Bishops Park fountain, Fulham
Fountain in the ornamental pond at Bishops Park, Fulham that I walk to from my home in West London. The area immediately surrounding the pond is closed to people and the sky is an unusually pure blue at the moment due to the lack of jet vapour trails and vehicle pollution as the lockdown continues.
Any colour you like so long as it’s BLUE
Photographic survey of the blue performance cars that I see on my lockdown walks around my neighbourhood, from a V8 and a V10 Audi R8, a classic MG to a sadly burnt out VW camper. Along the way, Porsche, Harbeth, Audi, and Mazda performance cars in variously subtle shades of blue.
Happy Days... are here again
The Italian bikes out where they belong, in the summer sunshine. Lockdown’s not over yet here in London, but seeing the bikes out in the sun again is like seeing the first daffodils flowering after the long grey winter.
The local dealer’s been open through most of the lockdown, looking after the scooter delivery riders; today (the first day of the “flexible lockdown”) is the first time I’ve seen the big bikes outside.
Confirmation of the slogan on the posters “Please believe these days will pass” and giving hope it may be soon.
The River
Photos about the River Thames, the people, its tides and textures from a single walk out from my home to the Thames Path between Fulham, Hammersmith Bridge and Barnes Bridge. Variation is provided by the route, the tide and the sun’s light. Fully manual technique, just the one prime lens with the same filter and same ISO throughout. Cropping, if any, only to correct horizontals. No dodging or burning.
2004 Saint Julien - Grand vin de Bordeaux
Enjoying roast pheasant with this Grand vin de Bordeaux (Saint Julien AOC, Médoc). Here are my tasting notes.
Ponta de São Lourenço - Madeira 3
One of the most satisfying hikes in Madeira. Big views of dramatic cliffs and beach boulders being pounded by the raw Atlantic. Rounded coves like the Jurassic Coast in Dorset but this is volcanic rock. Butterflies & lizards as well as the dramatic topography.
New Year’s Eve 2019 Viennese Gala
The Brighton Philharmonic return with their New Year Viennese Gala. Varied as ever and not restricted to the music of the Strauss family of the 1860s and 1870s, Brighton’s own orchestra draws a near sell-out audience to Brighton Dome on New Year’s Eve. Conductor Stephen Bell mounted the podium with a hop, skip and a jump and bounced along in the programme.
The Brighton Philharmonic is growing in strength and confidence, it’s obviously not an international orchestra though a number of the individual players work at that level for their day job. A sparking Die Fledemaus overture opened the concert with glorious woodwind. Ailish Tynan, soprano, was in good voice for the first of several vocal pieces. The woodwind continued to delight, as did the precise xylophonist. Franz Lehár’s Gold and Silver Waltz rounded off the first part of the programme, the strings giving a credible swirl to the sumptuous main waltz tune even in the relatively austere architecture of the Brighton Dome.
