Photography: Black Country canals
There’s a narrow-boat gathering and a beer festival next weekend so I was on the canal on Sunday, getting in some practice. Here you can see the narrow-boat has just come out of the lock near the weighing station. (more…)
The Review: Setting up a blog
The Black Country isn’t the prettiest place to live or take photographs, but I manage and get a lot of interest in my photography. So if you’re blogging adding pictures to your words, can get the message to your readers across a lot more effectively and you don’t really need fancy equipment for online photographs. (more…)
Touching the world via Skype and social media
I use Skype and social media a lot. I get to know people in exotic places and chat via Skype and we share snippets of our lives through the social media of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I think it gives me a broader outlook on life; a valuable diversity… (more…)
The Review: Spring – day 3
Spring is finally here and we have got the budget out of the way. What a damp squid that was. It seems our national debt as a percentage of GDP is higher than ever and still climbing. (more…)
Black Country photography
It makes it a little more interesting to add words to the pictures. This is the Midland Metro coming into the station. They have a new tram that I want to photograph soon, I’m told it’s longer. I hope it’s a lighter colour too… (more…)
The review: Local community and events
I’ve had a strange week. I did finally manage to get to the hospital for my blood test. I was in and out in 10 minutes, which left 20 minutes on my 30 minutes parking. At a pound for 30 minutes, it seemed a shame to waste it. The car park was quite full though and so I decided not to join the Costa Coffee crowd, although the Taste Cafe was a little tempting. (more…)
The review: Too Black Country?
I’ve had an interesting week. I walked around the local market on Tuesday and took a few photographs. It wasn’t a good week on the stock market, the banks let the market down. Of course many other businesses depend upon banking and so confidence in the whole economy falls. Maybe, they should pay bankers a bonus when the bank actually makes a profit, rather than double pay on a loss? (more…)
The Review: Art Attack
I seem to be gaining more recognition for my interest in art just lately. Not just for trying to create art, but as an art critic. One of the things on my bucket list is to get a picture into an art gallery. I don’t think it will be a local gallery. (more…)
No S**t Sherlock!
My local council in Sandwell has a a new campaign to persuade dog owners to pick up and dispose of their dog poo. I’m in favour of this. Everywhere I go they are walking their mutts. (more…)
The Review: Appreciating the countryside
The photo today is one I took in Sandwell Valley last Sunday. The car park at Forge Mill Farm was quite full. Many of the visitors who visit the farm and lake aren’t British. Perhaps they appreciate the English Countryside more? (more…)
Photography: Sandwell Valley
The Black Country isn’t known for beautiful landscapes, but I only had to go about a mile and a half to take this photo. I added a border and title with PhotoScape. The winter colours were interesting with the sun quite low. (more…)
The Review: Subjects for bloggers
Today’s picture is the Birmingham canal at Tipton. I’m hoping this photo will win the waterways calendar competition. Tipton isn’t the prettiest place in the country. In fact the whole of the Black Country can’t be described as pretty. I do take some good photos though, I just wish the planners could see views like this. (more…)
Art in Walsall?
I photographed a few of the exhibits in the local art gallery on Sunday. I think this exhibit probably has a cultural significance to a minority of people. Is it art? Does it belong in an art gallery? The gallery serves the people of Walsall.
Eccentric. Me?
Someone suggested this week that I’m eccentric; off centre. Different! Yes, the Black Country seems to have more than it’s fair share of eccentrics. We have to be a bit mad to live here; it’s not the prettiest place in the world. It could be so much better, without the graffiti and the primitive behaviour.
The Review: Another week of writing and photography
Today’s photo was taken on the Walsall canal at Ocker Hill. I do try to show the Black Country in a good light; that’s when I get a good light to take the photo. This is one of the pictures I’ve entered for the waterways calendar competition.
Black Country Canals
There is a lot of interest in fishing in the Black Country and I’m starting with this photo today. This lad caught this pike in the Walsall canal on Sunday. This post should be syndicated by the YamYam. Fame at last aer kid! Locals might want to know where this is on the map so check it out on Google maps. (more…)
The weekend review
I took today’s photo in bright sunshine, unfortunately I don’t have that picture any more. The original was wiped from my computer. I only have this smaller one now, which isn’t suitable for a calendar. I’m hoping the sun will come out this weekend so I can try to get the same shot again. We do have some nice places in the Black Country, it’s a shame they’re not always appreciated. (more…)
Photography: Competition Photos
I took this photo yesterday when the sun came out. It looked like a great shot, but it was into the sun. The tow path was damaged and uneven and I was on a very narrow part next to the water. You need to be careful in such locations! (more…)
Kidding themselves
I watched a video this week of young children going up to smokers in the street and asking them for a light. The smokers responded by giving them a lecture on the dangers and health risks associated with smoking. The children then gave them a leaflet that asked them why, if they cared about the child, they didn’t care about themselves. (more…)
Living life in a balanced way
The present and the future are connected to the past and partly determined by it. If we have prepared for the future, we will have a better future. That might mean guarding against the bad things that might happen in the future by driving carefully, taking precautions and saving for the future. We just have to find a good balance between our present and future needs, so we can enjoy both. (more…)
Britain needs a little luck
Another week ends as a New Year begins. We are still at the beginning of winter in Britain and some parts of the country are on severe weather warnings; there has already been flooding. We need a little luck with the weather now, less rain and we need the rest of the winter to be mild. No snow like last winter please! (more…)
As the sun sets on 2013
The weather services are saying it’s above freezing this morning, but the pavement outside my house and my car are covered in frost. The year of 2013 is coming to an end and many people’s thoughts are for the future. Are you making any resolutions for 2014? I’ve made a list of goals for 2014. (more…)
Christmas Day in the Black Country
This Christmas Day post will be syndicated to my local readers later and a link will go on Twitter for all my followers on there; Facebook will also get a instant link. That is the power of the Internet at Christmas. There is no need to send a letter to Santa these days, you can email the guy. You might remember that I wrote and published a Christmas Story last year. You can click that link and read it today! I am writing a sequel, but it’s still not finished. It took me weeks to think of an ending, that is always the hardest part. (more…)
The weekend review
Today’s picture is of the canal bridge over to Moorcroft Wood. I am still looking for a suitable photo for the Waterways calendar competition. I might go back there tomorrow and take another shot of that bridge at a higher resolution. (more…)
