goodbye to love

goodbye to love, originally uploaded by werewegian.

a discarded heart left to hang on the branch of a tree

I'll say goodbye to love
No one ever cared if I should live or die
Time and time again the chance for love
has passed me by
And all I know of love
is how to live without it
I just can't seem to find it.

So I've made my mind up I must live
my life alone
And though it's not the easy way
I guess I've always known
I'd say goodbye to love.

There are no tomorrows for this heart of mine

J Bettis/R Carpenter

I've listened to too much Carpenters this weekend - it's made me sad. Need to get out the happier music for next week. :)

eglinton robin

eglinton robin, originally uploaded by werewegian.

A bit of a lucky shot this. I spied it as Alan and I were noisily walking by. I think it stopped still, hoping I couldn't see it. Two and three photos and bang, it was gone.

This was taken in Eglinton Country Park, near Kilwinning. Nice walks about there. Cold but bright day so we didn't loiter. Still I took some photos of the castle ruins and the grounds. We also spotted an eagle which flew straight across in front of the car on the way there. Sadly no camera in my hand at that point.

rough and rolled

rough and rolled, originally uploaded by werewegian.

We're being decorated at the moment, or at least our living room and hallway is. The decorator is doing a great job. In fact the place is going to look so good I'm afraid we'll be completely the wrong people to stay here.

Anyway this roll of sandpaper caught my eye tonight as a potential subject for a photograph. This has turned out quite well I think. I like the way the focus has picked out different parts of the roll.

Despite that I absolutely hate sandpaper. Along with fibre-glass I can't bear to touch it - something about the texture freaks me out.

Still I needed a photograph so played around with the roll to get the angle and shapes I wanted. Making me feel icky however. Think I'll go wash my hands again.

torn flag

torn flag, originally uploaded by werewegian.

glass and bokeh. what more could you want. :)

honey i'm home

honey i'm home, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Having fun shooting a film noir still here. I bought this hat at the weekend in a charity shop on Duke Street. It might be a little small for me but I like it anyway.

I like hats. And suits and ties. None of which are in vogue in the business world at the moment. It's all designer casual wear, and jeans on Friday. Shame really. I'd love to inhabit a world where everyone wore a hat and not just baseball caps. There are signs that the young are more inclined towards hats. And facial hair. Sadly they are also inclined to be skinny with it. Oh well, there's always Madmen.

haggis

haggis, originally uploaded by werewegian.

I love haggis but rarely eat it as the other Alan can't stand it. Here it's served with the traditional neeps and tatties.

I don't remember having it too often as a child although my Dad did like it, us kids rarely had more than a taste. As an adult I've enjoyed it in the traditional form as well as the more accessible versions - tinned, in slices and even deep-fried from the chip shop. "Posh" restaurants even do their haggis version of chicken kiev, called the Chicken Balmoral.

I had sliced haggis last night which was nice. This is my photograph of the more traditional from Burns Night, 2008, as featured on yesterday's Flickr blog.

http://blog.flickr.net/en/2010/01/25/address-to-a-haggis/

the gaul

the gaul, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Detail from The Gaul, a bronze by François Rude, a version of the heroic fighter carved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The bronze dates from around 1835 and is displayed in the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow

I like visiting the Kelvingrove Museum. It's a gorgeous building for a start, red sandstone with turrets and towers. Very grand.

It also has an interesting collection of objects, well worth repeated visits. And a nice place to hold a Flickr meetup on a cold January day. I've beginning to warm to the idea of attending meets more regularly. I should be a little more patient when herding them for coffee however. :)

a new world order

a new world order, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Despite the occasional splash of colour there is something sad about Springburn Park in Glasgow. The once proud glasshouse is a derelict wreck, the Fairy garden long gone. Even the boating pond no longer has boats. There are efforts to keep it tidy at least but there is also a reputation for trouble, drunkeness, drug-taking. Something which most open spaces in the city share. Not what the patrons who built these green places had envisaged. But what can be done where so many lives are lived without hope for a better future?

veil of history

veil of history, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Love the architecture of this building especially when lit at night. An added bonus here with a suggestion of fog.

The inside is pretty cool too - a huge reference library that I used often as a student.

There is a wealth of Glasgow information including workhouse accounts, burial records, census data, local newspapers all the way back to the 18th century and old parish registers. Some of my family tree research was carried out here although Register House in Edinburgh is the main source of that.

Still, Register House doesn't look as grand on the outside as the Mitchell library does. :)

not a happy camper

not a happy camper, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Guess I look a little rough here although I'm not really as unhappy and stressed as this. I was unwell all last week - perhaps I'm not completely recovered. Still I should get the hair cut, beard trimmed and try and do something with my skin. Less sweeties and beer, more exercise, fruit and water. And sleep. More sleep.

locket

locket, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Yes tossing the camera again, not in anger but for art (of sorts). I began doing this about five years ago and while I'd never abuse an expensive camera like this, I am risking this wee point & shoot with each shot.

The camera I used for tosses until recently took many knocks before finally refusing to function any more. This one so far has been lucky.

This is a shot of multiple shop, pub and restaurant fronts in Sauchiehall Street. A favourite source of mine.

For more see my camera toss set on Flickr.

angel of the north

angel of the north, originally uploaded by werewegian.

I've missed my Polaroid. I only got one a few years ago and took to it heartily. So when the film was discontinued, I was dismayed.

However according to The Impossible Project, new black & white film will be available this year with colour to follow shortly after. There's even rumours that Lady Gaga is on board as the new face of Polaroid which only can be good news for marketing the products and widening its appeal.

These two polaroids are of the Angel of The North, a huge statue by Antony Gormley at Gateshead, northern England. Taken in December 2007.

bridge diamond

bridge diamond, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Went on a Flickr meet along the Broomielaw this morning and had a light lunch in Caffe Nero afterwards. Not great photos from me, I always shoot best on my own but I did take a few lomo shots of the group so hopefully those will turn out.

This is the northern arch of the old suspension pedestrian bridge over the Clyde. A favourite bridge I keep returning to. :)

please sir

please sir, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Grey squirrels, like this one, while quick and easily spooked are fairly easy to get close-ups of in the city, if you have a packet of nuts of course.

Red squirrels are the opposite, extremely shy and only glimpsed in rural woodland. I've only seen one twice in all of the years Alan and I have gone walking through the countryside, although we are hardly quiet so maybe that's not surprising.

Still hopefully now that I have more skills and better equipment, it's something I should attempt. We'll see what the spring and summer brings.

lammington

lammington, originally uploaded by werewegian.

I love cakes especially those with sponge, jam and coconut like this Lammington. I don't remember them being called that as a child however. Eiffel towers are similar and also a favourite when I was young.

Of course there is no nutritional benefit to cakes and biscuits, they are all bad.

Still a little bit of what you fancy does you good, eh?

night in dundasvale

night in dundasvale, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Night view from my window. It looks strangely like a model with the clean snow and new lights.

I miss the trees which were removed last year - possibly they were causing problems with the roof of the car park below - certainly there were drainage issues with the leaves. Shame not to see them in the snow again.

This is another lomo fisheye photo. Not bad considering I had to hold it steady and depress the shutter release just long enough without overexposing it. A fluke perhaps but cool result anyway. :)

squinting

squinting, originally uploaded by werewegian.

There are a number of reasons why I've taken to photography but the main one is that I'm a loner. I'm not one for crowds or loud parties or taking part in sports. I observe, mostly on my own.

I'm organising a few photography meet-ups at the moment, partly to try and break this behaviour, but whenever I go to any meeting, there's always a part of me that hopes no-one turns up, or if they do, that they go away again soon. I don't dislike people, I just find it a strain to connect with them. Sometimes I relax and have a good time in spite of these problems. Sometimes I don't.

Which is why I'm here in this picture waving to myself, taking the shot with a toy camera while trying to keep warm in freezing temperatures and trying to keep my footing on black ice. On my own. Squinting at my shadow on the squinty bridge.

fish pie

fish pie, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Alan is most definitely the cook of this house. I can do a bit of cooking but Alan can tackle multiple items well, which frankly I can't. Which explains why stir-fry is my best dish.

This fish pie has salmon and haddock, and cheese topped with mashed potato. it has other things but I'm not sure what (at this very moment). I know I went to the local shop for the carrots. :)

This camera and the 50mm lens is so good at taking photos with selective focus like this. Just as well since with food I have about one minute to shoot before hunger gets the better of me.

my new best friend

my new best friend, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Until the new polaroid film (exciting news at last) becomes widely available, this toy 35mm camera, lomography's Fisheye 2, is likely to be my very best friend. :)

I'm drawn to cameras of this type - I guess because I'm not too technical with digital camera work, it's trial and error most of the time.

With fewer controls, toy cameras are easier to get the knack of, and can produce interesting results if you pay attention to conditions. There is also an element of luck which I enjoy.

Of course there's the wait too. Especially if it takes you two weeks to complete the roll like I did with this first try.

I'm really pleased with this new friendship. Let's hope it becomes a life-long love. :)

university in winter

university in winter, originally uploaded by werewegian.

The tower of University of Glasgow, as seen from the east quadrangle

I love this place but when I visited a year or two back I suddenly realised I hadn't been there for twenty years or more. I was a student here but never finished my MA degree. I was too young and immature, a fresher at 17 straight from school. My elder brother did complete his Divinity degree here so the family name wasn't tarnished forever.

I guess I would finish my degree if I got another chance but enjoy working for a living too so only coming into some serious money would make that likely to happen.

Still I can visit and remember those times with fondness.

tree of the dead

tree of the dead, originally uploaded by werewegian.

tree in the grounds of St Kentigern cemetery in Glasgow

Cold and lovely, we visited this graveyard in Cadder today not just to take photographs but to look for the lair of James Doyle, an ancestor who was buried there in 1894. We think we found the grave but there were other Doyles with Hendersons. We'll have to research if they are related, possibly to James' sister Mary.

This tree looks as if its own life has ended. Strange but beautiful.

relative time

relative time, originally uploaded by werewegian.

This watch with a caricature of Albert Einstein by Steven Cragg, was a Christmas present given to me by Alan in the early 90s. It was made by Largely Literary Designs, Inc - no longer in production I think.

I don't wear a watch any more even when I'm getting dressed up. (I'm wearing this one solely for the photograph)

I spent too many years commuting, fretting every time the train or bus was 10 minutes late, checking my watch twenty times every journey. In the end I decided it didn't matter how long it took to go from A to B by public transport, you arrive at your destination at the same time whether you know how long the journey takes or not.

If I must know the time, of course, I can check my phone so I'm unlikely to be late for a precisely timed meeting. But like this watch I prefer to make arrangements on a more casual basis. Dinner at 7ish sounds fine to me. :)

clyde fragment

clyde fragment, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Fragment of ceramic found on the shore by Alan while I was photographing the Clyde at Port Glasgow earlier in the week. Not sure what it's from or even if it's all that old, but an interesting item to add to the occasional table

One of the subjects I studied at University was Archaeology, although I was never that mad for studying fragments of the past. Stone circles, ancient temples, the places where historical events occurred fired my interest. Perhaps I was more a student of history than a discoverer of the minutiae of daily life, who knows?

Still I'm intrigued by this fragment. Prince D.L & Co reads the stamp. Tile? Toilet bowl? :)

Since posting I've been sent a link that suggests this was made by David Lockhart and Sons of Pollockshaws.

National Museums of Scotland

directors bitter

directors bitter, originally uploaded by werewegian.

I've been drinking real ale for about 8 years and the State Bar just off Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street is currently my local. It's a bit further than the nearest bars to our flat but has finer beer, a friendlier atmosphere and staff and, let's face it, a better class of drinker. There are usually about eight real ales on tap, so I'm always spoiled for choice. Alan usually has the John Smith's. I can recommend the bar, some of you ex-pats might remember it as His Nibs. Cheers!

clyde humps

clyde humps, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Dumbarton rock and castle with Ben Lomond in snowy coat in the distance. I've never climbed Ben Lomond but I have climbed Dumbarton Rock. The stairs fair kill you. I know which one I would rather have gone up. :)

I'm hoping to work harder at photography this year. In 2009 I learned a lot from taking part in a photo a day group on Flickr. However because it was a new photo every day, it meant constantly moving on to the next subject.

This year, amongst other projects, I'm committed to producing seven images over seven days. This gives me the opportunity and incentive to work on photos that didn't instantly become the photo of the day but from which I can still develop an interesting and pleasing result. This hopefully is one of those.

bascule bridge

bascule bridge, originally uploaded by werewegian.

This is a largely redundant bascule bridge on the Port Dundas spur of the Forth & Clyde canal.

Canals such as this one feature quite a bit in my photography - both Alan and I share an interest in these relics of the industrial past of Britain.

I've walked quite a bit along the towpath of the Forth & Clyde. The biggest stretches we've done are from Falkirk to Kirkintilloch which passes the Falkirk Wheel, from Port Dundas to Bowling on the Clyde, and from Kirkintilloch to Port Dundas. In fact the only part left to do is from Falkirk to the sea gates on the Forth. A new park is being developed there so perhaps we'll get round to it this year. It will be nice to finish the walk off.

clydeside blues

clydeside blues, originally uploaded by werewegian.

A clichéd view of Glasgow from the Clyde Arc bridge. Cold but cool blue sky. :)

Looking at this I'm reminded of previous generations of my family who are and were men and women of the Clyde, and wonder at the river they knew. A working river, and no doubt a dirty river, but a river teeming with industry, with humanity. Now it is beautiful, serene yet strangely sterile.

money to burns

money to burns, originally uploaded by werewegian.

Not quite at the stage of a tenner a pint but certainly you are getting pushed to get three beers and change for that note.

A crisp Clydesdale Bank tenner celebrating the 250th anniversary of poet Robert Burns' birth in 1759. Sang "Auld Lang Syne" at new year? You've this man to thank for that. One of the World Heritage banknotes produced in Autumn 2009.

I have to admit I'm poor at managing my money. Not that I lose it or have made bad investments, or that I'm ever short, I just have a tendency to fritter it away with little concern for the future. I save but in today's financial climate it's only the debtors the banks are interested in. So it's easy come, easy go at the moment.

You could advise me to be more prudent I guess. I'd rather we wait until the day I'm down on my luck. You can buy me a pint with your £100 note and tell me "I told you so".

new year brunch

A smaller breakfast than originally planned but that's probably a good thing. Eggs, potato scone, haggis and black pudding. I don't usually have haggis this way but it was lovely.

Anyway a new year, a second bite at a photo a day and a new chance to start blogging again.

Breakfast is an important meal of the day for me. For years I used to skip it altogether, possibly as a result of heavy smoking then, but now I don't think I could function without having something. Not that I always have a cooked breakfast. Most days it's cereal and fruit juice.

Happy new year, everyone!