310 posts from 2009

Ann was up in Billingham to exchange presents and take her mother down to the East Riding for Christmas Day. Ali was visiting too and we all took George for a walk in the snow...

Ann and I shared a couple of little bottles of wine...

For all those people worrying about last minute Christmas shopping or other festive arrangements I present this WWII poster...

This poster has become well known but, fortunately, was never actually used during the war. Apparently 2.5 million were printed to be displayed if Germany invaded the British Isles. Most were pulped after the war and only a few originals remain. One was discovered in a box of second hand books by Barter Books of Alnwick, Northumberland in 2000. They sell reproductions and many souvenirs based upon it.
The other two posters in the series were displayed at the outbreak of war...

Have a close look at this screengrab from The Daily Telegraph's website...

Yes, it claims it was published in 1931...

In the last couple of decades we haven't often had snow which has lasted more than a few days in the Tees Valley. Hope you're not bored with this stuff!
First photo is from my mother's front garden...

The second I took in my local's summer beer garden as I was locking up tonight...

Lit by flash from the front and sodium street lighting from above and behind...

As filmed off air in New York in November 1938...

Thanks to the Alexandra Palace Television Society's YouTube channel which has many interesting archive recordings..

Some pictures from last night...

Real time weather information from Billingham. (Love the info, hate the Comic Sans!)
This weather station contributes to the Weather Underground named after the 1960s/70s radical group who, in turn, were named after Bob Dylan lyrics...

This is an excellent blog dedicated to recording hand painted advertising signs (often at risk of being erased).

Here's an example of a recent loss at Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1...