Six-Shot Saturday

MORNING.
Web Fragments

Post-Frost Dissolves

Ethereal Swirl

Ice Table

AFTERNOON

Church Spire Rise

EVENING
Urban Dusk

Bowie: In All Of His ‘Changes’

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Still From A Dream

This strange, old photograph is like a still from a dream. When you wake suddenly, disoriented, filled with strange, disjointed images that dissipate within moments.

Seven-Shot Stockholm

These photographs were taken on my recent visit to Stockholm. They were actually taken by the friend who accompanied me, but some of the shots were suggested by me. I have the eye, but not the equipment! So, let’s say, we can share a 60-40 credit, yes? In his favour. Begrudgingly.

Night falls fast on Stockholm.

One of the many cobbled streets of Gamla Stan for me to get lost in. I really could do with an in-built Sat Nav. Pigeons seem to have it sussed.

Nobody in sight to ask directions from.

Rainy evening, made me think of home.

Same again, but with a puddle. It had a Christmas feel to it. The town, I mean, not the puddle.

A double rainbow on Gröna Lund. The Abba museum is over there, so it’s obviously a sign that the band are going to reform.

The Swedish night, as the sun sets on our Nordic adventure.

Photographs by DJB

Scenes pointed out by me.

World War One-My Hometown’s Tribute In Spoken Poetry And Film

This video was made by some of the people from my hometown of Middleton, and of the Langley Estate where I live. Extremely moving, it contains images and spoken poetry, composed by the residents especially, referring to local people who fought in the war, and some of the families left behind. It is the real lives, the real stories, that really brings it all home.

Please watch.

Touching Distance/Please Don’t Rain On Our Parade

I won’t go on too much and bore you all, I know football is not everybody’s cup of tea. But I went to the Manchester City v Aston Villa game last night at a rain lashed Etihad Stadium, Rainy Manchester definitely living up to its name. Beneath an incessant deluge City won the game 4-0, despite a very nervy first hour.

Nervy because we went into the game knowing that a win and a draw in both last night’s and this Sunday’s games will be enough to win us our second title in three years.

Fittingly it was our Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré that scored the last, milestone goal. Milestone as it was the 100th league goal of our 2013-2014 campaign. Voted the African Player of the Year for the last three consecutive seasons, the goal was also his twentieth league goal of the season, which is an astonishing return for a midfield player.

Oliver Holt, Chief Sports Writer for The Daily Mirror, described it thus:

There are few finer sights in the Premier League than Touré in full flow. He is speed and grace and power personified. He ran and ran and the Villa defenders could not get near him. He outstripped them all.

Speed and grace and power personified. Whoever said that there was no poetry in football? Another newspaper referred to him as

a destroyer with the feet of a dancer.

 

Catch him if you can. I would have included a clip via YouTube, but my PC still slumbers on.

 

In a previous post, in an attempt to capture both his strength and skill, I shared this description of Yaya:

A buffalo in ballet shoes.

What an image that conjures, eh? I’m sure he must have featured in that Kia Ora advert a few years back.

However, I will share one last image that I think succinctly illustrates City’s number 42’s playing style.

Roll on Sunday. A point is needed. Win or draw and we have won the title. But as we all know, in football anything can happen.

Please don’t let it rain on our parade.

Trust

The fragility, and tenderness, of trust.

Great Scott! What Is That?

You may recall a recent post on City Jackdaw all about Neolithic art, featuring artifacts and carvings of up to 40,000 years old.

Well the following creations are only a few months old. They were put together and shared on Facebook by an old school mate of mine, Scott Stringer. His partner questions his sanity, but my kids love them, so I thought I would share some of them with you.

Whoever said art had to be cerebral?

                          ‘Nightlife Neverland Style.’

                       ‘Now, Which One Of You Squealed?’

                                 ‘I Can’t Feel My Legs.’

            ‘As Elton John May Have Said: “It’s No Sacrifice.”

                   ‘Waterboarding Gingerbread Style.’

                 ‘Saturday Night in Never Never Land.’

                                         ‘Mmm’

                           ‘Could This Be The End?’

Could this really be the end? Is Scott’s next stop Tate Modern? Or Park House, after his other half finally has him sectioned? Tune in next week for further insights into his disturbed psyche, featuring toilet rolls, gingerbread men, and the Facebook Share button.