Bloody hell – it’s March already! We’re now just a few weeks away from the first anniversary of ‘Lockdown’ and the event that’s turned many people’s lives upside down…
It may be the month when spring arrives but the balmy weather we had yesterday was but a flash in the pan. Today we were back to temperatures in single figures and a miasma that hung around all day, blocking views of anything more than a few hundred metres away. The gloomy weather left me with a severe disinclination to venture out. Instead I spent most of the day catching up on paperwork and scanning old slides of sunnier climes. When I did sally forth my walk was a short circular one to pick up some shopping and that was that. I’m working on the assumption that banking my time whilst the weather’s so poor will leave me in credit when it improves and restrictions on movement begin to lift. Oh, and having a pub beer garden to walk to rather than wondering aimlessly without a destination in mind will be a great improvement too!
Anyway, here’s the picture of the day which was taken on Arambol beach in Goa between Xmas and New Year 1993…
Each evening local children from the village would turn up to play on the beach once the heat of the day had dissipated. Here, a group of young boys play cricket whilst a young Western boy (who wasn’t English) looks on in bemusement. It wasn’t just the locals who’d appear this time of day as many Westerners would appear to jog, juggle or just enjoy a stroll along the miles of sand before adjourning to one of the beachfront restaurants for a sunset beer. Oh, to be able to do that right now…
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February has ended on a bright note – weather wise. We’ve had a gloriously sunny day here in the Calder Valley, where it’s felt like spring really is just around the corner. It’s such a relief after the freezing cold and soaking wet weather we’ve had the past couple of months. If this keeps up it’ll make the last few weeks of Covid lockdown almost bearable as I’ll be able to sit in the garden rather than spending most of my time cooped up indoors.
Looking back over my life I can’t think of a time when I’ve been so restricted to one geographical area. Even when I was a penniless teenager I was out and about as I used to hitch-hike everywhere, sometimes even on a whim. Once (just for the hell of it in 1982) I hitch-hiked from Southport to John O’ Groats and then down to Lands End and back to Southport. Surprisingly, it only took me two and a half days. I’ve always promised myself that when I become more of a man of leisure I’ll write a blog about some of those days. Between 1978 and 1988 I hitched around 75,000 miles and kept logs of how many lifts it took me to get from place to place. What a different era that was! I met some fascinating people and had some crazy times. Looking back over my life it’s fair to say that I’ve always had itchy feet, which is why I’ve not exactly enjoyed lockdown – even if it has had its uses. Once this is over, it’s going to be time to scratch those feet again – big time…
Until then I’ll plod on with making the most of lockdown and scanning all the pictures of past adventures. I’ve still thousands of old slides to get through, many of which tell a tale of a different world., which brings me neatly to the picture of the day, which is from one of the latest batch from India. I took this shot in late December 1993.
It’s the old ferry across the Chapora river from Mandrem to Siolim in North Goa. When I first arrived in Goa in December 1985 these little ferries were the standard way of getting across many of the rivers in North Goa, or for crossing the border into the next state (Maharashtra). When I was staying in Arambol, you had to use these ferries to get to the nearest town (Mapusa) which was quite a day-trip. Then, going to change money at the bank was an all-day adventure. That said, the ferries were a relaxed highlight of the trip. We’d pile onto the local bus and didn’t worry if it connected with the ferry or not because you could always sit and watch the world go by whilst the ferry chugged back across the river. Maybe having a chai, or a cold beer in one of the tea shops or bars as you waited. The ferries started disappearing in the 2000s. Most of the major rivers had already been bridged, but it took until 2003 before the Chapora bridge opened. India being India it would take several years for a bridge to be built from start to finish. The transport infrastructure may have improved, but I miss these little ferries as they were from a time when life was simpler and less rushed – and the cool breeze across the decks on a hot Goan afternoon was something to be savoured!
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It’s ‘groundhog day’ weekend again but the added bonus is the weather’s getting warmer and the days longer. It doesn’t stop the world being any weirder but at least it’s not as chilly! If nothing else, I’m looking forward to being able to sit out in the garden and soak up some sunshine whilst I contemplate the madness. If nothing else I’ll at least have a base-tan for when I’m allowed access to sunnier climes.
Like everybody else I’m looking forward to the end of lockdown and the chance to resume normal life, although I’m not sure what the ‘new normal’ will look like. Whilst everyone has been focused on Covid and lockdown rather than the Brexitshambles we still have the the political and economic consequences of that to look forward to once Covid’s under control and people remember there’s other things happening in the UK other than a pandemic.
Personally, I’m taking a backseat. I always knew that Brexit was going to be a shambles that would drag on for decades, but what’s masked that has been Covid, but not for much longer…
We’re in for a very ‘interesting’ year of the old Chinese curse variety although I suspect most people have still fallen for the Tory slogan that Johnson got Brexit ‘done’. Oh, if only it was that simple. Welcome to years of negotiations folks.
Not that I want to be seen as a complete curmudgeon. The Covid vaccination progamme seems to be going really well, although the cynic in me knows that’s because the Government didn’t bung billions to Ministers friends this time and let the NHS do the job instead. Try as I might, I still struggle when I realise that we’re now living in a banana republic and a cause for celebration is someone doing something right for once.
Anyway. Enough of this. As the old saying goes, people will have plenty of leisure time in which to repent. Right now I’m going back in time to post the picture of the day, which comes from a very different era and time in my life.
Today’s picture was taken at the Anjuna flea market in December 1993.
The women you see are local tribes-people from Maharasthra, the state North of Goa. India’s a fascinating place for so many reasons but the mixture of people’s is one of the most intriguing. The history of different invasions and ethnic origins makes the place so colourful – as these women demonstrate.
Scanning all these old photographs during lockdown is so frustrating as it’s showing me all the places that Covid has deprived me of visiting. I’m going to have a lot of lost time to make up. Not just for places that I’ve been before – but also the places I’ve never yet made it to. As soon as the planet starts to re-open, I have a cunning plan..
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Busy, busy busy – with lots of different things. Although the old canard is that men can’t multitask that’s certainly what I spent most of the morning doing! I had a batch of slides all mounted, ready for scanning so whilst I went through that mechanical process I was tuned into the the National Rail Recovery Conference listening to a series of excellent presentations from speakers about the future of the railways – from how to recover passenger numbers post Covid to how the railway can decarbonise and also how the network can cope with climate change. All three are complex subjects but the speakers really helped to nail the issues. You can find a copy of today’s agenda and details of the speakers here. I could dedicate to whole blog to the conference but time’s short and there’s one more day to go. What I will say is that the conference dispelled many of the myths around how working from home (WFH) is supposedly cutting pollution and the need to travel. In some cities pollution’s increased as people have abandoned public transport and taken to the car – even if they’re working from home. As usual, the simple soundbites you hear from people like those opposed to HS2 simply don’t stand up to the facts. The conference also confirmed my opinion about just how out of touch with the realities surrounding transport and climate change much of the UKs ‘green’ movement really is. So much so that they’re actually hindering, not helping, us tackle the real issues.
The third part of my multi-tasking was (finally) producing my new blog on progress with building High Speed 2, which I finally finished and published this afternoon. All in all – a productive day. I even managed to get out for a walk and get my quota of exercise but managed to time it badly so received a soaking on the way home! Maybe I’ll have better luck tomorrow…
Ok, on to the picture of the day. I’ve now amassed a whole heap of scanned slides that are in the queue to be checked in Photoshop. Due to their age (taken in 1993) and the fact the harsh desert conditions of Western India were never easy on film or film cameras – many slides need retouching to remove surface scratches or blemishes. The worst examples will have to be filed away until I have time to put in the hours to make them presentable. Others only need a few marks, blemishes or shallow scratches removed or contrast and colour balances adjusted. Here’s one such example. I took this shot in November 1993 from atop the magnificent Merangarh Fort that dominates the town of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India.
Sitting on the battlements of the fort gazing down on the town some 400ft below is quite an experience due to the fact the sounds of the town can be heard really clearly due to the atmospheric conditions that allow them to carry upwards. The blue of the houses? I’m told that’s to show the homes belong to high-caste Hindus (Brahmins) although I’ve seen other reasons given. Whatever the truth is, they make for a colourful sight.
When all the pictures are scanned you’ll be able to find them here.
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Another busy day scanning and scribbling – although the results of either of these activities won’t see the light of day until tomorrow – apart from this taster. I’ve finally got my teeth into a blog catching up on what’s going on with construction of the High-Speed 2 railway, but whilst I’ve been engrossed in that I’ve also been juggling my time with taking part in RAIL magazine’s online National Rail Recovery conference which is on until the 25th. There’s still time to sign up to the next two days sessions if you follow the link. One of the other juggling balls was keeping an eye on the unfolding eviction of yet another anti HS2 protest camp. This time it’s the one at Poors Piece near Steeple Claydon. Of course there’s only ever going to be one outcome – and I’ll be blogging about the latest failures of HS2Rebellion as a follow-up to my HS2 progress report.
Meanwhile, the slide scanning has taken me back in time to India in December 1993, when I took this shot at the Bada Bagh gardens outside Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Here’s a picture taken from amongst the Chhatris…
There’s several hundred pictures from India to add to my Zenfolio website which I expect to take a couple of weeks. The first ones have started appearing here and I’ll try and add batches on a daily basis.
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 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/
We’ve had another perishing day here in West Yorkshire, with temperatures that never got above freezing, coupled with biting winds and snow flurries throughout the day. Fortunately, the worst snow fell on the hilltops above us, so we’ve remained pretty much unscathed.
The week’s not started off in great fashion as we had to take Jet, our cat back to the vets for a check-up and found he needed antibiotics for a mouth infection. The boy old boy’s been through the mill over the past week, so we could have done without that – but hey ho…
On our return we both decided ‘sod it’ and took time out for a drive out in the snow for a change of routine and scenery, anything the break up the monotony of yet another ‘Groundhog Day’. Venturing up to Mount Tabor we caught the full force of a snowstorm blowing in, which was quite spectacular as the road started disappearing in minutes. Fortunately is soon blew itself out so we ventured further afield to the opposite side of the Calder valley up above Rishworth to areas we hadn’t explored before, then joined the A58 Rochdale road to venture across the border into Lancashire at Littleborough before swinging East to come home. We didn’t leave the car at any point so we didn’t feel bad about bending the lockdown rules slightly. Besides, it was great for our sanity to be able to see something and somewhere outside of the everyday routine.
The weather forecast is predicting more snow over the next few days. We’ll have to see how that goes as we’re both meant to be working in Huddersfield on Wednesday. Time (and the weather) will tell…
Back at the ranch we we grateful to be in the warm and I continued with sorting through old slides, which has provided me with the picture of the day – one of the latest batch from India. It’s also a reminder that – despite whatever problems we’re experiencing, others have life harder. I took this shot in Ahmedabad, the capital of the Indian state of Gujarat on the 21st February 2000. Ahmedabad was an Indian version of Manchester 60 years ago with the city skyline dominated by factory chimneys. At one time I counted almost 50 of them from the roof of my hotel, although by 2000 this number was in decline. The cotton trade and other heavy industries meant that there was a lot of demand for goods to be carted around the city and human muscle-power moved a lot of it as men, women and children pulled hand-carts like this through the traffic-clogged and polluted streets.
You’ll be able to find the full selection of Indian pictures in this gallery on my website. The latest batch include an Indian wedding as well as more shots from Ahmedabad. I’ve only a few dozen more to add, then we move on to a selection from somewhere very different to India. Denmark!
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There’s an old Jethro Tull song about ‘a cold wind to Valhalla’ – and that’s certainly how it’s felt today. The weather’s been perishing. We’ve escaped the latest snowfall where we are, but only by about 100 metres as you can see the tops of the valley around us capped in white. Despite this I was determined to get out and make up for my lack of exercise yesterday – and so I did – because it may have been bloody cold but that meant there was no rain. Instead we had desultory attempts at snow that were easily brushed aside.
My perishing perambulations took me down into Sowerby Bridge to pick up some shopping before returning to ‘chill’ in my office and sort out some more old slide scans, hence the latest picture of the day. After suffering what’s been very much a monochrome world here’s something very different. I took this picture at the ‘flea market’ in Anjuna, Goa, India on the 2nd February 2000.
Here’s a tribal family selling home-made clothing of the sort that catches many a European’s eye. They’ll happily sport such attire around India, but you just know it gets consigned to the back of the wardrobe (or charity shop) when they get home! No matter, it provided a steady income for these Indian families and helped keep some old crafts alive.
I always enjoyed the flea market at Anjuna as it was such a fantastic place to people watch. You can find more pictures from the market in this gallery.
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Well, today’s been a bit of a washout – literally! The rain has been unceasing, morning noon and night. So much so that this is the only day so far this year where my exercise level is well below par. I did venture out in the late afternoon when it became obvious the rain wasn’t going to give up as I had some food shopping to do, but conditions were so bad I ended up getting soaked despite being bedecked in waterproofs. Today was definitely one for curling up in front of a fire with a drink and a good book.
Instead, I’ve spent most of it scanning old slides in an effort to feel that I’ve at least achieved something, although it’s quite frustrating being trapped (in more ways than one) whilst looking through a collection of photographs from exotic, warm and sunny climes!
Still, it’s provided me with an new picture of the day. In fact, it’s been hard to choose which one to use as there’s plenty that would make the cut, but I’ve finally plumped for this shot. I took this shot in from the Nehru bridge over the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, in the Gujarat, India on the 15th February 2000. For me, the contrast summed up much of India.
Whilst a new Holiday Inn dominates the skyline, slums line the bank of the river where an enterprising chap has built a simple Ferris wheel for children as a way of eking out a living. I wonder what the guests at the hotel though when they gazed out of the window of their plush hotel only to find the vista wasn’t quite what was suggested in the brochure?
The scene’s changed since 2000 of course. The hotel’s still there, only it’s no longer a Holiday Inn but a ‘Lemon Tree’. The slums have been swept away and who knows what’s happened to the people. Now a new road (Riverfront Rd) and a walkway line the Sabermati’s banks.
If you want to see more picture from India I’m adding them to this gallery. I’ve still a hundred plus to add over the next week or two…
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 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/
Today’s a day that’s been dominated by Jet, our cat, who’s been at the vets for the past 24 hours. Tonight we brought him home. The boy old boy’s returned with stitches in his mouth as the vets had discovered the two mandibles that make up his lower jaw had become separated and misaligned, which was causing him a lot of discomfort and stopped him eating. Now he’s rehydrated and fed he’s regained some weight. It’s Dawn and I that’s lost several pounds (and then some)! Nonetheless, it’s lovely to have him home and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have managed to get some work done, but not as much as I’d liked. Dawn’s on a ‘virtual retreat’ this weekend, so I’m going to use the time to catch up with work and chores. Well, let’s face it – it’s not as if I’ve got a flight to catch, is it?
What I have managed to do this evening is get a few slides scanned, which has provided the picture of the day. Yesterday’s was a view of the ‘little beach’ in Goa, India. Here’s looking the other way…
This is the view of the magnificent main beach at was was then still a fairly sleepy little fishing village of Arambol in North Goa. You can see the boats pulled up all along the beach. The shacks that you can see at the back of the beach appear during the tourist season to sell food and drink to tourists, then disappeared once the season ended. The main part of the village is beneath the palm trees behind them. The beach stretches Southwards for miles so it was always easy to find a quiet spot to sit and sunbathe before splashing around in a sea which didn’t develop any real waves (unlike the little beach, which could be much more fun). This wasn’t paradise by any means, but it certainly deserved an honorable mention!
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Well, that wasn’t the day I was expecting! Much of the morning (from the early hours) was taken up with looking after a poorly Moggie. ‘Jet’ is 19 going on 20. I’d say he’s getting long in the tooth if it wasn’t for the fact he’s only got two left! For the past few days we’ve been aware that there’s been something wrong with the old boy so he’s already had one trip to the vets for what we thought was an ear infection, only it turns out the problem is likely to lie with his mouth, which explains why he’s refused to take his tablets, despite hiding them in food – which normally works a treat. So back to the vet he went and he’s been there all day and remains overnight tonight as they rehydrate him and top up his meds. We thought we might lose him but – despite his age – he’s not ready to go yet and still has life left in him.
To add to the fun the weather’s been crap all day. The snow’s turned to slush as persistent rain’s arrived to make conditions underfoot unpleasant and treacherous, so my usual walks have been curtailed to the bare minimum, which has chafed a bit.
On the bright side, today’s day 31 of my ‘dry’ January as I didn’t start until January 3rd. I thought with the arrival of the Brexitshambles trying to cut out alcohol on January 1st might have been a bridge too far! Despite these testing times I’ve made it through the whole 31 days without once reaching for the bottle, which I consider a bit of an achievement! I’ve not wanted to mention it before as I’m not a great one for ‘virtue signalling’ so I’ve just got on with it without fanfare, although I have to acknowledge the support of Dawn – and also Adnams alcohol-free ‘Ghost Ship’ and Erdinger’s Wiessbier, without whom the journey would have been a lot less fun! Oh, I’ve also lost 8 pounds in weight! Not that I needed to as my BMI is fine, but I feel more comfortable at the lower end of my band than the higher. This wasn’t just due to sobriety, I’ve upped my exercise by 50% and also adjusted my diet to ingest less carbohydrates. Now the challenge is to keep up the adjustments to my lifestyle, although I am looking forward to savoring a ‘proper’ beer tomorrow!
Right, on to the picture of the day. The slide scanning marathon’s taken a bit of a backseat recently as I’ve had other work to do. However, I have started a new selection of travel shots taken in India in 2000. So, here’s a real contrast to all those snow scenes I’ve been publishing recently…
I took this shot of the little beach and freshwater lake in Arambol, North Goa on the 31st January 2000.
I first got to know this place in December 1985 during my first trip to India. As a penniless backpacker in those days I ended up living on this beach for six weeks. I made some local friends in the village who looked after my passport and valuables whilst day to day stuff I kept buried in a huge old biscuit tin under some rocks at the back of the beach. My bed was a pit in the sand which I’d dig each night before lining it with a mat and covering myself with a sarong. In those days the beach was largely a nudist beach, so in the morning you’d just rise out of your pit (literally) and walk straight into the sea for a play in the waves before washing the salt off in the freshwater lagoon at the back of the beach. Happy days! Sadly, those days are long gone and the beach has changed dramatically because of the growth of tourism, new roads making travel easier and also the expansion of business as both Goans and Indians from other states cash in on opportunities.
I’ve not been back since 2004. Part of me really wants to as I had many friends their in both the local and expat communities, but part of me wants to remember it as it was – like this – and doesn’t want those memories tarnished. One thing’s for certain, until this pandemic is resolved, I can’t see me being in a position to have to angst about making the decision…
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 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/
Paul Bigland 