biking

 And here we have Mr Windy and Eve after their enjoyable VeloRetro ride in the lake district. 

car

 

There we are another holiday snap from somewhere we were when we were on holiday. Probably, but I can't really be sure if we were what I actually call being "on holiday" at this point.

Seems like a dark old day though. It is on film I can ttell you that much.

crofter

 

Crofter Paul of 2a with some of his sheeps.

Dad crofter

 

This is dad crofter, otherwise known as David. Lovely chap who we see often and who pops in for a cuppa from time to time which is lovely.Now over 21 but still going strong helping round the crofter's place.

This was on foma400 @ 800 in rodinal. eh?

chimney

Local point of interest.

Not sure why it's not in the guide books to bee honest.
 

yorkshire

 

Yorkshire somewhere. Possibly Clapham, gateway to the north or something. North of the north bit of the northern line - probably

I notice they have tractors there - albeit rather newer models than live on the island here. 

foreign

 

There we were looking for shade after exiting the train in some unknown to us place and we found this place. It wasn't much though the overgrown yard di contain three classic cars of a certain vintage is a less then brilliant state of decay. 

The best thing about this place was the nice cool cafe serving food and cold drinks

sun-bather

 

I don't indulge myself on account of not liking it and already having a small skin lesion removed. That doesn't stop others doing it even on the island where the sun sometimes shines.

I happened upon this scene whilst strolling between beaches as one does in ones dotage with the Perkeo in my possession loaded with the new Kentmere 200 film which I later developed in Rodinal.

Orses, orses orses

 

There we have horses and everything in Tolsta, albeit New Tolsta. Lots of them here and there, particularly here. For riding it seems by customers of the riding school hereabouts. See them on the beach sometime trotting and all.

That village

Patterned sun on walls in Clapham, a Yorkshire village.

A nice place we had been too before which was just as well as I was shattered when we got here this time so I rested on the bed while Eve took in the evening sunshine. This snap, taken with the Perkeo was taken the following morning.

ysp

 

dressyuppers

The VeloRetro is a good chance to drees up a bit. Since it's a cycling event most wear racing kit from pervious eras. These two are wearing kit from Belgium and France and looked great. Eve, my partner wearing a Bedouin CC / Floyds Bistro kit from a Bristol club i ran in the 80s. And no, I have not snap of her in that !

1940s - apparently

 

Another cyclista at the RetroVelo cycle event in Ulverston we attended recently. He tells me this was 1940s cycling garb, but I'm not convinced.

ysp

 

this willow sculpture by laura ellen bacon reminds me of the sculpture that was in the Lewis Castle Grounds in  Stormoway some years ago before the vandals got to it. A quick but tiring visit to the sculpture park in Yorkshire revealed this in the church there. The iron tree that was outside the church by Ai Weiwei has gone.

Yes, tken with the Viogtlander Perkeo and Kentmere 200 film - handheld.

the retro ride

 

There she is. Eve that is. Pedalling at the start of the 2025 VeloRetro cycle event in Ulverston. Eve was on her Mike Mullet made bike which she loves. 

It rained. A lot. 

look where we have been

 

Right past this entrance with nicely lined up trees. Can't remember where it was but we definitely passed it. I can remember stopping and snapping it up. 

We have been on the mainland and everything. That's what we do from time to ime.

the crofter @ 2a

 

before the hoardes

 I shall not tell you where this as these days it is overrun and I am sure the locals will be demonstrating against tourism here soon.

floating flats

 

Granted it was sunny but Stornoway was heaving . Two ships, one of them huge,  disgorged their inmates onto land.

This one here parked where old freight ferry did. I snapped it up with the Perkeo and the new Kentmere 200 film. I had not times for Rodinal developer [only have that and FX39] so winged with an hour at 1;100 which worked fine.

reto

 An all action shot made round the corner with a newly acquired reto UW&S camera to replace my very tired Vivitar UW&S. Both cameras are the same only the reto one is not broken [yet] and is pink. The Viv is grey. Either they work without fuss.

a triumph

 

Saw this swish looking car the other day outside the rather up-market shop that is the Coop. Apparently it is a triumph tr2 [I looked it up]. looks marvelous and much nicer and classier than the Ferraris that were on the island at the time.

picnic

 Here we [or Eve anyway] were having a picnic over there [gestures out the window across the bay] in memory of my mum's passing. It was warm but breezy. the gulls were flying around then we met someone from our village. Like you do. 

hate it hot

 

you can tell it was hot in foreign. it's the way the locals dress at 30c.

The Artist. [formerly known as.... ]

Out on the peats some years ago while the girls from Eyes as big as Plates weave me into the peat bank.

 

they went that way

 

sailors

 

There was a tall ship from Danmark in the harbour in Stormoway recently In the midst of a 5 month cruise as part of the young crews intro to maritime careers. Met these three and after having a wee chatette, they kindly posed for a snap. Lovely peeps and their boat was pretty too.

new week

 

It's a new week and there are probably cruise ships in polluting Stornoway. And no doubt cruise tourists wandering round the town wondering why on earth the ship stopped there and why there's a half submerged fishing boat leaning against the dock. Meanwhile the other cruise-shippers will be on a double decker bus visiting the Stones [the visitor centre and cafe is closed atm] and hoping the wind doesn't pick up too much.

This was last week in the haar.

piggie

 

This creature does a grand job of destroying the grass. Currently, has hasn't got a chance to do that often.

The OM2n with hp5 [developed in FX39] captured them well i think.

eric

 

This is Eric . I rather like the fellow since he is of generally good nature. He's been around the croft down the road for quite a few years now although he has been known to take an illicit wander round the village - sometimes with an entourage.

weathered

 

While currently the weather here is fine and dry it isn't always like  that. The wind and the rain takes their toll on things metal - like this 'ere van down on the crofters croft.

this is how it was

savoury cream tea

 

it's that time of year where Eve makes cheese scones and we pop out to a pier somewhere local and have a wee picnic. cheese scones, cream cheese and chilli jam.

This is remembrance of my dear mother who we lost around this time fourteen years ago. It was lovely and sunny today too.

another holiday snap

 

prison

 

If my memory serves me correctly this was taken outside an old prison which now a really nice photographic museum.

snap

 

I went with the aim of taking some nice urban snaps as we were in a city. I'd taken a little film camera and believe it or not, a small digi cam. Neither proved much use with my incompetence and exhaustion.

This was my museum shot. 

I'm not sure why I'm bothering any more.

uw&s

 

Took one of my short frequent strolls down to see The [local] Crofter. A modern day crofter who makes teeth and has a petting herd of coows, sheeps, goat, pigs, geese, hamsters and ferrets. plus two dogs - one who hates me.

This is Top and Tail, two of the miniature goat who love me - when I have some food in my hand.

This the modern crofter in his splendor both snaps with the old, cheap and broken Vivitar UW&S camera.

holiday snap

 

We went here. Near there anyway.

Nice that there was no-one qt the particular spot but it wasn't aways the case so we had to escape the hoards on buses, trams, boats and trains. Only, the hoards had the same idea.

following on from......

 following on from Eyes as big as plates Riitta was over again doing a project around the notion of seaweed. Riitta had already given an excellent talk at out arts centre earlier in the week and had arranged fine weather for a day playing with sea and seaweed down at the lovely Reef beach.  Oh, and a sauna plus polaroids.

Eve and I were non participants but enjoyed the fun all the same and Eve managed a swim so she told me. I'd popped back to the car from something and when I got back Eve was drying herself down.

nice warm day if not a warm sea.

hedging my bets

 

her and him

 

Eve and Keith checking out the yard in the sunshine. Sunshine yes, we have had some.

I'm a tad creaky atm for some reason. Hopefully it will pass.

Bay

 

We took a walk the other day on the other side of the bay by the old church. yes we took and ate sandwiches -  as one does. 

I snapped with the Viv UW&S. 

uist

 

de lettered

 

I think the N is the only remaining letter currently

stuff

 

This is my pal's hedge, or what's left of it. I shall be down there today helping a little photo shoot.

Meanwhile check out this wonderful blog by another friend, Angelica who is currently walking the length of Sweden. Well worth your time to look at.

sunny day

 

It's a sunny day today [wed] and yet I am sat sitting watching cycling on the computer. I am not at my mental best as it happens despite finding a nice snap [above] from a stroll a few weeks ago taken with a canon eos amd Foma 200 and developed in fx39.

 Meanwhile Eve is at the bowling club doing things

on the wall - again

 

Another fine darkroom print on the wall from Bosse. This was from back in the day when Flickr ruled the roost.

away then

 

I was hoping for an image that I was proud of from our week away but you'll just have to put up with this.