COPIES ALWAYS AVAILABLE

On the back of this Victorian Carte de Visite which came from the Birmingham studio of the photographer W Baker, it states "Negatives kept, copies always available". There is also a reference number (15073). If you're listening Mr Baker, I'd quite like a copy of the original. And just in case he's not listening, I've … Continue reading COPIES ALWAYS AVAILABLE

JOHN THE MATE

The time must be somewhere around the late 1920s. The place will have been Bradford. The man on the left is my Uncle John, who was a wagon drivers' mate. Not sure who the wagon driver - the one with the cap - was. The star of the photo shoot, however, must surely have been … Continue reading JOHN THE MATE

BEER & BUTTERFLIES

Stepping out of the rather splendid Castle Hotel (pint of refreshing Dizzy Blonde) and en route to the equally magnificent Crown and Kettle (pint of Vocation's excellent Bread and Butter pale ale), I came across a building that may have fallen on hard times, but somehow maintains a certain majesty. A good day out in … Continue reading BEER & BUTTERFLIES

19 March 2024 : Caramel Malt

Put on a new keg this evening. The blurb says it is a "go-to, have more than one, easy drinking IPA with floral and citrus aromas leading to a slightly sweet caramel malt character". Didn't quite catch that caramel malt character with the first pint - better have another one. Cheers.

18 March 2024 : Concrete Curves

I spent a year in Birmingham - 1968/69 - and this is one of my photos from that time. What strikes me is the lengths the architects have gone to in order to achieve straight lines and sharp angles only to have the look compromised by the random curves of concrete staining.

17 March 2024 : Bikers

My parents, like so many young couples in the 1930s, were great motorbike enthusiasts. Motorbikes gave them the opportunity to discover the country in a way that had not been available to earlier generations. Here they are, proudly astride their Royal Enfield, in the late 1930s.

16 March 2024 : The Watchers

Some are watching the world fly by, all flashing lights and candy floss. Some are watching the ones who are watching, all woollen skirts and anoraks. Some are watching the photographers, all questions and no answers.

15 March 2024 : Tenby

Thirty years ago, when The Lad was young, most years we would go to Tenby for our holidays. The castle-topped islands and the step-carved rocky tendrils always attracted me, they were like something out of an Enid Blyton book. And the sun always shone .... except for the times it was raining!

14 March 2024 : Pasty Faced

There's something slightly odd about this old Victorian Studio Cabinet Card, and it took me a few minutes before I realised what it was. It's almost as though the faces have been pasted on to a stock photo of three bodies or even placed through holes in life-size cardboard cut-outs. Perhaps photo manipulation isn't such … Continue reading 14 March 2024 : Pasty Faced