The day we sailed the Thames with a queen

Londinium

I lived there once for a few years - never again. I have been known to visit now and again like here in 2012.

We met some lovely people that day and saw some fine bicycle riding.

chat

I seem to have been talked into giving a mild chat about my blog in An Lanntair next Thursday 25th. It's supposed to be an artists talk but they are making an exception for me. I must try and think of something to say :-)

Gala

I haven't been to a gala recently. The last one was at Carloway here. And yes, i did have a sort of camera with me.

Ron

This Ron, Ron the builder. This was Dec 2007 don't you know - at Garry beach.

I met Ron again today. In An Lanntair and no, he is not a builder now but a tinkerer of 1 and 0 s. On the web and all that. He looks the same. Ron remembered my name too. Well, he remembered I had a name anyway. I shall try and photograph his new vehicular project soon. stay toned.

I like it here

When the sun shines - as it does for a couple of days a year, this island is the perfect place to be and ride a bike. So those days, when and if they arrive we make the most of the place. Have an Olympus XA in the pocket is nice too.

Sleep deprivation

I've not been sleeping of late. it's not from the lack of trying. Exercise, rest, meditation all helps or not but mostly not the the moment. As a consequence I've been wandering round like a zombie. This is something that I enjoyed for years - all part of my seemingly ongoing, reinvigorated M.E.. It will pass - it always does but in the meantime .....

We, my dearest Eve and I did get out for a little potter on the quiet roads hereabout the other day. On Monday one of Eve's pre-retirement days off. Oooof, twas lovely even if I despite an electric wheel on the bike did have to come home to have a rest immediately afterwards - and it was only a 6 mile ride albeit a tad hilly. Hardly TDF stuff !

Bicicletta Maru

So, if you are in the Itama area of Osaka, don't miss a visit to this lovely bicycle shoppe just opened by ex keirin racer and former world masters sprint champ. Here I took this snap of the great man - yes he rode for our track racing team, Yasumitsu-Schlapp - at the Manchester Velodrome where we made friends.
I might add, for those who care, this was taken with an old 5x7 soviet shutterless camera on Ilford glass plate. As you do.

folds

we weren't there today but sunning ourselves suitably whilst riding our bikes round the Bhaltos Peninsula. Dearest Eve is working down to her retirement in a fw weeks !

Bikist with pizza

Not sure if the pizza had pineapple on - it might have since we are a tad behind trend. However, I was wondering why he was cycling towards the pizza place rather than away from it.

yep, bikists

We might have gone here

Actually, we did go here. Nice and quiet and everything. Lovely people if you see any.

No performance

Just a wee pedalling as  snapped them up.

I like bikes and cyclists. Did you know that?

Wheelie nice

it's amazing what you can do with an XA when that's all you had at the time. These lads performed on request for me the other day. Many thanks lads.

Flaneuse

Ooff !

An Island Flaneuse.

I have to say I love this image - taken again in Stormoway with the XA and Polypan-f. As I do.

Biking

25km I did the other day [for me that's good, trust me]. In Harris and not a flat bit of road. Right lovely and everything. Sunshine, Eve cycling with me, a gentle breeze and virtually no traffic. What's not to like?

this snap wasn't take there. It was in Stormoway - with the XA and Polypan-f. as if you care .

Starsky

To be honest, that may not be the over-grown poodle's name but it should be since his human pet is a police-person from Welsh Wales up here on their hols [so they told me]. Starskys pet human's partner was there too but it was the end of the film and was cut off!

A stroll on a beach

A relatively warm morning prompts a stroll on the beach with the Hassie.

Summer has been and gorn

Three warm days then the clouds rolled in the rain soon after. Is that all there is?

Oooof

I know, it's a masterpiece. pure and simple. I'll be taking orders soon.

Don't tell me we are behind the times. sadly.

Long necked sheeps thingies

Not sure what they are crossing their sheeps with here but I like the look of them. I like the coffee and cake too in the cafe at Alpaccinos.

Here too

I'm a sucker for a bendy road, a pole and a glimpse of a roof.

Another view of the island

Kolor

It may have been the same island but not the same day. Below that fateful day after I'd fallen off then got heavily rained on, and above |Toots Wilson admiring the beach and totally missing what seems to have been a space-ship landing on a near isle.
Both shot on good old kodacolor 35mm film.

them two

Riitta and Karoline checking their potential North Tolsta studio.

Horses

Have I told you we have horses here? No? Well, we have horses here. Particularly in our village where there is a thriving pony trekking organisation. I don't think this is one of their horses on an account of it's short legs. Perhaps it shrank in all the rain we have been having.

Boats

boats and that jazz. love em or hate them. Tis both for me. I love a bit of sailing but now we have passed on the good ship Freyja to someone who will use her more, I am trying not think about bobbing about on the water.

However, wee boatees and bigger one are all over the place up here in the damp north. Like this one at Brevig 'Harbour' captured with the Voigtlander Perkeo the other day

Ben & Bill

I snapped up these two darlings years ago. Wonder what they are up to now?

Tame builder

Such a nice chap and meticulous work - did our bathroom. Mike Lane is who he is.

Ex town planner

Toots Wilson still spends part of every day trying to perfect his secret ex-town planners handshake.

it was here MiLord

This my dear reader, is where I fell off last time [assuming I haven't  fallen off again since I have written this]. It is I must admit a glorious spottette and Eve is there gazing out to the Atlantic and wondering how she ended up with me.

I was shaky and that is expressed in the image.  shall try and do better.

Bringing you more of our island to save you the bother.

We so miss HHHCB

I took an old Kiev out for a stroll in the village

ON rc paper

yep, Ilford RC paper from a Polypan-f neg. Wamnted to a quick darkroom sesh and found tthis gem - part of a  35mm neg. I like it very much. [until I turned it upside down :-( ]

The Artist [formerly known as Jon]

Here, The Artist [formerly known as Jon] works in one of his 'offices'. The modern man at work while that weeks' charges [Riitta & Karoline] play in the landscape.

Weather

We have weather here. All our own weather and everything. In Tolsta we can have fog whilst in the next village bright sunshine and on the other side of the island rain. Such it was the other day, that ill-fated day when I fell off my bike again. Sunshine all over the island except the little spot on Great Bernera where we were cycling [and the 'Free' Church were having a a beach party ] where we had torrential rain.

Of course I used a hand held meter for this.

I was there too once

Look, don't bother me please. I fell off my bike again the other day and I'm sore. My neck aches, my leg is bruised as is my self-worth. I am, it has to be said, sad.

Another wall

Ms Riitta the Stylist/Artist goes back to her home in NY now. NY I hear you ask [ I used to have good hearing you know]. Yes even though Riitta is Finnish she reside in USofA with her wife.

We here on the island are hoping that both Riitta and Karoline come back for another visit. Such an inspiring two.

a wall

not much of a wall

them eyes are getting bigger

Those international Scandinavian artists Riitta and Karoline here preparing a site for the studio the other day. I took the liberty of snapping them up as they rummaged around only, I don't seem to have the got the hang of the colour thing. In fact, I'm not sure I ever have got the hang of how to do it properly with film. I shall have to have lessons or something.

Poles

Lf you ever been up here on the island, one thing that becomes apparent quickly it that we 'do' telegraph and leci poles. I love the look of them and if can include them in my snaps. For some reason I hate the look of wind-turbines.

Vivitar UWS

I miss my Vivitar UW&S camera now it is deceased. It worked ok here in Naples. Perhaps the mafia got to it.

Eyes as big as plates

Riitta [triple RRRRRRR on pronunciation] sporting the headress she made from the fruits of the peatbank. I wore this thing - imagine! Then they covered me with more heather so  you could hardly see me [better] and then shot me on film. eh? How good is that? Brilliant actually. can't wait to see the image. I did tell them I am Andrea One-Chin Ingram so it should be ok. oooof, it looks like a peat spirit has settled next to Riitta in the snap above.

Riitta and Karoline on the peat bank. Riitta is Finnish out of New York whilst Karoline is Norwegian out of Norwegianshire - or somewhere like that.

These lovelies are giving a talk on their work in an Lanntair on Tuesday at 6pm. be there if you can.

It with great sadness that I must tell you of the passing of the wonderful HHHCB - our cat who was knocked down yesterday and died instantly. We shall miss her enormously.

Which way to go?

Riitta and Karoline

International artists Riitta and Karoline were out on Tolsta peats looking a place to build their new gallery. Only, they were put off by the locality of the newly planned turbines so just planned a shoot instead. This was out in the evening checking the site. Check their wonderful website out - and go to their talk at Lanntair this coming Tuesday evening - for FREE.