Monthly Archives: July 2018

Joan Leigh Fermor 3

Joan Leigh Fermor as a photographer, as opposed to a handmaid to male writers, has long been something of an enigma: the claims made for the quality of her work were hardly borne out by its limited publication during her … Continue reading

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Taking Pictures Revisited

On Friday J asked me why I chose monochrome for the picture of Shingle Street posted on 26th July.  That’s a very good question.  There are three parts to the answer. First, I find Shingle Street a strange, rather haunting … Continue reading

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Cambridge Open Studios

The Cambridge Open Studios has grown into an extraordinary phenomenon with over 370 artists showing their work in 230 venues across Cambridgeshire through four weekends in July.  Its success prompts three questions.  Is Cambridge and the surrounding area exceptionally rich … Continue reading

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For the Birds

A bird is seen as a symbol of the soul, especially as it ascends to heaven after death, in eastern and western art, culture and religion.  The image of a bird and snake fighting represents the conflict between heavenly and … Continue reading

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Talking Pictures

I’ve applied to join the U3AC Photography Forum in 2018-19.  If successful I think I shall focus my efforts on trying to improve the way the Forum talks about photography and photographs, see post 16th June 2018.  There are many … Continue reading

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Fennel

Fennel is both beautiful and useful in the kitchen; I have some growing in my garden.  Growing, but not flourishing, it amounts to no more than a few weedy stems, despite my efforts with the watering can and occasional doses … Continue reading

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Shingle Street 9

Shingle Street is a strange place.  Maybe it’s the remoteness, the restless sea and the unstable shape-shifting shore.  Maybe there are ghosts too. The lost name ‘German Ocean’, remembered only in the eponymous Mansions, echoes to the fervent patriotic clamour … Continue reading

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Russian Friends

Whatever Presidents Trump and Putin are up to, relations between Britain and Russia are poor.  But that’s hardly a surprise: it’s been the historical norm for most of the past 200 years.   The two nations confronted each other in ‘The … Continue reading

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Gibraltar Farm Barn

Gibraltar Farm Barn, Tempsford, is a Grade II Listed Building.  The official citation is as follows. ‘Barn, later adapted to store flight equipment for Special Operations Executive agents, and now a memorial. Early-C19 with mid-C20 modifications. Concrete plinth, weather-boarded and … Continue reading

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Sparks

I’ve just received my copy of Sparks – Adventures in Street Photography by Stephen Leslie – I subscribed to its publication through Unbound.  This can be a slightly risky way of buying books as you rely on the final publication … Continue reading

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Dunwich

The Medieval port town of Dunwich has long since been washed away by storms and spring tides – the tower of All Saints’, the last of the ancient churches, toppled over the friable cliffs in 1922.  A local legend says … Continue reading

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Shingle Street 8

‘At Shingle Street we strolled towards the sea, our feet setting up a slow rhythmic, percussive rattle in the shingle. Valerian, sea kale and horned sea poppy bent in the wind, their muted red, green and yellow blending with colours … Continue reading

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Shingle Street 7

There have been buildings and people living at Shingle Street since the early 1800s.  The Martello towers, the coastguard cottages and the massive shingle bank give it an air of permanence, yet this is the most mobile of coasts.  When … Continue reading

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A Surfeit of Blue

Holy Trinity, Blythburgh, has 15th century poppy heads representing the seven deadly sins – Gluttony holds up his ample pot belly.  The architect Morris Lapidus called his autobiography Too Much is Never Enough in honour of his monuments to excess.  … Continue reading

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Entomophobia

Entomophobia is an excessive or irrational fear of insects, more specifically, apiphobia (bees), myrmecophobia (ants), lepidopterophobia (moths and butterflies) and spheksophobia (wasps).  A traumatic experience with an insect may trigger the phobia.   In addition to bites and stings and the … Continue reading

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