Category Archives: Musings

11th March picture of the day…

11 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by in Musings, Tony Allen, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

It’s been a funny old day. Having started it spending a few hours working from home I had to head over to Milnsbridge in the Colne valley so I decided to give myself plenty of time to do it by a mix of walking and public transport.

The first leg involved a pleasent stroll into Halifax in fine spring-like weather which really lifted the spirits. Sadly, the Halifax – Huddersfield train service was cut back to 2-hourly on January 6th, so I had plenty of time to enjoy a wander around the town centre and explore the Piece Hall before catching the 11:50. Unfortunately, the spring-like weather was blown away by rising winds, leaving me under-dressed and rather chilly! At least the train was warm. I’m not a fan of Class 150s but today I was happy to see one arrive.

I arrived at Huddersfield in plenty of time to walk to Milnsbridge. Cutting through the centre of town I headed for the Huddersfield narrow canal to walk the towpath West. Well, that was a disappointment after being used to walking my local canal. The route of the Huddersfield narrow is an absolute shit-tip. You couldn’t go more than a few metres without finding fly-tipping as people slung stuff down the canal banks from the adjacent roads. Talk about depressing. It was only when I got within sniffing distance of Milnsbridge that things improved. Detritus and derelict mills gave way to new canal side housing estates and at least a modicum of civic pride.

Appointment over I had to hot-foot it back to Halifax for another engagement. First off was a bus to Huddersfield which was fine even if I’d never done it before – thanks to the Google Maps app on my phone. It was only when I got back to Huddersfield I started to chafe. I’ve never used the bus station before but it wasn’t a bad experience. In fact I must get pictures sometime as it’s in the same iconic design mould as Preston bus station. My issue was the bus back to Halifax was 15 minutes late and I was due to be meeting with a group of compatriots to scatter a friends ashes.

The bus turned up eventually, but queuing at Huddersfield was an interesting experience – because no-one does. Bill Bryson once wrote that the British would have been so much better at Communism than the Russians ‘cos we knew how to queue. It seems those days are long-gone. OK, my timing wasn’t great as I ended up travelling at the same time as students who’d knocked off from college, but that was an interesting lesson in itself. They don’t queue. They sidle up to the front, assuming no-one will challenge them. Mind you, so did one young woman with a pram who barged her way to the front of the queue despite the obvious fact another woman was there before here. When I finally got on the bus and made my way to the top deck there were few seats available so I pissed off a young girl who’d spread across two so that her feet and her bag could have the other one but I had the (polite) audacity to tell her to shift ’em! I’m confused. When did young people become so entitled? I’m not claiming that we were angels when I was a kid back in the 1970s, but even so. Is this just me realising the tables have turned and I was once that teenager?

My reason for hastening back was that a group of us had arranged to get together to scatter our old friend Tony Allen‘s ashes. Thankfully I made it on time and we rendezvoused in his garden to carry out the mission before ending up in the Big 6 pub. It’s what he would have wanted! Tony’s 70th birthday would have been yesterday so it was a fitting time. The deed done we all made our way to the Big 6 in order to eat home-made cake, pork pie and drink beer as a fitting tribute to the man.

I’m now back at home, but I’ll leave you with this picture. Tony’s ashes-scattering was a private event, but here’s the beers with which we toasted both his birthday and his departure afterwards. For a change – none of them were his…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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/

Thank you!

6th March picture of the day…

06 Sunday Mar 2022

Posted by in London, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

It’s been a semi-relaxing weekend here at Bigland Towers, which has encompassed a variety of activities undertaken in a leisurely way. The fact the weather’s stayed dry has been a bonus as one does get sick of trudging through mud and being swaddled in waterproofs. It’s been nice to don clothing with a little more sartorial elegance and not look like you’re about to trek to the North Pole!

We’ve even managed to tick off a few jobs off the list too – but nowhere near as many as we planned because just living got in the way. Sometimes it’s good not to spend all your time trying to hit targets and tick things of lists and just ‘be’. Part of this was having an evening out at a restaurant which we’d never eaten at before. Not only that, it was at a part of Halifax we pass on a regular basis but have never explored (although we should). It’s called Dean Clough Mills. Once home to Crossley carpets this massive complex stretches for over half a mile, covering 22 acres and consists of 16 grade 2 listed Victorian mills. Saltaire has nothing on this place. It’s huge!

Our dinner date was at a place called Thai Corner, run by the same people who have a fantastic food stall in Halifax market where I’d occasionally pop in to buy one of their signature dishes as you rarely see it on Thai menu’s on the UK – Khao Soi. This is a Northern Thai specialty and it’s delicious. So, you can imagine our disappointment to find that it wasn’t on the menu at their new venture. Even so, we had a good night out, letting someone else take the culinary strain for a change.

Today was even more relaxed. We’d been virtuous and walked to/from Dean Clough yesterday (just under a 5 mile round trip) so didn’t feel bad about having a lie-in and pootling around for most of the day before wandering down into Sowerby Bridge for a drink. After all, it’s a busy week for the both of us next week and this is what weekends are made for.

Now we’re back at home preparing for the week ahead. Dee’s cooking and I’m packing for the next couple of days away as I’ve a night in Nottingham with some interesting side trips aside. So, I’ll leave you with the picture of the day which is a taster of another railway picture blog I’ll be writing when I have enough time. Here’s Wandsworth Common railway station on the 16th July 2001…

21 years ago trains on this route had been taken over by French company ‘Connex’ and this Victoria to Caterham bound Class 455 carries their livery. Connex won two franchises operating out of London, both South of the Thames. The former South-Eastern and Central divisions in third rail country. To say they made a pigs-ear of them would be an understatement! The trains got a new livery but that was all. They were dirty and vandalised and Connex got a hammering in the press. It’s a very different railway now and these old trains are scheduled to disappear by the end of the year. I still can’t believe I took this 21 years ago as in some ways it seems like yesterday…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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/

Thank you!

3rd March picture of the day…

03 Thursday Mar 2022

Posted by in Musings, Picture of the day, Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Apologies for absence yesterday but I’ve been too busy earning a living and scribbling professionally as well as editing pictures to find the time to blog. Plus, there’s been nothing exciting going on at Bigland Towers worth relating. The month of March began in glorious fashion weather-wise but that was for one day only. Since then we’ve resumed the wet and misty conditions that dominated most of last month. I’ve still torn myself away from the computer to get my daily exercise but the amount’s the bare minimum this week.

That said, there’s a change on the horizon. After tomorrow I’ll be free to get out more and next week is looking very interesting indeed. On Monday-Tuesday I’m in Nottingham at the annual Community Rail Network conference. This is the first time it’s been held away from the internet since March 2020. We just managed to get away with that as a live event before Covid put the mockers on, so everybody’s really looking forward to being able to catch-up with each other in the flesh once more. I’d had the conference booked for some weeks. When I’d arranged it Dawn said to me “I’ve a funny feeling you’ll get some paid jobs come in at the same time”. Sure enough, her intuition was spot on. I’m now double (nay, triple) booked as I’ve now got a really exciting event to attend in London late Monday afternoon where I’ll be wearing two hats as well as my own, but it’s embargoed, so I can’t tell you what it is – for now. To add to the fun I was invited to another press event in the capital on Tuesday but I can’t juggle any more balls to fit that one in too. It’s times like this I really wish I could clone myself!

With all this going on I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend at home before the next round of railway ping-pong starts. Thankfully, I’ve had just enough time in between to put the last lot to bed and start with a clean sheet. That said, scanning old slides is hanging around there in the background. I’m hoping to be able to restart that soon but whilst the commissions are rolling in I’m happy to let it lie. They’ve waited this long so another few months isn’t going to hurt. Besides, there’s lots of what will soon to be history to report on whilst it’s still around…

Talking of history brings me on to the picture of the day. For this one I’ve dug into the archives. There aren’t many countries where you’ll find old British built railway engines in everyday service nowadays but Sri Lanka is one. Here’s one of the M7 Class diesel engines built by Brush, Loughborough and supplied to the country in 1981. Only 16 were built but they’re still plying their trade around the islands railways. This is No 809, seen at Colombo Fort station with a local passenger train on the 26th December 2003.

You can find many more pictures of Sri Lankan railways in this gallery, plus this more recent one from 2016.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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/

Thank you!

1st March picture of the day…

01 Tuesday Mar 2022

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

The fact we’ve slipped over from February to March didn’t go unnoticed today – mainly due to the gorgeous – almost Spring like – sunshine we were bathed in today, along with mild temperatures. Of course, today would happen to be a day when I spent most of it stuck indoors! Thanks to my recent travels and having rejigged my plans as short notice to accommodate last minute commissions I’m behind on scribbling some articles so enjoying the sunshine’s had to take a backseat.

That said, it’s ben a productive day and I’ve got a lot done so missing the chance to top up my vitamin D levels was a worthwhile sacrifice. Now, if only I can have another day like this tomorrow I might have the end of the week free – just in time for the next band of rain. Damn! Ah, well – maybe working from home for the rest of the week will have some compensations. I’ve certainly enough articles that need words bashing together and there’s always slides to scan…

Despite the forecast, there’s a real feeling that spring is just around the corner. Our garden is springing to life with a mixture of snowdrops and daffodils (plus the odd Hyacinth) and I was amazed to see how much blossom was appearing across the West Midlands the other day. Add in the fact the days are getting longer and there’s a lot to look forward to especially as Covid is slowly fading away. Mind you, that seems partly because some people are simply ignoring the risks to pretend it’s somehow vanished overnight. It’s been overtaken by the awful news from the Ukraine and the madness unleashed by Putin. Noe people are more worried about thoughts of war and nuclear arsenals than they are of microbes. Still, I’ll be wearing my mask in public places for a while longer yet…

Right, enough of such thoughts. What’s today’s picture? To be honest, even I had no idea what it would be when I started typing earlier. But I’ve plumped for this, taken yesterday. In yesterday’s blog I mentioned how passengers are returning to the railway. Quiet scenes like this at Leeds station are fast becoming a thing of the past as folk return to old habits such as socializing and going out. You won’t see it looking this relaxed at the weekend…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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/

Thank you!

23rd February picture of the day…

23 Wednesday Feb 2022

Posted by in India, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Today’s been another quiet on here at Bigland Towers. The pair of us have been slaving away over hot computers – with varying degrees of success. Freelance life can be frustrating sometimes when you put a lot of effort into sorting out a potential commission only for the client to change their mind at the last moment and can the project. Such is life, sadly and why you always try to have several irons in the fire. At least I can concentrate on other stuff now. Hopefully the project will morph into a bigger job in the next few months.

Apart from that, the day’s not gone badly. I’ve caught up on paperwork and picture editing, continued writing my next articles and even found time this evening to update a blog on the old Class 317 trains as well as be active enough to get all my exercise routines ticked off (and more). Dawn’s been out with friends this evening which meant I didn’t have to cook so pleased myself with a concoction made from few bits from cupboard and fridge and concentrated on working instead, which gives me a clear run at a few other projects tomorrow as well as continuing keyboard bashing. Tomorrow evening I’ll be more traditional and find (and follow) a recipe rather than freestyle for one!

Hopefully the weather will continue to improve and by next week I’ll have space to resume my travels at some point. As always, things on the railways don’t stand still and a lot of changes are afoot. Plus, as the Covid emergency protocols wind down, many train services are being reinstated, which will make movement both easier and more pleasant.

So, on to the picture of the day, which is another in the series of old slides from India taken in 1995. They’re still in my inbox waiting to be edited so won’t be appearing on my Zenfolio website for a while, but here’s a taster. Yesterday’s was of one of the Portuguese Christian churches in Old Goa, today’s is from the Hindu religion and features the Shri Shanta Durga temple in Kavalem, Ponda district, North Goa. It was built between 1730-36.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

19th February picture of the day…

19 Saturday Feb 2022

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

The past 24 hours at Bigland Towers have been dominated by (surprise, surprise) the weather. Fortunately we escaped the worst of Friday’s weather but I made sure of that by staying at home for most of the day, only venturing out in the morning to do some shopping before hunkering down in the office to begin editing the hundreds of pictures that I’d taken over the past few days. It wasn’t until the afternoon that the storm hit us. It’s arrival was announced by massive gusts of wind which stayed with us for most of the afternoon/evening. Luckily, we seemed to dodge the damage that was suffered down in the South-West and elsewhere – although we have lost a few trees. Most fences seemed to escape unscathed. Mainly because all the weak or badly-built ones had already blown away in the preceding storms! There wasn’t much left to flatten…

Today we’ve had a different weather phenomenon – snow. Despite it being Saturday I’ve been beavering away at home trying to get all my new pictures sorted as I’ve a new commission come in at short-notice which has a time imperative, so I’ve needed to clear the decks of pictures ready to go with some of the articles I’ll need to turn around pdq in order to leave time for other work. Oh, the joys of freelance work. Jobs are like the proverbial London bus – they all come along at once!

Thankfully, although the snow’s stuck and left us with a decent dustings across the hills it’s not caused any disruption on the roads or railways. A few hours of the predicted rain will soon see it off which is just as well as we have a lunch to attend tomorrow afternoon over in the next-door Colne Valley.

Tonight we’re having a quiet night at home in the warmth of the cottage. Dawn’s busy cooking industrial quantities of her fantastic Lasagne (as she also supplies her parents and stocks up the freezer at the same time) whilst I’m finishing editing pictures and scribbling this and enjoying the delicious smells wafting out of the kitchen.

So, I’ll leave you with today’s picture which was taken from our bedroom window late this afternoon as the snowstorms took a break and the weather cleared just long enough to be able to see clear across the valley to Sowerby.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

Valentine’s day picture of the day…

14 Monday Feb 2022

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Miracle of miracles – it hasn’t rained all day for a change – just all morning! The weather Gods have smiled on Valentines day, not that either of us had anything terribly exciting planned just a quiet night in together with good food and each other for company. Besides, we’ve both been busy working all day, although I did manage to get out and enjoy a brief patch of sunshine during my daily exercise and perambulations though the local woods and park which meant I wasn’t decked-out like I was on an expedition to the North Pole!

There’s only a short blog from me tonight as now I’m busy packing for my next few days away as I’ll be up at sparrow-fart in the morning and don’t want to have to be clumping round at silly o’ clock disturbing Dawn. Everything will be packed and sitting in the living room, allowing me to slink out of the house whilst making as little noise as possible. Hopefully, the fact I’m heading South will mean I’ll be escaping the next severe weather warning – which will make a change. I’m fed up of gales and driving rain. Time will tell. Either way, I’ll have plenty to write about so expect a few different rolling blogs as I traverse the country whilst working on some very different projects.

Right, time to get back to work as I’m also on cooking duty tonight. Our Valentine’s meal is going to be Mussels in a Thai Green Curry – make up your own punchline about having a spicy night! In the meantime, here’s the picture of the day which comes from the latest batch of old slide scans from pictures taken in India. This is the sun setting off the beach in Arambol, North Goa in December 1995 as a group of local fishermen tend to their boat.

See you tomorrow – bright and early!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

12th February picture(s) of the day…

12 Saturday Feb 2022

Posted by in India, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

It’s been an all-sorts kind of day here at Bigland Towers – although much of it has been spent anywhere but at home! This morning we met Dawn’s parent for brunch at Hinchcliffe’s farm shop which is one of their regular haunts. I must admit, having someone else cook for us made a pleasant change. I plumped for the English breakfast as a rare treat and I was suitably impressed – and stuffed!

Afterwards we adjourned to Chez Platt as Dee had arranged two new phones for her parents and needed to get them up and running. At the age of 87 her dad is now the proud (well, not that bothered, really) owner of a ‘smartphone’! All Dawn has to do now is to persuade him to leave the thing turned on!

Whilst the Dee oversaw the school of telephony and technology I was hunkered down with the laptop, sorting out old slides to go on eBay. After a year-long break I’ve decided to resurrect my account as a way of making some money and decluttering the cottage of some of the railway ephemera and surplus pictures that I’ve garnered over the past few decades. I’ll announce details soon.

To be honest, today was a good day to be stuck indoors as the weather’s been crap all day. We seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of rain and high winds at the moment, which is hardly conducive to wandering far – although I’ll be doing plenty of that next week.

When we finally made it back home after a detour to pick up some shopping Dee stayed at the cottage whilst I nipped out for a couple of hours to join some friends at a local hostelry to do something I’ve not done in decade and play pool. A small group of refugees from the Big 6 have decided that ‘early doors’ on a Saturday is an ideal time to shoot a few games at another local pub and I’ve been co-opted. Relearning old skills has been both fun and frustrating although the former outweighs the latter!

Now I’m at home and blogging this before turning off for the evening as it’s time to relax, listen to the rain and wind beating on the windows whilst curling up in front of a film, but before I do I’ll leave you with another old picture from my batch of slides taken in India in 1995. On the way back from Mapusa market (the last picture I posted) we had to catch the ferry from Siolem to Chopdem. Whilst we were waiting I noticed this very un-Indian vehicle in the queue for the ferry, then noticed that it also had a UK registration plate. Yep, someone had driven this old Ford Transit camper van overland all the way from the UK to India! Sadly, I’ve no recollection of having talked to them as I’d have loved to have known which route they took and how long they’d been on the road!

I wonder if it’s still there?…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

8th February picture of the day…

08 Tuesday Feb 2022

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

It’s been another quiet day here at Bigland Towers. Dawn’s been down with the lurgi – but the old fashioned, common-cold kind rather then anything more exotic (thankfully) so I’ve ensured I’ve stayed at home to be on hand and keep a constant supply of Lemsip’s (mixed with Dee’s home-made fresh lemon and ginger drink) and other foods and liquids ferried to the bedroom. I’ve enjoyed the time at home and not missed much as the weather’s been universally crap. The winds have gone but they’ve left the rain behind and it’s that fine, drifting stuff that gets in everywhere and soon has you soaked. Despite the conditions I’ve been ensuring I break the monotony of staring at a computer screen to get out for a daily stroll. Pictures are lovely, but the views across the Calder valley (well, when the rain clears) are real! Having a full set of decent waterproofs helps in my perambulations as you really need them in this part of the world unless you want to spend a lot of time stuck indoors – or dripping wet.

Hopefully by Friday Dawn will be fighting fit again and I’ll have ploughed through the work I need to clear and be able to sally forth once more. Even if not, I’ve got a few days away arranged for next week, including some interesting jobs arranged that I’ll talk about nearer the time. Today I was diverted by a last-minute request for pictures from a client, it only took a few hours and it was a profitable interlude but it diverted me from what I had planned. That can slip into tomorrow which isn’t a problem as I’m not going anywhere until I can remove the Red Cross from the front door!

Travel brings me on to the picture of the day, which is one of a series I’m currently scanning from a trip to India in 1995-96 when a group of us met out in Goa for Xmas and New Year. Most of the group then returned to the UK but Lynn and I plus our friends John and Helen stayed on and headed South from Goa into Karnataka to visit some archeological sites and the wonderful town of Mysore. Today’s picture is taken just after Xmas. In those days the fishermen of Arambol village came up with a money-making scheme where they’d rent out their boats to take travellers by sea to Anjuna for the weekly ‘flea market’. It was a short-lived venture as safety standards were non-existent. There were no lifejackets and no shade and nothing in the way of luxuries (like space, or proper seats) but it was fun whilst it lasted!

Carefree days…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

5th February picture of the day…

05 Saturday Feb 2022

Posted by in India, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

The usual apologies for absence for yesterday, but nothing exciting was happening so I took a day off to recharge my batteries at home and basically fester. OK, that’s not entirely true, but it’s not far off! The weather’s hardly been conducive to outward-bound adventures as (here in the Pennines at least) the elements seem to be doing their best as making up for dry January. No, not that one (I wasn’t very good at that) but the one that’s far more important and involves rainfall.

Today’s been even worse. The heavens have never stopped opening so neither of us have been up to much other than pottering around at home then popping out for food shopping – which has cost us an arm and a leg. Add all the influences that are driving inflation right now and it still doesn’t account for how prices have risen. OK, we’re told inflations running at 5%. Seriously? Look at the cost of some basic foodstuffs nowadays and you’ll soon see 5% is a massive understatement. Oh, and that’s before we start to look at what our utility (and other bills) are going to look like shortly. And don’t even get me started on the Chancellor’s smoke and mirrors ply with a ‘grant’ towards fuel bills. You’ll be paying it back even if you don’t claim it – as Money-saving expert Martyn Lewis pointed out.

The Tories giveth, and the Tories taketh away…

Despite this confluence of crap there was a couple of rays today. I did something I’ve not done for decades and joined a group of friends in a pub – to play pool! It’s a skill I once had when I lived in London back in the 80s/90s but that’s atrophied ever since. In those days there was a certain pub in the East End near where I lived called the Beehive which was run by an ex-copper that meant we could still be playing in the early hours of the morning – and for money too. Those days are long gone but tonight my muscles and eye remembered a few of the old skills – and it was great fun!

There was no danger of it turning into a late-nighter of old as Dee’s not well and I’m on cooking duty, so it was a case of a few quick games before I’m home chopping shallots to use in an Indian curry. Not that I mind, I find cooking therapeutic. Now all the chores are done and it’s time to relax, so I’ll leave you with the picture of the day. I’ve a new batch of old slides ready to scan but this is one of the first from the new selection.

Back in 1995 a group of us all met up in Goa, India at a place I’d known since a decade earlier. The happy band included friends from London, plus my brother. Apart from Lynn and one other old traveller none of them had been to India before. Some were unprepared. So much so that one friend (I’ll spare their blushes) hadn’t even carried any money as they assumed they’d just be able to go to the nearest ATM…

We arrived on Xmas Eve 1995 and this was how you crossed the rivers in those days..

A ferry from Chopdem arrives in Siolim as we take one in the opposite direction. Xmas eve 1995…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!