Jodie and Blue

Jodie has been riding since she was 7, over half her life. Just. Ownership is costly, but she's learning life skills and life lessons from the responsibility.

#horse #rider #horseriding #daughter #jodie #blackandwhite

The Lowry, Salford Docks

 The Lowry building has I'm sure, been photographed millions of times, but only once by me. Accompanying a school visit isn't the best way to get to spend quality photographic time at a venue, but it was still an opportunity. 

 Ever changing reflections in the water of Salford Docks.

If you look closely you can see folk at work in their offices.

I will definitely come back, but I hope for a quieter visit (no school party!) and for brighter weather - hey at least it didn't rain.

Photowalk, 7th July 2012

The theme was Details.

I invariably capture images which are not related to the theme ;0)

 The weather was mixed, sunny spells and scattered showers.

he full set appears here.

Photowalk, 6th June 2012

 Jodie sometimes comes along with me on a photowalk. The theme on this one was Light into Dark, which might have been easier to pursue had the sun shone, but it was dull overcast and we ended up popping into the degree show - the light in this corridor was great!

 On the way back into the centre of Derby along Markeaton Brook.

 The fountain/water feature in the Market Place.

The full set appears here.

Red gate, and cats 28th June 2012

Torrential rain fell, so great was the force the whole gate was wet. We live on a hill, so I don't worry about the house being flooded, but the garden is often waterlogged and sometimes we have some ingress over the front doorstep under the front door.

The cats investigated, but soon came back in, shaking their wet paws.

Jodie, 26th June 2012

 After a client earlier that day, I left the lights up for Jodie after school. She is growing up fast, too fast.

Hunsworth Event, June 23rd 2012

We drove all the way there having not had a text message to let us know it was (largely) cancelled due to the wet weather. Some trade stands and static camps soldiered on, but there was to be no real re-enactments or demos in the flooded arena, so we chatted, grabbed a sandwich and a cuppa, and then drove all the way home.  It was disappointing, but not a complete washout for two reasons: 1) I got a few good pictures, and 2) sliding about on the mud track getting on and off the car parking field was dead exciting! It wasn't quite festival mud ;0)

Paul, John, Tracy, Brian (Comrade Stalin), Phil & Oliver

We were on quite high ground, but still it was waterlogged.

Oliver. The helmet and plasch palatka were  from Moscow, the former we bought at Sparrow Hills near to Moscow State University, the latter a gift from our lovely hosts.

The muddiest mud I've ever trod!

Wings & Wheels, Elvington, 26th May 2012

 New ammo pouches getting their first airing at Elvington.

There has been quite a break in blogging through one thing and another, being insanely busy, being incredibly tired, but I have so missed it, and hope to get back into the habit over the next few weeks and months. I do love sharing images, and this is my favourite way to do so, a little more meat than simply a set on flickr, or a few snaps on facebook. Not only that, but making time to work on personal images is very theraputic, all good stuff. 

Enamel mugs, standard issue.

After our exciting Moscow trip, Elvington was a tad weird, but Oliver was soon back in the swing of sharing his boundless enthusiasm for all things military with others, any who would listen!

  

Reflecting the blue, times two.

Two wheels ready and waiting.

 Had I thought ahead to blogging images of pairs, I might have removed a bucket ;0) ...but on balance, straightening the left bucket would have made a better image.

The shadow of the metal stairs up the side of the control building created a graphic image. Almost but not quite monochrome.

The Last Day

Our last full day in Moscow was spent at a much gentler pace, by this time we were all very tired. The main party returned to Poklonnoya Gora and Voenspec, but Oliver and I spent several leisurely hours at the Tretyakov Picture Gallery. I was pleasantly surprised at how much Oliver got from the gallery visit, art not really bring his thing, but many paintings depicted famous events and people in Russian history, and as I studied art history at college, I could add something to the mix as well. An excellent collection, worthy of a return visit if we ever get the chance.

We strolled towards Luzhkov Bridge where we saw these metal trees covered in Lovers' Locks.

 There must be thousands of locks of all different shapes and sizes, mostly placed there by newly weds. There are similar locks in various locations around the world, but I had never seen them before.

We saw two newly-wed couples that afternoon, a stretch hummer brought some of the wedding party, along with two large 4x4s, all decked out is lilac and purple. The bride and her friends are dancing to loud music coming from a car parked out of shot. The tailgate is up and a buffet is spread out in the boot. Russians wear their wedding rings on their right hand, not their left.

A view of St Basil's Cathedral from Bol'shoy Moskvoretskiy Most, with the GUM department store beyond.  A few days earlier we had been in Red Square opposite the store for the Dress Rehearsal of the Victory Day Parade and I had not photographed the cathedral at the time because of the harsh lighting condition - the sun shone from a cloudless sky at the wrong angle. What I would really love to do is photograph is at dusk! There are many overhead cables around Moscow , only one here, but some pictures are impossible to capture without a tangle of wires.

Gathered to celebrate on our last night, with our generous Russian hosts and friends: Oliver didn't know at the time this was taken, but he was soon to receive gifts, cards, a promotion and a Russian birthday cake! The next day he turned 14, and we travelled home very tired, but bursting with fantastic memories and new friendships.

Moscow Metro, Thursday 10th May

One of the more modern stations on the Moscow Metro, no less grand, but in a contemporary style. I love the reflective polished marble floor and the hallway that echoes the tunnels themselves.

A Soviet era train pulls alongside a sparklingly clean new station platform. I would love to spend an entire day just photographing the metro, I had to keep up with the group, this wasn't my trip, so I hope one day to go back! It can't happen soon enough, amazing place, wonderful people.

Design classic: mind the doors.

Lines as we descend the escalator. The older escalators travel noticeably faster then ones in the UK.

In the building we visited to purchase uniform items from a period supplier, the stairs are well worn.

Outside the Museum of Russian Imperial / Red/ Soviet Army.

Eugene, Sergei, Paul, Brian, Phil, Steve, Neil, John, and seated, Oliver & Scott.

 In the garden of a monastery, an oasis of calm in the busy city. So much to photograph, so little time.

Victory Day at Poklannoya Gora

On Wednesday 9th May, Victory Day, we travelled in convoy to Poklannoya Gora, the site of Victory Park. In period uniform and vintage vehicles, members of the 13th Guards and of Club Divizion proved popular with visitors to the park, so much so that many of our party missed out on looking around the Museum of the "Great Patriotic War" [WW2]. There was a ceremony, flowers and wreaths were laid at the eternal flame, and there was international TV coverage including one of our party, Scott, being interviewed for Russain tv. Traditionally, red carnations are laid, but only in multiples of 2.

On Victory Day the park becomes the centre of Moscow's celebrations, and as many of the remaining veterans and survivors as can do so make there way there, along with scores of the younger generations. In Russia the emphasis is on celebration rather than remembrance, and this is one of the most popular public holidays. We were honoured to be a part of this day with our new Russian friends.

Inside the Museum, at the end of a long Hall of Remembrance where books of remembrance containing the 26,000,000 names of the war dead are housed in glass cases, stands a statue of a mother and her dead son in a circular room. Along the hall and in that room there hang from the ceiling fine chains, some with a crystal teardrop attached, one for every day of the war - 1,418. I was impressed by the ways in which the enormity of the war's duration and the extreme loss of life were represented.

The museum is vast. A number of our party returned a few days later to have a proper look around.

 Many many Russians wanted to have their photograph taken with re-enactors.

 There was a performance of traditional balalika playing.

A stranger smiles - he paused while I was taking a photograph and smiled back when I smiled to thank him. A smile is the same in any language.