Category: Places and Prose

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#SundayHumour : first day in heaven

I’m a simple man when it comes to food.. Especially simple, old-fashioned grub when we go out for a meal; which, given the presence of the Collie, is a rare treat. A reunion with a much-loved former neighbour in Whittle-le-Woods, near Chorley, Lancashire, saw us sharing the pub’s dining room with a funeral and having some of the best ‘home cooking’ I’ve ever had. … Read More #SundayHumour : first day in heaven

A most unlikely castle…

James Dawson had an eye for a view. In 1840, he stood on the spot from which the photo below was taken. and decided to buy it. His advisors explained that he couldn’t buy all of that, but could have the land down to Lake Windermere, on which he could more or less do what he wanted… planning control were not expected along for … Read More A most unlikely castle…

Faro2 : The Shape that fell to Earth

Looking back, it could have been the sunshine… The bright blue sky was such a contrast to the cold grey clouds of Cumbria in early March. But it wasn’t. There was something about the shape of Faro2 that actually spoke to me… It looks crazy – the words emerging on the screen here. Sounds even more lunatic putting it into a mystically oriented blog-slot, … Read More Faro2 : The Shape that fell to Earth

Bench March

There’s something about March that is difficult to define… It’s a classically liminal month. Not quite the end of winter; not quite the start of the spring. You can be knee deep in mud yet standing next to a clump of glorious crocuses. When you get a good photograph, it’s to be celebrated … as they can be few and far between. This shot … Read More Bench March

The Swift and Windermere

Just had to take this shot. Didn’t even know it was there until I stepped into the cafe next to the boarding pier for a quick cup of tea during one of our dog walks around Bowness-upon-Windermere. It was a grey Tuesday with poor light, and I hadn’t expected to find much to photograph, I collected my tea from the counter and turned to … Read More The Swift and Windermere

Decline, Fall … and Renewal

As we approach the spring, it can be instructive to consider examples of how cherished things struggle to maintain vitality – and which ones succeed. The inevitable cycles of growth, maturity and decay are ever-present. But they are not all-powerful. Business fortunes as well as personal fate obeys certain laws of success and decline. As a young computer salesman with a (now long defunct) … Read More Decline, Fall … and Renewal

Lines against the Sun

I never used to like strong sun. The temperate summer of verdant and lush England always suited me fine. The rain was the price of the incomparable greens of the Spring. Everything was balanced… And then I became more involved with creative photography… and my trusty iPhone Pro has never been far from my questing fingers and eyes, since. But then I noticed, while … Read More Lines against the Sun

Less is more

Arnside on one of the dullest days of the year. In the viewfinder, there was nothing of interest. Half-heartedly, I pressed the shutter button and put the phone camera back in my pocket, content that I had a record of my visit. But when I looked at it over a coffee, back home, this appeared. Blurred and practically monochrome. But it was moody and … Read More Less is more

A return to Manchester

For over two decades, the centre of Manchester was only a short journey from our offices in the rapidly changing landscape of Salford Quays – then a barren set of post-industrial docks whose only offering to the 1990’s was a floating wine bar, soon to be burned to a hulk of floating black wood because it’s owner wouldn’t pay protection money to the neighbouring … Read More A return to Manchester

Stories of Winter Fire

Here in the Lake District, colour can be hard to find in the Jan-March depths of winter. So I thought it might be fun to explore the replacement of faded colours – like those found in last year’s grasses and ferns – with a colour treatment that was blatantly artificial, yet suggested hidden fire and life… The grasses above are a good example of … Read More Stories of Winter Fire

Silverdale in February

It’s called ‘The Lots’. It’s a heavily protected stretch of undulating land behind the rocky headland of Silverdale’s rugged coastline. Silverdale is one of the most northerly places on the Lancashire coast. Before the boundary changes that created Cumbria (soon to be sliced into a new set of nonsensical pieces) Lancashire extended all the way around Morecambe Bay to Barrow-in-Furness. The peninsula on which … Read More Silverdale in February

From Below…

One of the ‘easy wins’ in photography is to vary the shooting height of the camera by either getting higher… or, as in this case, lower. The large-screen camera phones have made this easy to do, since once you have placed the device on or close to the ground – often thanking your last Pilates class – it’s still possible to see the shot … Read More From Below…