Pub Of The Week – MacSorley’s, Glasgow

This week, my selfless and altruistic campaign to keep the great British pub in business took me north across the border to Glasgow. It was, of course, necessary to sample a good few contenders, but my nomination for Pub of the Week goes to MacSorley's on Jamaica Street. Built on the site of a former … Continue reading Pub Of The Week – MacSorley’s, Glasgow

In Search Of Art

There sometimes comes a point when old photographs become more than just a historical record or a family memory and instead blossom into works of art in their own right. Sometimes this is obvious; other times you have to search for it within the very fabric of the image. Once found, the effort is always … Continue reading In Search Of Art

Glasgow Days

Some years ago, I acquired a small collection of glass negatives - photographs taken in and around Glasgow between the early 1920s and the mid-1930s. Today’s image comes from that collection and shows the University of Glasgow and Kelvingrove Park. It feels especially fitting, because I’m travelling up to Glasgow today to spend a few … Continue reading Glasgow Days

Shoulder Of Mutton

In a single handed attempt to save the fortunes of that threatened institution, the British Pub, I have decided to embark on a series of visits to public houses. Where better to start than the splendid Shoulder of Mutton in Northowram, the village where I grew up? Spreading over three adjoining buildings, parts of the pub … Continue reading Shoulder Of Mutton

Memory Road

This is a scene I am so familiar with that I can almost physically feel its presence just by looking at a photograph. And it doesn't matter that it was taken half a century before I crossed this road - on my way to school, to the bus, to visit friends - or that many … Continue reading Memory Road

A Grand Place

I started the week in Anglesey, and today's picture is from that time. So many things seemed to come together, to merge together and to mix together: winter and spring, sun and storms, the wild hedgerows and the concrete highway. It's a grand place, and it has left me with a strong desire to return.

Albert And Gladys

This is a photograph of my parents, Albert and Gladys Burnett, which must have been taken just under a century ago (it makes me feel old just writing that!). In his 20s, my father was a keen cyclist, whilst my mother was more of a reluctant one. By his 30s, he had graduated to motorbikes, … Continue reading Albert And Gladys

The Birth Of Aphrodite In Cleethorpes

There is something about the arrangement of the bodies - the way they stand, the way they interact. You almost feel that if Botticelli were seeking the birthplace of Aphrodite today, he would abandon the seashell in favour of a one-armed bandit. You suspect that Leonardo might seek out The Last Supper in an amusement arcade in … Continue reading The Birth Of Aphrodite In Cleethorpes

The Good Old Days

Ah, the good old days - before they dug up the cobbles. Back when Halifax’s Piece Hall was full of folk, with shops and stalls a-plenty. And, of course, the sun always shone.