Tag Archives: India

22nd February picture of the day…

22 Tuesday Feb 2022

Posted by in India, Picture of the day, Travel, West Yorkshire

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I promised myself a day working from home today and that’s what I’ve managed to have, which was just as well as we had yet more torrential rain this morning. Yet again roads turned into rivers and the amount of blockages caused by broken off branches from the recent gales made it look like an army of beavers had taken up occupancy in the Calder valley. Like every other local authority Calderdale has suffered from Government cuts to its budgets which means that many drains haven’t been cleaned for years, leading to blocked grids which have added to the problem as water has nowhere to go – except downhill…

The afternoon was a lot drier and brighter, giving the sodden fields a respite and breathing space for the land to begin to drain. It was a lovely time to tear myself away from my computer and go for a long circular walk which took in Sowerby Bridge then home on a route sandwiched between the canal and the Calder. River levels are dropping too, much to many people’s relief as the flood sirens had already sounded in nearby Todmorden over the weekend. Hopefully we’re now past the worst.

Back home I’ve had a busy day catching up on paperwork, organising future commissions (which when they come off will be an interesting challenge) plus prepping and researching my next series of magazine articles. So, all in all – not a bad day. Of course, all this means that scanning old slides has had to take a backseat, which is unfortunate but unavoidable as there are only so many hours in the day. I’m determined to get the last ones scanned this year and I have a folder full of scans waiting to be edited, but paying jobs take priority. Oh, there’s blogs to be written too – but these may also have to take a bit of a backseat other than short daily updates. Still, I’ll see what I can pack in to longer days.

I’ll end today with a picture of the day from the batch of slide scans which are still in the holding folder until I can find time to edit them and get them on my Zenfolio website. This one’s another from the batch of Images of India taken in 1995/96. Our little band took a trip to Old Goa, which was the religious centre of the Portuguese enclave of Goa. Whilst the British left in 1947, the Portuguese had to be forcibly removed from the colonies of Goa, Daman and Diu. The newly independent India launched “Operation Vijay” in December 1961 and took back the territory held by the Portuguese for 450 years. Needless to say, a lot of influence was left behind – including old cathedrals and churches like this – the church of St Cajeta.

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Thank you!

Valentine’s day picture of the day…

14 Monday Feb 2022

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

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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!

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12th February picture(s) of the day…

12 Saturday Feb 2022

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

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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?…

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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!

10th February picture of the day…

10 Thursday Feb 2022

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

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No blog yesterday as (to be honest) there’s not been much to tell. I’ve been continuing to work from home, the weather’s been crap but Dawn’s been continuing to recover from the lurgi. Oh, I have been getting out boost my exercise levels, enjoying wandering around the valley despite the weather, but that’s been about it.

Mundane the routine may be but it’s also been enjoyable as I don’t often get this amount of time to spend at home and next week the pace changes completely due to a short-notice job coming in today which means I’ll be spending much of next week on the road (or more accurately – the rails) as I’ll now be in Leamington Spa on Tuesday, London on Wednesday and Bristol on Thursday, which will give me plenty to blog about!

In the meantime, I’m continuing to make the most of my time at home, including wading through more old slide scans one of which provides today’s picture. This was taken in India in December 1995. I’ve mentioned previously that a group of us all met up in Arambol, North Goa. One of the group was my brother, John. We’d taken a day off from the beach to tour the local market at Mapusa, the main town for North Goa. The market’s an amazingly vibrant place, typical of many Indian markets apart from the fact it’s also dotted with lots of tiny bars as Goa (being an old Portugese colony) has a much more relaxed attitude to alcohol than most Indian states. The market’s a place where hundreds of people of all ages try and scarpe a living – one way or another, which is what led to this picture.

John had been shopping for fruit which he’d been given in the ubiquitous plastic bag. This young girl was trying to sell plastic bags and accosted John. Not unreasonably, he explained he didn’t need it as he’d already got one, quick as a flash, this girl stuck a bigger bag over it and said ‘but I sell you a bag to carry your bag in”! Indian kids are sharp and quick-witted and this little girl was no exception. John couldn’t help laughing and I was on hand to capture the moment on camera as the girl was happy to pose for the picture. Needless to say, she sold her bag! On another occasion I remember a young shoe-shine boy with the same quick wittedness. A friend he was pestering thought he’d got the perfect brush-off when he told the lad “but I like my shoes dirty” – in a flash the kid replied “OK, then I make them dirtier”!

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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

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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…

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Thank you!

14th November picture of the day…

14 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by in Down memory lane, India, Musings, Travel

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Today finds me in a reflective mood due to a number of recent events. Partly it’s the come-down from the buzz and excitement of the past couple of weeks being up in Glasgow for COP26. That was such an amazing time with so much going on that it’s unsurprising the rush wearing off is having an effect. Even so, I was actually looking forward to coming home, but things haven’t quite gone the way I was hoping.

Part of that is due to hearing about the sudden deaths of two people. One of whom was an old friend. The other was someone I’d never met in the flesh but whom I’d spent years sharing social media with. I found out yesterday that a chap called Russell Saxton had died unexpectedly. Russell and I had been sparring partners (99% of the time on the same side) on social media for 15 or more years. We had a lot in common (politics, music, railways etc) but had never actually got around to meeting. Oh, we’d planned it. But other things always got in the way. But then you often think ‘there’s always next time’. Until there isn’t…

The other death was that of someone I’ve known for far longer. I first met Axel Honslaar in India back in the mid 1990s. Lynn had met him and his partner Lucie Walta in Goa, India when she was out there without me (on a work trip). Afterwards Lynn decided to have a couple of week’s holiday and pitched up in Arambol, Goa – a place I’d first introduced her to in 1993. Axel and Lucie had cycled all the way from the Netherlands to India and fell in love with Arambol. So much so they decided to stay and set up their own little business selling Dutch apple pies to the travellers and restaurants that lined the beach. They called their business ‘Double Dutch’. I met the pair of them when Lynn and I returned a year or two later. The four of us instantly hit it off. Axel and Lucie’s business really took off too. So much so that they ended up opening their own cafe, employing several local women which was a first as working in Chai shops and restaurants was a male preserve. The pair of them were philanthropists, not just employers, they did a tremendous amount of charity work (in fact Lucie still does). Off season they’d go to Nepal, where they started a small charity in the village of Barpak in Gorkha district. In 1998 Lynn and I joined them on one of the Nepal treks they used to organise to raise money for the charity. It was a fabulous 10 days trekking away from the usual tourist trails.

When Lynn and I visited them in Arambol we’d end up sitting with the pair of them, chatting and drinking – including Axel’s favourite local tipple – Old Monk rum. They were lovely times, but times change. Lynn and I last visited Goa in 2003, then we split up in 2010. Axel and Lucie also split up. Lucie stayed in Goa, maintaining the business and charity work, whilst Axel eventually returned to the Netherlands, but we all stayed in touch via Facebook, although that platform being what it is – you didn’t always get to see what each other were doing. Axel and I would swap messages and I’d always thought that – one day – when I was over in Holland I’d look him up and we’d swap tales over a few beers. So, you can imagine my shock when I saw Lucie post earlier this week that Axel had died. It was a beautiful message as – despite the fact they’d split many years ago, there was obviously still love and affection there.

The four of us had such happy times together back in the 90s and ‘noughties’. But now 50% of us are gone. Time waits for no man (or woman) but that universal truth doesn’t make those losses any easier. I can’t help but reflect on those amazing times and realise just how much I miss the experiences we all shared. Those were special times. Now I’m left with memories and the increasing feeling of ‘Carpe Diem’ as I’m not getting any younger…

So, today’s picture of the day is a reminder of dear Axel – and Lucie. I took this picture in December 1997 at the house they were renting in Arambol. It was a typical night at their place with lots of people, music and alcohol! Happy days…

Sleep easy Axel. See you on the other side…

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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 October picture of the day…

12 Tuesday Oct 2021

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

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We’ve had a quiet but busy day here at Bigland Towers. I’ve been whittling down a list of ‘things to do’ both business-wise and socially, whilst at the same time lining up some jobs for the future with varying degrees of success. During the process I received a phone-call from a work-colleague of 12 years standing who’s become more than that as we see each other as good friends. She wanted to let me know that she’ll be leaving her job by the end of the year but wanted to tell me herself rather than me find out on the grapevine. I was delighted for her as she would be crazy to turn down the opportunity she’s been offered, but also sad that we probably wouldn’t work together again as she’s leaving the industry completely. Such is life, when you’ve been around for so many years as I seem to have been now you often see people come and go. Some of them you miss, others not…

Apart from that note of sadness it’s been a positive day. The weather’s been kind I’ve managed to bump up my exercise regime as a consequence and still get a lot done. Oh, there’s several blogs in preparation too – all I have to do now is find the time to root out the pictures for them.

As well as everything else I’ve also managed to get around to scanning a few more old slides. Not a huge amount, but the logjam is starting to be cleared once more. When the photographic work quietens down again (as it normally does in December-January) I’ll be rattling through slides at a much faster rate. Normally, January would be our big holiday. Dawn and I would get away for at least a month in SE Asia and I’d often stay away much longer, but Covid’s put paid to those plans, at least for now. Instead, I’ll be clearing the decks of various projects here in the UK. But, in homage to warmer climes and those long trips to exotic locations that have been the mainstay of my life for so long – here’s the picture of the day from today’s scans. I took this picture (on slide film) on the 14th December 1993. This was my hotel in India – honest!

The building you see is the Umaid Bhawan palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The palace was begun in 1929 as a job creation scheme as the area was suffering from a severe drought that deprived many farmers of their living. It was commissioned by Maharaja Umaid Singh and designed by the British architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester (a contemporary of Edwin Lutyens). The Maharajah’s ancestors still occupy the majority of the 347 room building, but when I was there part of it had been converted into a hotel. Lynn and I hadn’t planned to stay there, but it was Lynn’s first time in India and we’d had to sleep in the luggage racks of a packed overnight train from Delhi, so I thought a bit of luxury was in order as a commiseration. Of course, in 1992, the cost of luxury was very different to what it is today and the room we had was actually quite reasonable! That evening we sat out on the balcony you can see here, sipping cold beers, watching peacocks wander the lawns and through the bougainvillea bushes. Then at sunset, a sitar and tabla player appeared to give us our own personal performance. Magic! If you want to see more pictures that I took at the palace, you can find them here.

Oh, to be able to have the freedom to do these things again…

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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!

Well, that was a bummer…

30 Monday Aug 2021

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Today I’d expected to be making my merry way across the country by rail, leaving leafy Surrey to cross the capital and watch the world go by on the East Coast Main Line before arriving back at the Yorkshire tea plantations on the slopes of the Calder valley. Only things didn’t quite go to plan….

Last night I was editing some pictures, including a few I’d taken yesterday afternoon at Box Hill when I noticed something odd on the Surrey pics. On each shot the right hand side of the image was out of focus for about 25% of the frame. Odd, very odd. I’d only taken the camera body with just the 80-400mm lens attached to it so I immediately checked out my kit. That’s when I discovered that – somehow – the long lens body had become skewed on the ring that attached it to the camera body. To say my language became colourful (even profane) would be an understatement! If God existed there’d have been a lightning strike in Tilford last night!

At the beginning of September I’ve two jobs lasting several days running back to back, so I really need that lens – or a replacement for it. This left me with one choice. Stay another night in Surrey and head into London tomorrow to the camera servicing centre I’ve been using for the past 20 years. My big concern was what to do with our old moggie, Jet, who’s at home and been looked after by neighbours, plus Dawn’s mum and dad. Fortunately, they’ve rallied round and John and Norah have taken Jet on another holiday to their house in Huddersfield. He’s such an old boy we don’t want to leave him on his own too long, so this was the best solution. Now I’m free to extend my Surrey sojourn and come back with Dawn on Wednesday rather then her having to drive all the way solo. I also get to have the lens looked at and do some photographic projects around London and Surrey – albeit without a long lens, but that’ll force me to look at things in a different way – which isn’t always a bad thing…

This means my final blog of August will be filled with fun and games in London as I’ll have more time to visit locations I’d got in mind.

Although this blog hasn’t been billed as a picture of the day I’ll still include one – just to add a splash of colour to my scribbling. Here’s another of my recent slide scans from my Indian archives. I took this picture in Arambol, Goa, India in December 1993.

Every evening before sunset, after most of the Westerners had adjourned to the beachside bars and restaurant in this little fishing village to enjoy a sunset beer they’d be replaced by local children who’d arrive to play games, splash in the waves or just lark about. Often young lads like this would find whatever they could to use as a bat and stumps to enjoy a game of cricket. Sometimes you’d get bemused European boys like this one wondering just what was this strange game they were playing. It was always fun to watch. It’s odd to think that these young boys will now be men and it could well be their sons playing these same games on the beach in Arambol.

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Thank you!

29th August picture(s) of the day…

29 Sunday Aug 2021

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

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My Surrey sojourn’s been an enjoyable couple of days. On Saturday the pair of us enjoyed a trip into Guildford for a spot of shopping, both window and real. The sheer number of independent retailers is far greater in the South than some northern cities, especially when it comes to clothing. That said, the bargains I picked up (some shirts) were from a national outlet. In the evening we adjorned to a pub in Frensham, near to where we’re based in Tilford. The Holly Bush is a roomy place with a large covered seating area outside, plus a big beer garden. The food menu isn’t extensive, but what they do supply is very good. On a recommendation we shared the fish platter. Huge King prawns, excellent squid rings and a delicious Mackerel pate came with bowls of Olives and sun-dried tomatoes plus crisp pitta bread and a sweet chilli dip. Feeling ambitious we also ordered one of our favourites (soft shell crab) which was on the small plate menu and served with mango. So, here’s today’s bonus picture – the Fish platter (which was more than enough for two people)…

Today we went to somewhere Dawn’s never been to before and that I’ve not visited for years, Box Hill in the Surrey Hills AONB. Needless to say (being a bank holiday) it was very busy with families making a day of it and enjoying the views and walks, or just getting together in groups to have picnics or barbecues. The atmosphere was lovely. As we’d taken Tilly, my brother-in-Law’s Cairn Terrier with us, we made lots of friends! Now, back at home we’re having a relaxed evening as tomorrow it will be time for me to return North again – which should be fun as it’s Bank Holiday Monday. No doubt a rolling blog will appear…

In the meantime, here the real picture of the day which is taken from the last batch of old slides I’ve been scanning. I took this shot at the flea market in Anjuna, Goa, India in December 1993. It’s a shot of one of the Tribal Women from Karnataka state who sell the most amazing embroidered, bejewelled and mirrored clothing. Their personal jewellery can be quite something too. In this case it was the woman’s colourful sari which really added to the scene.

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Thank you!

26th August picture of the day…

26 Thursday Aug 2021

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

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It’s another short blog from me tonight as I’ve been busy sorting out work and the fact that tomorrow I head back down South for the Bank Holiday. This means that you’ll be treated to a rolling blog as I make my way from Halifax to Farnham via who knows where as I have some work shots in mind…

Today’s not been a bad one, although I could’ve done without the news that Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has passed away – even if 80’s a bloody good age for someone in his profession! I saw the Stones live at Wembley Stadium in 1990 and they were superb. It’s a sobering thought that all my teenage idols are now pensioners, but then – so am I. Where the hell did the years go? It’s a question I’ll explore in another blog when I have the time and inclination…

Meanwhile, here’s the picture of the day. I’ve scanned a few more old travel slides today and this was one of them. I took this picture of the main beach in Arambol, Goa, India on the 31st January 2000,

I first found this place in 1985 and for many years it became my ‘happy place’. But time and events move on. I’ve not been back since 2003 and although I’m tempted as I still have friends there I’m not sure I want to spoil those fabulous and special memories. Besides, there’s so many places that I haven’t been to yet that I’d love to explore…

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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 need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!