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The Gallery

The Gallery: Week 66 – Travel

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I nearly passed up on this one because I am not, relatively speaking, all that much of a traveller, at least, not by today’s general standards.  Then I remembered an outing to the RAF museum at Cosford, where I took quite a lot of pictures.  This museum, by the way, is well worth a visit, not only for  the opportunity to study a great wealth of aircraft of all kinds and how they find their place in history, but also for the visual feast of shape and line.  It’s very much about travel, mostly, of course, air travel.  It’s easy to travel to the site – by road, as I did, or by rail.  And while you’re there, you will ‘travel’ back in time…

This shot, I think, fits our theme best.  Anyone interested in aircraft, world war two, or design and shape for its own sake should go and see the rest for themselves.

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Writing Workshop

At that moment…

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This is a short anecdote about something that made my day special.  The day in question – some weeks ago now – became special because of something hilarious (at least, I thought so.)

What happened was this: I was driving around (as part of an ordinary business day) when I had to stop at traffic signals (a common enough occurrence.) I happened to be the first stopped car, that is, I was right at the stop line.

Now, this set of signals served two purposes: it controlled a crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists (several were waiting) and it was also part of a complex system of traffic control for a large roundabout linking trunk roads.  The entire layout was not visible from where I was stopped.  (Note that.)

After a few seconds, the signals allowed the pedestrians and cyclists to cross.  Among them, a very average cyclist on an equally average bike began, slowly, to cross in front of me…

Well, as I said, the entire layout was out of my range of vision; but out of earshot it was not.  Oh, no.  And at exactly the same moment, unseen, a powerful motor-bike roared away.

Picture, if you can, the absurd overall impression – a pedal cycle moving off at a sedate pace, making an ear-splitting roar!  It made me scream with laughter.  And the humour of the situation stayed with me all day.

Watch out (or listen out) for excessively noisy push-bikes…

This post was prompted by the writing workshop at:

http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org.uk/2011/07/04/writing-workshop-prompts-what-today-meant/

Then look here:

http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org.uk/2011/07/11/writing-workshop-what-today-has-meant-by-a-special-guest-contributor/

I linked this post to #chucklemums week 7 on 7 June 2016

Mumzilla
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Musings, Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop: It’s Raining Again

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As my regular readers know (all right, all right, you can laugh, but I’m sure that group of people must be just about nudging double figures by now) two things that hold considerable fascination for me are photography and rain.  Of these, the second one actually came first.  As a kid I used to love, after school on a wet day, to sit out on the small back porch at home, often with a book and a snack (to keep me going till tea-time) watching the rain.  Ever since then I’ve found watching rain curiously therapeutic – not that I’m unsympathetic towards all of you who are often struggling to get washing dry, mind – and I never mind walking in the rain as long as it isn’t really heavy.  That smell of wet grass, the pattern of raindrops on the surface of puddles or open water, or the sound they make as they hit parched ground, all create an ambience I love.  Even in urban surroundings, I’m intrigued by the reflections in the tarmac surfaces and the bubbling sounds from the gutters.  It’s just as well I have a camera with a good level of weather resistance. (Thank you, Pentax designers.)

But there’s just one snag.  (This is where the prompt comes in.)

Rain can make you very wet.  And cold.  So the piece of clothing that endears itself to me most is my well-worn padded storm coat.  I like it even more than the ‘replacement’ I bought, thinking it wouldn’t last much longer – it now seems determined to outwit this (rare) proactive move on my part.  (And by the way, if I decide something’s worn out, nobody is likely to argue.)

So, here it is.  I’m just thinking… I bought it when? It’s how old?  Let’s just say that I’ve had it quite a while…  and it has lots of pockets for holding, well, things.

I’d better go.  Did anyone notice which pocket I put my keys in?


This post was prompted by the theme ‘An item of clothing…’ at the Writing Workshop
NOW LOOK HERE!
http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org.uk/2011/06/27/writing-workshop-one-year-on-me-cybermummy-and-blogging/

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The Gallery

The Gallery: Week 63 – Old Meets New

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The theme for week 63 is ‘3 Word Gallery’.  I have chosen ‘Old Meets New’ as my three-word title.  In our cities, this is something that often happens in the context of architecture. Now, sometimes it works well, and sometimes the result is disappointing.  Here, I think the contrast of the old cathedral with the modern bridge, with its colour-changing LED lighting, works well.  And especially so in the rain.

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Musings, Writing Workshop

13 June 2011: Dear Me

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I and Me
In My Head
My House

Today

Dear Me,

Thank you for your thoughts asking for permission to be yourself, even when this involves being seen to be ‘different’.  I am happy, me, for you to go ahead with this.  Specifically, I’ll just go over a few of the points you raised:

  1. While the camera buffs around you are arguing the pros and cons of Canon versus Nikon, it’s quite O.K. for you to keep your Pentax and enjoy using it.
  2. It doesn’t matter how many other people use Windows or Mac, if you want to run Linux Mint, that’s fine.  In fact, I’m typing this reply to you using that right now.
    This free software lark appeals strongly to that Caledonian streak, old boy.
  3. On a wider issue now, you’re bothered because lots of people are going on about how men and women are equal, yet you want to go on thinking of them as different.  This is a tough one, but being an observant sort of chap, I’ve looked around a bit and, yes, you’re right.  There are, indeed, certain inescapable differences.  As long as we don’t regard either group simply as inferior beings with respect to the other, it’s fine to acknowledge that they are in fact, different.  I grant you, this will sometimes affect inclinations and aptitudes, but let’s not stereotype either gender because of this.
  4. Following on from the last point, politeness is not patronising chauvinism.  If you want to hold the door open for a lady or a gent, that’s fine.
  5. You don’t have to pretend to like what passes for ‘music’ just because you’re told that a particular ‘song’ is statistically popular.  And no, me, it’s not insane to want melody in a song.
  6. It’s quite in order for you to dress other than from the latest fashion catalogues.  If you like something in a catalogue, fine.  Otherwise, look elsewhere.  I know you’re not too vain (or too rich) to browse the charity shops if that way you find what you like to wear.  Other people don’t have to wear your clothes, or pay for them.
  7. Lastly, me, there’s the question you raise about what your friends are always thinking.  Well, if they think the worse of you because of your views regarding the items listed above, they’re not worth having as ‘friends’.  You don’t have to buy your friends by moulding your opinions to suit theirs, even though I’m sure you’ll agree on lots of things.  Mutual respect is a foundation for mutual love, and a motive for mutual kindness.

Please get in touch at any time you like just by thinking.  I’ll be glad to advise if I can.  I’d also like to remind you  that all the above points should also be applied the other way round, that is ,in your views of others, who deserve the freedom you ask for yourself.  So go ahead – wish you every success.

With lots of love,

Me.


This post was prompted by the theme ‘permission’ at the Writing Workshop.
NOW LOOK HERE!
http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org.uk/writing-workshop/

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