Tag Archives: Musings

5th December picture of the day…

05 Saturday Dec 2020

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

S’cuse the lack of blogging these past few days. Ever had one of those weeks where you don’t quite get the hang of it? That’s been me this week. I’ve been trying to juggle a lot of things and dropped one too many balls! One of the balls was blogging but I’m determined to have a better time from now on in the run up to what’s going to be a very different festive season as here in West Yorkshire we’ll be in Tier 3, so it’s going to be a Covid Christmas!

The weather’s been getting into the Xmas spirit as we’ve had our first dusting of snow on the high ground around us. Although it snowed most of yesterday the stuff didn’t stick around where we live and the roads have remained clear. Not that we’re going to be going far for the next few weeks – unless you count Huddersfield. Instead, we’re preparing for a local Xmas and the opportunity to make the most of our time.

For me, part of that time will be spent wading through scanning lots more old slides. Having broken the back of the pile now I’m determined to get the process finished next year and catching up with scanning’s been one of the reasons I’ve not been blogging. So today’s picture of the day is one of the fruits of this weeks labours. I’m currently working my way through an album of travel pictures from our 1997-99 ‘big trip’ and the current set is of Australia. I took this picture on the the 4th January 1999. It’s a view of the coastline of Victoria on the beautiful ‘Great Ocean Road’ between Anglesey and Port Campbell.

After having spent Xmas in Melbourne and New Year at Sorrento beach, Lynn and I headed off with Alison, and her two children (Matt and Kim) in Alison’s van, to spend a couple of weeks touring Victoria. You’ll see more pictures over the next week or two.

If you’re interested in looking through more photos from Australia (or the rest of our epic trip), you can find them in this gallery on my Zenfolio picture website. I’ll be adding many more shots of other exotic locations (including New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands) over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, 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/

28th November picture of the day…

28 Saturday Nov 2020

Posted by in Food, Indonesia, Musings, Picture of the day, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Where the hell’s the day gone? It seems to have vanished into the mists and murk that have covered the Calder Valley all day. One minute it was there, next minute – whoosh – it’s eight o’clock!

Admittedly, with it being the weekend, we did have a teeny-weeny lie in this morning. After all, we knew the weather was going to be cold and wet, so what’s to get up for? It’s not as if we’ve got a flight booked, or people to meet in the pub. Instead, the pair of us have spent the day cooped up inside out of the way of the drizzle and damp. The only person who’s been venturing outside is the cat who’s repeatedly returned as a very soggy moggy before retreating to his heated mat to sit and steam!

The day’s passed with the two of us working in order to make the most of the time. Whilst Dee’s been working in the living room I’ve been holed up in my upstairs office sorting out paperwork and yet more old slides which includes the picture of the day. I’ve finished scanning the last album of pictures from our 1998 Indonesia travels, but I’ve skipped forward a bit as the next album in the series is stashed away in Dawn’s parent loft. So please forgive me going from Flores to Java with nothing in between (there’s plenty, honest – but they won’t appear for a few weeks yet).

So, today’s picture was taken in Yogyakarta. Java in early December 1998. Yogya’s one of the cultural centres of Indonesia. It’s a fascinating place with a rich history. I’d spent time there back in 1992, so I was determined to revisit on our grand tour. As it was, Lynn and I based ourselves there for over two weeks so we could explore the area. Well, that and the fact it was such a relaxed place. We were staying in the same cheap and cheerful Homestay in one of the backstreets by the station that I’d stayed in back in 92. The facilities were basic, but every morning a local woman would set up her stall in the street outside to sell the most wonderful Javanese food. Most of it was vegetarian and it was sublime. You could mix and match and a really hearty, spicy breakfast packed full of flavours would cost you about 20p. you’d see stall like this throughout Java. Women would cook the food at home, then set up little street stall every morning (or evening) and sell the most delicious street food. Once it was gone, so were they. The bowls would all be stacked upon each other and the woman would carry them off in the same way most of them arrived in the first place – by scooter, or balanced on her head, or by Becak (cycle rickshaw).

Boy, do I miss the food of Asia. I’m so glad that both Dawn and I are good cooks so we can recreate some of these tastes at home. But I do miss being able to nip out for breakfasts like this…

If you’re interested in looking through more photos from Indonesia (or the rest of the epic trip), you can find them in this gallery on my Zenfolio picture website. I’ll be adding many more shots of other exotic Indonesian Islands over the next few weeks. There’s a huge cross-section of Indonesian life and street-scenes like this.

Meanwhile, 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/

23rd November picture of the day…

23 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by in Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Another busy day during ‘lockdown’ – or what passes for it this time. The pair of us have been occupied with work all day apart from making a determined effort to get out and get some exercise – despite the rather biting wind and dull weather, although that kept many people at home and out of our way, so it wasn’t all bad!

My routine involved swapping between scanning yet more old slides and replying to emails, along with a bit of housekeeping and cooking. Not exactly the ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle, but at least things are moving in the right direction and getting us prepared to exit what’s probably been the shittiest year on record on an even keel – which is more than some poor unfortunates will be able to do.

I’ll end today’s missive with a picture of the day from today’s batch of old slide scans. It was taken at a Homestay at Lake Maninjau in West Sumatra in August 1998. I’d spent time here back in 1992 when I used it as a base for a jungle-trekking trip to the Mentawai Islands, and there was no way I was going to miss stopping there again as it’s so spectacular and so peaceful. This photo opportunity came out of the blue as one of the many kittens around our homestay decided to explore by leaping onto a backlit table just as I had my camera to hand.

If you’re interested in looking through more photos from Sumatra (or the rest of the epic trip), you can find them in this gallery on my Zenfolio picture website. I’ve been busy scanning throughout the day in order to get this album finished before the end of the week, so another 50 have been added.

I won’t have chance to add any more old slides tomorrow. Instead you’ll be treated to another rolling blog as I’m off to Widnes in Merseyside to carry out a rather interesting railway industry commission – which will also allow me to get some contemporary rail pictures too. Watch this space…

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/

22nd November picture of the day…

22 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by in Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Religion, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

It’s not exactly been a lazy Sunday – even if it has been a fairly quiet one. My wife’s been busy much of the day on her ‘virtual retreat’ and the various yoga/exercise and meditation classes that involves whilst I’ve been pottering around at home scanning slides and catching up on some email correspondence. The weather’s hardly been conducive to doing much more as we’ve had intermittent rain thoughout the day. Even so, we did manage to get out in between Dawn’s sessions to food-shop and get a walk in through our local woods and up around Savile Park whilst dodging the showers.

Back at home, I took another trip down memory lane whilst scanning the latest batch of old slides from Sumatra. I reckon that with any luck this album will be done and dusted by the end of next week – which is rather pleasing. That means it’s only 22 years it’s taken me to get them to a wider audience! So, without further ado, here’s the picture of the day, which was taken in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province at the very Northerm tip of Sumatra on the 3rd August 1998. This is the city’s Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, which I couldn’t resist visiting at sunset. Here’s why…

Aceh has a fascinating if turbulent history going back centuries. It’s seen more than its fair share of conflicts, but its biggest challenge happened a few years after Lynn and I visited. On Boxing Day 2004 the city and surrounding area was devastated by a Tsunami. It’s estimated that the disaster killed 167,000 inhabitants and destroyed more than 60% of the city’s buildings. It was the hardest hit of all the places struck by the Tsunami. Lynn and I had a lucky escape from the Tsunami. On Boxing Day 2002 and 2003 we were on beaches in Southern Sri Lanka that were badly damaged by the disaster, but in 2004 we’d delayed travelling as we’d a lot of plans for that year. You can imagine how we felt when we learned of the devastation caused to places we’d visited and knew well. There, but for the grace of God…

If you’re interested in looking through more photos from Sumatra (or the rest of the epic trip), you can find them in this gallery on my Zenfolio picture website.

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/

Thank you!

21st November picture of the day…

21 Saturday Nov 2020

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Today’s not quite been the one I expected, but it’s been an interesting one nonetheless. The ‘other half’ has been on day 2 of a 3 day ‘virtual retreat’ via the power of the Internet. This meant Dawn was up early – and so was I, which has given us both some productive time rather than just lazing around thinking “Sod it, it’s a Saturday in lockdown”…

This morning I penned a blog about the latest weapons-grade dishonest about the HS2 rail project. It’s certainly created a stir as no other Journalist seems to have bothered to question the guff about HS2 ‘desecrating’ a children’s memorial.

With that done and the weather having returned to being crap, I stayed in and spent time editing the pictures from Thursdays railway foray on the Harrogate loop as well as continuing to scan more old slides – one of which you’ll see in a minute. I’m gradually working my way through an album of travel pictures taken on the ‘grand-tour’ that Lynn and I took in 1997-99 and right now those pictures are of Indonesia. Looking back 22 years is quite a bitter-sweet experience, not least because of the fact Lynn’s been dead for seven years now, but also because it really was a different age – and one in which we had a ball! Let me explain. In 1998 Asia had suffered an economic crisis that crashed the currencies of many of the countries we were travelling through – Indonesia especially. For the Indonesians it was a terrible time that led to a destabilisation of the country and eventual downfall of the country’s dictator President. It also caused racially based riots as the countries Chinese community were made scapegoats by some. But, for tourists and travellers who arrived once things had settled down, it was very different. I’d been in Indonesia 3-4 years earlier. Then, £1 would have bought you around 3,500 Indonesian Rupiah. When Lynn and got the ferry over from Malaysia to Sumatra in July 1998 the exchange rate was 22,000 rupiah to the pound – yet prices for most things (in rupiah) had hardly changed! You were rich! To say this took the pressure off a couple backpacking would be an understatement. You didn’t have to count the pennies at all and as the pair of us were frugal anyway, money went a loonngg way. It was a vintage time to be travelling through SE Asia.

One place we pitched up at was a magical little place off the North Coast of Sumatra, Iboih on the island of Pulau Weh. Our time there deserves a blog in its own right as we had a fabulous time with a group of people who all really jelled. Because it was hard to get to – you must have really wanted to be there – and that made all the difference to the place. This was in the days before backpacking became ‘flashpacking’ where young people would parachute in and out of places via cheap airlines. Then, you went the ‘hard’ way by train, bus or ferry. So, here’s the picture of the day, the small but beautifully formed beach at Iboih, seen sometime between mid-to the end of July, 1998. We liked it so much our planned week turned into 16 days and even then we had to force ourselves to leave…

Just out of shot to the right is Rubiah Island, which you could swim to (and a group of us once did). The coral around here was gorgeous and it was absolutely teeming with different varieties of fish. Facilities at Ibioh were basic, the wooden bungalows were simple and had no showers. You bathed out in the open with water from the communal well! The group of people we met there had pitched up from all corners of the globe, but formed a community. Looking back at the pictures I’m scanning I realise that it was one of the few places we went to where I took lots of pictures of fellow travellers – some of whom I’m still in contact with today. So it will always hold special memories for me as a perfect moment in time – which is why I’ll never go back…

If you want to see more pictures of our travels, you can find them in this gallery on my Zenfolio picture website. I’ll be adding shots almost daily over the next few weeks.

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/

Thank you!

17th November picture of the day…

17 Tuesday Nov 2020

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

All in all it’s not been a bad day – if one ignores the world falling apart around one that is! But from a personal perspective it’s been rather productive. Having been cooped-up for the past couple of weeks I was happy to escape the confines of the house for long enough to meet my exercise targets for the first time since we had to self-isolate. The weather may not have been great as we’ve had gloomy, gloomy skies and threats of rain all day, but even a stroll down into Sowerby Bridge was enjoyable – even if there was nothing to do there other than pick up some shopping! Simple pleasures…

Admittedly, the walk back along the canal was lovely. There’s something special about being able to walk alongside water and the stillness of the canal where the only interruptions are Ducks is very therapeutic. The exercise was a lovely break from staring at screens – although I’m back to that now as I trawl through emails whilst scanning old slides. Mind you, some emails are welcome, such as the one I received earlier telling me that a commission regarding some new train conversions is back on. I’ll be blogging about that another time but it’s a welcome return to a semblance of normalcy. As well as dealing with the present I’ve still been scanning old slides from the past – which has provided me with the picture of the day – which is very much a moment in time.

I took this on the 10th June 1998 in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia. This is people of all nationalities (including a solitary Scot!) gathered around a TV in a restaurant to watch the opening match of the 1998 World Cup which was between Scotland and Brazil. Neither Lynn nor I were great football fans, but what struck me about this night was how international it was. There were people from dozens of countries who’d pitched up in the Perhentians who just wanted to watch the footy! There’s another twist too. These two islands are mostly ‘dry’. Alcohol’s hard to come by (or expensive when you can get it) so it was probably one of the most sober group of football supporters I’ve ever seen – hence the absence of beer bottles on the tables. Even so, looking back at this picture I remember it as a cracking night in a place I’ll always remember.

I’m gradually scanning the rest of the pictures from this trip, so expect more from some off-the beat locations to feature 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/

Thank you!

14th November picture of the day…

14 Saturday Nov 2020

Posted by in Musings, Picture of the day, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Today’s been rather anti-climactic. Having regained our freedom we’ve done sod-all with it today as the weather’s been so miserable. You know when you have to turn the lights on in the middle of the day? That.

Our good intentions of getting out for a walk went out of the window, instead we spent the day working from home so the day wasn’t entirely wasted. I managed to get more old slides scanned, scribbled a blog highlighting the latest Green party car-crash, then put my feet up. Dee’s been equally busy in her persona as a brilliant cook, so we’ve now got some superb repasts to look forward to over the next few days. Oh, and we had a sneaky snack that we picked up at the farm shop the other day…

Now, what’s the picture of the day going to be? How about this? I took this picture on the 17th August 2001. This is Baia do Sancho on the beautiful and unspoilt Brazilian Island of Fernando de Noronha. There would be no problem of social distancing here!

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/

Thank you!

10th November picture of the day…

10 Tuesday Nov 2020

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

For the first time in several days the fog in the Calder Valley lifted, letting us feel like part of the outside world again. Well, apart from the fact we can only look at it, not venture out into it as Dawn and I are still in isolation, so Friday will be the first day we can venture out – which is a bit of a bugger as tomorrow’s our wedding anniversary. Mind you – even if we could go out – where is there to go? We had booked a meal at the wonderful Moorcock Inn up at Norland Moor but they could see which way the wind was blowing before lockdown 2 was announced so decided to pre-empt things and close on their own terms. So, the expression ‘all dressed up and nowhere to go’ springs to mind!

All this has meant today was just another day with the same routine with the pair of us working from home, getting on with stuff whilst looking forward to whatever version of reality is resumed the first, which in our case will be the ability to leave the house.

The positive side of things is that I’m within spitting distance of scanning my last album of old rail slides, just a few more days and it’ll be job done. Sure, there’s a few dribs and drabs, but what was once a very long shelf in my office at home in North London has finally disappeared, leaving me free to concentrate on other things. To be honest, the week’s been a fairly positive and optimistic one due to events happening in the wider world. Events that I’m hoping will mean that early next year we’ll be able to do what’s featured in the picture of the day. I took this picture at Mirissa beach, Sri Lanka on the 27th January 2016 and what’s shocked me is I realise this is the last beach holiday the pair of us had. It’s not that we haven’t been to lots of places since – just not to a tropical beach – and I’m missing it!

If only…

Having had my wings so badly clipped in 2020 I can’t wait for this year to be over and look forward to making up for lost time. Sun, sea and fantastic food, what could be more perfect?

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/

Thank you!

9th November picture of the day…

09 Monday Nov 2020

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

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Well, the year may be in its final phase but it’s finally taken a turn for the better. OK, apart from the weather which remains resolutely crap here up in the Pennines, but after the warm glow from last week knowing that the orange shit-gibbon has been ousted in the USA we’ve now had the good news that a vaccine for Covid could be ready before the end of the year. Needless to say, the financial markets reacted very positively as businesses have been given the hope that normality may be resumes sooner rather than later. How all this may come to pass is speculative at the moment, but after a constant battering from bad news, it’s good to hear some optimism for once.

My day’s been spent holed up at home, knuckling down in order to get the last album of old rail slides scanned before the end of the week, thus ending a process that’s taken decades. I’m trying to get them done before Friday as that’s the day we’ve completed our self-isolating and are free to venture out again – so we’re going to make the most of it – whatever the weather!

Today’s picture has been chosen from one of today’s scans as it’s a view that’s changed completely since it was taken. This is a view of Battersea power station with the approaches to London Victoria in the foreground. I took it on the 25th February 2001.

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/

Thank you!

8th November picture of the day…

08 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by in Musings, Picture of the day, Politics, Railways, The USA, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Sunday already? Woo hoo!

I’m saying that because looking forward to the next week as by Friday Dawn and I come out of social-isolation and get to stare at and share more than four walls. Neither of us felt that it was likely we’d contracted Covid because of the contact Dawn had, but what we weren’t willing to do was put others at risk. It’s a sentiment that’s obviously been unfashionable in some circles, but all we can say is we’ve done our bit.

The feeling of isolation was doubled today by the fact the Calder Valley’s been covered in fog for the duration. Visibility’s been down to 2-3 hundred metres at best. So, the pair of us have been feeling like we’re living up in the clouds whilst keeping occupied pottering around in our gilded cage. Dee’s been busy being a domestic goddess whilst I’ve kept myself occupied blogging and eBaying…

Still, talking of ‘gilded cages’, has anyone seen any sense, contrition or humility (fat chance) coming from the Ex-President of the United States yet? No. Me neither. It looks like he’s going to spend his remaining days playing golf at taxpayers expense until he’s finally kicked out of the place. I mean, seriously – the man’s just lost the election and what’s he been doing since? Ignoring the result to spend the past two days on a golf course! Surely, even some of the people who voted for him might just be starting to think “well, this is a bit weird”, but maybe I’m being too charitable. Actually, after everything I’ve seem of Trump’s voters and staffers I’m sure I am.

Talking of Washington, here’s another picture of the day that I stumbled on whilst researching others. It rather fits the current theme of events. I took this at Chinatown station on the Washington metro on the 3rd April 2007.

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/

Thank you!