut macaroons. When do we want them? In time for tea"

I think Alan Bennett sayeth'd that. It's attributed to him anyway. Eh?

The title, the title. Flippin heck, do I have to tell you everything?

"The macaroons aren't what they used to be Mabel". I could imagine the conversation, sun shining through the dusty window as the tea slowly lost it's heat to the empty tearoom.

We were in Clapham, not the Common one but the oop-market one, up north and all that. Well, down south from here but you know what I mean - or you should do.

Lovely place when the sun is shining. Room to breathe, river to wash your smalls in should you so wish and apparently where Mr Bennett sometime lives. Having strolled around the place we reckoned it was the house with the trampoline outside so we called " We know you are in there Mr Bennett, come and show yourself". I called him Mr Bennett as I didn't want to sound rude. Obviously. He didn't show himself. Pity that.

We drowned our sorrows with tea to wash down a couple of vanilla macaroons - as you do.

Sidcup

No, I didn't recognise it either and I use to work in  [somewhere in] the place last century. Didn't work there for long - and now I see why.

Just back from an evening row round the harbour with the rowing club. What fun we had. Must do that again!

I have friends

Not many friends. Just a few here and there. People who still talk to me in the main.
This is the back of Vic [and Eve]. We took a stroll from Vic's gaff in Ayrshire. Proper lanes and everything.

Oh, there he is again. Walking and all that. Must have got a snap of his mush somewhere!  Look here if you must!

So where was this?

Any guesses?

It was along the Thames near London - Richmond/Twickers area. Nice isn't it? An unexpected - or would have been if I hadn't been there before.

Lovely to have some trees to keep the sun from being a nuisance.

Don't panic, I've been taking proper snaps too. You know the sort - the ones where you have no idea where it is, who it is and what they are doing.

We had a row

The day before The Great River Race, we had a row in a nice little row-boat hired from the wonderful Hammerton's ferry in Ham on the Thames. Eve rowed to Richmond and I held the oars on the way back while the tide flooded in - and did it ever move fast! But not before I'd snapped up Eve with the little Pentax Espio mini.

And then Eve returned to compliment as I pouted. Well, Lucrecia told me it was the thing to do.

I'm hoping I have a snap of two I might print in the near future. When my back has fallen back into place after the 2000 miles of driving we did whilst away from the island.

Brother in Law

That's the brother in law in a pose that mirrors a platinum print he has of his forebears. Only that print/pose/lighting is gorgeous. This is not. I shall have to do it again when I go again when we venture to Yorkshire.

Whilst there we took in the Sculpture Park with all the Caro's, Moore's and Godsworthy's. Lovely place. Oh, and we took in the Hepworth Gallery for good measure too. Makes it all worth while don't you think.

Mother in Law

Yes we are back. A long drive in the little car from Truro via Cheltenham to come home after visits to London and Yarkshire meant we are a tad over-driven. Still, we got to see Mother in law, here sitting for me with her favourite pastime - the crossword puzzle. Bonky - as she is fondly known - is lovely and I really enjoy her company even if she is having difficulty remembering things these days.

I had the Miniature Pacemaker Crown Graphic camera with me an used some HP5 roll film with it. I think I might be using it more frequently although I do find it a pain to focus.

Not by me

Back in the bad old days when I worked as track coach at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, one of my duties was to go a give a talk at the CIBA dye works to the local massive. This meant making up all sorts of 'stuff' to amuse the old dears that CIBA bused in order to placate the locals. I soon got he hang of it - romance at the Velodrome was always a winner.
At the end of the plant I was offered a look through their photographs in the office as they had to get rid of them. Lovely archive and i could have taken the lot. I particularly took a shine to this snap.
Now, I wonder where I put it?

It was four years ago

....and the Great Mr Coelyne is in there, musing over the coows at Barvas show.

Cracked

Not Eve that is cracked, merely a crack in the shutter blinds of this old heavy, worn-out Kiev60 camera. Pity, since I like the lens.

See that white line? By the arm of the chair. It shouldn't be there, trust me.

It's good to cycle

You may have guessed but I may be trolling around the UK visiting people who know me - some of which are related to me and some who would like to see me.

No, we have not taken bicycles but a tent is with us for when there are requirements for peace and quiet. There's too much traffic down there on the mainland but hopefully it will not manifest itself up here too much. It is, in the main still a wonderful place for cycling. As long as you don't mind wind and rain.

Yes, it's for sale

Down on the southern Hebrides. Might have been North Uist or South. Or Benbecula. That way anyway.

Now,,,,,,,,,

I have been here many times. It's a beach just down the road. A hole in the rock - a tunnel no less. Sea at one end or if you are lucky with the tides - sand. And sand at the other end - unless the sea is in there mucking about.

I was there strolling through, camera in hand. The light was lovely. The camera leant against the rock as the light was capture.

Good enough to eat

Possibly.

Apologies for the lack of 'stuff' at the moment. I bumped into my dream-catcher and spilled the contents. Right old mess an took ages to re-catch the dreams. Put them in a box for future reference so all is not lost.

The Kiev effect

Kiev 60.

I heard something

I heard something yesterday.
It wasn't about North Tolsta just in case you have a listening cup against our wall.
I was going to tell you about 'it' but I think some might get upset so I'm keeping it to myself.
For the moment

Oh, I hate competitions

Funny that since I spent 10 years of my life coaching people how to compete in cycle races - and in the main, they are proper competitions.

No, I really hate photography competitions. With a vengeance. I mean, how can one judge 'good' or 'bad'. Technique maybe but as to whether the image speaks to you is a very personal thing.

But I am changed a little. Whilst looking for something, something interesting as it happens, I came across Art Battles. I'd go to be part of one of those events any time. Somehow the idea seems different. The personality shines through, the emotion of the happening is positive and supportive - on the surface anyway.

I wonder if I could arrange the same sort of thing in my darkroom?

Anyway, here's quick snapshots from the beach. EH?