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Showing posts from August, 2008

Wedding daze

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This is the first of a set of images of places that mean something to me, and in taking them I have had to revisit those places and also go back to the time that they are connected with. It is very self indulgent, but it’s my blog and I can do almost what I want. So to start, this image is the most worked on I’ve posted and that reflex how much I wanted it here. This is the church I got married in and is here because I have so many special places that me and Caz have shared that to pick one was impossible, so this is a symbol for all of those. I love history and when visiting places I try to imagine what it was like in the past, it’s the same with these places as I visited each one it was like watching a film of the past rolling before my eyes, I could see Caz and me standing on those steps, in the later shots I could fill the spaces with people now long gone and voices now long silent, sometimes this blog takes me places I’d forgotten. Great isn’t it. ---------------- Now playing: Bi

To the ones i love (well a little bit)

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Some light hearted quotes from and about my favourite entertainment, women. Dedicated to Vic, Sam, Kel, Gem and mistress Olivia, some of the things that make work fun. "I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde." Dolly Parton. "Nature intended women to be our slaves. They are our property." Napolean Bonaparte "Direct thought is not an attribute of feminity. In this, women are now centuries behind man." Thomas Edison "Wild horses couldn't drag a secret out of most women. However, women seldom have lunch with wild horses." Ivern Boyett "When women go wrong, men go right after them." Mae West. "She looked as if she'd been poured into her clothes and had forgotten to say when." PG Wodehouse. "Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult." Charlotte Whi

1000's shades of green

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Yesterday’s photo got a couple of comments about the merit between black and white and colour. As I now shoot on digital all my shots are in colour (I never use the black and white setting on the camera as it just as easy to redo on the computer and a lot harder trying to get the colour back if you shoot using it) so when I get home I have the option of how I display the image. The reason for going B&W on this image was simply that it looked too similar to the days before image and I knew that the contrast in the sky would work really well in B&W. I do find that buildings sometimes go better in B&W; I think it’s the graphic nature of them and that landscapes work better in colour, at least sometimes. The artistic freedom that digital brings me has let me try more differing approaches to my work, I would never have set up my dark room just to see how a shot would look in B&W if I already had it in colour and all of the colour effects on the B&W shots could be done th

Home in a heart beat

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I have been working on a set of pictures for next week, I find that doing a set of linked shots gets me working differently and also gets me thinking differently. This set was going to be just images of places that meant something to me, but as the photos involved revisiting those places it has turned into a trip back in time and so I’ve decided to write about the places in more detail and the reasons behind the photos. For the first shots I had to return to the street where I live as a child, somewhere only a mile or so away, but a place I’ve not visited in years as it is off the main road and not close to anything important. What a shock, the whole place has gone down hill, weeds growing every where, uncared for houses and a feeling of abandonment. All this and the individual houses must be worth more today than the ever did back when they looked loved and lived in. Part of me wishes I had stayed away and part of me, the bit with the camera, is glad I went. Today’s picture is a pote

Show me the money!

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No joy in the photo competition unfortunately, I got through to the last 5 but missed out by a whisker, thank you to all that voted. Spent yesterday shooting photos for a set of images about places that mean something to me, I will hopefully post these next week. I find that setting challenges like this keeps me focused on producing work I would normally never do. I’m going to add some more sites to my highly recommended list, I have been visiting them for some time but have not got round to updating the list, sorry. Also going to try an Adsense ad in place of one of the videos, don’t known how this will work but as the photo fund has a negative balance at the moment I’ll give it a go (Just added it and thinks it looks ok, now I known what they are I will click on them on other blogs). Picture today taken over the weekend looking out over the local moorland. ---------------- Now playing: Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf via FoxyTunes

Bank holiday blues

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Bank holiday’s, don’t you just love them, a whole day off work to do as you please. Well that’s the idea, but having had two good days we were both at a loss when Monday dawned bright and clear, so we hit the net to see what was happening close to. The result, nothing. Then we remembered that we had seen a sign for something called “Leek by the sea” so we raced up town to see what was going on, and found, a couple of wheel barrows full of sand had been dumped on one of the car parks and surrounded by stalls selling tit and tat, all for charity of course. The high light while we were there was the egg and spoon ¼ finals and the final of the glamorous granny. No wonder the town looks ready for the last person out to turn the light off. Still we managed to get the garden furniture oiled ready for the winter storage. ---------------- Now playing: Moby - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? via FoxyTunes

Sticking the knife in, a bit.

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Babooshka asked a very interesting question yesterday, how my photography changed after leaving the camera club. Well that is a can of worms and lets peak inside. Firstly I will have to state that I’m speaking from the position of having dealt with a number of clubs, both as a member and as an outsider (salesman, try to flog them stuff and photographer trying to teach them stuff). In the club where I was a member I was events co-ordinator and chairman for a short time, so have seen and interacted with a number of other clubs and the bureaucracy behind them. So, I think that on the whole they are made up of large numbers of well meaning individuals, who on the most part are above average photographers who are very passionate about their hobby. As clubs, they are bigoted, elitist and small minded, fixated on doing thing the “right way”, a great example of the pack mentality. That is the main problem, the “right way” trying to take photos that will please a judge, who, as the photos s

Quote to make you go hummm...

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Quote Sunday, think about it. Her hearing was keener than his, and she heard silences he was unaware of. ~D.M. Thomas We are never prepared for what we expect. ~James A. Michener Those who gave away their wings are sad not to see them fly. ~Antonio Porchia No matter how fast light travels it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it. ~Terry Pratchett If you come to a fork in the road, take it. ~Yogi Berra "Start each day with a smile and get it over with" "Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant sort of like having a peeing section in a pool?" Blue sky taken yesterday! ---------------- Now playing: The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun via FoxyTunes

Big girls blouse

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Quick post today as the weather is supposed to be good, so I’m grabbing my camera and off to shoot something. Picture today is Kep in profile, although he thinks it’s not his best side. The poor dog is resting at the moment as he has athletes foot (or paw) and is trying to keep his feet (paws) clean, not an easy tasks when your job is to walk in as much sticky, smelly and wet stuff as possible. For some reason booties are not on the agenda (something about looking a big girls blouse, rather like those dogs that wear tartan coats or satellite dishes). ---------------- Now playing: Ben E. King - Stand By Me via FoxyTunes

The long view

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A bit of a late post today as the pressure of work has kept me away from the computer. By work I really mean a training course, and what a course that was. Today we learned how to write letters the ‘company way‘, for those of you that don’t know me I work for a leading company that is always in the fore when it comes to new ideas and processes. They are the only company I have worked for that really seems to care what the customer thinks and feels; and it is that spirit that the letter format has been developed. On the whole the changes are very good, being aimed at reducing jargon and personalising the letters. But (and you knew there would be one) they have reduced some of the punctuation to make the letters more accessible and slicker, I’ve only just grasped the value of the semi-colon and friend and now they appear to be nearly obsolete. I know that most young people are having trouble writing full words these days, but is it really time to bin punctuation? Just checking my post an

Snakes and mushrooms

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Still stuck at the computer, I sometimes think the one of the most daunting sights is a blank page that you know you have to fill, it does not matter if that page is in Word or PowerPoint or just a sheet of paper. Still yesterday I completed the basic words and now have to learn how to use PowerPoint to make a presentation, in around 2 hours. What doesn’t help is that I’m surrounded by my new studio kit and just want to play with it. At least the weather is playing fair and is keeping me in doors by not proving any distraction like sunshine and blue skies. A Rainey shot for today, just in keeping with the weather. That post was a bit depressing, here is a bit of a pick you up, trust me, Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger. ---------------- Now playing: The Bangles - In Your Room via FoxyTunes

Write the wrong

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In the end I did not go out to take some shots, I remembered at the last second (putting my boots on) that a man was delivering my new studio lights and said he could be arriving from 10am onwards, so I just did not have the time to go. Today things have changed, outside it is dry (well for the moment) but I am stuck at the computer doing a power point presentation for work. I known me at home doing something for work, but in this case it is something very worth while as a new position has been created and I am applying. The position is to help with the internal communication of the department and now having discovered I’m dyslexic (and not thick) I feel more able to attempt something of this nature, in the past I’ve let my inability to write stop me, but knowing that its not my fault has spurred me on to try to reach my potential Today’s photo is another one in the set of shots of the tree that I am taking during the year. ---------------- Now playing: The Jam - Batman Theme via Fox

Motivation, or lack of.

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It’s raining again, it seems like we have had nothing but rain for nearly two weeks, great for the garden but crap for taking photos. Its not the conditions are bad for photography, but that when it’s chucking it down I just do not want to go outside, I’m not inspired to grab my camera and go for a walk. But, this blog needs some photos, so as soon as I finish this post it’s on with the waterproofs and out to grab some shots, and hope I don’t drown. This could be the time for some great atmospheric shots of old Leek, or some subdued shots of the local wood land, or just an excuse to get soaked to the skin. When all is dull and dark what inspires you, what get you up and going, is it pressure from loved ones or are you driven by your self? Today’s picture is a shot taken some weeks (seems like years) ago, the only sun I will see today. ---------------- Now playing: Placebo - Placebo - English Summer Rain (Freelance Hellraiser Remix) via FoxyTunes

Golden glow

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Thank you to all that have voted for me in the photo competition, I’m currently lying in joint second place, for those of you that have not yet had a look here are the details again. One of my pictures has gotten through to the final 20 of an on-line photo competition (238 picture entered in total) and if you get a moment i would appreciate a vote, this is the picture and this is the link to the competition. An updated on my attempt to do some studio photography, I’ve just brought a set of studio flash, comprising 3 flash heads, stands, soft box and brollies, plus some other bits and pieces of eBay, this is a big investment for me (the second largest amount I’ve ever spent on photo gear) and now means that I’m even more committed to do some model shots. Photo for today was taken a couple of months ago but as the weather this weekend has really stopped play, and the GB sailing and rowing squads are doing so well I thought it a very good shot to use. ---------------- Now playing: Fu

August sunshine

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One of my pictures has gotten through to the final 20 of an on-line photo competitions (238 picture entered in total) and if you get a moment i would appreciate a vote, This is the picture and this is the link to the competition. The Sunday quotes, “Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain” Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it. ~Patrick Young Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Pepper Giardino Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard The best ki

Top dog

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One of my pictures has gotten through to the final 20 of an on-line photo competitions (238 picture entered in total) and if you get a moment i would appreciate a vote, This is the picture and this is the link to the competition. He’s back, after a few weeks rest Kep has agreed to be photographed for the blog, obviously aware of his media profile he had decided that he was getting too much exposure and needed time out of the spot light, sticking to that old show biz maxim, leave them wanting more. This was shot last weekend down at Chatsworth house, Kep looking regal, if a bit wet as he had just been dragged out of the river, a real top dog. Another swimmer that is on top of the world today is 19-year-old Rebecca Adlington, our new 2x gold medal winner and new world record holder, I known chances of her seeing this are slim but I just wanted to offer my congratulations on her achievement and tell her she has made us all very proud. ---------------- Now playing: Chesney Hawkes - Th

Chalk on slate

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One of my pictures has gotten through to the final 20 of an on-line photo competitions (238 picture entered in total) and if you get a moment i would appreciate a vote, This is the picture and this is the link to the competition. When I find myself in a place that is overflowing in photographic images I go on to auto pilot, I just shoot and shoot without really seeing what I’ve taken, the images are in front of my eye for as long as it takes to frame and shoot, then forgotten as the next takes its place. It was like this at the mine, so much to shoot and no real time to stop and take it all in, and it was only when I got home and was able to sort the images that I got to see what I had taken. The first image that was used was the one of the support for the cable way, this had stuck in my mind while I was shooting (always a good sign) so got the treatment first, it then has taken nearly a week to get through the other images ending with this one. Like the mine it self this is an image

On the ropes

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I had been looking forward to the ½ way point post for so long that once it was written I felt a little deflated, much as I hate having to work to a dead line (or work at all according to Caz) I am now thinking about this project coming to an end, which is quite depressing. Still the wonderful comments from yesterday picked me up no end and I’m eager for the coming months. The big question is what will happen at the end, on this site I have now got a steady flow of people and it would be silly to abandon the thing totally, so I’m thinking that it may carry on after my birthday in February but in a different form, probably posting pictures and writing only when I’ve got something to say or show, rather than the constant pressure of daily postings. On to today’s picture, another shot from the mine at Coniston, I loved this place full of interesting bits and pieces, lots of scope for a photographer and set in the middle of wonderful countryside. No apologies for using this technique aga

Don't lurk, say Hi!

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This is my 183 rd post, ½ way, maybe not the light at the end of the tunnel, but certainly started on the homeward leg. 183 pictures, 50 pages of writing, 30500 words, 850 comments and 24700 visitors from 163 countries, when I started I expected to be read by a few friends and a dozen or so others who just happened by, I thought that it would be just about the photos and that it would be easy. How wrong, I find the photos harder and harder, last year I took about 24 good shots, ones I would be happy to put on the net, and did not think about that till after I had started this, taking photo is easy but taking good ones that are all different, to a time limit, is very hard. The writing that just started as a filler (well they give you so much space) has become as important to me as the photos and as enjoyable. The interaction with others from all over the world was a pleasure that was quite unlooked for (discussing English storms with someone in South Africa and in France at the same

High and free

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Following on from yesterdays post I will complete the walk from where we left off, on the top of Dow crag. Once we had finished enjoying the fantastic view we headed back the way we had come, down to the ridge between Dow crag and the old man of Coniston and up the other side, stopping for lunch on Brim fell before going on to the top of the old man of Coniston. This top differed from the last two in the respect that it was covered with tourist, where as so far we had just met fellow walkers. What’s the difference you ask; well a walker in the contexts of these hills is some one who normally has the correct equipment, knows what they are doing and where they are (mostly, being a keen walker I will admit to leaving important items of kit in the car, or even at home, I will also admit to making decisions that seem good at the time and of misplacing myself on a number of occasions). A tourist on the other hand will be poorly equipped, wearing vest tops and trainers on a mountain top (thin

I Can sea for miles

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Fridays walk was one of the best days I’ve spent in the Lake District in a very long time. To start with the weather was perfect, a very difficult thing to expect during an English summer, then the fells were lovely, not to hard, but not safe either, lots of big drops to keep you awake. We both handled the walk with out too much pain, both during and the next day, and to top it off got lots of photos. The route took us from a car park on the Walna Scar Road , around the side of the old man of Coniston and then up to Goat water, where we had an early lunch. From there we headed up on to the ridge, between Dow crag and the old man of Coniston and we then turned left to the top of Dow crag. It is from here that the picture was taken, looking out over to the Isle of Man , which you can just see in the centre on the skyline. ---------------- Now playing: Placebo - Bruise Pristine via FoxyTunes

Hong Kong garden

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Today is as normal quote day, I try to find quote that suit my mood or go with the picture, and as I feel old and crabby, and the subject in the picture is showing its age, so quotes about age. For the first half of your life, people tell you what you should do; for the second half, they tell you what you should have done. Richard Needham Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself. Tom Wilson Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a man. Leon Trotsky (Ice pick!) Find an aim in life before you run out of ammunition. Arnold Glasow Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. Chili Davis A last one for the ladies (Sandra inparticular). Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. Jim Fiebig Photo of old mine working near Coniston, it reminded me of an old Japanese gate way, but in reality it is part of a cableway for mov

Well earned rest.

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I am knackered (a bit sleepy and worn out), we have just come back from a day trip to the lakes, a 5.30 start, followed by a 3 hour drive, an 8 hour walk over 3 fells, a quick dinner stop at a pub (no beer as I’m driving) and a 3 hour drive back. So as soon as I can sort them out some more shots for the blog and a break down of the walk. So on to today’s picture before I fall a sleep. Just out side Leek is the little village of Ruston Spencer , and perched above the village on one of the narrowest, windiest road I’ve ever been on is the village church and for all you non locals if you try to picture a traditional English village church, complete with yew trees and grave yard, this could have been the prototype. I had it all to myself for the hour I was there which was fantastic, but like a lot of small churches it is looking a bit run down, with the grave yard very over grown, which for me only added to the charm of the place. ---------------- Now playing: Kate Nash - Mariella

Reap what you sow

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I have just harvested my first potatoes and although they only fill ½ a bucket I’m still feeling quite smug. I grow them on the patio in lager polly bags that came as a kit complete with potatoes and full instructions, and watched with amazement as they proceeded to take over a ¼ of the space, I never knew how much green stuff came from the humble potato. I’ve still got 2 more containers to go so I hope there’s plenty more to come. There’s something incredible satisfying growing your own stuff (and eating it) it makes you feel more part of the planet, it certainly make you aware of the seasons and the weather, while giving you free-ish food (which I never turn my nose up at) Its been 2 weeks since I was made Blog of note, and as yesterdays post shows I have been a bit swamped with all the attention (loving every second of it though), but because of that I have found loads of great blogs to read, at just the time, I’ve no time to read them. So over the next few days I am going to ma

All answers here

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I’m crap (not very good) at answering comments on the blog and that was before they arrived in such high numbers, so I’m going to take the time to answer some now. To the large number of question about where the images were taken, well for the most part within 5 miles of Leek in Staffordshire, England, the canal shots where only a mile or 2 from here, I can see the canal from my window. Some of the shots come from the Peak district (England’s first national park) which is only 5 or so miles away but stretches across a large section of the country, any shots from taken outside of this area are normally listed in the blog. As for 365 to 43!!! I would like to survive this one first. Yes I do sell images, if there is something you like contact me by email (links for that on the web site, click on the banner at the top) Yes, “The bride” likes the photos. Large photos on Blogger, again mail me and I will send the mail I got (thanks D) which got me supper sizing my photos. Yes th

Reactivity

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A colour landscape for today, not that you would notice as the colours are very muted, not really what you would expect for August, but given the weather we have had it’s not to surprising. I was not really sure if this image was worth putting on the blog, but as I looked at the short list from that day’s shoot, my eye returned again and again to it, this then brings up the question what is a good photo. I sort my shots first by technical merit, is it sharp, is it correctly exposed and properly framed, then I sort by artistic merit, is it a strong image, does it work, does it say what I want about the subject. The technical side is easy, the longer you spend taking photos the better you get, both at the sharp end pressing the shutter button and afterwards binning the poor shots, but the arty side that’s where it starts getting difficult. Take today and yesterday’s image, both are sharp and exposed correctly, both are framed to my liking and in that both pass the technical test. Yeste

August weather

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It’s August and its cold and raining. My plan for today was to go out and shoot some lovely summer views and it is looking more like November out there. Still, one of the things about doing this blog is that it needs photos regardless of what the weather is doing, so at some point today me and my camera will be getting wet, I just hope that you lot appreciate the sacrifice (for me, I could just stay in the warmth and watch DVD’s all day). The Olympic games start this Friday and when watching the news coverage its seem to me that they are all waiting for something bad to happen, its like they have all turn into that person who tells you not to do something as it’s a bad idea (like touching an electric fence) because they would hate to see you get hurt. But then just stand back waiting for you to get hurt with a gleeful look in their eyes. I personally think that giving such an honour to a country with such a bad human rights record is wrong, but I also think that for all the people i

Sun Flower by Brett Trafford

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Sunflowers seem to attract artists, like most flowers attract bees and now having one of my own I’m in no doubt why. But my link to the sun flower goes back a lot further than my interest in photograph, it started way back when I was 7 or 8 years old. We lived at that time in a terrace house that backed on to a factory and was hemmed in on either side by our neighbour’s houses, both my closest friend live on a different street down the road in larger houses with gardens (we moved later into one of these houses in the same street). One of my friend planted sunflower seeds in a section of the border that his mum had given him to grow things in and this lead me to try in my own garden. That garden consisted at that time of a patch of soil the size of two key boards side by side, at the foot of a fence, used mainly as a litter tray by the local cats. But I planted seeds out of my hamster food and up came sun flowers, right the way up to the great height of 3 inches only to fall foul of t

Sunday girl

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As is my usual practice on a Sunday a few quotes to up lift and inspire, or just to make you think. I am a part of all that I have met. ~Alfred Lord Tennyson If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky? ~Stanislaw J. Lec How long has it been since someone touched part of you other than your body? ~Laurel Hoodwrit Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. ~Roger Miller The last one describes so many people I known, the others that is. Picture today is the last for a bit of the canal set, it’s quite fitting that it is a model of a boat on a boat filled with flowers. I hope the you have enjoyed the set, lots of the comments have made me want to revisit the whole area again. ---------------- Now playing: Blondie - Contact In Red Square via FoxyTunes

Everything but

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The photo problem is sorted; bandwidth is now no longer an issue, I have taken out a pro account with Photobucket. This is a first for me as I don’t normally pay for any of my on line activities, but there was no real way round this one. But just as I was going to fork out $25 on the photo hosting I notice an offer that gave it you free if you took up an offer with a number of other companies, so now I’ve spent £15 on 2 months DVD rental with lovefilm (1 month free) and got the free hosting as well. The photo today is call “everything but”, and relates to the fact that this boat was very heavily quipped. Starting at the back you have the bike, between the two seats, which double as storage lockers, you can just make out jerry cans and a generator, on the roof you have a wheel barrow and forward of that a wood pile. Too top off the collection there was a TV aerial right at the front and lots of mysterious bumps under a tarpaulin. The whole thing while quite shabby and untidy, had an a

Victim of my own success

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Bandwidth! What on earth is bandwidth, and why am I exceeding it? This was my first thought on opening an email from Photobucket this morning. A quick read of their T&C’s clears it up, “Bandwidth is used when digital content is viewed from a link you have posted on another website”, “Free accounts are allowed 25GB of bandwidth per month. This is hundreds of thousands of images viewed via direct links and resets each month on the day you registered.” So why am I running out, well each time my main page is viewed its 7 photos X the 11,000 views over last weekend adds up. So I’ve changed the page view to 2 until I can get it sorted. The picture today is of another canal side house; this one is an original lock keepers cottage, complete with lock. This was just sold but I have no idea for how much for, but what a fantastic place to live, in my head I’ve already converted the out building in to a gallery and am selling cream teas to the passing boats. ---------------- Now playing: