Living for pleasure alone...

I know where the time goes...

2012-01-22T22:39:00.001Z

I know where the time goes...
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

Who know where the time goes...turn right at the chippy (pic by me)

I know where the time goes...

2012-01-22T22:34:00.001Z

I know where the time goes...
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

Who knows where the time goes.... turn left at the chippy (pic) by me

Rotunda sunset

2012-01-15T22:52:00.001Z

Rotunda sunset
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

Rotunda sunset

Snow!!!!!!

2011-12-15T07:31:00.001Z

Snow!!!!!!
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

Snow!!!!!!

Well that's Christmas sorted pt2

2011-12-07T13:57:00.001Z

Well that's Christmas sorted pt2
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

for kids who don't have nightmares ....yet... a cuddly "Uncle" Jacko

Well that's Christmas sorted part 1#

2011-12-07T13:56:00.001Z

Well that's Christmas sorted part 1#
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

nothings says toilet roll like virgin white snow..

still there

2011-09-30T20:14:00.001+01:00

still there
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

still there....my favourite tree (pic)by me

Street Food: my Latest photo project

2011-09-04T23:35:00.000+01:00

Why Street food?
Because it’s not just there it’s over there too and under the seat on the bus and on the wall over by the beer off and floating in that puddle and stuck on those railings
Because when it’s good it’s great but so often it’s just not
Because we want it so badly and then we kinda don’t
Because we’ve just started frying with new potatoes
Because we make the best and worst decisions when we’re drunk
Because careful it might be hot
Because we hold it close, closer than some of the people we love and then the next minute we can’t wait to get rid of it
Because forget being never less than 50 feet from a rat we’re never more than 10 yards from its dinner.
Because of salt and shake, salt and vinegar, salt and sauce, salt and pepper
Because traditional or flaky, red or brown, pineapple or egg , thin crust or deep pan, regular or large, eat in or take out, battered or plain, open or wrapped
Because I eat too much of it myself
Because someone somewhere were just bit into lemon flavoured towelette by accident
Because what is actually in those saveloys floating in their “piequarium”
Because of pie and peas, sweet and sour, juice and nuts
Because the guys that sell it look so glum
Because the people eating it look so glum
Because soon you’ll be able to have “kebab meat with Kebab meat”
Because things can be ugly and beautiful and beautiful and ugly
Because I once ate a semi frozen Gingsters
Because of the Codfather, in Cod we trust, the friars plaice, a salt and battered, Power, Corruption and pies, falafel do nicely
Because they give you too many chips at that new place
Because Earl of Sandwich didn’t “invent” anything
Because someone actually told the paperback raita joke the other day
Because jokes about deep fried mars bars are still funny
Because do you know what, I’m not sure I really wanted this after all
Because my brother once had some scraps and they had a bits of fish in ‘em
Because someone ate some sushi, a low fat bean salad and had a mango smoothie and then left the wrappers wedged down the side of a bench
Because I once saw someone licking a tub of margarine in the street
Because the 3 second rule doesn’t apply to ice cream
Because of greasy Graham, Harry Ramsden, Mrs Miggins, Colonel Sanders, Krusty Burger, Mr Whippy
Because of: scraps, scallops, parvos, stotties, wallys, cobs, baps, pie slappys, tikkas, whoppers, benders, 99’s, screwballs,cobettes, jubblies, turnovers
Because why would you not want a can of pop out of the fridge
Because: free calendars of the great wall, bags of yoghurty salad, sachets of flavourless pepper, tubs of peas, cloudy jars of pickled eggs, RNLI lifeboat collection boxes, waving golden lucky cats, plastic crabs, salt shakers with peas in them, wooden chip forks, plastic stirrers, evil eyes, old well thumbed copies of Hello, badly tuned portable tellies, those little plastic pizza box table things, blue coloured “raspberry” flavoured panda pop, tomato shaped ketchup bottles, flimsy stripy blue plastic bags
Because have you seen the muffin man, the muffin man
Because cockles and mussels a live a live O!!
Because do the fries go with that shake?
Because hotdog she drives me crazy
Because there’s a guy who works down the chip shop who swears he’s Elvis
Because the guy who works down Elvis’ chippy swears he’s Roy Orbison
Because of Mclibel, McJobs, McMansions, McNuggets, McVities
Because of that sign where the cartoon chicken is offering up pieces of chicken on plate for us to try
Because I’ve no fish left just chips, a pie and I think I’ve got a fish cake
Because of Chicken Hut, Chick ‘n’ Rib, Chick ‘n’ Fish, Chickpizz, Islamabad southern fried chicken, Hygienic Kebab, The Lucky Choice, the Kebab Centres, the Curry Centres and Chicken depots
Because yum yums aren’t
Because we used make little orangey drinks out of empty tic-tac packets
Because people make jokes about Gregg’s but their sausage sandwiches are really good
Because Tesco started selling a lasagne sandwich
Because of chip ‘oles, kebab vans, hot dog stands, ice cream vans, truckers cafes
Because there’s nothing better than the smell of your own Chinese meals but somehow that bloke 3 seats down’s chow mein smells rank
Because you can have chips &: gravy, curry sauce, beans, cheese, beans & cheese
Because kids turn up to school with a box of cold Kentucky for their lunch
Because I wanted to make it look good but still look bad
Because the phrase “grease trap” exists
Because my brother once had a kit kat that was just solid chocolate
Because I kicked myself for not taking a picture of a waterfall of chips I saw one time
Because EVERYONE knows deep fried seaweed is actually kale
Because “have you got any chips left”, “yes love” “well that’s your fault for making too many”
Because the only sweet that MacDonald’s haven’t mixed into a flurry are Victory V’s
Because “who ordered the large cod?”

Everything I know I learnt from POP.......

2011-08-14T11:29:00.001+01:00

Went to the YSP again the other day and had another look round the Jaume Plensa exhibition. One of the best pieces is the gong room. It's darkly lit room with circle of huge gongs hung from the ceiling. They let you into the gallery in 5's and you get to hit the gongs not in full Bombardier Billy Wells mode but in a wonderfully echoing throbbing rumble. Incised into the gongs are passages from what worked out must be "the Song of Solomon" but it was only when I got this one did I have a head slapping moment . I never heard the song of Solomon in Sunday school but I heard it on top of the pops!!

So Pop not just for getting through the journey to work, or ready to go out on the lash, or through the long dark nights of the soul but the world's best University!

Did you know Rasputin was "a cat that really was gone...."

Amy Winehouse 1983 2011

2011-07-30T20:20:00.001+01:00

Amy Winehouse 1983 2011
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

After Elvis' death Colonel Tom Parker , asked by a journalist what he would do now, Parker responded, "Why, I'll just go right on managing him!".

To add to the mountain of words about Amy for what it's worth I always liked this song the best .

"Sweet reunion Jamaica and Spain,
We're like how we were again,
I'm in the tub, you on the seat,
Lick your lips as I soap my feet,
Then you notice likkle carpet burn,
My stomach drop and my guts churn,
You shrug and it's the worst,
Who truly stuck the knife in first"

Top Deck Art

2011-07-27T23:46:00.002+01:00

Top Deck Art
Originally uploaded by BLTP Photo

Well what wonderful day, I bit a bullet at work, had easy ride through to Wakey for Artwalk.
To see Fundada's excellent Faff2011 film showing a great mix of quality short art films ranging from narrative pieces to more abstract works. Films with humour and some with a more serious edge. All wonderfully unpredictable.
Meanwhile upstairs Wakey's smallest a best Pub was open serving some lovely Osset Yorkshire golden ale a quite excellent evening even before Bob from the Milk Two Sugars gave me this wonderful Sailor to take home. Thanks to everyone at Westgate studios for a great time.

space shuttle- God speed star sailors

2011-07-08T17:00:00.001+01:00

space shuttle- God speed star sailors
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I remember the first shuttle launch we were allowed special dispensation to watch it in the Library at school. Now I've just seen the last one. I'll probably say this too often but I miss the future. find out more here
nostalgia4dafuture.blogspot.com/

Taken from Brooke-Bond Tea card Album the race into space. illustration by Roy Cross (?)

Tetley's RIP.

2011-06-17T09:46:00.001+01:00

They are finally closing the Tetley brewer in Leeds's today (here's what I wrote when it first broke it more fully expressed what I want to say. An event htta seems to have happened with a whimper, hardly amention in the national press. It's shameful I imagine if a French Champagne house closed it's doors it would get more coverage in the UK than brewery closing. Oh sure they'll be brewing it elsewhere but frankly that's not the point and never was.
This lamp hangs outside a another closed pub the "The Butchers Arms" In Monk Bretton I know life is constant change just that one imagines it usually for the better, recently we seem to been turning of the lights on a whole culture.

Sitting lonely on a plastic chair.....

2011-06-13T23:09:00.002+01:00

white chair
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Songs are walking amongst us.

Dare!

2011-06-08T12:47:00.002+01:00

Dare!
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I heard the sad news of Martin Rushent's passing and as is the way of these things listened to "Dare". Which is brilliant in so many ways and then I thought I little people tribute was in order. thanks martin and everyone else for this wonderful music.
and apologies to Philip & Adrian who came up with the original cover design.

Marmite strikes back

2011-05-25T09:31:00.001+01:00

They come over here with their Danegeld , their silver nosed astronomers, their imaginative story tellers, their pioneering brewers and lurpak and try to stop us importing Marmite!!! What's wrong with vitamins, bits of dead yeast and some salt ay Mr & Mrs Viking?

Well the fight back starts here! Give me Marmite or give me.... erm Marmalade or some of that nice black currant jam your Mum makes.....

Calling all book lovers:

2011-05-18T15:19:00.000+01:00

Looks like we got us a reader....
I'm sort of assuming if your reading this you like reading (really what's not to like) . Well if you live anywhere near North London you should check out the Stoke Newington Literary Festival coming up at the start of June. (full disclosure) it is run by 2 of my oldest friends but I think the quality of line up stands up by itself.
There's a whole series of talks on music including Ska, there's loads of kids events this year, Stuart Lee, Stella Duffy, Rowland Rivron & Alexei Sayle all sorts of people you've heard of and some you haven't but will soon. It's all run by volunteers including myself hopefully. So book early and book often.

and the winner is

2011-05-11T20:07:00.000+01:00

and the winner is
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Me! The very generous Morgan Howell from Super Size Art ran a competition on Twitter and I won this excellent print. Sorry it's not the best photo but basically Morgan paints large versions of classic vinyl not pristine box fresh records but the sort of bent and creased singles all us vinyl addicts have boxes of. check out their website for better pics
www.supersizeart.com/

National celebration what national celebration?

2011-04-30T09:20:00.000+01:00

I genuinely wasn't that bothered with the wedding yesterday so went for a long walk mainly to try a snap the blue bells before they die back.

On my walk I passed through an ex mining village,a big slightly down at heel council estate , a large estate of newish executive private homes (the sort with new cars and caravanettes on the drive and double carriages etc) and an older rural village with a 17cth church flying the union flag and Geoff Boycott's old house and finally a very well to do hamlet full of gated homes through the gates of which you could peek Aston-Martin's and those bespoke kid's tree houses that cost several grand. The only evidence of a national celebration in this fairly broad cross section of our countries people was one house with a few strings of buntin. I saw nor heard any street parties or any garden parties, I wasn't stopped in the street by people wearing stupid hats I didn't even see any of those pull out and keep "gawd bless the Queen" posters the Mirror etc print up in people's front windows. The odd shop had a few strings of buntin in their windows apart from that it seemed like another day. Especially if you compare it to say the world cup or Halloween etc.

So I'm sure the media especially the BBC will tell us it was a big coming together and a national celebration but it all seemed a bit muted. I'd expected the odd peel of bells and a hog roast outside a country pub, the people in the shops I went into didn't mention it and the talk in the woods was mainly of bluebells and the daftness of lurchers.

It's surprising how these narrative get set up so easily and are often contrary to our own experience of events.

The Cake!

2011-04-28T16:58:00.003+01:00

The Cake!
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

It had to happen, I suppose the two most tedious hoo-hahs of the last year cup cakes and "the wedding".
Interesting that Gregg's that reliable weather cock of public opinion and taste only starting having these in last few days(it's been easter in Greggs since Valentines day).

So maybe they were unsure how republican we're all feeling.

It's usual to add a caveat that you wish the happy couple well at the end of this sort of thing but frankly couldn't care less what happens to them that's unless William resigns and hands in his crown.... now that would be a happy ending.

Long live the republic!

All I want is a photograph.......

2011-04-18T21:24:00.001+01:00

Serial offender that I am I've put together a new website of my photographs. Much as I like flickr etc I wanted something to show them in a more controlled individual way . If you interested please do pop over

I heart local papers: Brassed off

2011-04-15T12:43:00.000+01:00

All the news thats....
well any way it makes a change from the tv news with its grimness, hyperbole and hourly updates on the royal wedding. Tales of stolen tins of stella, school prizes, Jam covers bands playing trade clubs and of course young women wrestling with large brass instruments while covering their modesty.

Blast off!

2011-04-12T13:03:00.004+01:00

Yuri Gagrin commemorative badge
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Happy Yuri day everyone!

Cafe society: star spotting & fish cakes

2011-04-08T16:55:00.000+01:00

Tales from Town: Stella Street Kendray

In he walks a shortish bloke with a large thick brush of spiky brown hair, a small caterpillar of a tash and an impressive collection of rings and necklaces. Tagging along with him is his plainer sheepish looking mate; they both may have had slight learning difficulties. They greet the staff loudly and their jokes are treated in the friendly manner cafe staff often manage.

They order and sit at a table near mine, after a minute or so the chap with the rings starts joking with chef /owner that he looks like Mr Kipling. This goes on for a while until he catches my eye and drags me into the banter.

“He duz dunt ‘e, 'e looks like Mr Kiplin’?”

Feeling more honest than usual I scrabble around for an answer before offering that I wasn’t sure you ever saw Mr Kipling and that “wasn’t that the point of the Ad? He pauses and thinks

“blimey tha might be reet there, well who am I thinkin’ of?”

a pause

“Hang on I’m thinking of ‘im off of KFC”

His mate chips in “tha means Colonel Sanders!!wi ya blumin' Mr Kiplin!!” they both laugh loudly .

“That's it Colonel Sanders”
we all turn and look at the owner who doesn’t look like anyone much let alone the grinning fried chicken salesmen. There’s perhaps a hint of Harry Gration from Look North about him, at a push.

“Where’s our fishcakes Colonel Sanders?” is the new cry. Half listening the waitress brings out their food. I turn back to my tea and my phone before I’m baptised “Simon Bates” or ”Colin Montgomery”.

The pair tuck into the food which holds their attention for a while until.

“Jim Robinson!!”

“what the chuff a tha goin’ on abart now” the quiet one, slight exasperatedly

“the other one, he looks like Jim Robinson” says ring man pointing with a red sauce covered knife to another staff member. “and I should know he use to live near us”

“what?....Jim Robinson from Neighbours use to live near thee?”

“Yes, I think he was doing panto in Sheff”

“WHAT! Jim Robinson was living in Kendray?!”

“ay he was livin in them new houses up t’road”

This seems to settle it.

“alreet I think tha should finish thee chips na ”.

And so it went on every new person who came in was “Christened” with some arcane showbiz name, “Mrs Doubtfire” or “ken Barlow” and most bizarrely “Pat Roach” “Tha, nos the one who use to be a wrestler”. This is all good natured and often raising a smile from the “Christened” and looks of puzzlement from others .They still were doing it as they finished up and left for the bus station, probably spotting “Richard Whiteley” and “Una Stubbs” outside Fulton foods and being driven home by “im off of Knightrider”

“ What David Hasselhoff?”

“ nah the one wit’ white ‘air tha nos.... Kit”

On the bus: The fickleness of tattoos

2011-04-07T20:05:00.001+01:00

Tales from Town:#1

A young bloke gets on the bus its cold but he’s only wearing a baggy white t-shirt and tracky bottom, he’s got the usual bed hair gelled locks. He lopes up the bus followed by a more warmly dressed girl. They are obviously a newish couple, the bus sets off and after a few minutes their conversation turns to his tattoos. He’s describing them loudly enough for most of the single decker to hear. There’s a large “Tribal” pattern on his left shoulder
“fella int shop said it were based on a shark god”
his beau nods her understanding.
After perusal of some letters on his hands he turns slightly away from her and pulls down the neck of his shirt to expose “DADA” written in florid letters on his neck.
“DADA?” she quizzically reads out (said with short “A’s)
“Nah” he says with laugh. “That’s funny that coz everyone allus thinks it sez that”
“It rilly sez D.A.D. 4” he spells out
“ya, see it’s “D.A.D.” for me Dad and a “four” coz I'm ‘is forth kid” she nods again less sure this time.
“but it looks like DADA?” she replies with a weak smile.
“I knows that but it’s a four!” he continues this time a bit annoyed
“of course I had it done afor we knew about his wife and kids in Derby”.

March for the Alternative: a World is my country special

2011-03-28T11:30:00.002+01:00

I have been "favouriting" the interesting blog posts I've seen about the March, many of them forwarded by @jackseale. Thought it would be useful to have them in one place. Not saying I agree with every word written I think it's good to have wider stage for alternative voices especially of people who were actually there.
My day in the cells by Adam Ramsey

Show us some respect by @StuartGWhite (Why the media chooses to feature violence)

a nearly successful demonstration by (an actor and marcher's experience of the day)

History repeating itself by LostinLondon How some anarchists have always muddied the waters for the change they want to see

Speech by Sam West on Arts funding

A history of defaced statues

Photos by flickr mate Darellkmorris who was at work in centre town so could cat the argey bargey and not the main march/rally nice shots

Oh and I've set up a flickr group drawing together all the shots from demos of " Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now!" banners.

March for the Alternative

2011-03-27T20:32:00.004+01:00

Late last night and sat resting our plates watching the BBC news channel. The scenes on a loop playing out before us didn’t look like the march we went on: leery lads egging on the Met , black clad anarchists filming the police, the TV cameras and themselves, in the background there were smouldering rubbish bins. The March I and 500,000 other people where on was a gentle stroll down the Victoria Embankment waving a host of banners, dancing to samba bands, lots of whistles, cheers and the odd chant of “Lansley is a Tosser”.

It took 4 plus hours to walk to the Ritz via Whitehall chatting with friends and new friends, eating cake and very very little rioting. The violence e was understandably if annoyingly the main news item but had very little to do with the main march. “King mob” has been a part of British politics for centuries in fact it’s none appearance is more surprisingly than whenever it raises its angry masked faces. Are me and the other marchers tarred with the same brush as the rioters? In my opinion no but in many the mines people’s yes sadly. Many of the people who’d dismiss the March would have dismissed it anyway regardless of whether it had kicked off or not. I hope the rest will see through the shock horror of rolling news and newspaper headlines and decide for their selves whether what we were Marching is of value.

So why did you march?
Well basically because the Tories and their placid help mates the Lib-Dems are determined to destroy fundamental parts of our civilisation. Their main goal is to reinstall their century’s long policy of “communism for the rich and capitalism for the poor”. Cameron for all his soft soap wants to get rid of most of local and national services apart from a bare minimum to cover his modesty and get back to doing what the Tory part was founded for maintaining and preserving the wealth and power of the super rich. Be in no doubt that the Tories a grim cabal of old moneys and slimy new in the form of Tories main backers the hedge fund managers and their clients have your best interests at heart.

Cameron and Osborne et al don’t give a stuff for the NHS, for state schools, libraries, local council staff etc for all their weasel words they don’t have much interest in most British industry either. The cuts that Tories have imposed will start to hurt very soon, real people will put on the dole, and real services will be lost FOREVER. All this while the Tories impose wasteful, pointless and politically driven reforms of the NHS and Education. These reforms are designed to destroy FOREVER local democracy and accountability and entrench Tory rule while enriching multinational and Tory funding healthcare and public service providers.

I marched because the progressive socialist trade union non conformist movements in the UK have been the only movement that have cared and stood for my community. Who stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, who have striven for most of the rights and freedoms we enjoy. If these cuts and cultural vandalism is allowed to stand Britain will be horribly more divided, diminished and darker place.

The supermarkets continuing war on satire

2011-03-25T10:39:00.001Z

The supermarkets continuing war on satire
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

and in particular "Half Man Half biscuit".
This week "Netto Chainsaw"

Edgelands

2011-03-23T11:28:00.001Z

It's odd started writing about this myself the other day and then saw this will have to find the book and see if there's anything to add. I seem to be attracted to these sort of places see last post. That or just live in the crummy end of town!! Will have to just keep taking snaps

Things you only see in the country.....pylons

2011-03-22T10:48:00.002Z

bluetower
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I know it's odd but one refreshing thing I've found since moving up North is seeing pylons. Not entirely sure why except they are striking things. I got up close to one for the first time in years yesterday. In the bright blue spring sunshine they are oddly threatening as if all those volts are eagerly waiting the pounce and then there's the threat of someone pulling on the wires and them toppling over like the tripods at the end of war of the worlds.

I know we supposed to dislike their march across the landscape but I'm tapping away on pc fuelled by their electrical current and the field I was in was filled with GM wheat most likely next to an old canal, between two muck stacks, in sight of a sulfurous coking plant so why not have this giant Angels of the South Riding gentle humming over head on this bright spring afteron. Here's some more pics

It's frothy mommy....

2011-03-20T14:25:00.000Z

Stop me and buy one:

Went to Leeds beer festival in Pudsey on Friday, it was really good, nice and friendly, not too crowded (lots of seats hallelujah!) decent scran and of course excellent beer. Not sure if it’s a regular feature but they had an emphasis on Milds which was interesting and refreshing.

Like I say a really good festival cheers to all who organised it.

Parked outside however was this marvellous vehicle, Mr Frothy’s beer van. A converted 1970’s Fiat Ice cream. It’s from the people who run North Bar and is available to hire I think.

Not sure how much it cost but would ace in the summer comes with pumps etc. Shame they don’t tour the streets of Yorkshire on hot summer evenings, dispensing cool draughts of Belgian loveliness.
Here’s a set of pics .

Opportunities...?

2011-03-11T16:22:00.003Z

Opportunities...?
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

was faintly depressed by how many closed shops there were in Wakefield the other day. Seemed like every other window was empty.

'Nanna Noo-Noo's Nougat Nicie',

2011-03-03T16:46:00.002Z

the Daily Mash nail it again

update :
and then real life as ever beats satire "cake rage in cardif"

Cup cake madness indeed.

Travel in style...

2011-03-02T22:27:00.000Z

It would be nice to go travel to Paris, London or Rome ... found this lovely Flickr set full of amazing luggage labels. Love these sort of designs especially in a world of grim corporate boarding passes and print your own A4 concert tickets.

My new favourite Book .... L is for Laika.

2011-02-27T23:10:00.000Z

Stumbled upon this wonderful 1960's kids book "A Space Alphabet" by Irene Zacks. Love this sort of simple illustation style. I had look for a copy on line 2nd hand copies only go for about 2-3 quid a page! Oh well Wardomatic has scanned it all in here! enjoy!
Here's my space book blog

1/2 Monty

2011-02-18T13:02:00.002Z

1/2 Monty
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Saw this outside a bakers yesterday , all this in a butty is either heroic or suicidal. I once saw a sandwich not far from here that had bacon,egg, melted cheese & Black pudding in it and yet was on the "Lite Bite" menu.

Libraries gave us powe:. update

2011-02-18T12:28:00.002Z

Libraries gave us power.
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

One of our Power stations has closed sadly
http://ht.ly/3YUos

and the winner is....

2011-02-14T14:29:00.002Z

and the winner is....
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

You don't need to be Mary Porta or even have just watched half an episode of Madmen to know this was going to be tough sell. A cheery little bust of Maggie for your mantelpiece. A snip at 175 quid what it didn't even sell in Guildford for that much hang on lets knock it out in run down parade of shops in Barnsley for thick end of 90 quid up next exports of sand to Saudi soar....

We shall over come

2011-02-11T16:43:00.003Z

Nobody knows what's going to happen from now in Egypt but the first buds of freedom are always good to see, it's very moving to see it unfold. You can only wish them well and hope their hopes and dreams are fulfilled in the end

Tell us SEXY ROBOT is Pop good or bad?

2011-02-06T11:37:00.002Z

Sexy Robot: sexy but he know's what he knows

2011-02-05T10:44:00.000Z

Look I won't say this again stop this cup cake madness now!!!

2011-02-02T11:04:00.002Z

The gloopy saccharine zeitgeist rolls on as the whole country gets smothered in garish covered butter cream and sickly icing. I return to the subject of cup cakes (or BUNS as they have been called ever since Mrs Bero first turned out a moist sponge). They as I have said before become a gluten plague clogging up our high streets , the over sweet aspirational panacea for Cameron's thieving Etonocracy.
Sorry for the blurry picture but here we have them with the other consumer emollient of age: the slanket.

But what really made despair was when out in Otley at the weekend. Otley is nice, oddly rural (being so close to Leeds) but nice and the market is good . But down a side street there was a shop called the "the Yorkshire soap co" one of those stripped down boutiquey shops . In the window was a display of bath bombs in the shape of cup cakes. And so the circle is complete; the focus group yummy mummy kath kidsonopocalyse is upon us , the two of the main ways to sell crud especially to women , "naughty but nice oh go on treat yourself" sickly treats and because your worth it pampering treats in one pretty package. The whole shop was twee in a that blank eyed way those shops are with it's Glass domes and hand written signs and yet blandly corporate.

I was given a bath bomb once when Lush first appeared can't say I was massively won over it produced a slightly artificial smelling bath which afterwards and there's no pleasant way of saying this looked like one of my flat mates had thrown up in the tub, it took 10 minutes to get rid of the bits of petal and oddly persistent foam.

Of course these bombs won't actual be used in anger they'll be admired for a few seconds over coffee and than sit getting dutsy on some window sill with all the other forgotten lotions and potions. Of course anyone with any taste would head across to Geo. Middlemiss award winning shop opposite for a hot pork pie or if they want something that's truly pretty in pink.

Sad News: John Barry RIP (1933-2011)

2011-01-31T07:38:00.002Z

Just heard that he passed away early today; I think John Barry was my favourite composer before I knew I liked music, the excitement and drama he brought to Bond films and Zulu etc suffused my childhood. A rare talent.

In praise of Tat.

2011-01-29T22:19:00.003Z

Mass of humanity
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I was wandering back through town this week and it was flea market day in Barnsley and was pleased to find a good supply of tat.

It's a bit more formal than Deptford no big mounds of old clothes or really broken bric and brac. But stalls with books and comics, football programmes, one bloke selling piles of those easy listening book sets which always look better than they sound.

I suppose I like tat (some say tut) partly because it's kitsch and nostalgic but also because it's not tasteful and has an exuberance and a faded vitality that stuff cloggingup the shelves in Next interiors or worthy craft shops just doesn't have. Also there's the surprises you get, when were you last surprised in a regular shop? But almost weekly I'm cheered by some ancient badly cast cat come ships wheel tableaux or a mad C&W lp sleeve. Also snapping pictures means I don't fill my house with boxes of playmobile figures and can have the "beauty" without the mounds of mouldy boxes and musty flysheets.

The ultimate question: Which side are you on?

2011-01-24T19:07:00.001Z

So what's it to be Egg or Pineapple?

Beware lonely water

2011-01-20T19:27:00.002Z

Beware lonely water
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

There's a wonderful stretch of reclaimed canal near our house , lovely except for the end bit that does't half remind me of this "scare the bejesus out of the kids just before Magpie " health and safety gone mad public info film classic

Patrick Keillers "London" for Free!!

2011-01-18T14:57:00.000Z

LONDON
Uploaded by BFIfilms. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

One of the best films about any city anywhere .

Sylvia Plath, Cheese and Onion & Ted: A walk up the Hill and back

2011-01-13T12:05:00.005Z

I walked up to Heptonstall yesterday mainly because I can see it out of my Bro’s front window and I needed the exercise. It’s quite a climb but I kept on. The road up is steep (going from the valley bottom to 600 ft plus in the space of a mile) all the way my vertigo kept leaping up, it’s an odd thing there’s nowhere very dodgy on the road but the combination of high wind, rain, low walls and steep tree lined hills sent me tingling and nervous . Even typing about the climb now puts me slightly on edge (this being said I have been up the World Trade centre and half way across the Humber Bridge but the loft ladders still make me nervous).

Anyway I made the top, Hep’s a little village perched on a hill overlooking Hebden, it’s got a distinctive parish church which you can for miles and the older part is made up of narrow cobbled streets of stone built weavers cottages (that have dates from the 1600’s carved above their doors).

“Thems fresh cut” the man in post office said of his pre-packaged trading estate sarnies, amongst the usual sparse display of “fruit jam”, short bread and women’s magazines. Picking my way through his modest selection of snacks(I wasn’t feeling flush enough for the Tea Shop), who the hell wants “Cajun Tuna” I settled for a cheese savoury and some crisps and after a longer than necessary peer at my £20 quid note, I’m off out into the drizzle.

The village museum is shut until Good Friday so slipping on the rain shined paving, I look for a bench to have lunch. The winds up and no one is around, the church up close is a handsome if bland Anglican affair which is also closed. There’s a ruined of older church in the graveyard surrounded by a flat pavement of older grave stones shining in the wet, their fading inscriptions full of Samuels, Joshuas and Emillys.

Although not by any stretch my main motivation for coming here it would be perverse not to try find Sylvia Plath’s grave. It turns out she’s in the over spill graveyard across the road, a slightly more plain affair over looked by newish houses, it’s the usual mix of grave stones: Old plain gray, pale white marble from 70’s,the later ones black with gold letters and even a few reserved sharp cut sandy coloured limestone military memorials.

I sat on John Browne’s bench (no mention of where he was or what state he was in) and munched my lunch, flicking the crumbs off, I went for a wander. A few rows over there was a head stone for a RAF gunner and Radio operator who died in 1943, laying over his grave is another stone put there over a half century later for his wife, who passed away in 1998. Ben and Ethel together at last.

In the corner of the churchyard there’s a children’s garden trampoline, as I was examining this odd piece of fly tipping, my Brother rings and tells me this is quite normal apparently the wind picks them up round here and dumps them across the countryside. I am choosing to believe him.

I was about to go when I noticed that a grave next to me had a laminated photo pinned to it , which turned out to be Sylvia Plath’s. I had expected more votive tat but apart from the odd pebble, plastic love heart and a fairy doll the main feature was large tub of biros (do famous pharmacist get pestle and mortars on their tombs and what do accountants get?). The inscription is “Even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted”.

Walking out of the graveyard I notice Sylvia’s only two rows over from her in-laws (Ted being interned down south). I know there’s all sorts of controversy about SP’s grave, in the end I think most graves are sadly alike and the view from Heptonstall is much better than Poets’ corner.

Of course the Parish church isn’t the best church in Heptonstall that honour goes to the Methodist Chapel. Since I was kid I’ve been wandering round places of worship at first taken by my parents (yes we would have preferred a water park but nowadays I am glad I’ve been to Chartres too) and now of my own accord. I’ve seen big churches St Peter’s, new ones, bleak 50’s brutalist estate churches and small tiny one room affairs in the middle of fields. I must admit I find the smaller places the most involving and Heptonstall Methodist is one of those.

The smell as you enter of dust, hymns books and damp is always evocative for me the tight box pews, the mix and match stain glass windows and wooden balcony above make it a intimate space. We it comes to my view of the place I suppose it helps that it’s where my brother got married but I also find the idea of the people who built inspiring these tough hard working weavers etc who didn’t want to be told how to worship, found some land on the side of this windy hill and built this simple "Modern" before it’s time church. The tight Octagon shape dangerously new for its time. Perhaps too plain for some people’s taste but the function defining the form so that everyone could hear the preacher and that sound of the singing would envelope the singers. Oh and it was open on rainy day (never much gold plate to nick from Methodist) with sign on the door to tell you stop the cats getting in and need some peace.

Rested in mind and shank I wandered down the hill back through Hebden and along the canal only looking back when I got home.

Here's some more pictures the usual forlorn soft toys, catholic snow globes and some flowers made of dusters

After MP

2011-01-13T10:04:00.004Z

After MP
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

It's not super hi-res as I took it on my phone but here's the same view Martin Parr took of Hebden (25 years ago) main difference is how much trees have grown. Of course his looks like dutch painting and mine looks like a crappy mobile snap.

here's the orginal

there's been a murder.....

2011-01-09T23:38:00.002Z

Alder
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

The only up side to the clear felling of some local trees, was the sight of an alder stump glowing arterial blood red in the muddy gloom yesterday.
I went back to today and found this chip. The colour will fade but you can see why the Norse , Celts, Saxons all had tales of the alder, its root in water, its wood soaked blood red, its where wood folk lived and danced and seduced the unwary and some say that the first man was made from an alder, his maid from a willow, who's shiny white stump was there next to the alder this afternoon in the sharp winter sun. Most likely they will coppice and grow again, old trees like all stories are hard to kill.

Advent day 24: Happy Christmas!!

2010-12-24T15:42:00.001Z

Advent day 24: Happy Christmas!!
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

...and remember it's peace & goodwill to ALL mankind!!
happiness and joy to you and yours love C x

ps with apologises to that great modernist Dick Bruna!

Advent day 23: Frost & steam

2010-12-23T17:18:00.001Z

Advent day 23: Frost & steam
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

maybe deluding myself but the light this morning had the feeling of Caspar David Friedrich probably could do with a raven on the stump for completeness sake

Advent day 22: winter solitude

2010-12-22T21:20:00.001Z

Advent day 22: winter solitude
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

this wasa joint effort with my Brother, I'd seen this tree a few days ago and yesterday we went round with his ace camera and tripod. It was such a wonderful clear day we couldn't stop snapping.

Advent day 21: 3 angels

2010-12-21T17:31:00.001Z

Advent day 21: 3 angels
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

we went looking for Billy Casper (more of which later)

Life in a Northern town: Le Vie en Roses

2010-12-21T06:24:00.002Z

"Are them big tins of roses the same price as the others?"

"yes, love"

"Alright pu'rra us through a tin of these then, I never took to Quality street , they're just not right."

Life in a northern town: The Capucinno's Our Kid

2010-12-21T06:14:00.001Z

Had a nice lunch in the pub yesterday, it was one of those chainy ones but very friendly and the food was good. On the table next to us was a burly couple, (arms full of tats looked like they had had a hard life etc) having lunch the odd thing was though instead of say having a pint and a half of lager with their lunch they were having cappuccinos.

Like I say it was a little odd this big fella with hands like shovels daintily sipping a frothy coffee with his “trio of spicy chicken medley”. Not saying real men don’t drink coffee or anything just well it looked odd.
Having said that the espresso I had after my pie was good.

Poetry of lists
local Night spot names:

Coco
Che
Quasimodo’s
Esmeralda’s
Soviet
Wildcats
Escape
The Office
The Outpost

House name of the week: “Helms Deep”

Advent day 20: Frosty the postman!

2010-12-20T16:16:00.001Z

Advent day 20: Frosty the postman!
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I hung around waiting for a robin in scarf to turn up but no luck!!!

Advent Day 19: Frost

2010-12-19T17:28:00.001Z

Advent Day 19: Frost
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

oooh it's bitter out

Advent day 18: Stella baking

2010-12-18T13:55:00.001Z

Advent day 18: Stella baking
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Shrewsbury biscuits and the coventry carol perfect recipe!

Advent Day 17: Festive penguin

2010-12-17T19:22:00.001Z

Advent Day 17: Festive penguin
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I do love xmas tat

Advent Day 15: Clockwork Santa

2010-12-15T22:14:00.001Z

Advent Day 15: Clockwork Santa
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Advent day 13: Danger thin ice

2010-12-14T20:12:00.001Z

Advent day 13: Danger thin ice
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

no me me neither.... hoping he stayed near the edge......

Advent Day 13:What is the collective noun for Santas?

2010-12-13T19:59:00.001Z

Advent Day 13:What is the collective noun for Santas?
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Advent Day 12: The day the fair came to town.

2010-12-12T19:18:00.001Z

Advent Day 12: The day the fair came to town.
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

.. I left ! It did look pretty in the cold winter night offering views across SE8

Advent Day 10: and here comes Santa...

2010-12-10T13:02:00.001Z

Advent Day 10: and here comes Santa...
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Advent day 9: Look, look it's santa's house

2010-12-09T13:35:00.002Z

Advent day 9: Look, look it's santa's house
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

More delights from another seemingly perpetually closed dusty cake shop!

Advent Day 8: Astro Claus

2010-12-08T12:04:00.002Z

Advent Day 8: Astro Claus
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I do like the Carnaby St decorations they are done with a fair amount of fun and flair.

Advent day 7: With some inevitability

2010-12-07T13:16:00.001Z

Advent day 7: With some inevitability
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Meerkat Santa.
Have we all gone "simples" minded?
10 years ago NO ONE outside college zoology Dept.s had heard of Meerkats now they are up for the next Booker Prize and the manager's job at Newcastle!

Advent day 4: bucket 'o' reindeer

2010-12-04T15:36:00.001Z

Advent day 4: bucket 'o' reindeer
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Tip top tasteful Tat 't the Tate!

Advent day 4: bucket 'o' reindeer

2010-12-04T15:11:00.001Z

Advent day 4: bucket 'o' reindeer
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Tasteful tat 't Tate britain....
Have you put yours up yet?

Advent day 3: ring out those Christmas bells

2010-12-03T12:13:00.001Z

Advent day 3: ring out those Christmas bells
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Shop tills don't ring anymore much like TOTP it's all bleeps nowadays. Was wandering round Carnaby street on Tuesday somebody's going to be getting an awful lot of "ironic t-shirts" this Christmas. I do hope people have to sit there on 25th trying to explain the "joke" or "meme" to their Nans!

"so flower what does your tshirt mean again ?"
"Oh Nan it's about theIraq war and Star Wars and the bar in the Shining"
"the Shining is that the one with Pauline Quirke in it? And why is the deer on your other top wearing high heels?"
" Nan are you sure you don't want another Bailey's?"....

Queen diamonds...

2010-12-03T11:23:00.002Z

queen diamonds
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Nice run of Street cards recently , I find most of them after the flea market's shut up. It's odd how they are the only thing left after the street cleaners have swept up, often they are the only rubbish in the square. that being said I've found them in Holborn, The City, Crystal Palace and Covent garden.

Think I'm up to 35 only 17 more to go before we can have a game canasta!

Advent day 2: Frozen fish

2010-12-02T17:10:00.001Z

Advent day 2: Frozen fish
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

I love a forlorn looking playground and yes that's a bit odd I know. Not totally xmasy but it's what been happening with me.

Advent day 1: frost leaves

2010-12-01T11:16:00.002Z

Advent day 1: frost leaves
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Some frosty leaves in Greenwich park on sunday happy Advent everyone.

Debtford update #345

2010-11-25T11:24:00.001Z

I heard the news that Paddy Power is now worth more than the Irish banks just as I walked past this place. That one of the last two pubs on the high street is now a bookies isn’t news, most empty shopsround here seem to turn into bookies . It’s also barely worth remarking that bookmaker/stockbroker aren’t two sides of the same coin they just the same thing just one lot usually have smarter postcodes. I suppose my point such as it is that would be nice to stop turning the corner and finding the news looking me in the face.

Madmen via the wonder years and beyond

2010-11-20T15:40:00.000Z

Amazing archive of photos by Nick de Wolf here

Libraries gave us power

2010-11-11T12:54:00.000Z

I have been using New Cross Library again recently and quite moved what a warm friendly humane place it is. It's simply and efficiently run by the staff full of good books and people using the web and reassuringly quite and calm like a good library should be.
I have been going to libraries since before I could remember and have talked before about the additional thrill of Hanley library because of the occasional chance to visit the real spitfire across the road. Of course books we also the attraction I don't ever been made to read by my parents it was something we did me and brothers would go down stairs to kids section while usually my Dad went up stairs to browse himself. We would race to oversize section to see if there were any Asterix books to take out and then move onto eh books on space and vikings (I was typical boy coming late to fiction (apart from comics) really only in my late teens).

As we got older we could browse upstairs and take out adult fiction or do your homework upstairs on the big tables.

New cross library is similar to our little village library, the children section was up stairs there and often for something to do I'd go down after school or on Saturday. Often I had the tiny room to myself to read the Hamlyn book of Horror or a book on war planes. I have close friend for whom this little library was much bigger life line his home bereft of books and taught to read via commando comics and pulp westerns he sucked up the knowledge and peace of this place (amongst others) and now makes his living as writer.

This all might seem trite and libaries have alwasy needed to evolve and adapt but well if lewisham council are froced to close places like New Cross library well the world will be a duller , dumber poorer place.

“I’m a frightened as an Oyster”

2010-11-07T12:39:00.000Z

Prompted partly by the Robert Plant documentary last night but also by Bryan Ferry’s new version I thought it might be time to settle once and for all which is the best version of “Song to the siren”. For many years I would have said “this Mortal Coil” version was the leading Lorelei amongst the (what is the collective noun for sirens, a snare? A glamour? ) sisterhood. The problem I had with Tim Buckley’s original was that he slips into full on pub singer mode and it can be almost comical but and here’s a revelations for me I’ve just heard the reissue version from a rarities album(last on play list) and well the calm beauty of the song is regained .

But I also love the Czars version and Plants take on it is lovely too. It may be that there are no truly bad versions.

A few more things sprung to mind: is the song more apt sung by a man or woman? Is being driven on to the rocks one of the times where histrionics are valid?

There’s only one way to decide........ erm vote (and lobby if you like in the comments)

Oh and isn’t technology great you can hear them here. There are more versions on spotify but I have cast many of them off the cliffs of overproduction into the sea of meh! (an awful lot seemed to be pleasant enough remakes of Liz Fraser’s classic but nothing special) I’ll publish the results in the week.

Click here to take survey

Some things are just funny

2010-11-05T12:23:00.000Z

No need to say more really enjoy.

Masterchef vs Master race

2010-11-03T01:08:00.003Z

The beast of days
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Don't say you've not been warned when it starts raining frogs and the seas boil.The end of time is near thankfully there's a hero to save us......It can now be told Gregg Wallace's impressive appetite fuelled by endless sticky sweet puddings devoured in with eye rolling spoon swallowing glee is used to sustain his demonic powers to aid him in his eternal battle against zombie Nazis!!

Next up on Five..How to be Martin Parr

2010-10-24T17:53:00.001+01:00

Channel 5 is often derided (mainly based on it's output from 10 years ago) but while the BEEB is showing the woeful One show, BBC2 has an antiques quiz, ITV is in the back of a squad car AGAIN and Channel 4 has the dog end of the news Channel 5 had this programme telling you how to be Martin Parr (no not that one) the one who takes photos .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byMEyumrwr8

Anway there's some tips and insight into MP's work, In the end I think the answer in the end that you need to be born a near genius and take 30 years worth of photos but well it's a fun 25 mins. I think next week they are off to Iraq with Don MCullin

I am a One in Ten

2010-10-20T22:57:00.002+01:00

Odd week all round really, in a world full of numbers they start to blur after a while. To misquote Stalin one man's firing is a tragedy the laying off of 500,000 plus in a couple of days is a statistic. Today I've seen more chatter about the latest deluded ego maniac being "fired" on Apprentice than the laying off sorry decimation of public sector staff (in a rare occasion the classical roman meaning is both emotionally and factually correct).
Of course 33 miners being plucked from the ground is heart warming and life affirming but the almost daily death of a sapper in Afghanistan goes unnoticed. Almost as unnoticed as the Tories & lib dems finally wiping out the Welfare state.

Of course public sector workers outside the playmobile lego minifigure jobs of policeman, nurses and teachers are all pointless worthless skivers, malingererswho spend theirs days counting the "solid gold" pensions and severance packages. Barely better than in fact than welfare scroungers with their free 8 bedroom houses fillled with their jam faced feral kids named after fashion labels. Nobody values public sectors workers no one needs or cares about admin officers who organise the rotas for bin men, dog wardens, surveyors for roads signs, council tax clerks, planners, museum curators, tax collectors, social services managers, parkies, town centres managers, ....

Oh of course then there's the poor and the peopls who's jobs depend on the public sector.
Anyway I've off to work for Alan Sugar making cup cakes.

Record Labels anyone?

2010-10-11T22:56:00.004+01:00

Record Labels?
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Thinking of starting my own label... thought I'd start with arguably the best instrumental ever!
In honour of Booker T's sweet tune I've made a sweet pickle this year and I've got STAX!
I fear this this may get out hand..
Here's Mrs Booker, Dunn, Cropper, Dunn and Potts live in Norway(?) one of my fave concert clips.

National Poguetry Day

2010-10-07T14:29:00.001+01:00

Love a poem me read some Larkin just last night to cheer myself up. But I was joking about about Poguetry and then read the lyric "Rainy Night in Soho". And it's one of the few pop songs that poetic on the page (pop's poetic don't get me wrong but most of the time it needs the music)

Now the song is nearly over
We may never find out what it means
Still there's a light I hold before me
You're the measure of my dreams
The measure of my dreams

spooky ring cake anyone?

2010-10-07T13:57:00.001+01:00

spooky ring cake
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Keeping up their solemn duty of marking the season in butter cream and lurid icing everyone's favourite baker's spoooooky Halloween cakes are out!!! And no they didn't have parkin :(

pictures of matchstick men

2010-10-04T20:10:00.001+01:00

after lowry
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

changed trains in Manchester t'other day and took some pics.. it was raining obv but interesting none the less. Well if your a fan of emoty carparks and dodgy but heroic 60's tower blocks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bltpicons/sets/72157625095088712/

Cheers! Beer drinking it'll never catch on you know

2010-09-30T23:41:00.000+01:00

In the spirit of punk when Pete Brown couldn't get on the tv to tell us all that drinking beer is a good idea he and some mates went out and made their own. Have a look it's not too bad for their first go.

Pete Brown's British Beer Blog from Ian Hudson Films on Vimeo.

Home-made Crumpets!

2010-09-19T13:40:00.000+01:00

Making your own crumpets is one of those seemingly pointless Foodie things to do which usually produces the question “what’s the point when you can buy eight of them for a quid etc”. Well much like Everest because they are there! And well they taste much lighter and have moist airy bready texture and flavour.

I didn’t have any “crumpet rings” so made some out of greased tin foil folded into a strip and then into a circle; they worked well in a one off way.

And see I got all the way through without making any “Carry on” style jokes!

Adapted from Jo' Pratt recipes
Preparation time: 1-2 hours
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Makes 18 crumpets (I made half these amounts and made 8½ ish with one for the pan!)

Ingredients
•450g/1lb plain flour, sifted
•½ tsp salt
•1 tsp sugar
•2 tsp/1x7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
•300ml/½ pint warm milk
•300ml /½ pint warm water
•vegetable oil
•4 crumpet rings or 7.5cm/3in plain pastry cutters, greased

Preparation method
1. Place the flour and salt into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and yeast making a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and water and mix to give quite a thick batter. Beat well until completely combined and cover with a tea towel or cling film.
2. Leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour until it's a light, spongy texture. Stir well to knock out any air and pour into a large jug. ( I put the bowl over another bowl of warm water)
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a very low heat (I had to turn up 2 to 3 on my electric hob) with a drop of oil. Wipe the pan with kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Sit the greased crumpet rings in the pan and leave to heat up for a couple of minutes.
4. Pour in enough mixture to fill the rings just over halfway up the sides. Leave to cook until plenty of small holes appear on the surface and the batter has just dried out. This will take about 8-10 minutes. I would make one first to get the heat right slightly hotter temp made them cook properly.
5. Remove the rings and turn over the crumpets to cook for a further minute or two on the other side. Sit the first batch of crumpets on a wire rack while continuing to cook the remaining mixture.
6. A light toasting brings out the flavour perfectly and cooks them through totally.

Model prisoners: family history

2010-09-07T13:15:00.001+01:00

Eastcote Camp Model Harbour
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Been looking at our family history lately and found this wonderful postcard from a "Concentration camp" (now called to avoid confusion and grim associations an Internment camp) which presumably features my Great Uncle or Grandad and of course a small model harbour. This maritime model village was made presumably by the inmates to fill the endless hours of captivity in rural Northants!
I find the whole thing fascinating and way more valuable than more normal heirlooms. Click on the pic for more details.

time

2010-09-02T10:11:00.000+01:00

More of my nephews are going to "big school" this week the eldest is off to what we use to call "sixth form" college. It's all a bit wistful (for me and my bros mainly) but exciting (if trepidations) for them. I'm sure they will thrive and it's all part of the big adventure. They will soon be old enough to write this (only 22!)

Never a bad day if it's street card day!

2010-09-01T16:49:00.002+01:00

4 diamonds
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

a loaf of seedy bread, some fizzy vimto, a jammy ring and the four diamonds!

Tracking down Billy Casper.

2010-08-29T12:52:00.003+01:00

skyline
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Wonderful few days up Yorkshire seeing the folks . Me and A&;B went for a wander and found out that basically their house is surrounded by the filming locations for Kes. I'd seen the ruin where Billy takes kes its nest many times from the M1 but it was good to see it up close.
One thing that was pleasing is that the film locations are virtually all in the same small area and Billy's walks can almost be done in real time and almost in order.

Some things have changed almost all the pits and factories seen in the film have gone. In fact its salutatory that if Billy did follow the lumpen Jed down the pit. He and his brother would ten years later be out on strike facing more time above ground looking for work.

Watching the film again that evening we decide to find some of the other sites and with the help of this site we found the field where billy flew Kes (which you can see from A back window). Sadly the council/school in their wisdom has put up a huge fence round the site to curtail modern day Billy gaining access (although some kids seem to have snuck on). Pleasingly we aslo saw a pair of Kestrels on the power lines on the field rest ready to go hawking for for their dinner over the grassland and surrounding recently planted scrub.

Thwarted in photo op we were heading home when we bumped into a living breathing Billy Casper; well his 50 year old self. A fascinating guy who filled us in with all the local walks and history. Apparently and I'm choosing to believe this story as a kid he actually showed Barry Hines (a teacher at his school at the time) the nest site used in the film!
So a wonderful day with excellent weather, we are hoping to get some pics of Billy's school which is being closed this term to move to another site, so we we will hopefuly be able to snap the famous showers and footy pitch as well!

Hello Stranger

2010-08-18T21:35:00.001+01:00

Hello Stranger
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Dick's dish isn't going down well

2010-08-11T22:59:00.001+01:00

Dick's dish isn't going down well
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

"when we said keep it simple, we were thinking scallops and pea puree!!"

Not really sure why the BBC was cooking Lunch (or dinner as its called) for the pupils and staff of Harrow school tonight the headmaster was apiece fo work.

These foolish things....

2010-08-10T18:20:00.003+01:00

Well, a successful day all round got plenty done in spite of the drizzle. Out dodging puddles at lunchtime and tying a damp shoe lace I found 20p, 50 yards further down the high street I went into a charity initially to check out a lightweight tripod they had in the window.

As always it had the "headbit" missing (as they always do!the volunteer didn't seem too concerned about this as they always are) and then with some inevitability I started to flick through the vinyl. A few lps in I found this gem. Mr Ferry apart from being a depressingly stylish cove is the king of a good cover and so with wonderful synchronicity I took him for a spin for the princely sum of...... 20p.
Here's Bryan looking bored and wonderful

As to what other "foolish things" will remind me of the rest of August 10th:

well some damp podgy pigeons pecking at a puddle
my first blackberry: surprisingly sweet
a stern woman in a meeting with "jo,jo,jo" tattooed vertically inside her left wrist
& my shopping list of "Milk & Bleach" which must be a great lost pub rock song.

Anyone else got any other "Foolish Things" ?

a flat white Midnight Kiss from a troll: the week so far in pictures

2010-08-05T07:10:00.004+01:00

In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Thanks to a tip of from E &R watched "insearch of a Midnight Kiss" 2007 by Alex Holdridge. It's really good don't be put of by the "indie-schmidie" start as it's got a lot of heart and shabby hipster setting rings truer than many films. It's a romance but not a too saccharine one.

The slow drip (or should that be high pressure steamy blast) of fancy coffee is dribbling our way as New Cross has got a new cafe "the London Particular" . So taking the plunge I had my first "flat white" one of the many nuanced coffee and milk cocktails on the spectrum from Mellow birds through to well chewing raw beans!

Now the cheery woman he served me may have been antipodean so it may have been authentic but I couldn't say for sure but anyway it was a very good cup. But if you were to hold the proverbial gun to my head I would have been hard to pushed to separate it from a good cappuccino ie still strong but not awash with milk like your average "neropretbucks" fare and yes the feather leaf pattern makes it taste better!

and I found another street card, sadly not one for my playing card pack but a marvelous railway repairshop snap shot. I've said before about the particular charm of this sort of thing.
Oh and look who was stopping you get through the bent railings into the park...

Park life: Boney’s tuna on brown and the shoeless Eusebios

2010-07-27T15:05:00.003+01:00

The park's incredibly dry at moment, the main “lawn” is burnt brown to the colour of sand and has number of patches of bare earth. On it 2 tiny black lads are playing football with a knackered casey, they are bare foot. The sparseness of the grass and their evident joyfulness makes it almost like a scene from a cloyingly aspirational fifa endorsing credit card ad. Thankful they are just playing footy in the sun.

Around me on the new benches a quirk of fate means everyone (5 others) but me has a medical crutch for some leg problem or other, it feels like I’m eating my tuna sandwich during Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow.

Even in this mini drought the council are thankfully maintaining the new planting and a kindly looking middle-aged bloke in shorts is watering the ornamental grasses and shrubs. The bare foot footballers run up to him ostensibly to collect their errant ball but also to run through his hosepipe jet. He jokingly rebukes them and then pretends to accidental splash their feet. They squeal with delight, thankful for his schedule their dad soon comes over to pull them away as that’s the sort of game to which there’s no end.

My sandwich is almost gone, it’s not bright sun but still hot enough, I’m regretting my black trousers and also getting the last bench, the one without any shade. But it’s not unpleasant for a while and my books distracting me. While I munch one of the regular pigeon ladies wanders past and a little way off starts throwing out huge handfuls of bread and cooked rice. Her mottled grey flock is almost immediately dispersed however by another young lad this time on a bike; her rebukes are sapped of their usual anger by the heat.

The walking wounded have now been joined by a guy with impressively huge head bandage, fearing I too might fall victim to some of the Tsars’ grape shot as I beat my own retreat.

Have you got your summer special yet?

2010-07-27T13:06:00.001+01:00

Everyone seems to be off on their hols. Fill your retro boots with this bumper Look in compilation.
Yes I do want an ABBA pull out poster and some action transfers !

Here comes the summer By the Undertones (Peel sessions)

Solipsism 101

2010-07-24T09:29:00.002+01:00

Solipsism 101
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Please forgive me a few moments of me time those lovely types at the Londonist have chosen my pictures for their "behind the lens" feature. I v. honoured .
here's the link to the feature

Lost in the streets

2010-07-22T10:15:00.001+01:00

Wes Brown
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Found another street card the other day. Part of the detritus of the world cup .
Loved the story on the radio this morning that having waited until after they assumed a glorious world cup to re-new their sponsorship deals the FA is having problems finding any mugs wanting to chip in to top up the trough to feed the bloated mediocre football set up in this country.