Not Wales or Scotland

[Wirefox]

Donald and Rob inspired me to go back through my older images. I had fish and chips for tea today so a sunny English seaside theme seemed appropriate. No hi-tech b/w conversions I am afraid. I utilised my cheap and cheerful method with a GIMP Ilford HP5 (because I used to use this in the olden days) plugin for my primary conversion.

Hastings



Walmer Castle



Weymouth. Notice Mavis and Dot in their plastic rain hoods. These handy little fashion accessories were at one time part of the English national costume. No self respecting female senior citizen would be seen dead in the street without tightly fitting hair rollers and a hair net topped with transparent plastic rain hood. The five star fun refers to the great British holiday camp. Yes they still exist and yes you can still be entertained by inebriated ventriloquist with hand stuffed up the .... of a fluorescent green duck....in fact it is mandatory


Weymouth....this shows just how looney surveillance has become in the UK. Even Punch and Judy are patrolled by CCTV....what ever happened to the plod with the sausages?


Hoodies....the cameras pay a dividend


Weymouth - I can smell the candy floss, chips and 2 stroke...That combination of aromas (along with leather bus seats and Players Senior Service smoke) is guaranteed to invoke tears of nostalgia in the stoutest British working class male.


A typical British high class epicurean establishment...not a white napkin or wine list in sight....lovely. Babies y'ead 'n' chips, curry sauce and a Mr Whippy 99 and all washed down with a warm bottle of dandelion and burdock


Portland and the cutting edge of public communications. Although not widely known outside the UK the red telephone box was also designed as a gentlemans public convenience, a university students hall of residence and primary advertising outlet for businesses run by Miss Whiplash plc.

[Donald]

I love this social commentary approach. Of this are books made! I think 'Hoodies', in particular, tells us so much about our society.

[Dave Humphries]

I love this social commentary approach. Of this are books made! I think 'Hoodies', in particular, tells us so much about our society.

I think it says far more about the weather

[rob marshall]

I forsee trouble. I forsee an unofficial CiC competition to see who can post the 'Bleakest Britain' shots. Frankly, you don't stand a chance with shots of England. It's all warm and cuddly as far as I can see. Stop it immediately, or I shall be forced to post some images of Port Talbot seafront. And you wouldn't want that... you really wouldn't.

[Camellia]

Weymouth. Notice Mavis and Dot in their plastic rain hoods. These handy little fashion accessories were at one time part of the English national costume. No self respecting female senior citizen would be seen dead in the street without tightly fitting hair rollers and a hair net topped with transparent plastic rain hood. The five star fun refers to the great British holiday camp. Yes they still exist and yes you can still be entertained by inebriated ventriloquist with hand stuffed up the .... of a fluorescent green duck....in fact it is mandatory

Hi de hi! Hi de ho!

[Katy Noelle]

These are, actually, fun, Steve! The rain looks positively cozy after the foot of snow that we got, yesterday. Yup! quaint!

[djg05478]

Love them. (I need some inspiration, I'm in a slump)

[CNelson]

I find these interesting....you've turned the camera away from sunny days and the obvious targets to show something of daily life...interesting to look over your shoulder.

Chuck

[rob marshall]

Love them. (I need some inspiration, I'm in a slump)

You could try visiting Wales!

[Wirefox]

I shall be forced to post some images of Port Talbot seafront. And you wouldn't want that... you really wouldn't.

Now that would be like launching the Gneisenau against a mersey ferry - its just not cricket old chap.

I forsee trouble. I forsee an unofficial CiC competition to see who can post the 'Bleakest Britain' shots.

Thats not a bad idea Rob

These are, actually, fun, Steve! The rain looks positively cozy after the foot of snow that we got, yesterday. Yup! quaint!

Thanks Katy. I aways think there is something highly attractive about our seaside towns in the rain. They were just never designed to take sunshine into consideration. The fact that the sun may come out is an afterthought

Love them. (I need some inspiration, I'm in a slump)

Cheers Debbie. I know how you feel I just dont seem to have the inspiration at present.....thats probably why I am raking over old images

I find these interesting....you've turned the camera away from sunny days and the obvious targets to show something of daily life...interesting to look over your shoulder.

Thanks Chuck thats why I found Robs images of Wales so inspirational.

I think it says far more about the weather

There is no such thing as poor weather - just poor clothing

I love this social commentary approach. Of this are books made! I think 'Hoodies', in particular, tells us so much about our society.

I need to do more of this Donald. I have a irrational love of the 'real' UK. So much of it has been made over into bland suburban wastelands. It makes me very sad. I get the need for progress but I don't think we are seeing progress just a quick dab of Dulux on the grimmer patches.

Hi de hi! Hi de ho!

Raylee, it never ceases to amaze me the televisional rubbish we export to Australia. Actually I do have a bit if a soft spot for the great Ted Bovis. The Holiday Camp is still alive and kicking in the UK. The accomodation is marginally better but the principles are the same. We have been to various camps as the kids were growing up. According to my income I should be skiing in the Pyranees, lounging on beaches in the South of France and spending my weekends at Centre Parks. But do you know thats all rather dreary and middle class compared to the British Holiday camp. You can drive through the gates in an 11 plate Range Rover or a G registered Vauxhall Nova. Nobody bats an eyelid....and believe me I have seen range rovers towing boats we could only dream of owning at various holiday camps through the years. There is something about it that just feels right. I suppose it is just the Britishness of it all. A place you can laugh at and love, a place that strips us of our pretentions.....and unfortunately its not cheap anymore. I could be sipping sangria and oggling the russian tourists in their p***graphic swimwear for what it costs to see Aunty Bunty losing her dentures in a Wimpey burger. But the sangria and the swimwear are very 'internet' and not quite human somehow.

[djg05478]

You could try visiting Wales!

Hmmm....I'm free this afternoon. Sounds like a plan. I just put the dogs in the car and we'll be there chop chop!

[rob marshall]

Hmmm....I'm free this afternoon. Sounds like a plan. I just put the dogs in the car and we'll be there chop chop!

LOL! Not unless you are travelling in an F16 you won't.

[djg05478]

LOL! Not unless you are travelling in an F16 you won't.

Geography is not my strong point, ahh well, perhaps someday. (Note to self: Find Wales on Google Earth. Get F16)

[Donald]

(Note to self: Find Wales on Google Earth.)

It's the bit stuck on to the edge of that bigger lump that, a few ice-ages ago, bumped onto and became stuck to the bottom of Scotland. But we let them stay.

[djg05478]

It's the bit stuck on to the edge of that bigger lump that, a few ice-ages ago, bumped onto and became stuck to the bottom of Scotland. But we let them stay.

You make geography easy, I can find that.

[rpcrowe]

I especially like the Hastings shot... I love images that show a menus of different foods offered in various locales along with the prices they are going for. I have a image somewhere showing the menu of my grandfather's New York City restaurant about the time of the First World War. Wow! A full roast beef meal for twenty five cents!

Here's some information I can derive from a menu...

According to the Richard Crowe Theory of Lager Economics. You can pretty well tell the standard of living of an area by comparing the minimum hourly wage of a working man with the price of a beer. It works pretty well. When I was living in the Philippines in the 1970's beer was too expensive for a lot of low paid working guys. Instead, they drank gin and Mountain Dew. That awful combination was much more affordable since a quart of gin cost only about one U.S. dollar.

By the way; speaking of economics. I consider the U.K. quite progressive for abandoning the English measurement system which we still doggedly cling to. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have also gone over to the metric system, leaving us the only nation that still considers 12 inches to the foot and 16 ounces to the pound. However, when the U.K. took the plunge and switch to metric measurement, why did they not go all the way and convert their currency to a decimal system? Just a question?

[Donald]

By the way; speaking of economics. I consider the U.K. quite progressive for abandoning the English measurement system which we still doggedly cling to. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have also gone over to the metric system, leaving us the only nation that still considers 12 inches to the foot and 16 ounces to the pound. However, when the U.K. took the plunge and switch to metric measurement, why did they not go all the way and convert their currency to a decimal system? Just a question?

Except for all us oldies who still 'think' in feet and inches and lbs and ounces. I was in a shop once and asked the young assistant for (? can't remember) and asked for a piece about 6 inches long. The young man looked ta me as if I'd come from another planet. Oh well!

We did change the currency to a metric system in 1973. So there are 100 pennies to the £ (pound sterling). Prior to that we had a wonderfully archaic system whereby there were 240 pennies to the pound. What we haven't done is dispense with sterling as the currency and embrace the Euro as a common currency, along with most of the rest of mainland Europe that is also in membership of the European Union. Now, depending on you political point of view, that's either a wonderful thing that shows we Brits ain't going to follow Johnny-foreigner; a very sensible economic strategy that retains Great Britain's economic independence; a non-sensical belief that, somehow, retaining the pound makes a statement about Britain's independence and economic power in the world; a stupid political strategy that is damaging Britain's ability to be a key player and economic force within the European and world economic environment, etc, etc.

[Camellia]

Raylee, it never ceases to amaze me the televisional rubbish we export to Australia. Actually I do have a bit if a soft spot for the great Ted Bovis. The Holiday Camp is still alive and kicking in the UK. The accomodation is marginally better but the principles are the same. We have been to various camps as the kids were growing up. According to my income I should be skiing in the Pyranees, lounging on beaches in the South of France and spending my weekends at Centre Parks. But do you know thats all rather dreary and middle class compared to the British Holiday camp. You can drive through the gates in an 11 plate Range Rover or a G registered Vauxhall Nova. Nobody bats an eyelid....and believe me I have seen range rovers towing boats we could only dream of owning at various holiday camps through the years. There is something about it that just feels right. I suppose it is just the Britishness of it all. A place you can laugh at and love, a place that strips us of our pretentions.....and unfortunately its not cheap anymore. I could be sipping sangria and oggling the russian tourists in their p***graphic swimwear for what it costs to see Aunty Bunty losing her dentures in a Wimpey burger. But the sangria and the swimwear are very 'internet' and not quite human somehow.

Here's another television blast from the past.



Unfortunately youtube didn't have Hi De Hi. Very disappointing.

PS Even on Julie Covington satin is not a good look. But better than on Freddie. Too much information!

R

[Mario Xavier]

They've said it all. Enjoyable and entertaining art as always. I really like the flow of the very last image.

[Wirefox]

According to the Richard Crowe Theory of Lager Economics. You can pretty well tell the standard of living of an area by comparing the minimum hourly wage of a working man with the price of a beer. It works pretty well. When I was living in the Philippines in the 1970's beer was too expensive for a lot of low paid working guys. Instead, they drank gin and Mountain Dew. That awful combination was much more affordable since a quart of gin cost only about one U.S. dollar.

Richard, I do believe you are right. When I was young working class women always guaged the state of the economy by the price of a loaf of white sliced bread. The working class man however always tested economic well being with the cost of a pint of bitter. Things have become blurred lately in the UK but the giveaway is that the working classes get tanked up on supermarket vodka before they go out whereas the middle classes buy their booze when out and top up on exotically branded wine when they return home. The principle is the same but slugging schooners of wine and late night wife swapping is considered far more chic by Audi set

We did change the currency to a metric system in 1973.

In England we changed to 'metric' currency in 1971 but it took two years to prise the ten bob notes out of the clenched sporrans north of the border. In fact you still have to change from GBP to the groat and goat in the remoter parts of the highlands. Richard, if you are talking about the Euro I hope we never take that line. The GBP part of our identity. If god had intended that we be European he would have given us berets.

Unfortunately youtube didn't have Hi De Hi. Very disappointing.

PS Even on Julie Covington satin is not a good look. But better than on Freddie. Too much information!

R

Raylee, that is a brilliant find. I think the dance moves were inspired by The Squeeze and Cool for Cats...I used to hang around with girls who looked like the squeeze girls....come to think of it I looked like asqueeze girl

They've said it all. Enjoyable and entertaining art as always. I really like the flow of the very last image.

Thanks Mario. The last one looks OK in colour too.