Welcome to the Website of Alan Burnett: writer, blogger, collector of old photographs, and devotee of all things pointless and inconsequential.
Christmas Club
It’s the 1st of September, and all the shops will be getting ready for Christmas. Before we condemn this as another twenty-first-century excursion into the realms of cheap commercialism, take a look at this advertisement from the Halifax Evening Courier from exactly 100 years ago. Just imagine: for 2/6 per week, you could get, among other things, 1 lb of the best sultana raisins, a pint of table jelly, and a 26-piece dinner service. That’s what Christmas is all about.
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Committee Choice
Realising that I hadn’t chosen an image for today’s calendar by 10 p.m. last night, I turned to a committee of friends I was sharing a drink or three with and asked…
Fair Question
Where do seaside fairground rides go during the winter? They sit in storage facilities, waiting for the sun to shine, waiting for the music to start again.
The Family’s Past
Albert was the only member of the family to leave Bradford behind – the factories, the mills, and the smell of lanolin. Rose Ellen was wedded to the future but drawn to…
Up, Down, Bump
I’ve always believed in looking up as we walk through a town or city to admire the architectural wonders that so often surround us. Equally, however, it is worth looking…
Seaside Shadows
A seaside holiday: flat caps, thick overcoats, and a bench overlooking the sun-stroked sands. Watching the worm diggers and perhaps sharing a potted-meat sandwich. The sun casts shadows across the…
Earl Of Buffs
I’ve always worked on the principle that, if you’re walking past a pub, you should take a picture of it and then pop in for a pint – in case…
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