N A Martin

Martin. And I thought Khayem was keeping things on the lowdown

Please welcome Martin, our final #BlogCon25 interviewee. Martin has been blogging since Methuselah was in short trousers. In The Swede's recent Q&A I referred to him as the Father of the House; in that case, and he probably won't thank me for it, that must make Martin the Grandfather! His New Amusements blog has been a regular feature on my sidebar for as long as I can remember. I know he goes thru phases where he appears on the verge of ragging it all in but then comes back stronger than ever. Long may it continue (as Martin aludes to in the Q&A, we've lost too many great blogs over the years). Right, time for his interrogation to start...

* New Amusements - can you give me five Top Tunes (singles or album tracks) from this century?

Blimey, straight in with a hard one. These aren't the Top 5, that would take an age to work out. But these are all okay, and all 21st Century releases: 

- The WAEVE - Something Pretty

- Cathal Smyth - Are the Children Happy?

- Chris Wood - None the Wiser

- Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

- Martin Rossiter - Three Points on a Compass 

Martin Rossiter - Three Points on a Compass (2012)

 

* Ditto Old Amusements - five bangers from before the millennium?

I thought about trying to surprise readers of the blog, but, really, what's the point? So I've reverted to type with five of the usual suspects, but maybe lesser known tracks: 

- The Smiths - Wonderful Woman

- The Wedding Present - Catwoman

- REM - Wolves, Lower

- Gene - Supermarket Bombscare

- The Jam - Life From a Window

* Who/what got you into blogging? 

I think I was just bored. I started in February 2005, a very transitional time for me and a period in which I felt a bit lost, looking for something but not knowing what. I deliberately eschewed Blogger and Wordpress for a long time - I had some free webspace and thought I could do it all myself. And I did: the HTML, the RSS feeds, I even wrote my own Javascript-based commenting system. Eventually I realised that the DIY approach made it very hard to attract any readers, which is how I ended up migrating to Blogger. Most if not all of the blogs that inspired me in the early days are defunct now: Chromewaves was an excellent music blog, as were Too Much Apple Pie and Ghost of Electricity. And of course there was Rol's debut, Sunset Over Slawit. The list of blogs I followed that have now retired is almost as long as the list of active blogs I still follow, and that makes me sad. 

- Supplementary question - you recently took a blogging sabbatical with a difference; no live blog posts but a series of pre-written blogs that went out in their place. What was the thinking behind that and did it achieve what you set out to achieve? 

The intention was to free up time to do other stuff, particularly creative writing. My standard excuse for not writing another, better novel is that I am time-poor. Whatever, I regret to report it didn't work. Sure, I had more free time, but life expanded to swamp it.

- Supplementary question to a supplementary question - do you think you'll still be blogging in five years?

I doubt it. If I am, I'll probably have driven all my remaining readers away by then. If a blogger posts and nobody reads it, are they still a blogger? (A question for the ages - JM.) 

* It's a baking hot day, your car's just been towed, the trains are on strike and the last bus has just gone. You've got yer thumb out by the side of the road and, by chance, two cars pull up at the same time. One's a limo with Noel Gallagher (being chauffeured) in the back - the air con hits you full in the face as he winds down the window and shouts "Get in." But the car behind has got Damon Albarn at the wheel. It's a 1972 Morris Marina belonging to his dad. Damon's got a bit of a sweat on but shouts "Hop in, it's not too bad in here if we keep all the windows open." In the words of the Cars, who's gonna drive you home?

The easiest question on the list. I'll jump in with Damon. This is partly because I think he is probably slightly less of a tool than Noel, but mostly because my oldest friend and blog commenter The Man Of Cheese used to have a Marina, so going for a spin in one of those would bring back some happy memories from the late 80s.

* Is there a film, or a scene from a film, or even a line from a film, that lives/resonates with you?

So many. One I've been thinking a lot about lately, and have blogged about in the past, is the opening scene from American Beauty. This is problematic, of course, because Kevin Spacey has been cancelled, so there's the thorny issue of separating the art from artist. (It's actually easier than you think - JM.) But this scene resonates because of Lester Burnham's experience, and his soliloquy about losing something, feeling sedated hits the spot. Another scene, without any culture wars complications, is the scene from the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis, in which the titular hero talks about being tired.

* How do you file your books - alphabetically by author? Or title? Colour of spine? Size?

When I had time and space, it was alphabetical by author, and then chronological by publication date. Now it's wherever there's space, in rough thematic clumps. It irks me but it's a compromise, so what can I do?

* The time machine question (with a twist). You can go anywhere in time forwards or backwards no question asked. Where and when are you going? The twist to this question is that the owners of the time machine are feeling very benevolent: they're prepared to give you a cheque for £50,000 when you get back for your trouble. Just one slight hitch. If you take the cheque your memories of your visit will be permanently erased. You'll have no recollection of your journey whatsoever, not even in dream flashbacks. You're still gonna take the money, right? 

No, I don't think I am, John, not if the alternative is to travel in time and not be able to remember it. (Is the right answer! - JM.) Sure, it's a lot of money but it's not crazy money. I'd rather go somewhere, some time, else, and be able to remember. As to where and when, well. I've always had an interest in ancient Rome but I think that is probably too far back and that I wouldn't cope well, without the comforts of modern life. I think I'd probably opt for mid-60s, SE England, get myself a scooter and a parka, and live Quadrophenia for real. Plus I could go and visit my parents when they were young, see my older siblings as kids, and acquaint myself with a world and people that I don't recall. 

* Wots yer favourite skyscraper? 

The temptation is to say something obvious like the Chrysler Building - it has the Art Deco thing going on, after all. Although if I was going with New York I'd probably say the very ordinary Rockefeller Center, because you can go up to the roof and see all the other, more beautiful skyscrapers from it. Closer to home, I do quite like 20 Fenchurch Street, aka The Walkie Talkie, because the Skygarden at the top is marvellous. All in all though, I'd probably go for the Montparnasse Tower in Paris. It's a big black monolith that makes me think of 2001, and offers fantastic views over the city, plus I have a great memory from the mid-90s of shooting up to the helipad on the roof in what was then Europe's fastest lift.

* Can you juggle? 

Three balls, yes, all day long. Four balls, not very well. Clubs, barely at all. The demands of life?

Er, how's that? Cheers, Martin. 

*

Thank you, Martin. Pitch perfect!

Walter

"Guten tag Walter!"

The guest list for #BlogCon25 has just taken on an international flavour. It is a privilege to introduce Walter, our longstanding German correspondent. His excellent blog A Few Good Times in My Life is now in its thitreeenth year. As you can see, Walter was a great sport when it came to his (light) grilling... 

* Your brief bio says you're a middle aged man who spends a lot of my time listening to music, watching soccer, reading books and other stuff. Therefore, my first batch of questions to you (and as I'm British I'm way too polite to ask your age) goes something like this:

- How much is a lot? And which band/artist takes up most of your bandwidth?

To be honest, I should update my short bio as it is already twelve years old and no longer reflects my age of 65. I spend several hours a day listening to music. Musically, I grew up in the 80s and can listen to The Clash, Echo and the Bunnymen and REM anytime without turning my back on new and good music like Sean Johnston's latest sampler.

- Who do you watch? Bayern? Dortmund? Leverkusen? So, I suppose what I'm really saying is, where in Germany do you live? Or is that not reflected in who you support? 

I live in southern Germany near Stuttgart and I can't help but support VfB Stuttgart since I first accompanied my father to the stadium over 50 years ago. 

- Favourite author/favourite book? Do you read German and English novels? Or translations? Or both?

John Irving and William Boyd as well as many novels that have a historical connection. Currently Lavie Thidhar about Israel over the last 40 years. Mostly in German, but books about music mostly in the original as they are not published in translation. 

- Define other stuff? 

By other stuff I mean going to the cinema and concerts, as far as they are available in my area. (Nine questions in one there, we're off to a good start! - JM.)

* Was your road into blogging via us Brits (you obviously write in English) or were you already writing in your mother tongue? 

Yes, you Brits inspired me to start my blog. Especially The Vinyl Villain, Swiss Adam and Across The Kitchen Table. I never intended to write a blog in my mother tongue. It was also important to me that I could improve my English a little. (Your English is superb btw - JM.)

* What do the Germans really think of the Brits? They must despair. 

As far as I can tell, I haven't heard anything negative. What is really exasperating is that nobody understood Brexit and that the national propaganda of Nigel Farage was the cause of it. But the European shift to the right is not bypassing Germany either.

* Will you be seeking out real ale hostelries in Bristol ("Of course!" came the emphatic reply before I could finish the question - JM) or bierkellers? In other words, do you like warm English ale or would you prefer cool European lagers?

I prefer chilled lager, but can agree with a Guinness as well!

* What are your memories of the Wall? (I told Walter he really didn't have to answer this question; I've been to Checkpoint Charlie a couple of times now and am always moved greatly. But to his credit he went for it - JM)

I grew up with the Wall, didn't know the socialist part of it and didn't concern myself with it until we went on a school trip to Berlin and I realised which regime was in charge there. I was depressed when we were in East Berlin and had to see how people lived there. 

* Since you started blogging, how many 'real life' bloggers have you met? I understand you've already met Charity Chic (the man, the myth, the legend) - how did that come about? 

Besides CC I was lucky enough to meet Swiss Adam, Jim from The Vinyl Villain, Drew from Across the kitchen table, Dirk from Sexy Loser and Brian from Liner Track Lives. It all started in December 2016 when Dirk had the idea of a blogging gathering. Together with Jim he made it possible to meet in Glasgow. 

* The time machine question - Where and when are you going? (You can't go back to 1966 and nobble Geoff Hurst.)

They think it's all over...

Ha, no I won't go back to Wembley. That chapter is closed. I would go to Manchester and FAC 51 Haçienda because I hadn't the chance to part of the scene. Another journey will lead me to Berlin after WWI to see what was possible if you had the money. 

* On a scale of Eins to Zehn, how excited are you about #BlogCon25?

To be honest Zehn just because the first blogging gathering was a highlight. (Let's hope #BC25 is every bit as enjoyable - JM.) 

* 

Danke Walter! Really looking forward to buying you a pint of Guinness in Bristol...

Swiss Adam

Swiss Adam: he's not really Swiss, you know

Our next #BlogCon25 interviewee is unfortunately not coming to Bristol in June. But, as with Rol, Swiss Adam is an honorary squad member. His longstanding invitation to this or any future blogging convention will remain open in perpetuity. I'll give you an idea of just how prolific a writer Adam is: we both started blogging around the same time and, in the intervening 15 years, I've written just north of 1,500 posts; Adam, meanwhile, has penned 6,000. Six thousand! Whereas I'm just playing at this blogging lark, Swiss Adam is the real deal. Over to you, Adam...

* What was the first band you ever went to see?

Madness at Manchester Apollo, 1983 (I was 13, half my school were there probably much the annoyance of their older fans). They were supported by JoBoxers, so technically they were the first band I saw. 

JoBoxers - Keeping the devil in Hell

* The best single ever released is...?

Good question. Today it's White Man In Hammersmith Palais because I just heard the sad news that Johnny Green, The Clash's road manager has died. 

* What or who got you into blogging? Is writing every day good for your soul? And where did Swiss Adam come from? 

I got into blogging because I spent a couple of years reading other people's music blogs, back in 2007-9, some long gone and some still going (The Vinyl Villain, Acid Ted). Eventually I thought 'I can have a go at this' and started out. In the beginning, 1st Jan 2010, I was only intending to do it for a year, and see where it took me. Also, at fist I thought it was about the music but after a while I realised it wasn't just about the music, it was about the writing. And the community. Writing every day is good for my soul. I like the discipline of it, of having to come up with something. It works for me. Swiss Adam comes from my band Swiss Guards, active in the late 90s and 00s. I was vocals and some of the guitars, lyrics and ham-fisted chord changes.

* Guitar bands or DJ sets?

Both. Bands for the short hit, DJs for the longer journey

* Supplementary questions - Stone Roses or Happy Mondays? / Mr. Scruff or A Guy Called Gerald?

Roses / Gerald. 

* Manchester is closing next week for major refurbishment. Could take up to five years. Everyone's being displaced. Where are you pitching up?

Whenever I visit Sheffield I think that's somewhere I could live. I love Liverpool but the respective fortunes of our football teams might set my teeth on edge. Having been to Belfast last week I could happily spend five years there if I had to. 

Belfast - "Hello & Welcome"

* What item/thing/trinket/ do you own that you've had for the longest time and would never part with? 

I have some books and records from teenage years I'd hate to part with. 

* The pub 50 yards from your house has got the best jukebox in town but their beer is shocking. The pub five miles away has the best beer selection in Europe but the landlord plays Take That and Gary Barlow on constant rotation. Where are you taking me? (Obviously this is before Manchester shuts down!)

The pub with the good beer. We can sit outside to escape the TT/ Barlow horror.

* Books/Audiobooks/Kindle - what does it for you? And what are you currently reading? 

Books. Every time. You can't beat the feel and the smell of a book. Storage becomes an issue but it's a price worth paying. 

Munichs by David Peace and Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald. 

* The time machine question. (It's just been serviced btw so you can go backwards or forwards). Where and when are you going? 

Late 70s, either the Clash live in concert in the UK, then across the Atlantic and catch them in the USA. Or a 1920s, post Great War, European jaunt to Paris, Berlin & beyond. 

* Who put the Ram in the Rama Lama Ding Dong?

I dunno. Speak to Primal Scream - they had the Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa and borrowed & stole from all over the place, so maybe they know.

*

Thank you, Adam. And it's never too late to change yer mind about Bristol! 

I'm John Medd (no alias for this boy!)

Gonna need a bigger pocket

(On the back of my recent BlogCon25 Q&As, Alyson & C, between them, have been vox popping our fellow bloggers and have presented me with a number of their questions! (The tables are well and truly turned. I'm sure Robin Day never suffered such a fate). So, as Alyson said in her covering email, "this is a guest post from your blogging pals." Even the title of today's post is hers, nothing to do with me! - JM)

I think we can all agree that John is the least anonymous of any of us in our little corner of the blogosphere. Bit by bit, however, he has cleverly and sensitively drawn the rest of us out from the shadows, and what with the Swedey McSwedeface gallery, and the three meet-ups in the real world, many of us are now a lot less anonymous than we ever intended - but what a joy it has been, and for most of us a completely unexpected bonus from this hobby of ours. Covid got in the way for a couple of years but without John's persistence BlogCon22 would never have got off the ground and for that we thank him. BlogCon25 is not far off now - who would have thought ten years ago such an annual event would be on the calendar? We've all been enjoying his recent Q&A series with BlogCon25 participants and affiliates. Now it's his turn to spill the beans, the questions coming from bloggers north, south, east and west. Over to you John.

From Charity Chic: What would be your Desert Island Disc record and book? 

As a devotee of BBC's DID I'm assuming CC is asking me which of my favourite eight discs I'd rush to save from the waves on my desolate island? Having a constant diet of just eight discs would be a kind of torture in itself, let alone just one. Therefore, as big a Beatles nut as I am I wouldn't feel the need to have any of their stuff with me as every note, every hook, every verse, chorus and melody are hardwired into my skull; I hear them even when they're not playing if that makes sense. So I'll go with something that won't grate every time I hear it (providing I get rescued before too long!). And that disc would have to be Blockbuster by the Sweet. My book? That's easy. The combined works of Magnus Mills. I can reread his novels and short stories and always find something new in there. 

From Ernie: You are commissioned to present a travel series called 'Medd on the Med'. Where do you head for first and why?

I'm reliably informed there are 33 cities on the Med. I'd like to spend a few days in each one and go round them all in alphabetical order (much to my producer's chagrin) - starting in Alanya in Turkey and winding up in Vlorë in Albania.

From C: As you know, I do like your taste in shirts. Have you always been a fan of unusual and striking designs and are there any particular characters whose sartorial style has inspired your choices? 

Why, thank you! Nope, I just buy shirts I like (and fit). Back in the day, I used to love Pop 84 and Disciple shirts; these days they can be from goth shops, charity shops, Ebay. I'm not proud! Many moons ago, whilst watching Have I Got News For You, I was chuffed/put out (in equal measure) when I saw Paul Merton wearing a shirt I'd recently bought in Madrid. 

From Khayem: What, when and where did you first perform as a musician to an audience, and why that particular song?

It was the early 90s and I was performing in a trio called The Three Daves (don't ask). We played a local beer festival in a big tent to a crowd who were nearly as drunk as we were. I was on vocals, guitar and percussion. We did a load of Beatles covers but for some reason I can only remember Across the Universe. 

From The Swede: The old time machine is on its way out I'm afraid. I've tried turning it off and on again to no avail, it's basically kaput. It has two seats, but only three still operating settings and just enough juice left for you to make use of one of them. Which do you choose? (a) A journey back to 1972 to witness ELP play Trilogy in its entirety, exclusively for you and a guest, (b) A similar trip to 1974 to be in an audience of two while Sweet play Sweet Fanny Adams from start to finish, or (c) To 1978 where Generation X will bash through their debut LP for the delectation of you and your +1. The supplementary question is of course, just who would be your +1? 

Oof! This is tough. So when you say a performance just for me and my +1 you mean like a soundcheck? Sorry to be pedantic. Three very appealing scenarios but I think I'd have to plump for the Sweet; I never saw the original four piece with BC so, yeah, it'd have to be SFA. My +1? It would be my good friend Steve. Even now, rarely a week goes by where we don't talk about the Sweet. (FYI - if I'd have gone for Gen X my +1 would have been Riggsby. We did see them at West Runton Pavilion together in '78 when they essentially did the setlist you mention (it'd be great to relive it). And if I'd have set the coordinates for ELP then the Swede would have been riding shotgun with me.) 

The Sweet - Blockbuster (1973)

From Alyson: We all know you have a great love for photography and taking artistic shots. What was the first camera you bought with your own money and what did you first take pictures of? 

As a teen I had an instamatic that I took everywhere, including Charlton in 1976 when I saw The Who. Then came a cheap and cheerful 110 film camera - quality was poor but I was only snapping cars and girlfriends so it didn't really matter!. It was only when I discovered 35mm SLR photography that I 'got serious': I bought a clunky East German Praktica MTL3 which was virtually indestructible. Not long after I also got my first Olympus XA2 (point and shoot) which meant candid photography became so much easier.  

From Martin: You write, you make music, you take photographs... if a Faustian pact was offered that promised widespread critical and commercial acclaim in one of those fields but at the expense of having to completely give up the other two, permanently, would you take it? And, if so, which field would you choose to be a star in, and why? 

You flatter me, Martin! However, I only profess to be a jack of all trades. Neither my writing, my photography or my music, I feel, (with a couple of exceptions*) is good enough to warrant plaudits. I'm just happy that 1. I still enjoy doing all three and 2. (Sometimes) others seem to enjoy it too. * That said, there are a couple songs of mine I would really like to see 'out there' i.e. with someone else singing them. Maybe one day... 

From Rol: Imagine the Beeb bought your script about Lennon & McCartney back in 2009, and as a result, Sir Thumbs Aloft himself invited you round for tea. What would you talk about? Would you be embarrassed to meet him? Would you try to think up some questions nobody had ever asked him? What would you wear?

Good question(s)! I'd try not to be a fanboy, but it'd be hard. I think I'd like to talk to him about John and Stuart Sutcliffe: the best Beatle stories, for me, are those of early gigs in Liverpool and Hamburg. I'd probably wear my Monkees tee shirt. 

From Swiss Adam: My question is in honour of the Manchester's 90s dance music magazine Jockey Slut who used to close every Q and A with this question... Have you ever ridden a horse? 

Yes. And it didn't end well.

Thanks, John, for your entertaining series of Q&As and thanks also for taking the time to answer our questions above. I think we all knew the Sweet would put in an appearance.

* 

(Thank you, Alyson. And to all my inquisitors! Just a quick footnote: remind me, TS, when we meet up, to give you a copy of the owners' manual for the time machine. It probably just needs its annual service - JM.) 

Shadow of my former self

After what seems like an age, welcome back my friends to the show that never ends - Photo Challenge! It's been a tough couple of months, I don't mind telling you, (see posts passim) but we're back - all present and correct. As predicted, we lost January and February so now 2025 becomes a metric year! But if I know you I've got a feeling we'll cram just as much into ten months as we have previously in twelve. And who better to kickstart #PC than our very good friend Rol Hirst.

"Hi John, Good to have you back. Hope the recovery is going well. Here are a couple of shadowy pics - I rejected loads more because they fell into the previous sunset/sunrise category. Hope they fit the bill. The one with the sculptures is at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The other one is just some local woods. Take care, Rol." Thanks, Rol. As usual, a solid start to proceedings.

Next up, a shadow quartet brought to you by the Cheese Collective. The Cheese Collective - so named after the delightful get well cheese hamper they recently had delivered to my door - comprise three newbies to Photo Challenge and a, by now, regular - Johnny Legs.

Newbie No. 1 - Claire. She calls this one 'Anthony Gormley and his soul'. From Houghton Hall, Norfolk October 2024.

Newbie No. 2 - Margaret. 'Dudley and his shadow' - Whitby 2015.

Newbie No. 3 - Harry Harrington Harris - 'Margaret, Claire, Anthony Gormley and Catherine, Norfolk 24.10.24.' (For the record, Anthony Gormley and Catherine are not part of the Cheese Collective - JM)

Johnny Legs: "Lunchtime bell in the Douro Valley." A huge thank you to all four of you; for the photos and the cheese! 

Graham Lester George makes a welcome return. His tree shots from #PC October '24 were stunning. Here's another six of the best...

"Marseilles, 2009."

"Nottingham Castle, 2005."

"More London, 2016."

"Kitchen utensils."

"Theresa."

"And finally, Budapest 2008." Thanks, Graham. A brilliant collection and no mistake.

Another couple of newbies: Rachael and Bob with their pooch, Maisie, on Whitby beach. Great stuff!

Cee, from Sun Dried Sparrows, and her favourite tiny spider c/w its tiny shadow. (As you know, I try not to rank photos on #PC but this is definitely in this month's Top 5 - JM.)

The current Mrs Medd and two self portraits. Thank you, Jenny!

Ernie Goggins next: "Hi John, hope you're feeling a bit better day by day. (I'm doing much better, thank you Ernie - JM.) I've struggled with the shadows theme as I am a simple-minded fool who only sees the sunshine. But here are two photos that are really silhouettes not shadows. One of the Hackney Colliery Band in concert and one of Billy Fury on the Albert Dock in Liverpool about to be bitten on the arse by a seal. The other is of an 'accidental exhibit' in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin - the lady in the wheelchair had been parked there temporarily - which has proper shadows although they are not really the point of the photo. All the best, E." I should have said shadows, silhouettes and reflections in my shout out. Great stuff, Ernesto.

David Cooper has a brilliant couplet up his sleeve: "Hi John, the first photo features my shadow twice - taken on the Thanet Coastal Path near Broadstairs. The second is a photo of Neuschwanstein Castle in the Black Forest emerging from the shadows."  Cheers, Coops; you never let me down.

My favourite teacher next - Miss Turner: "Me and Alfie walking by the Trent."

"Alfie again, looking more like a giraffe!" Thank you, Miss Turner. Say hello to Alfie for me.

Pete Zab always takes us to another level - "Hi John, I've attached four pictures for you. Not a lot to say about them, other than two were taken in Birmingham and two in Nottingham: Shadows on Milton Street, Nottingham - some lovely shadows created by a combination of trees, bus stops and shop fronts." 

"Rowers on the river, nicely framed by Trent Bridge." 

"Grand Central or New Street, whichever you prefer to call it. 

"And the Radisson Blu Hotel in Birmingham, a quick grab shot taken on my way back to the station. Looking forward to seeing the other contributions, Pete." Thanks, Pete. Brum is far from a photogenic city but you've done it proud.

Jo Shreeve my mate from Twitter (RIP) - Jo, please come over to Bluesy! - found this photo on her phone. "Hi John, some shadows from Stithians churchyard I took on the school run! x" Thanks, Jo. Always a superstar.

Three from Kotswold's finest, Mr. Khayem: "I was walking from work to a car park in Gloucester when I noticed my shadow against a brightly lit brick wall and thought 'Aha!' After a few attempts, I got one that I quite liked!" 

"Another night-time walk, though closer to home. The shadow of my hands holding the phone was created by my head torch, creating a symmetrical pattern." 

"The inevitable shadow on a beach shot!. You’ll have to take my word for it that said beach was a short bus ride from where Clan K were staying in Valencia, Spain." Thank you, K. I could tell the beach was in Spain - I know Spanish sand when I see it.

Swiss Adam is next off the mark - "The sun came out today for the first time in eons and I was able to get some shadows for you: a triptych of shadow self portraits that I'm calling 'Grass, Tarmac, and Black & White'". Thanks, Adam. I feel an album cover coming on.

The first from Riggsby, our San Diego corespondent, has no backup information whatsoever - maybe that's why I find it a tad eerie.

He goes on: "These red stools are at the entrance of a Chinese restaurant in Irvine California. Presumably people sit here when waiting for a table during busy times."

I said to Riggsby I was put in mind of the cover of Paul McCartney's first solo album.

"This was an evening in La Jolla a couple of streets from the Ocean. The colour came from the sunset on the austere concrete walls of the Museum of Contemporary Arts."

I asked Richard what colour would you call the wall. He said he didn't know, "but there must be a Pantone colour for it." Indeed there is, Richard; indeed there is...

The Swede "The silhouette of the South facing middle floor window in the building formerly known as Swede Towers, on a cold, damp morning around a decade ago." You've nailed it, TS. Thank you!

Tim W "Hi John, here’s a few shadow based pics. Been struggling a bit to find appropriate pics, will endeavour to up my game going forward. There’s a brace of The Waddler a small unit who thinks he’s at least the size of the shadow he casts. 

And a long legged hill walk in Hucknall & night time manoeuvres in Porto (not solely shadow based but I like the vibe). Cheers, Tim. You needn't have worried, Tim; a strong shadow game in evidence on all three. I think we need to introduce The Waddler to Alfie btw!

Martin of New Amusements (pictured with Mrs. New Amusements and New Amusements Minor) apologises for his lack of originality. Not a bit of it. Original or not, I think these long shadow pics (often on sand, often with dogs) are hugely entertaining.

Charity Chic tells me he "...is Big Leggie!" (See my note above).

My very good friend Neil Abdo pulls pints, paints, and pushes pedals. Here we see photographic evidence of the latter. Thanks, Neil! Ever thought about getting a mudguard?!

George from Portugal next: "Hi John,  hope all is well with you. Here's two for you. This is me me tending our goats - Parsley and Anita."

And this is me tending a bonfire." Thank you, George. Or should I say obrigado!

Alyson Mac (last seen dancing on tables) has a couple for me: "Hi John, two pics for you. A 'frost shadow' of our garden bench."

"My daughter and her husband sent us a photo of the hotel they stayed in recently, the hotel where Elvis Costello filmed the video for 'A Good Year for the Roses.'" Kudos for the frost shadow, Alyson! Ditto for namedropping Elvis Costello!

One or two from me to wrap things up. Part of my recuperation (and generally trying to return to normal - whatever normal is) has been going out for breakfast. This was taken last week in the Bentinck Hotel, Nottingham.

A former gas station in Nob Hill, Albuquerque, 2022. I'm pretty sure I had an identical toy garage when I was a kid. 

The entrance lobby to a rather resplendent gallery in downtown Los Angeles, 2022.

Bingham Leisure Centre, 2024. A winter sun on a freezing cold day with remnants of snow still on the ground.

The recently decommissioned Ratcliffe-upon-Soar Power Station just off J24 of the M1. Within two years these iconic towers will be blown to smithereens.

Nottingham Station. I still call it Nottingham Midland Station even though it's the only station in town and has been since they demolished Nottingham Victoria in the early 1970s.

The Abdication, my spiritual local. Taken sometime during Covid. 

The imposing wall of HMP Nottingham plays host to some lovely tree shadows.

Woolaton Hall, Nottingham: a.k.a. Wayne Manor, home to Bruce Wayne.

A huge thank you as always to everyone who took the time to send me their photos. Despite a late start to the year I've got a feeling 2025 will be our best yet. I'll post April's theme in the comments section below in a few days. See you soon. J x 

 ★

Before I go I just want to return briefly to Harry's 'Gormley photograph'; my eyes were drawn to the shaft of light from above descending upon Gormley's statue in an almost celestial manner. I hope Harry doesn't mind, but I briefly played around with his photo and tried to bring out further said shaft of light. I've probably failed miserably but I am a huge fan of AG and his iron men' and thank Harry in his absence for indulging me.

*

 Postscript 2.3.25

Following Riggsby's photos - and the mysterious 'rock' pic - he sent me the following email: "Hi John, thanks for posting my pics and it's great that you're back doing this. The first photo was taken on Potato Chip Rock in San Diego County. It's a popular spot on a popular hiking trail. People line up to go out onto the rock and those who are waiting take pictures for those whose turn it is on the rock." Wow! Looks amazing, Richard.