A Month In Pictures

December will be magic again.  I'm only just starting to believe Kate's festive lyrics after a couple of weeks of neck/shoulder pain (finally resolved by a pummelling from the chiropractor), swiftly followed by one of the worst colds I've had.  Here in the UK, we're dropping like flies with a perfect storm of Covid, flu and various other seasonal viruses circulating and spreading their own individual Christmas messages.

Should anyone fall foul of one of these viruses, I've done thorough market research on the over the counter remedies available.  The upshot is, most of them do absolutely nothing, so keep your hard earned cash in your pockets.  However, for persistent coughs, the only throat sweets I have found to be remotely effective are Lockets.  The only cough medicine that packs a punch is the Lemsip one.  But for evenings in, I recommend ye olde hot toddy, comprising the juice of half a lemon, a good teaspoon of honey, hot water and don't spare the brandy.

Anyway,let's move on.  The only good thing I can say about the last week is that I've stayed close to home, not wanting to spread my germs with the rest of the family by driving anywhere and consequently, I've managed to get some moody shots of the Black Country, by venturing out on foot.  The seasons definitely dictate how I see the world and I'm currently finding it impossible to extricate myself from my love affair with black and white.  This one was taken a couple of streets away.  I love this tree lined street and the way the sun bounces off its rain slicked surface.

Here's a suburban snapshot in a puddle...I was drawn to the lines.

Here's a typical Black Country boozer.

Venturing on to the neighbouring village, Wordsley, here we glimpse the old house at the entrance to King George V Park, flanked by some impressive monkey puzzle trees.

Another day, another detour through the side streets of Wordsley.  Can you spot the famous Red House Glass Cone?

Some old factory units, still in use and housing a small car repair service.  I wonder how many more years these buildings will exist?

Onto the canal...a sure sign you're in the Black Country.  The network was used to move coal, limestone and iron around the country and whole communities sprung up around them.  Life on the canal is much more sedate these days.

Onwards we go, past my first primary school, The Brook, first established in 1872 and attended by my Mom when it was a secondary school.  Some time in the 70s, the secondary school relocated and this building reverted to being a primary school.

The only pupils in attendance on the day of my visit were of the feathered variety and had flown in from Canada.  

This was my regular route to school as a small child.  For the longest time, there was some graffiti dedicated to the Irish band Thin Lizzy on the white expanse of wall.  I felt a little sad when suddenly one day, it had vanished.

Another glimpse of that cone.

Nature overspill.

Back on the towpath and the Red House Cone in all her glory, newly restored and imposing.

Rewinding a little, we went to see some more live music, courtesy of Black Country band Headshrinkers.  Securing my position at the front because I was relying on my mobile camera (and because I just love feeling the music and leaving with my ears ringing), I took a few shots, composing, framing and checking focus single handedly, as my other hand was rarely without a beer.  We had a blast and were blown away (almost literally) by the band's raucous noisy energy, lyricism and sheer talent, plus a welcome horn section.

They were ably supported by a female fronted band, Bld Sugr! (Blood Sugar).  The vocalist loved her theatrics and had a good set of pipes as our friend Ade pointed out.

After the show, Gareth snaffled a couple of vinyl editions of Headshrinkers' new album Judgment Day.  I had a brief chat with the lead singer, Garran, during which we discovered that we'd been following each other on Instagram for the last two years.  I hadn't made the connection prior to that evening, probably because it's a personal account and he posts less frequently than I do.  I really need to address my spiralling screen time!

I loved that the band are proud of their Black Country roots, Garran's lyrics are poetry and their videos are shot at various locations close to home.  I hope they make it!  Here's a link to Threadbare, which has proved to be an earworm and also features Dudley Priory ruins, which you may recall I also used as a location for my Halloween Steampunk shoot last year.

Headshrinkers - Threadbare (Official Video)

Staying with the black and white imagery, I made a final visit to Archie's Attic in Enville.  That's the beauty of our region, urban sprawl with a gritty industrial heritage, punctuated by pockets of picturesque countryside.  

Archie's is in a hamlet called Enville, seemingly in the middle of nowhere (but a short drive from the town of Stourbridge) with views to die for, an intriguing history and at least two Knights Templar graves.  The owner and great supporter of local crafters and creatives, Clare is moving on to pastures new.  The cafe will continue though, under different management and will be reopening in mid January.

I never tire of this magical place built around the historic Enville Hall.

I want this sign!

Mistletoe.

My one regret - unavoidable as it was - was that I was too unwell to go to see Sharon Shannon's Big Band Tribute to Shane MacGowan in Birmingham's Irish heart, Digbeth, on Friday.  Unsurprisingly, it was by all accounts an incredible evening, featuring the likes of Imelda May and former Pogue Kate O'Riordan.

So, I'll just have to make do with my vinyl copy of my favourite Christmas song, Fairytale of New York.

Oh, and because they look festive, I'm sharing the spools from one of this month's rare charity shop visits, where I managed to bag all the reds; a pair of leather gloves and a cashmere asymmetrical poncho.

Whatever you're doing, have a good one!  

Balls to Black Friday!

I know, I know I've used this title before, but it still stands.  I'm studiously ignoring the consumer madness of Black Friday.  It's not even confined to one day anymore; it rumbles on until Christmas and beyond, with people scooping up yet more home decor and fast fashion, the latter doubtless coming to a charity shop near you in February, stocking fillers no one wants and electrical gadgets that will stay in their drawers, unloved and unused for the remainder of time.  

I qualify this by adding that I have purchased items in sales in the past, so I get the temptation.  However, I've also shopped second hand since my teenage years and it didn't take me long to learn that the thrill of a good quality second hand find (an item that may have commanded £££ new - not to mention discovering something that no one else will be wearing), is a) way more of a rush and b) a little more responsible.  

I rarely visit high street stores these days and when I do, I'm shocked at the mountains of mass produced discounted clothing that will very soon be added to the real clothes mountain in a Chilean desert.  Do you know that this is growing by 39,000 tonnes per year?  Our addiction to fast fashion is now visible from space. 

Image:  Skyfi

So, my wardrobe, or clothing rail, is pretty small.  I try to keep it that way to maintain balance and perspective.  I love clothes, but also have an ongoing internal dialogue about them.  Fashion is fun but also superficial.  

I dress for myself and mood and practicality very much dictate what I wear.  If I'm going on a 10 mile hike for example, I want to be comfortable.  I'm going to wear trousers thick enough to withstand the brambles I'll have to contend with, boots that won't rub my feet and are mud proof and a coat that is waterproof.  If they happen to look good together, it's a bonus, but if those practical outfits don't always express who I am at my core, I'm at peace with that.  There's always time to dress up.  In stark contrast, on another random Tuesday, I may well be found wearing a flowing kaftan or some crazy patterned vintage maxi skirt for a working day indoors when I don't see another soul outside of my family.  

I have friends who adore putting together an outfit and friends who are more about other forms of creative expression and couldn't care less what I'm wearing; they just want to hang out.  It's all about balance.  Everything we buy, whether or not it's thoughtfully produced, will, in all likelihood, one day end up in on a mountain in a desert in Chile - and I try to keep that in mind.  

So my recent second hand purchases are items that suit my style, are variously vintage and/or of great quality and will stay with me for the duration.

1.  Wrangler Leather Cowboy boots; timeless coolness.

2.  Monsoon Embroidered Tabard.  This livens up a pair of jeans and works well belted over a roll neck and maxi skirt.

3.  Breton Top

Classic black and white Breton with scalloped bib in the thickest cotton by Joanie.

3.  Vintage Welsh Wool Waistcoat...

...teamed here with vintage velvet.  Never mind Black Friday, it's vintage brown vibes here.

In other news, I've been listening to a lot of podcasts this year.  I'm late to the party, but there are some corkers.  I confess, they've slightly overtaken books for me this year.  I quite like drifting off to sleep at night with a familiar voice in my ear.  

Here are some recommendations:

1.  Miss Me?

Singer/actress Lily Allen and her childhood friend, Broadcaster Miquita Oliver, discuss an agreed topic.  It's an entertaining listen; funny, poignant, thought provoking and outrageous in equal measures and the two communicate in an honest, authentic way that only the oldest friends can.  I swear they forget that the world is listening.

2.  Uncanny

My friend Sarah and I were discussing this at length in the pub on Friday night.  It's all about people's paranormal experiences but is very balanced, with input from sceptics and a team of researchers on each and every case.  Trust me when I say that many of the stories are hair raising and quite often it's the sceptics' rational explanations that seem the most implausible.

3.  Where There's a Will There's a Wake.

London actress and comedian Kathy Burke invites a new celebrity guest each week to plan their perfect death from last supper to funeral arrangements and who gets what.  I recently listened to the Danny Dyer episode.  Danny Dyer is a foul mouthed cockney actor, who can also be incredibly funny.  He was very clear in his instructions which was to be buried "stark b*!!**k naked, but for a pair of pink cowboy boots."  

So here's a question for you.  What would you like to be buried in?

Last week, we also caught the opening night of Fontaines DC's UK Romance Tour in Wolverhampton.  If you're unfamiliar with the band, they are an Irish post punk band formed in Dublin in 2014.  Grian Chatten, the lead singer, is a poet and in my humble opinion, Shane MacGowan's natural successor.  He's a different character to Shane, but an amazing lyricist.  We feel lucky to have seen them at Wolverhampton Civic, a relatively intimate venue.  Their next tour, I suspect, will be an arena tour.

Here he is in action; a darkly poetic soul.

Talking of darkly poetic, I'll leave you with my latest photos from the garden.  I'll probably be loitering here for a while, given that our car is now a write off thanks to a disagreement with a service station pothole close to Manchester.  See you soon!

Fern fronds

Decaying leaves

Mahonia berries

It's Art Darling!

It's been a little over a fortnight since I last posted, but it feels like an age.  The weather's been challenging.  Naturally, as soon as I decided to pack away some of my dead-of-winter clothes, the temperature plummeted.  In the last couple of weeks, we've had rain, storm force winds, sunny spells, hail, rain, dramatic clouds, rain, frost, the most incredible weekend of sunshine (more of that shortly) and yes, you guessed it, rain!

I was forced to abandon a planned Steampunk styled wedding shoot due to a key supplier dropping out at the last minute, which was frustrating to say the least.  However, I consoled myself with the fact that it would probably have been abandoned in any event due to the incessant rain.  After licking my wounds for a short time, I'm now in the early stages of planning a styled wedding shoot paying homage to the 1960s.  Here's a glimpse of my mood board.

In the meantime, what have I been up to?  Well, I took the train into the heart of our second city, Birmingham.  Departing from Stourbridge Junction, it occurred to me that this little station has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing railway stations in the West Midlands.  

It even has its own resident cat, George.  Sadly George was too busy hunting to pose for a photo when I visited.  He's also very busy with his publicist, having his own Facebook page to maintain.  Link here if you're interested.  Facebook

My chosen destination, Digbeth, is undergoing a process of regeneration (or gentrification).  Since my last visit, there have been subtle but notable changes, including some pavement planting areas and garden benches.  The laying of the tram lines continues in earnest.

Whilst I enjoyed a wander around Red Brick Market, I think some of the units were possibly in the process of changing hands.  A number of the units were being cleared on the day of my visit, so the market felt a great deal emptier than usual and I left empty handed.  However, the real star of the show is Digbeth's vibrant and ever changing street art, captured here with my iphone (as much as I love the place, I don't really want to risk taking my big girl camera).

Thanks for the offer Ozzy!  Don't mind if I do!

A favourite rainy day activity - and there have been many rainy days lately - is trawling around Antiques Centres.  My Mom accompanied me on one such visit and had fun trying on some of the vintage hats.  

What passes for antiques these days never ceases to amaze me.  With nothing really catching my eye, I made it my mission to photograph some of the more kitsch and downright bad taste items for sale.  

Which one is your favourite?

With all of this inclement weather, I've decided that one can never have too many pairs of boots.  Here are some recent additions.  

Frye boots.  I've had these for a while, but forgot to share them.  They were a Vinted purchase, but so much more comfortable and lightweight than my Frye Campus knee high boots.

I've replaced my old, cracked DMs with a blue patent pair.  Another Vinted purchase, they were new without the box and a fraction of their retail sale price.

We may not be enjoying much in the way of spring weather, but the garden is doing its thing.  The ferns are unfurling...

...and the Euphorbia is out.

Walks have been less frequent.  That can't continue.  We have wet weather gear, but the icy wind takes much of the pleasure out of it.  However, on one of our walks, we encountered this handsome fellow staring intently at his owner, willing her to join him in the pond.

I snapped up this little studded cross body Topshop bag - perfect for housing my essential working accoutrements; those bits and pieces that won't fit into a camera bag full of lenses, namely lip balm, specs, phone and lens wipes.

In other news, the film poster for the short film I recently took stills for, has dropped.  

Spurred on by being asked to submit a photograph for the film's publicity, I set up my tripod and took a few photographs.  Now you all know I'm not that comfortable in front of the camera, but it's always a good working exercise.  For your information, it's also very laborious as I use what is technically referred to as "the running back and forth method."  Basically, this means set up camera, focus on a spot, try to run to said spot, strike a pose and hope for the best.  I know, I know, I should probably set up a remote trigger or tether my camera to my phone, but I feel just a tiny bit pleased with myself when I get it right.  I like to suffer for my art!

In the event, I used none of the photos from the rainy day session and just sent them an iphone snap from last year.  Tut tut!

Life is full of strange and funny coincidences.  Last year, we met local artist Dion Kitson in the rubble of The Crooked House.  He insisted I took his photograph.  

He has a great sense of humour and he and Gareth got along quite well; Dion creating witty signs expressing the community's outrage, Gareth salvaging pieces from the rubble to create a fireplace/bar "shrine" incorporating rather telling petrol cans and a urinal (just out of shot) scrawled with "Taking the p**s".

I nearly spat my wine out when he popped up on Channel 4's Late Night Lycett as the man behind the fake Banksy that had made the news recently.  Comedian Joe Lycett and Dion are friends and collaborated on a recent fake story, creating a piece of art with all the Banksy hallmarks, to see just how many fake stories they could get into the press.  Here's the story:

Joe Lycett behind Banksy mural hoax in Birmingham - BBC News

As for The Crooked House story.  The owners have appealed the order to rebuild.  The hearing is scheduled for August.

So that brings me pretty much up-to-date.  Last weekend, I photographed the most amazing festival wedding (think black dress, bluebells, neurofunk and golden hour portraits), so I'm now busy working through approximately 400 photographs, so forgive me if I don't leave a comment on your blog.  I'll be having a mega catch up later this week!