man-at-work

Read more...

let's gloomy

British people try their very hardest to reflect the mood of the weather.

Read more...

Ayr #3

After the shops shut down (Sept 2010), the pawnbrokers and charity shops moved in (May 2012). But now, they're moving out too!

Actually, it probably isn't quite as bad as it looks. At least part of it is stupid town planning - new shopping centres have been built a few minutes walk further south, but Ayr, not being in a growth phase (obviously!), can't support any more commerce, and so the more northerly shops shut down. Indeed, a shiny new British Heart Foundation shop can be found a little further south, nestled between a closing down shelter charity shop and a second hand electronic gizmo store! Only red shops permitted in Ayr.
As you might imagine, Ayr can be quite fun for bargain hunting in the January sales. We've missed many things being away in foreign, and one of the many surprises is that we are wearing the wrong cycling uniform - we wear elegant purple and everyone else wears neon. James thought we would try out the trend (half-price from Ayr Mountain Warehouse). He's certainly the brightest thing around, and no doubt he will come in handy for flagging down passing helicopters, but it is probably a bit much for those of us sitting behind him on the tandem.

Read more...

winter

Winterval festivities may be just about over, but winter is probably just getting going.

Read more...

Pointy Cow

Read more...

tree

It is wonderfully freeing to be allowed to invent our own personal truth. Clearly, the ancient Japanese visited the windswept uplands of NW England ...and thus was the art of bonsai born. I wonder if they also brought the hippopotamus bones to our local caves.

Read more...

B&W

Probably no one has noticed, but, as well as a cow phase, I have also been having a minor black and white phase...
The two phases can sometimes be combined to make a true masterpiece!

Maybe I shouldn't have given up the day job after all... oh well, too late now! :-) Moooo.

Read more...

chateau

After working too hard on our paper on Sunday morning, in the afternoon James went for a run, and at last I had an hour to take a walk around some of the grounds of the chateau in which we are staying at Gif-sur-Yvette.

Here's the chateau itself.
And here's the pond at the bottom of the garden.
Lots of mushroomy things grow under the trees.
The autumn colours are quite nice - this might be some sort of chestnuttish tree?
Some of its leaves are almost black!

Read more...

Travels

But where?!

It is a place where people have been known to lose their heads

And not just on the roads

Where bicycles are very important. (Although you actually see more of them being ridden in London).

Where the building that should be the opera house is actually the stock exchange

Where they have taken the Boris Bicycle concept several stages further...?

And where the picktur blogger is permanently drunk due to the local beverage coming in too large bottles; please scuse typos.

Read more...

"Quit your jobs"

Seen from the platform at Pangbourne railway station, the graffiti on the fence in the background is probably aimed at the Thames Valley London commuters. But be careful of you do quit your jobs - you might end up like these two!

Read more...