The Sunday Ramble: Enjoying summer

It nice and sunny in the Black Country this morning. It’s early yet though, the forecast is for cloud this afternoon. We have to enjoy summer now, it passes so quickly we can’t waste a minute of it. I shall be out taking photos again today.

Black Country

We are very down to earth in the Black Country, but people do get ideas above their station. They watch television and pick up daft ideas. They want to be posh like the people on the telly. They buy a smart phone and start popping in Costa Coffee. We don’t have Starbucks in the Black Country, nobody is that posh (or that stupid); around here. We speak with a regional accent and dialect, something that many people look down on. Education is poor despite the high schools being renamed to technology college, collegiate and academy. The teachers blame the parents and parents blame the teachers. Then there is Michael Gove, the education secretary. Gove lives in another world of course and is said to be part of Notting Hill set, still living in the past. Not to be confused with the Chipping Norton set who also live in the past. I went to a grammar school and I do think the culture of a school is important. Kids need to feel proud of their school and it takes more than a change of name and a lot of politically correct jargon to understand the kids of the Black Country and give them the education they deserve. They are all different and need different styles of education. Some children are more academic, some are more creative and some have the physical characteristics to excel in sports. Some like Michael Gove need to get the breaks and a nice soft job when they grow up, writing for the Times.

Express and Star

I can’t even get a column in the Wolverhampton Express and Star, let alone the Times. Boris Johnson wrote for the Express and Star once and look at him now earning a quarter of a million a year writing for a national. I have forgotten which one. It’s the one that always give really crap stock market tips… I did get a few photos in the Express and Star last month, I might win some money for that and pigs might bleedin’ fly…

Carnival

My mind has wandered on to the carnival again, which is in Brunswick Park, Wednesbury, on the 12th of July in case you missed me plugging it last week. I’ll be photographing that. I wonder if the Express and Star would like to buy the pictures? They probably would if some Tory tosser was taking them. The local history group will also be meeting informally at the carnival. I’ll be taking a notepad this year to make a note of the people’s names that I photograph. I’m not a journo and have no desire to be one, but I’ll have a go at covering the carnival.

We’re all a bit common in the Black Country and down to earth. We accept people, maybe that’s why it’s so culturally and racially diverse. We don’t like anything stupid. The art galleries have pickled sheep by Damien Hirst and think they’re clever. It’s not clever, it a bleedin’ sheep pickled in formaldehyde. You don’t put pink fluorescent lighting into an art gallery either.  We want summer exhibitions with art by down to earth local people. No, we don’t want 17th century ‘selfies’, we’re not stupid; we know what a portrait is.

Trotting

Anyway, where shall I take photos today? The Tipton crowd will be out trotting their horses to the Fiery Holes and on to Darlo and the Frying Pan. I’ll watch out for them and maybe shoot a few pictures. There might be some narrow-boats going through the Tipton locks today.  I could pop down to Forge Mill Farm, there is will a few people there with the sunshine. I could photograph the nature reserve, the river and the lake. There are a few parks that are nice in the sunshine too. I’m spoiled  for choice really! One thing for certain, I won’t stay in and watch television. We’re brainwashed enough… 

What will you be doing on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Please share your thoughts in the comments box. You can also follow me on Twitter.

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