Category Archives: Musings

15th August picture of the day…

15 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in Architecture, Manchester, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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Another week and another day spent chained to a desk, but hardly in a bad way. The weather forecast was threatening rain and even the possibility of thunderstorms so it seemed like a good day to be at home. Neither rain nor thunder materialised, all we had was a few desultory spits of rain which didn’t even wet the pavement.

Away from the weather my time was spent productively. I’ve a lot more of next weeks around Britain trip and now have an idea of where I’ll be ending the week as I’m not going to try and return home on the day, it would cramp my style too much and mean too much retracing of steps. I’ve not finalised everything as I’m waiting for a few temporary timetables to either be confirmed or cancellations be announced. I may have to be flexible on the Saturday as a result. Even so, it’s going to be quite a trip!

Another project that’s taken up a lot of my day has been preparing another batch of old railway slides and sundry memorabilia for sale on eBay. I’m hoping to have many of the articles added tomorrow and released for sale in the evening. There’s a mixture of UK pictures going back to the mid 1990s plus a selection of Sri Lankan railway images dating from 2003 which feature some old British built locomotives.

One unexpected diversion today was the return of an unexpected visitor. On Friday a racing/homing pigeon put in an unexpected appearance. The poor thing was suffering from exhaustion due to the heat and crash-landed at the back of the house where I found it voraciously chugging water out of an old flowerpot. I managed to save it from the local cats and put it in our outhouse with a supply of food and fresh water for the night then released it successfully the next day and watched it fly away. Well, it seems it enjoyed its holiday a little too much. This afternoon I was looking out of the office window and noticed it perched on the wall opposite, almost as if it was watching me! This time it was a much closer call with the cats who were already stalking it – but now it’s back in the outhouse. This time we checked the rings on its legs and found a phone number – which is local! I’ve rung the chap and he’s going to collect our feathered friend tomorrow. Let’s hope this time it decides it’s given me enough stress! Besides, I don’t want to fall out with the cats…

OK, time for today’s picture. This one’s from my recent jaunt to Manchester and features the Edwardian baroque magnificence of the Midland Hotel. The hotel was designed by Charles Trubshaw and constructed between 1898 and 1903 for the Midland Railway Company at a cost of more than £1 million. It’s coated in a variety of terracotta and granite and it looks stunning!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

12th August picture of the day…

12 Friday Aug 2022

Posted by in Lancashire, Musings, Photography, Trams, Travel

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After yesterday’s Blackpool jaunt today’s been one where the focus has been very much about home. The day’s been another hot one with the mercury hitting the 30 degree mark so ideal for spending lots of time in the cool of my office. Plus, I’ve had a couple of days worth of pictures to edit. The galleries they’ve been added to you can find by following this link.

I did eventually venture out for my daily constitutional but boy, was I hot and sweaty by the time I got back. Apart from the absence of humidity these temperatures remind me of being back in Asia – only without the colour and the chaos – well, if you discount what’s happening in politics anyway.

One unexpected event was playing host to a racing pigeon. I’d been out watering the back terrace garden when I spotted a clearly exhausted pigeon drinking from an old plant pot base. The fact it showed absolutely no fear or inclination to move when I approached convinced me it wasn’t one of our skittish locals. When I got close the rings on both its legs confirmed my suspicions. Myself and a couple of neighbors fed and watered it, but then the damned thing wanted to go to sleep on the back steps, which would have been suicide as next door has a couple of cats. Instead, it now has a perch in our shed where it has food, water and sanctuary until tomorrow when we can see if its fit enough to fly off or we have to try and contact its owners.

Talking of flying away, our evening’s been spent in our local pub (The Big 6) to celebrate Holly’s last shift after seven years behind the bar. Nowadays the ‘ginmeister’ works as a teacher and doesn’t have the time. Her send-off brought a lot of old regulars together and included the former Landlord and Landlady – John and Leslie. We had a lovely night catching up with everyone and reminiscing about old times.

Right now the pair of us are back at home and ready to call it a day. It may be Saturday tomorrow but we’ve both got lots of things to do involving work rather than play. Before I switch off for the evening I’ll leave you with the picture of the day which is one from my visit to Blackpool. Odd to think, but until the early 1990s when the Metrolink system in Manchester opened Blackpool was the last refuge of trams in the UK, now look at it. It’s gone from a run-down old system running vintage vehicles to an growing business that uses new Bombardier Flexity 2 trams and is extending its routes to include a new interchange by Blackpool North station.

Trams are in the pink in Blackpool…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
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Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

8th August picture of the day…

08 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, RAIL magazine, Travel

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It’s been another busy day here at Bigland Towers, although most of it’s been spent chained to my desk. I’d pictures to get out to a couple of magazines, paperwork to sort out – and then start planning my round Britain trip for RAIL magazine. Looking through the diary I realised that there’s only one window to fit a 7-day trip in, so the 22nd-28th August it is then, which just misses the bank holiday Monday – although (depending on my finalised plans), I may still be travelling back from somewhere that day. Right now I’ve the first four days mapped out. They’ll see me travel anti-clockwise from Halifax, across Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire in a loop before returning home. After that I head West again to take in Merseyside, Cheshire and onto Shropshire and the Welsh borders before ending up in Pembrokeshire. Day three sees me traversing South Wales before hitting Bristol and heading down to Cornwall for a flying visit, then ending up in Exeter for an overnight. Day four will see me heading from Exeter to Salisbury before hugging the South Coast all the way to Brighton and on to Ashford before ending up on the Kent coast and on to London. Right now, I’m still planning days 5, 6 and 7 as I’ve a lot more ground to cover – including Scotland! You’ll be able to read all about my travels which will be spread over three editions of RAIL this coming October/November.

Tomorrow I take a break from planning as I’ve got to go to Manchester with Community Rail Network colleagues to scope out the venue for this year’s community rail awards. I may as well make a day of it, so expect a rolling blog as I’ll be looking at some rail enhancement projects en-route – and possibly on the way back too…

So, without further ado – here’s today’s picture. Unlike the South of the country we’ve had a lot of rain up here in the Pennines recently. One morning when I opened the living room curtains I noticed these raindrops on the lilies outside and couldn’t resist digging out the camera fitted with my micro-lens.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

7th August picture of the day…

07 Sunday Aug 2022

Posted by in Malaysia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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The first week of August is already over? Really? I know it’s said that time seems to pass more quickly as you get older but it feels like someone is seriously taking the pee here! I’ve so many things to plan or fit in my diary or on the calendar but some bugger keeps nicking the days!

The consequence of this time foreshortening (and other things) has meant that this Sunday’s been anything other than a day of rest – despite my best hopes and aspirations. I wouldn’t mind, but next week is going to be jam-packed with events and suchlike. It’ll provide me with material for several blogs – if I can find the time. Oh, and then there’s sorting out dates and planning for my bi-annual round the UK trip for RAIL magazine, which I really need to get on top of – especially with the next round of rail strikes in the pipeline which could really put the mockers on things. I suspect my Monday is going to be spent poring over timetables and calendars whilst I map out the rest of my year. Especially as I’m determined to get back to Asia in December-January. Whilst I’ve got some great holidays planned with Dawn and family, I miss flying solo and really travelling. I’m hoping the things I can put in place over the next week will fix that.

But, right now it’s time to relax and leave you with the picture of the day which is another one from a previous life where travel was so much part and parcel of my everyday life – even more so than now. Many of us have a ‘happy place’ and for a whole host of reasons Georgetown on Penang Island, Malaysia is one of mine. I first discovered the place on my solo travels in 1991-92 and I’ve been drawn back on a regular basis ever since. After a long journey overland there’s something about getting on the ferry across from the mainland, seeing Georgetown hove into sight and thinking ‘I can relax now’. Here’s one of the reasons I love it so much. Streetlife -and streetfood.

Hawkers stalls take over Lebuh Chulia in Georgetown of an evening, serving a fantastic variety of Asian foods. They’re a great place for tasty cheap eats and chance to watch the world go by…

If you want to see more of my pictures of Georgetown taken over the years, click on this link.

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If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

1st August picture of the day…

01 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in Musings, Norfolk, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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Another month has flown by and now we’re already into the eighth month of the year, where the hell’s the time going? After yesterday’s little excursion I’ve been been busy at home editing the pictures to get out to the client whilst sticking the rest on my Zenfolio picture website. You can find which galleries they’re in by following this link. To be honest, I was glad of the home time as I’d so many things to catch up on or prepare for the week ahead. Plus, whilst the weather still feels warm the day gradually deteriorated, leaving us with yet another wet evening with worse to come tomorrow. Hardly great photographic conditions, so if the rain Gods want to do their stuff now and leave me in peace from Wednesday whilst I’m working on HS2 sites I’ll be more than happy!

One of the many projects I want to get done this month is stick many more old slides and items of railway memorabilia onto eBay. I’ve already got several hundred old transparencies listed and I re-advertised over 350 unsold pictures this evening. You can find what’s on sale (prices start from £1.99) by following this link. I’ll be adding new pictures by the weekend.

Right, it’s a short blog from me tonight as I’ve another early start as both Dawn and I have a long day ahead. I’ll leave you with today’s picture which is from yet another project that remains uncompleted – scanning all my old slides! Although this particular picture dates from August 1997 is topical for me as we’re in the process of arranging a week-long holiday on the North Norfolk coast in September. Dawn’s never visited the area and I’ve not been back for over 20 years, so we’re both looking forward to it. Here’s the old windmill at Cley next the Sea.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

30th July picture(s) of the day…

30 Saturday Jul 2022

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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And what a convivial day it’s been! We started off by driving over to Huddersfield to have brunch with Dawn’s parents at the excellent Hinchcliffe’s farm shop in their ‘Rusty Bull’ cafe/restaurant. It’s always a treat to have someone else cooking for us – especially of a weekend. We weren’t disappointed either. The menu’s changed since our last visit. The full English still features and that was my choice as it’s something we’d rarely cook at home. Dawn plumped for one of the new dishes, Shakshouka. This was comprised of Chorizo, Smoked Bacon, Baby Spinach, Sweet Peppers and Poached Eggs, served with Sourdough Toast.

We had a lovely meal and time together which was only slightly spoiled by the fact a lone Wasp managed to sting me on my neck! The little barsteward prompted a detour on the way home so that I could pick up some anti-histamines from a chemist. Years ago I had a bad allergic reaction to a sting from some critter so I wasn’t taking any chances, especially as it stung me so close to my throat. I didn’t fancy a tracheotomy if things went pear-shaped! As it was the tablets worked a treat.

On the way home we called in at another favourite, the Bolster Moor farm shop where we stocked up on various cuts of meat that’ll keep us going for quite some time and allow Dawn to produce some of her amazing dishes – like her fabulous gluten-free lasagne as well as home-made chicken-liver pate. We also bought a couple of different bags from their range of flours for our neighbour as a ‘thank you’. Susan bakes the most delicious bread (purely as a hobby) which she passes on to us. Her delightful range of fresh home-made loaves mean we hardly ever have to buy bread.

Once back at home Dawn rolled up her sleeves and started cooking whilst I sloped off to our nearest pub (The Wainhouse Tavern) for a few games of pool with some friends. I don’t go every week, only when I’m around. Rediscovering old skills (I used to play in a pool team back in my distant youth) is great fun and makes a pleasant change from just propping up a bar.

I stayed for a couple of pints and several games before returning home to muck in cleaning up the kitchen where Dee was cooking up a storm. As well as the gorgeous smell of the Lasagne ragu the kitchen was full of the aroma of our meal for tonight – Nasi Goreng, the signature dish of Indonesia, which we’ll be eating soon after I’ve finished scribbling this!

Tomorrow will be less relaxing. I’ve been tasked with getting the cover picture of a magazine which means a trip to Leeds/Bradford in the hope I can get a suitable picture, so expect a rolling blog from my trip. In the meantime, here’s a selection of pictures from today’s outings.

Hincliffe’s full English with added black pudding…
A selection of local bitters in the Wainhouse Tavern.
Winning! Or not….
A snack before supper. Sat at my desk with one of Bolster Moor’s award-winning pork pies.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

27th July picture of the day…

27 Wednesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Community rail, Cumbria, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

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We’ve had a busy day here at Bigland Towers due to two events. Dawn had to go into the Community Rail Network offices in Huddersfield bright and early whilst I was engaged in my last Zoom judging panel for the Community Rail Awards. The law of Sod being what it is, my internet started playing up shortly before I was due to join the meeting. Luckily, there was a plan B. I have a large data allowance on my mobile phone contract so I tethered it to my laptop and used it as a surrogate internet connection for a few hours whilst myself and my esteemed colleagues (all with a wealth of experience) judged our final three categories totaling over 50 entries . What was reassuring was the the fact that during our individual initial sifting and marking we’d all come to an independent (and unwitting) consensus on who the winners were. 2nd and 3rd place took some more discussions but an agreement wasn’t too difficult – despite the fact there were some excellent entries and the overall standards were so high. I’ll say no more other than that there are some very worthy winners and the awards ceremony in Manchester later in October will be a brilliant and inspiring event and celebration of the best the world of community railways has to offer.

Now my judging duties are over for another year I can concentrate on other things. I’m looking forward to be able to get out and about again as there’s so many things to see and do – although today wasn’t going to be one of those days due to the latest rail strike which meant there were no trains at all running through the Calder Valley, which would have rather cramped my style! Anyway, there’s another week and another month coming up on Monday which will see me stretching my legs on a number of different projects. But not tomorrow – as the weather’s meant to be crap again! I’ve been sending pictures from the heatwave to several different magazines today. They seem like an age ago due to the fact we’ve had constant rain since – it’s almost like it was a dream. Hopefully the summer will return soon.

On that note I’ll leave you with today’s picture which is an archive ‘trains and the landscape’ picture taken at Arnside on the edge of the Lake District in November 2021.

CAF built Class 195 number 195132 crosses the viaduct at Arnside whilst working 1C54, the 1228 Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness on the 4th November 2021.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

25th July picture of the day….

25 Monday Jul 2022

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, West Yorkshire

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I can’t quite believe the contrast in the weather up here in the Pennines. This time last week we were basking in a heatwave which saw the UK being scorched by record temperatures. Even the Calder valley made it up to 37 degrees. Now? It’s been raining most of the day (making that 6 days in a row) with the temperature never rising above the mid-teens. Bizarre…

I’m not knocking it as I’m going to be stuck at home for a few more days yet as I’ve loads of paperwork, picture editing and prepping to do. It would be nice to get out for a walk without getting wet but the forecast for much of the rest of the week is more of the same – bar Wednesday which just happens to coincide with the next rail strike. That means no trains through the Calder valley so I doubt I’ll be going anywhere sadly. I know other parts of the UK would be very jealous of our rainfall as they’re still experiencing a drought, so I’m not going to complain. I took a stroll through our local woods earlier. They looked very lush and far less stressed than they did this time last week. It was a pleasure to be wandering through them as they’re such a peaceful and beautiful part of where we live.

There’s no long blog form me tonight and I certainly won’t be commenting on the latest Tory Leadership debate as I haven’t watched it. I’d rather stick forks in my eyes to be honest. We’ll learn nothing. Besides we already know neither of them are fit for high office – much less the highest elected office in the land. Whatever the result, we’re doomed to mediocrity and incompetence until the next General Election. Oh, joy…

Instead, I’m going to leave you with the picture of the day which is from my woodland walk earlier today. Welcome to Scarr woods!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

21st July picture of the day…

21 Thursday Jul 2022

Posted by in Community rail, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, West Yorkshire

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It’s been a very different day here at Bigland Towers. I’ve spent the vast majority of it glued to my office as the past couple of days have been taken up with judging my last categories in the Community Rail awards and having a Zoom call with fellow judges to settle the shortlist for the picture competition. We’ve had a huge number of entries this year (and some excellent ones too) which has meant its been a long process. I’ve gone through 50 plus entries this week alone. It’s hard work but it’s also inspiring. Getting to learn about the amazing work some of the station friends, other groups and individuals are doing is a real privilege. The awards are in Manchester in October and looking through the shortlists I’m sure it going to be an amazing event.

To be honest, it’s been a good day to be stuck indoors. The weather has changed here in the Calder Valley. We’ve had low cloud with sporadic outbreaks of light but persistent rain all day. This has brought welcome relief to the valley’s plant life which was really beginning to suffer after such a long dry spell compounded by record temperatures over the last few days. Hopefully now we’ll see some of the lushness reappear as the place was really starting to looked singed around the edges.

Talking of being singed, have any of you been following the twists and turns of the Tory leadership contest? They’re absolutely bonkers! The MPs have plumped for Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss – a suicide ticket if ever there was one! I can only hope Truss wins as she’s so unutterably vacuous it won’t take her long to destroy what’s left of the party’s credibility – and apparently she’s the favourite amongst party members – which says a lot about how disconnected from reality the members are! Watching the two of them trying to out Thatcher Thatcher and place themselves as her heir might appeal to the batshit membership, but it ain’t going to go down well in the swathes of the country where Thatcher’s name is still spat out as an expletive. Areas that have never forgiven her for the decimation of traditional industries – like the old mining areas which formed the ‘red wall’ that switched to the Tories in 2019 and voted for Johnson. Frankly, the Tory party has lost its mind. But that’s what happens when it becomes infiltrated by UKIP and the far-right and picks candidates not for their brains but for their adherence to the new dogma of Brexit – and nothing else. Britain is about to be governed by either a millionaire (married to someone even richer than he is) who has no allegiance to the UK and who famously admitted in an interview he knows no working class people and turned up on a building site wearing £500 Prada loafers – or someone who can’t even be trusted to find her way out of the room she launched her election campaign in – despite only having entered the room 10 minutes before!

I really don’t know whether laugh or cry. God knows what our European neighbours make of this farce. The idea that we’re going to be governed by this clown-show for the next few years is unbelievable – but it’s real. Can you imagine the nonentities Truss will fill her Cabinet with, because the last thing she’ll want is to appoint anyone who can outshine her, which rules out anyone competent and capable of a coherent thought.

Anyway, this theater of the absurd will play out until September (God help us all) so I suspect I’ll be spleen-venting on a regular basis for the foreseeable as it’s the only way I’ll be able to cope…

Meanwhile here’s the picture of the day – which has nothing at all to do with politics – I promise! Here’s a picture from Bradford in September 2019, when we were enjoying the last days of the summer. I suspect we’ll be seeing many more scenes like this in the future.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

19th July picture of the day…

19 Tuesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Climate Change, Musings, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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The Noel Coward song ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’ has been playing in my head for much of the day. Not that I was mad enough to go out in the midday sun – I’d plenty of work to do so stayed indoors until after 14:00, by which time the temperature here in the Calder Valley had hit an amazing 37 degrees. When I did venture out for a walk it was like stepping into an oven after sheltering indoors. Dawn had kept the house cool by keeping the windows closed and the curtains drawn – which made a huge difference. I’d foolishly opened my office window but soon learned the error of my ways! The woods around the house provided shade and a break from the heat but walking along the roads to get to them was hot, hot, hot! Thankfully, a breeze sprang up in the afternoon which began to take the edge of the heat. Then, by late afternoon cloud cover rolled in and noticeably reduced the temperature. Even so, some of our neighbour’s front gardens had turned ‘crispy’ and desiccated in the heat. I’d managed to save most of ours due to persistent watering but it was a close-run thing.

Now the heat’s subsided and we’re looking forward to more normal temperatures returning. But the picture is grim. Wildfores happened around Doncaster which is not what you expect in Yorkshire. East of London’s suffered badly too. Despite what the muppets on social media are saying, this is no ‘ordinary’ summer and to try and pass it off as another 1976 is just an excuse to ignore the science. Climate Change is real – and it’s happening. Now.

Looking at the nonsense posted by the deniers I’m struck by how many tick nearly every right-wing box. If you drew a Venn diagram of climate-change deniers, brexiters and anti-vaxxers you wouldn’t be far off a perfect circle. I sometimes wonder if the human race is just too stupid to survive. Some people’s ability to ignore or dismiss empirical evidence and science is breathtaking, but then if you’ve ever watched the film ‘don’t look up’ you’ll understand the problem. No doubt many will keep fiddling whilst the planet burns, but I hope enough folks wake up before it’s too late. I won’t be around to see the worst that human stupidity may bring, but it doesn’t stop me caring.

On that pessimistic note I’ll go straight to the picture of the day which is another old slide showing the beauty of the world we seem so determined to screw up. I took this picture at Lake Maninjau, Sumatra in 1992. One day I’ll get back here – before we screw it all up…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!