Colonel Blink (The Short Sighted Gink)

you gotta laugh - a self portrait.

2011-11-21T09:44:00.001Z

you gotta laugh - a self portrait., originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Why did the Colonel cross the road? To get run over.
That is unfair as I was not actually run over but instead given a free lift 15 yards up the road. -and lift is the right word because I flew through "the air with the greatest of ease". I am now the proud possessor of divers breaks, cracks, dislocations, cuts, stitches, broken teeth, bruises etc. I am reduced to typing this with one finger. It is now six days after the event and this is the first photograph I have taken (using a tripod). I apologise for it's narcissistic nature.

I must take this opportunity to thank all the NHS workers who have helped to put me back together and laugh at all those yanks who sneer at OUR "socialist healthcare".

Mad scenes inside the Bakelite

2011-11-03T12:50:00.001Z

Mad scenes inside the Bakelite, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

APM - Rajar No 6, Kodak Ltd - No. 2 Hawkette, Kershaw Soho (Sales) Ltd - Kershaw Raven, Soho Ltd - Soho Cadet.

Only one of these cameras is made of Bakelite (the Kodak) as Robert Zimmerman sang in his famous song "Well its a hard, its a hard, its a hard, its a hard plastic gonna fall"

Relativity

2011-10-27T20:00:00.001+01:00

Relativity, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

What exactly do you mean when you use the word 'modern'?

A pair of Norfolk Broads Binoculars

2011-04-21T21:50:00.001+01:00

A pair of Norfolk Broads Binoculars, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Because of the bank holiday I had to do my Friday trawl of Norwich's Junk Shop today. This was my outstanding find of the day. A pair of Binoculars inscribed N.B.S.C. Commodores Race 1913. Won by "Vaquero". This would have been before the Norfolk Broads Sailing Club moved into their present site in the 1930s on Wroxham Broad.

This is a double piece of local history because attached to the case are two tickets for entrance to the West Norfolk Hunt Club Grand Stand and Paddock. One for 1950 and one for 1955. This was presumably Fakenham Races. Interestingly the ticket in 1950 was 30/- (£1.50) - a very high price for the time and in 1955 it was 25/- (£1.25). The only example of deflation I can think of in 1950s Britain.

The only makers name on the binoculars is Chadburns Liverpool. It is unlikely they actualy made them but rather badgemarked them. Chadburns was and is famous as the manufacturers and inventors of ships telegraphs.

Deliverance - Thorpe Hamlet Style

2011-02-17T22:54:00.001Z

Deliverance - Thorpe Hamlet Style, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

"Hey boy, you look just like a hog.... Come on piggy, give me a ride...Looks like we got us a sow here, instead of a boar....I bet you can squeal. I bet you can squeal like a pig."

Seen in a garden, St Leonards Road, Norwich.

Archaeology of domestic plumbing

2011-02-17T21:47:00.002Z

archaeology, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A change in the pattern in the bricks in the black painted wall reveals the position of the hatch from which "the Lavender Boys" would collect the night soil in the days before mains plumbing. Night soil was still being collected from some Norwich homes up until the 1960s.

The last Norwich Council houses to have outside (plumbed in) toilets were converted or pulled down in the mid 1970s. There are still Norwich City Council homes without baths (but with showers). The most famous recent example of bath-less council homes were the old people's sheltered housing at Greyhound Opening which were knocked down last year. Presumably someone at City Hall decided that Old People ought to be allowed to have baths.

The Joy of looking things up

2011-01-18T08:19:00.004Z

I found this while hunting for stock in Norwich last week. It is a Kuhn Flexameter; which to the uninitiated was a waist level viewfinder designed in the 1930s to be clipped on to a 35mm camera and in particular to Leica cameras.

I was intrigued by the fact that it was made in Wetzlar, Germany which is the same town (city) that Leitz manufactured Leica cameras and decided to do some research.

The first thing I discovered was that it was designed by Frau Doktor Elsie Kuhn-Leitz. She was the daughter of Ernest Leitz II, President of Leitz and co-father of the Leica with Oskar Barnack who actually designed the camera. Kuhn was her married name.

I dug a little deeper and found out that Elsie Kuhn-Leitz should be better known as a courageous campaigner against the Nazis' treatment of Jewish and other forced labourers; she was imprisoned and tortured in 1943 by the Gestapo for helping two Jewish women in their attempt to escape to Switzerland. Her war time activities have been recorded in the book "Elsie's War, A Story of Courage in Nazi Germany" by Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith, Introduction by Henri Cartier-Bresson (Frances Lincoln Ltd,) 2003, ISBN 0-7112-1861-7. Her story is also touched upon in another book by the same author entitled "The Greatest Invention Of The Leitz Family: The Leica Freedom Train".

All of which knowledge, adds not a penny of monetary value to the Flexameter which if I am honest is clumsy to use and rather redundant and only of interest to Leica completists. Neither is it worth a lot of money in the first place. (I have to put that in to appease all the people who will find this posting after googling Kuhn Flexameter in an attempt to discover out what the one they found in Uncle Ernie's bottom draw is worth)

There is a sub-group of Leica camera collectors who specialise in collecting the so called blood Leicas; the ones built with the help of (mainly Ukrainian I think) slave labour. They drool over cameras engraved with Swastikas or bear the markings of the German Army, Air Force, SS etc. It is more than nice to find a Leica antidote to that kind of poison.

Oh and I have sold it anyway but the very few quid (really) I got for it is as nothing compared to the fun I had researching it or the sense of awe at the bravery of people like Elsie Kuhn-Leitz.

Digeridoo Seller

2010-12-21T21:35:00.001Z

Digeridoo Seller, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Happily demonstrating circular breathing. "Oh you can pick up the technique in about an hour" he said blithely.

I filed the statement away in the same compartment that I keep "Learn guitar in a day, the Bert Weedon Way" and "After only one lesson you will dance like Astaire"

The only such music slogan I ever believed was the one for the London Pianola Company that read "My daughter has a great foot for music"

Carte de visite, Norwich Castle

2010-11-30T23:13:00.001Z

Carte de visite, Norwich Castle, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Albumen print by William Russell Sedgfield of Norwich Castle.
Marked on the back Sedgfield's English Scenery published by A. W. Bennet 5, Bishopgate Street Without, London E.C.
Sedgfield produced more than a thousand stereo photographs of English Scenery between 1855 and 1866 which were all published by Bennet. A lot of these were produced as single images to cash in on the craze for carte de visites.

Distressed does not begin to describe the condition of this photograph and only a sentimental nature and a love of stove piper hats have prevented it being consigned to the bin. Best viewed large.

Albumen print. Image size 2⅛ × 3½ inches mounted on card. Carte de visite.

Tasburgh Bell Hanging 1900

2010-11-30T06:14:00.003Z

Tasburgh Bell Hanging 1900, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

This is a scan of one of two photographs taken to celebrate the rehanging of the church bells at Tasburgh Church, Norfolk in 1900. The mount of this one is marked Alf. Robinson, The Studio, Long Stratton and I have no reason to believe that the second one is not by the same photographer.

The photograph shows a clergyman and two other gentlemen standing in front of 5 church bells outside Tasburgh church. The centre bell (the tenor?) is marked

RECAST 1900
?. B. F.
W. L. D. CHURCHWARDENS
W. R. H. RECTOR

Records reveal that the rector of Tasburgh in 1900 was Walter Robert Hurd and a careful examination of the left hand bell in the back row reveals that the name of the second churchwarden was William Last Duffield (a surname still known in Tasburgh.) I am unable to make out the name of the first Churchwarden. Any help would be much appreciated in identifying him.

I used to think this was a photograph of the Rector, flanked by his two Churchwardens in front of his bells. I have now decided this is not the case. The chap on the left is too obviously an artisan. I think the bloke in the hat is probably a representative of the Bell Foundry.

In 1900 the bells of Tasburgh church were retuned and rehung. They were the first in Norfolk to be retuned on the 5 tone principle.* The company responsible were J Taylor & Co of Loughborough who are still in existence.

I think this second photograph probably shows the workman from J Taylor & Co. preparing to rehang the bells. The chap in the centre of the photograph is someone who features in the first photograph.

Both images are "Real Photographs" mounted on card. Photograph size 6in X 4in

------
* I did not know what the five tone principle is either. This from Taylor's website may explain (or may not.)

Taylor Five Tone Principle
Taylor's introduced their five tone principle of bell tuning in 1896. This produces the purity and sweetness of tone and allows the bell to sound with full and rich mellowness. This gives Taylor bells their special characteristic and sets them apart from all other cast bronze bells. The Bell Master and the Bell Tuner work on five principle harmonics, the hum, fundamental, tierce, quint and nominal but these in turn influence and affect many others. When the correct frequency for each of these harmonics has been achieved, the bell is in tune with itself. In a set of bells, each bell is tuned using the same standards applied to its own frequencies and thus each bell in the set is not only in tune with itself, but also with each bell in the set.

Swan Pit

2010-11-02T14:36:00.003Z

Swan Pit, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Oh God another intrusive heritage sign obscuring what it is trying to explain. Norwich's Medieval Swan pit does not need a tin duck attached to it and needlessly blocking our view. I have no objection, in theory to the labelling of sites but it becomes ridiculous when an attempt is made to make the label more important than what it describes. In this case because of the choice of font, the use of capitals and the insistence that the words should follow the curves of the wing most of the sign is illegible.

But it is very artistic!*

---

*The swan pit and sluice at the Great Hospital, Bishopsgate. This swan pit with attached sluices dates to the late 18th century but was restored in the late 19th century and altered again in the 20th century. It takes the form of a large rectangular pool with brick sides. At both eastern corners are brick paved ramps. Attached to the north a stone sided channel with two 19th century sluice gates which link the pit with the River Wensum. The sluices ensure that the pit is filled at high tide, and not allowed to empty at low tide. This very rare 'swan pit' was used for the breeding of local swans for the Master of the Great Hospital, Norwich, who since medieval times had the right to cull swans and provide them for feast. Quote taken from here.

We didn't come on the broads for a spell

2010-11-02T14:28:00.001Z

We didn't come on the broads for a spell, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

No wonder we get called yokels

Perfomers

2010-10-25T09:03:00.001+01:00

Blowing Job, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The Norfolk Lurcher, in my photograph above, belongs to another busker who was waiting to take over the pitch. There is an informal arrangement among the regular buskers as to how long any one person can stay at the same spot; partly to stop local shopkeepers from getting too annoyed at hearing the same musician, partly to give everyone a go at the 'better' sites. Much angry muttering is aimed at those who refuse to comply and stay in the same place, set up next to someone who is already playing or drown out their rivals with amplified sound.

I have said this before but it is worth repeating. Contrary to popular belief the majority of the regular buskers who play on the street every day in Norwich are not signing on as unemployed at the Jobcentre. They are not scallywags who are 'playing' the system and earning extra cash in the black economy. They perceive themselves and act as professional musicians albeit on the lowest rung. For better or worse this is their living or part of their living which is why, I guess they try to make rules.

The lurcher, by the way belongs to Bevan who is featured in this second photo.

Number Three Hundred, December 28th 1946.

2010-10-23T08:19:00.004+01:00

Number Three Hundred, December 28th 1946., originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Corkers!!! it's the Beano from 1946 with Big Eggo on the cover.
The only pal you will recognise in the comic is Lord Snooty. Try to avert your eyes from the racial stereotype on the masthead.

It would be nice to think that he was there, eating a melon and with a bunch of bananas sticking out of his pocket, only to cheer up the readership during the dark days of rationing but alas I am afraid not. He was on the masthead from the very first issue July 30th 1938. His name was Little Peanut and his original purpose was to introduce the letters and jokes page but by the time Issue 300 came out this feature had been scrapped because of paper rationing.

The premise of Lord Snooty in the early days was slightly different to it's later incarnation. He would escape, every issue, from the confines of his stately home to play with his pals from Ash-Can Alley. They were Rosie, Hairpin Huggins, Skinny Lizzie, Scrapper Smith, Happy Hutton, and the baby-grow clad twins Snitchy and Snatchy. The final pal, representing the animal kingdom, was Gertie The Goat.

I can exclusively reveal that Lord Snooty's real name was Lord Marmaduke, The Earl Of Bunkerton.*

Other Characters in this issue included Cocky Dick (He's Smart And Slick), Sticky Willie, and, of course, Pansy Potter (The Strongman's Daughter).
--

*In later life he became a director of Leman's Bank and a contributor to the Conservative Party. In the present coalition government he holds the post of Minister Of Peasant Kicking.

The Unasked Question

2010-10-17T20:36:00.001+01:00

CBBC Live 'n' Deadly Roadshow - The Warm Up Man, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The CBBC Live 'n' Deadly Roadshow came to Norwich. Before it's host, the craggily handsome Stephen Backshall, came onto the stage there was a warm-up man to lead the children in a series of clapping games to get them to the right state of excitement.

First of all he put on his serious face and instructed the kids "Right when Steve asks for questions I want you all to ask questions but they must be sensible ones. It's no good asking if he wants to come round to your house for tea. Ask something like how many species of shark are there."

Please sir! Please sir!!! I've got got a good question. "How can you possibly justify the keeping of birds of prey in captivity to use for entertainment and the furtherance of your career?"

I warmly commend "The Goshawk" by T H White and the conclusions he came to about his own attempts to train/subdue a Goshawk?

A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage

Fire At Zizzi's

2010-10-12T16:28:00.001+01:00

Fire At Zizzi's, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Zizzi's restaurant in Tombland caught fire today 12/10/10. One could smell the smoke as far as Norwich Market Place and although the odour was not as strong I was reminded of the day the Central Library burnt down and the stench of burnt paper hung around the whole city for a week. From the outside the fire at Zizzi's, which forms part of the medieval wall around Norwich Cathedral, did not seem too serious.

Wooden walled camera with shutter

2010-10-09T16:23:00.001+01:00

Wooden walled camera with shutter, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

This is the same camera as shown here. I have successfully got the before-the-lens shutter mechanism to work and this photograph shows it in situ.

The shutter is a simple, brass, non-returning, spring fired, rotary shutter that has to be turned every time before use. The 'cocked' shutter is held in place by a small latch that is released to make an exposure. Although the rotary shutter was first proposed in 1851 they were not in general use until 1886. Their great advantage was that they did not shake the camera unlike the earlier flap shutters. If this shutter is contemporary with the camera (and I have no reason to believe that it is not) the presence of this shutter makes the camera slightly younger than I first thought. I would now date it to about 1895-1910.

Also shown in this photograph is one of the plate holders.

I may or may not strengthen or replace the spring that holds the cocking mechanism in place but I have now largely finished all the repairs and renovations I intend.

The Cost Of Postage Stamps

2010-10-07T18:39:00.001+01:00

Inside The Dalek, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A “double” postbox opened to reveal the insides. One notices straight away the red warning notices reading BEWARE OF HYPODERMIC NEEDLES.

It is sobering to think that as well as paying for wages, sophisticated sorting machinery, property, aeroplanes, ships, trains, vans, bicycles and all the rest the first class stamp has also to pay for HIV tests for Posties who accidentally pierce their skin with carelessly discarded syringes.

Postman Pat was never like this.

The Picture Hangers

2010-10-05T23:37:00.001+01:00

The Picture Hangers, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The one on the left must be Fireplace and the one on the right Heating. Dunno about the one in the foreground.

I don't take many "candids" because I think they are unfair. This is an exception. I messed around with it in Photochop to try and give it a "cartooney" look.

Plate Camera

2010-09-30T15:42:00.002+01:00

Plate Camera, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I went out looking for a cheapo second hand digital camera to replace my present one and came back with this one instead.

A brass and mahogany camera, very slightly less than quarter plate. Fabric and paper square cut bellows which date it to being probably manufactured before 1890*. Of very basic manufacture, it has no makers name on the camera or on the lens. There are no focusing screws or keys which make it very difficult to operate.

It comes in a sturdy canvas case, with a black focussing cloth of probably later date and a set of three diopters in a case marked Wide Angle, portrait and telephoto. It also has a wooden tripod that looks like three crutches leaning against each other.

It probably had originally a set of three or four aperture rings that could be screwed into the lens and maybe even a hand pushed guillotine shutter.

From this description you will realise that in it's day it would have been considered very basic; The kind of camera advertised in the small ads of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday or given as a prize by the original Titbits magazine.

If it's so awful why did I buy it? Simple....because it is very pretty.

-----------------------------------------------------

Footnote published 11th October 2010

* I have changed my mind about the date of this camera. Please see here

There's still some tourists about then

2010-09-28T22:42:00.001+01:00

There's still some tourists about then, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I am calling for volunteers to participate in an experiment I have thought up.

Every year, in Norwich we have hundreds of visitors to the Broads who moor their hire cruisers at The Norwich Yacht Station beside Riverside Road. I have kept a rough head count and by my reckoning at least half of the visitors think what a jolly jape it would be to buy a Skull and Crossbones flag from one of the many cheapjack shops that infest, in particular, the Northern rivers and fly it from their boat.

Broads cruisers do not normally come with a flag pole and one witnesses great ingenuity in their construction; Broom and mop handles are most usually used though I did once see a Jolly Roger stapled to a wooden crutch which was in turn lashed to the stern of a boat. (I did briefly wonder who on earth brings a spare crutch or even a stapler on holiday with them.)

The Jolly Roger or skull and crossbones flag is a signal older than semaphore, or signal flags or Morse code. It means no quarter given or asked for. It means if you don't kill us we will kill you and steal anything movable. As Wikipedia puts it

"Historically, the flag was flown to frighten pirates' victims into surrendering without a fight, since it conveyed the message that the attackers were outlaws who would not consider themselves bound by the usual rules of engagement—and might, therefore, slaughter those they defeated (since captured pirates were usually hanged, they didn't have much to gain by asking quarter if defeated)"

Flying the Jolly Roger is therefore an out and out threat. If justice still runs its course throughout Britain one should be able to board any boat flying the Jolly Roger, slaughter its crew (they have signalled after all that they want no quarter) and claim their vessel and goods by right of salvage. My contention is that there is not a court in the land that would find the perpetrators of such action guilty of any crime given that the flyers of the flag had clearly signalled that they were first of all outside the law and secondly were prepared to do the same at the blink of an eye. Any action against them is self defence pure and simple

But I need a few volunteers to find out if my theory runs true.

Norwich Scandal

2010-09-16T15:15:00.001+01:00

Fly tip, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The people who dumped this lot are bastards. Norfolk Homemakers would have collected it for free and seen it all went to a good home.
www.norfolkhomemakers.org/donate.php
The Salvation Army and Oxfam would have collected it all for free and sold them for funds.

Don't Blink

2010-09-11T23:24:00.004+01:00

Don't Blink, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A "living statue" of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp.

A graphic demonstration of the difference between reality and art; A real homeless person (as against someone dressed up as the 1910 version of one) holding their hand out for money in this way would, of course, find himself arrested.*

I think he probably hated me for firing a flash in his face but he could not say anything.

*Individuals were begging and causing a nuisance, often being aggressive, and the SNT has liaised with market stall holders on a daily basis to gain feedback regarding the problems in the area, issuing begging warnings or making arrests where applicable. From "Police target city centre anti-social behaviour" Norwich Evening News. 07/08/2010

Spot The Ball Competition

2010-09-06T18:52:00.001+01:00

Spot The Ball Competition, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The photo line-up for the Sky News Labour Leadership debate, Sunday September 5th. Unfortunately no Diane Abbot.

"No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." George Orwell, Animal Farm.

Foot Soldiers Of Liberty's Battle

2010-09-02T17:08:00.003+01:00

Foot Soldiers Of Liberty's Battle, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

While walking through Norwich Cathedral Close I came across this pair enjoying the sun and having some lunch.

They were, they told me footsore, having spent the morning canvassing on behalf of the Green Party prior to next week's local elections*.

*13 of the 39 seats on Norwich City Council are up for grabs. They should have been contested in May but the elections were postponed because Norwich was about to become a Unitary Authority. Now that those plans have been scrapped by the new government, the elections have to take place as soon as possible.

The council is in no overall control. It's run by a minority Labour administration. Labour have 15 seats, The Greens are the main opposition with 13, the Lib Dems have six and the Conservatives have five

Of the seats being contested six are Labour seats, four belong to the Greens, two to the Lib Dems and one to the Conservatives. Quoted from BBC New Point East Blog

It seems these elections are almost being held in secret. We have had one leaflet each from Labour and the Greens. Nothing at all from the Lib Dems or the Conservatives.

Rumour has it that the Lib Dems cannot find any volunteers to help with the election because of the unpopularity of the coalition among members of the local party.

Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Chips

2010-09-02T13:53:00.001+01:00

Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Chips, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The Knave Of Hearts
He had some chips,
A moment in his mouth
And a lifetime on his hips

*Transatlantic viewers please note: What you call fries we call chips and what you call chips we call crisps. I think.

"I am a camera (me no Leica)"

2010-08-27T15:50:00.001+01:00

Do we really look like this?, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

So I was on Norwich Provisions market when a thought struck me.

Well that's a lie because two thoughts struck me; the first being Why do they call it Norwich Provisions Market when there seem to be only about five stalls that sell provisions? It would be more truthful to call it Norwich bag market because there are about eight or nine stalls scattered throughout it selling bags.

These are all owned by just one person and I believe he took on only one of them because he scooped the jackpot one week on the National Lottery - the rest became his almost by accident. He also has a shop on "Back Of The Inns". He certainly got that by accident. When the council finally decided to renovate the Garden Of Remembrance, all the stall holders who used the cellars underneath for storage had to move out. The cheapest alternative storage he could find in a hurry was a shop and as he had the premises, he felt he may as well open it.

Anyway back to my story. I was on the misleadingly named Norwich Provisions Market when two thoughts struck me. The second one was; why don't I go and visit the guy who sometimes sells cameras?

I came, I saw, I was tempted and I fell.

I swapped the Olympus C310 Zoom (aka D-540 Zoom) I bought the other day and ten pounds for a Fujifilm A860. On the plus side it is 8.1 mega pixels, works a lot faster and handles colours better than the Olympus although unfortunately like the Olympus it is almost fully automatic and it appears the only option for output is JPG. Still never mind what can one expect for fifteen quid?

My master plan is that I will have swapped and dealt up to a Leica M9 by Christmas; only having spent about £120 on it.

I got home and took this photo of the camera in tribute to fellow Norfolk Flickr persons Tim Caynes and Harry Harris who, if you follow the links on their names you will discover, both like to give a lot of head in their pictures. I can say that because neither will read down as far as here.

The Fourth Gymnopédie

2010-08-22T20:29:00.002+01:00

The Fourth Gymnopédie, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Winner of the Most Pretentious Graffiti (Thorpe Hamlet & District Heat) Award 2010.

Sadly this prestigious prize was subsequently withdrawn when the judges discovered that the (anonymous but dyslexic) artist was trying to spell Chicken Satay Lives.

I Bet You Did Not Know That Today is Thomas Bilney Day

2010-08-19T17:26:00.004+01:00

I Bet You Did Not Know That Today is Thomas Bilney Day, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

This memorial, to be found by the door of the Surrey Chapel, on the corner of Botolph Street and St Crispin's in Norwich, was erected by the Protestant Alliance. It was replaced by this one which was erected on the Riverside gardens by Bishops Bridge which is about the length of a football pitch away from the supposed site of the Lollard's pit.

In fact no one is absolutely sure where the Lollard's Pit was situated; Some argue it was under the Gasometer on Gas Hill, some say it lay beneath the back bar of the Bridge Public House, others put the case for below Godfrey's Store (the paint department I believe) on Riverside Road or underneath Chalk Hill House on Rosary Road.

This newer memorial was also erected by the Protestant Alliance; an organisation I am not familiar with. A Google search on Protestant Alliance brings you to a page on http://www.orangenet.org/pa.htm which is part of Orange.net which describes itself as "the hub of Orangeism on the net"

Interestingly Thomas Bilney did not consider himself a protestant. "He was to the last perfectly orthodox on the power of the Pope, the sacrifice of the Mass, the doctrine of transubstantiation and the authority of the church." He did however preach against saint and relic veneration, disapproved of the practice of pilgrimage and did not believe in the mediation of the saints. I think he also rejected the teachings of Martin Luther. (source Wikipedia)

He seems an unlikely person for Orange Men to memorialise. If you look at the Protestant Alliance web page try clicking on the links for Orange Postcards; you will find one (and maybe more) celebrating the Ulster Volunteer Force. Their memorable deeds included the McGurk's Bar bombing in which 15 civilians were killed. Like Thomas Bilney their victims were all Roman Catholic.

Normal For Norfolk

2010-08-17T22:35:00.002+01:00

Normal For Norfolk, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I don't know how to describe this and because the windows of the vehicle were so dirty I was not able to photograph it with the clarity it deserves.

Somebody had gone to a lot of trouble to recreate, in scale model form, the last watery resting place of the Titanic on the dashboard of their VW microbus.

Bizarrely a toy animal menageries stands next to it. Perhaps the Lion represents Leonardo Dicaprio while the not-sure-what-it-is baby animal is supposed to be Kate Winsome.

Maybe a reminder of the folly of all human endeavour plus an intimation of mortality improves ones driving........

The New Hullaballoos

2010-08-15T18:09:00.001+01:00

The New Hullaballoos, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

An old buffer writes.......

The views from Riverside Road to Pull's Ferry and from the same road across the playing fields to east end of Norwich Cathedral are possibly the most iconic and two of the best loved in the City.

If someone suggested that a caravan park should be built along Riverside partly obscuring these vistas their would be hell to pay.

I bring this up because there are a significant number of modern fibreglass cruisers that are no better looking than caravans and are often more garish and more intrusive than any caravan.

Holidays on the Broads are expensive whether they are spent in a hotel or a guest house. It is often quoted that one can get two and a bit weeks on an all-in package in Spain for the price of a week in a Broads cruiser. This is not necessarily a bad thing. We have the example of Great Yarmouth to show that the cheapo English holiday is unprofitable. Not only is that kind of holiday no longer wanted but the business model means there has to be cut-throat rivalry that drives profits down.

The Broads are not immune. Great Yarmouthism exists everywhere and especially on the north river.

Having said that there is really nothing you can do to legislate against the plethora of ugly cruisers for hire on the Norfolk Rivers. Personally I wish that all broads cruisers were built of wood as they were before the late 1960s but then I also wish trains still had compartments and corridors with engines that puffed out steam.

They are built the way they are because it makes them cheap to build and easy to maintain and clean but surely the boatyards must realise they are in danger of cutting their own throats? You cannot both "sell" the Broads as a place of natural beauty and then put those who want to be part of this into floating plastic crates.

The Return Of Django

2010-08-07T11:45:00.001+01:00

Rod as victim, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

So I bought an Olympus C-310 zoom on Norwich Market this morning for 5 quid. (Apologies to my son but it will be beans on toast for tea for the rest of the week)

This is the second photo I took with it using Rod the Harpist as my chosen victim. The camera takes 3.5 seconds to warm up when you switch it on and there is a three second gap between photographs as it writes (with a quill pen presumably) to disc.

And God I miss processing in raw.

Bye Bye For Now

2009-02-28T13:08:00.001Z

Bye Bye For Now, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Someone has stolen my camera so this is my last posting for a while.

I think I would rather they put him in a gunny sack

2009-02-18T23:19:00.001Z

The End Of All Things, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I finally realise that I have lived too long when I see Chuck Berry filed under easy listening in the H.M.V. shop in Norwich.

Was I right to walk away? You the jury decide

2009-02-17T15:15:00.001Z

Was I right to walk away? You the jury decide, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A dealers dilemma. Described as Clarice Cliff honeydew. No marking other than "Made In England" on the bottom. Not in great condition. The cup did not "feel" like a Newport Pottery cup - too light in the hand. There was still money to be made at under two quid a piece -if it was all it was supposed to be.

I passed them up mainly because I did not like them. If you want to buy it, it was still on sale at 13.30hrs on 17/02/09 in the ARC Charity Shop on Lower Goat Lane, Norwich. 20 pieces including two cups for £39.50.

Was I a fool not to buy it? A differently banded piece of honeydew can be seen here.

Sign O' The Times(continued)

2009-02-17T01:42:00.001Z

Gun Law, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I wondered when I saw this cast iron sign if the local parish council were concerned that gangs of armed Motorcycle Hoodlums were going to descend on Gunton Road Park and lay waste to the place in an orgy of violence unseen in Norfolk since the arrival of the Viking economic migrants.

Within ten feet there were two more signs informing the public that guns were not allowed caused me to look around for a parkkeeper who looked like Wyatt Earp. (The warning that there was a fifty quid fine for anyone found in possession of a firearm, although probably quite a harsh penalty in somewhere like Arkansas seemed rather lenient for the UK.)

My fears were allayed somewhat by this fourth notice which clearly depicts someone on a Honda 50 moped; a machine that no respectable gun toting Hells Angel would be seen within a mile of.

Sign O' The Times

2009-02-17T00:59:00.002Z

Concerns have been raised, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

"DANGER.
DO NOT PADDLE OR
PLAY UNDER THIS
BRIDGE AS CONCERNS
HAVE BEEN RAISED
ABOUT THE SOUNDNESS
OF ITS STRUCTURE"

Amusingly enough no such warning is given to the cars or people who walk and drive over the bridge.

A Dream Of Tahiti

2009-02-10T12:53:00.002Z

In the 1920s my great aunt Dorothy (Dolly) Myhill of Fundenhall, Norfolk ran off to Tahiti with the artist William Alistair MacDonald. Examples of his Watercolours are included in this posting. Although he was already married it appears they went through some sort of marriage ceremony either in France or on Tahiti itself.They only stayed together for a short time. Certainly after they had "split up" she was given a passport in the name of MacDonald.

I am desperate to find out more information about this episode and would be grateful if anyone can supply me with any details. Any details at all

In particular I am looking for passenger lists of the french ship El Kantara in 1923. Investigation has shown that great aunt did not leave for Tahiti from Great Britain so we can only presume she left for the Society Islands from Marseilles.

Pictured
Above. Family legend says this is the house they lived in and that it was one of the two on Tahiti that had previously belonged to Gaugain.
Below. El Kantara docked in Papeete in July 1923. This was the first time she had arrived in Tahiti. Up until then all ships to Tahiti had routed via New Zealand

Echo All Over The World

2009-01-17T12:51:00.002Z

Echo All Over The World, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A small selection of phonograph cylinder boxes, (labels from left to right) Pathe; Columbia; Pioneer; The International Indestructible Record Company; Edison Amberol; Edison Blue Amberol; Edison; Edison Gold Moulded. There is also a shop sales card for Sailing In My Balloon by Miss Florry Cooper. Echo All Over The World was a sales slogan for the Edison Bell company.

Although none of the above were manufactured in Norfolk this photograph still earns a place in my flickr set called Formerly Made In Norfolk because they represent a mystery about a long forgotten Norwich business.

When the phonograph first came to Britain in the late 19th Century only three companies were licensed to produce cylinders: Edison, Columbia and Red Star of Red Lion Street Norwich. The company was variously called Red Star and Norwich Star and I have never seen a phonograph cylinder or met anyone who has seen a phonograph cylinder produced by them. Except for their presence on a couple of lists of recordings, absolutely nothing is known of this pioneering Norfolk company.

This is obviously a call for information. If you can fill in the blank spaces please contact me.

I must acknowledge the help of Mr Edward Murray-Harvey and the late Douglas FitzPatrick for what little information I have.

Tin Lid

2009-01-15T14:03:00.001Z

Tin Lid, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

..............When she had to retire from her position as cook at the "big house" she discovered that she could not survive on her savings. Nevertheless his Lordship and his family always looked out for her when they visited the workhouse on Boxing Day and made sure they had sorted out some special treat "just for her".

..............Members of her family carried on the tradition though as can be seen below

New Cities Of The Dead

2008-10-16T00:25:00.002+01:00

Whitefriars Bridge And The Old Silk Mill, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

It took me a while to work out why I always find these new inner city developments in Norwich spooky; walking around them is like being in one of those scenes from end of the world films such as On The Beach, 28 Days/Weeks Later or Doomsday. Whether it is Quayside, or King Street or Paper Mill Yard during a weekday it is if one had walked into an emptied world.

The answer is simple; they are all marketed at Dinkys or the Pink Pound or the Grey pound and because of this there are no children and consequently no one at home during the day. Even in the evening the residents retreat behind uVPC double glazed windows having made sure that the shortest possible distance exists between the comfort of their cars and their front door.

These are silent unnerving places. It is an ironic truth that a development like Quayside is probably quieter than a country village. Please note I did not say better.

Free For All

2008-10-13T06:49:00.001+01:00

Free For All, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Anti Capitalist campaigners in the early Autumn sun. Current events have proved it to be a great career choice; these days they don't have to do much but sit back and watch it all crumble into dust.

Not everything they had was rubbish so maybe there is such a thing as a free lunch. I did not take any of them but some of the books were quite interesting. There was a 1932 edition of the Wellington Book of Photography (the first one not to have tipped in plates) which admittedly the binding was poor but still a good reading copy. There was a 1935 edition of The Camera Book in good to very good condition, tightly bound. As well as descriptions of pre war processes it has some nice line illustration of contemporary cameras. Neither of great value (in capitalist terms the first is worth about a quid, the second about three or four quid in the right place), both of great interest to camera collectors. There were some Collins cleartype hardbound reprints of great "Classics" (Lorna Doone and The Three Musketeers if I remember correctly) Some odd Edwardian editions of Dickens and some Airport paperbacks. There were also some how to do it books on crafts. As I say I did not take any.

One of the drawbacks of once having owned a second hand bookshop is that whenever these guys are out with their stall, people come up to me with books they have snaffled and want a free valuation: two such did on Wednesday.

The Green Party And The Lib-Dems Stole Our Post Office

2008-10-08T22:37:00.001+01:00

The Green Party And The Lib-Dems Stole Our Post Office, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

After over a hundred years, from tomorrow there will be no Post Office on Rosary Road. There was a local campaign to keep it open which looked as if might succeed: the grounds for closing it were not that it was running at a loss (it wasn't) or that it was not fulfilling a social need but that it was within two miles of the Central Post Office in the Castle Mall. A petition was started, various members of the great and the good were lobbied, it was publicised in the press.

What happened next beggar's belief. In the run up to the local elections the two main contenders, the Green Party and the Lib Dems decided they would take over the campaign. They each started their own petitions -hence diluting the original. They each ran rival campaigns to save Rosary Road Post Office. Quite simply they muscled in. Party officials and volunteers announced they would handle it and there was no room for the non alligned. In the two weeks before the election we would recieve seperate newsletters from both parties every day boasting about their individual efforts to save the Office. The last one arrived at midday through my letterbox on election day.

Promises were made. Both parties proposed to lobby Lord this, Lady that, etc. Both were going to travel up to London to see this committee, that quango.

And then nothing. The election was won by the Greens and the Lib Dems withdrew their campaign. There was a line in the paper two weeks later that if anyone wanted the Lib Dem petition they should contact them. No one is sure what happened to the Green one. After a fortnight of Green representitives banging on our doors and putting leaflets through our letterboxes none of us have heard a word from the victorious party about anything. No letters, no meetings and definitely nothing about the Post Office campaign.

In the meantime the totally sidelined Friends Of The Rosary Road Post Office campaign had lost all momentum and the branch was earmarked for closure.

Bevan famously described the Conservative Party as "Less Than Vermin", I think we are justified in adding the Greens and the Lib Dems to this.

It is not all bad news. Thursday has been designated "Kick a Green Party member in the bollocks day" and I live in hope that I will live to hear Fidel radio his secret orders to start the revolution in Thorpe Hamlet. I know who I will be stringing up from the lamp posts outside the Old Post Office on that glorious dawn.

These are my views and no one else's

Elvis has entered The Walk

2008-09-10T12:54:00.001+01:00

Elvis impersonator on The Walk, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I don't normally comment on the buskers and street performers I photograph.

I have to say about this guy that he was completely wrapped up in a world of his own making. As far as he was concerned he was on the stage at Vegas. He wasn't bothered at all with what was going on around him. He hadn't put out a hat to collect money, a card to advertise his services or a pile of tapes for sale. The only time he seemed to notice the passers by was when in his athletic performance he bounced into them. It was a bravura performance that I watched with a mixture of awe and embarrassment.

I just wish I liked the Vegas period Elvis more.

On The Thorpe Hamlet Crime Beat

2008-08-27T11:37:00.001+01:00

Unfinished, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

It is only just a week or so since the calm of Thorpe Hamlet was rocked by the Go! Cow incident and was the scene of the first intervention by Norfolk Constabulary's crack Cattle Squad. It appears now we are in the middle of a crime wave. Residents woke up this week in Lollards Road to find this mural.

This is a photograph of the end wall to Lollards Road overlooking Pull's Ferry. (Rosary Road is on the other side of the wall)

Did the painter(s?) run out of paint and because Godfrey DIY supermarket was closed go home leaving his work unfinished or did he plummet the thirty feet to the ground? Did the baby's bottle, clearly shown discarded in a drainpipe, belong to the painter? Should the police be looking for a baby hopelessly sucking on a can of aerosol paint in the mistaken belief that its a feeding bottle? These are just some of the questions currently furrowing the brows of C.S.I. Thorpe Hamlet

Whatever the answer, the Norwich City Council Swat team, we have been told, is going to clean it off. The cost of this operation will be met by closing the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit for a week. Seems fair to me.

Ride Of The....

2008-08-17T09:44:00.002+01:00

Valkyrie, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Honda Valkyrie seen in Norwich City Centre.
Six cylinders, liquid cooled, 1520cc. The Harley in the background looks puny by comparison. Because (in layman's terms) it sticks out a lot on both sides cornering at speed can be tricky according to the owner but he also said it is better at the fast corners than Harleys.

Not as bad as the pre-war BMW with their sideways fitted cylinder which meant you could knock off the spark plug if there was a kerb on a corner

It's still not a Triumph Rocket though.

I must point out I am a strictly armchair motorcyclist these days and hence do not really know what I am talking about.

Wikipedia on the Valkyrie

Go! Cow

2008-08-15T09:13:00.001+01:00

Go! Cow, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Breaking news: outside Godfrey's on Rosary Road. It was herded down Thorpe Road by motorists, who instead of stopping and calling the police, hooted at it. It has been corralled in the car park.

Oh God It's Southwold

2008-07-01T01:11:00.003+01:00

Oh God It's Southwold, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

This photo was the cause of my receiving an extraordinary email written in the finest New Age techno gobbledy gook. The sender seemed to think
a)I would know who Sep Kamvar and Jonathan Harris are and
b) that I would care.
(it turns out that they are students of "human feelings from a large number of weblogs" who construct "playful interfaces" out of "art").
The message read

Hi, I'm contacting you today because I'm working with Sep Kamvar and Jonathan Harris on a book about feelings on the web. We found an image on your blog that we found beautiful, and we wanted to get your permission to use it in the book. The book is based on the website We Feel Fine (http://www.wefeelfine.org). In return, we will give you a free copy of the book, signed by the authors, and an invitation to the book launch when the book comes out. A description of the site is below. I'd love to hear back from you and if you provide a mailing address, we can send you a permissions form.
Since August 2005, We Feel Fine has been studying human feelings from a large number of weblogs. Every few minutes, the system searches the world's newly posted blog entries for occurrences of the phrases "I feel" and "I am feeling". When it finds such a phrase, it records the full sentence, up to the period, and identifies the "feeling" expressed in that sentence (e.g. sad, happy, depressed, etc.). The result is a database of several million human feelings, increasing by 15,000 - 20,000 new feelings per day.
Using a series of playful interfaces, the feelings can be searched and sorted across a number of demographic slices, offering responses to specific questions like: do Europeans feel sad more often than Americans? Do women feel fat more often than men? Does rainy weather affect how we feel? What are the most representative feelings of female New Yorkers in their 20’s? What do people feel right now in Baghdad? What were people feeling on Valentine's Day? Which are the happiest cities in the world? The saddest? And so on.
At its core, We Feel Fine is an artwork authored by everyone. It will grow and change as we grow and change, reflecting what's on our blogs, what's in our hearts, what's in our minds. We hope it makes the world seem a little smaller, and we hope it helps people see beauty in the everyday ups and downs of life.

Thank you very much for your time,

Sincerely,

Matt
matt@wefeelfine.org

Privacy Notice:

We Feel Fine only collects and displays data that was already posted publicly on the World Wide Web. We Feel Fine never associates individual human names with the feelings it displays, though it always provides a link to the blog from which any displayed sentence or picture was collected. Also, bloggers may make a blog post invisible to the We Feel Fine crawler by including the following code somewhere in the post: nofeelings. Finally, you may request for an image to be taken down from the site by e-mailing someone@wefeelfine.org.
We Feel Fine is an independent project conceived and created by Jonathan Harris and Sepandar Kamvar. It bears no affiliation to any company or organization.

As if anyone in their right mind wants to "make the world seem a little smaller".

I have always felt it is best if no one knows what is in my heart and my mind (for one thing it puts off girls).

I replied, as follows, to this meaningless waffle. I could not bring myself to start with a hi in the style of the original sender

Thank you for your enquiry about the image
www.flickr.com/photos/thorpehamlet/1142777196/

You are mistaken it is not a beautiful image. It was not meant to be. I am sorry but I cannot allow you to use any image of mine that you so misconstrue. Any attempts to do so will result in contact with my solicitors and also my horse whip.

YOU MAY NOT USE THE IMAGE.

The cheekiest part of the letter was the part that explained that it was up to me to put code into my webpage to prevent their webcrawler hijacking my images.

I recommend that as many people as possible put the following sentences into their blog "I feel nauseous at the whole concept of wefeelfine.org . I feel horrified at the usage of the English Language by Matt@wefeelfine.org . I feel threatened by the attempts to deify the previously unknown Jonathan Harris and Sepandar Kamvar." Hopefully the webcrawler will get the message.

Steps

2008-06-15T09:53:00.001+01:00

Steps, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Blogged because this is a rare photo of mine that I like, looks how I wanted it to and (for me at least) says a lot about the Norfolk seaside town of Cromer where it was taken.

FINE CITY

2008-06-04T07:46:00.002+01:00

You Gotta Move, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

You gotta move
You gotta move
You gotta move, child
You gotta move
Oh, when the Lor' gets ready
You gotta move

You may be high
You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be poor
But when the Lor' gets ready
You gotta move

You see that woman
Who walks the street
You see that police
Upon his beat
But then the Lor' gets ready
You gotta move
You gotta move

Sign Of The (Church) Times

2008-05-27T19:56:00.002+01:00

Sign Of The (Church) Times, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

St Andrews Trowse has just had its roof replaced after the lead was stripped off it before Christmas.

Another sign on the church announces the use of Smart Water to "fingerprint" the roof. All high flat surfaces on St Andrews have been covered with barbed wire. To my eye anti-climb paint has also been used at higher levels. The alarm system has been beefed up. A church that is sadly never left open* now has all the appearance of being under siege.

I cannot find more recent figures but between January and November 2007 twenty one insurance claims were made from Norfolk churches in respect of the theft of lead.

* In the parish's defence it is only a mile away from St Wandregesilius, Bixley that was the subject of an arson attack in 2005.

Open Up Them Pearly Gates

2008-05-25T01:38:00.001+01:00

The Road To Hell Is Gated With Good Intentions, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

As always I am overstating the case but it is not with giant leaps but inch by inch we lose our freedom.

An example of this axiom is the Norwich City Council's latest wheeze. From 8pm at night until 8am in the morning part of the Riverside Walk will be closed off to all but visitors to the Yacht Station. (For those who don't know this is a popular stroll with local residents in the summer evenings)

Presented with the problem of people returning from the pubs and clubs late at night the worse for wear and casting off boats from the Yacht Station, the council decided not to cause the area to be policed to stop this from happening. They also decided not to punish or make liable the pubs and clubs who were selling the alcohol. They decided instead to punish everyone else by blocking off the staithe at night. People mooring in the boats, we are told, will be given the combination number to the locks but no one else. There was no local consultation about this at all. We lose an amenity, and have to pay for its loss out of the council taxes but we have no say.

Presumably they feel that at 8pm we should all be tucked up in bed with our cocoa and only troublemakers will complain.

I hate this. Our right to roam is one of our most precious freedoms. Happily the Council are a bunch of cheapskates where their own expenses claims are not involved. They have installed a shoddy Squire combination lock. It took well under 30 seconds to work out the combination. It is 8228. It is the same number for the gates at both ends. I will update this as it changes.

Sign Of The (Church) Times

2008-05-20T11:32:00.001+01:00

Sign Of The (Church) Times, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Go To The UEA For A Charisma Free Future

2008-04-26T20:30:00.004+01:00

Go To The UEA For A Charisma Free Future, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Bloody U.E.A. Parents spend ages trying to persuade their kids that going to University is a gateway to an exciting and glamorous future and they go and produce this.... ( and they choose an assistant headteacher in exotic Lowestoft to boot to be the "face" of the campaign).

Is this the worst advertising campaign ever?

No wonder a whole generation has grown up who consider appearing on Celebrity Love Island is a more effective pathway to an exciting career.

I think we should demand that the whole staff of the U.E.A. resign over this one. From the Cleaners to the Chancellor. No exceptions. Further and higher education is not safe in their hands.

Barrack Street Slum Clearance, Norwich

2008-04-23T22:12:00.002+01:00

Barrack Street Slum Clearance, Norwich, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

From my collection Part of a map from the City Engineers entitled
CITY OF NORWICH
BARRACK STREET CLEARANCE AREA,
JANUARY 17th 1933
[SECTION B]

I thought it would be interesting at this time when the flats on Barrack Street are awaiting final demolition to post this plan of what the area was like before they were built.

Tiny houses, crammed together, sharing outside WCs and wash houses. An old boy once told me that the whole area was so infested with rats they did not even bother to run away if you approached them in daylight. This kind of housing would have been the lot for the majority of citizens of most of the country. All this is only eighty years away from the lifestyle we have now.

To give you some idea of scale this portion of the map shows about a 300 foot length of Barrack Street. This is about a third of the area shown on the map and features the T-junction formed by Barrack Street and Silver Road. I have been told the area was nicknamed Bottlegate but would like to have this confirmed.

The elephant in the flickr Norfolk groups room

2008-04-21T10:49:00.001+01:00

The elephant in the flickr Norfolk groups room, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Sign in the window of Trowse Post Office.

There has been a revolution in Norfolk. We have been the subject of a friendly invasion of migrant workers from Poland and Portugal. (Although it is said the Poles are returning home). We have Portugese and Polish Shops, Pubs and even night clubs. Some banks and building societies have employed Polish and Portugese speakers to deal with their new customers. My small corner newsagent has found it profitable to stock Polish brands and beers. It is not just in the towns but also in the villages that one hears European languages being used; it is impossible to go to a car boot sale without meeting migrant workers on both sides of the counter. Interestingly enough this enormous social change has not been reflected in the local flickr group photo pools. Is this because we are a bunch of Racists? Or are we just very unwelcoming?

Indiana Blink And The Quest For The Lost Ho Lid Ayinn

2008-04-21T10:46:00.001+01:00

Indiana Blink And The Quest For The Lost Ho Lid Ayinn, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

We have all seen that film. Carruthers, in a quest to find the legendary something of something, is cutting his way through the jungle accompanied only by his faithful native bearers and a blonde girl with her silly ass brother. Suddenly a shrunken head is seen atop a pole and all the the bearers throw down their burdens and run away screaming, leaving Carruthers (and the girl) up the Amazon without a machete.

Much the same happened to me on Carrow Road. Only it wasnt a shrunken head but a cone and my bearers, from the local hoody tribe only threw down their traditional Burberrys before sloping off. And I did not have a girl or a silly ass brother with me.

In the distance can be seen the fabulous Temple Of Ka - Na - Ry home of the legendary Queen Delia.

Night And Day

2008-04-13T00:20:00.001+01:00

Electric Sail (revisited), originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

On the Floating Restaurant, Drunkard's Leap, Riverside, Norwich.

Economics In Pictures

2008-04-12T17:50:00.001+01:00

Economics In Pictures, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I have been photographing this particular developement pretty much since work was started.

Because of the downturn in the housing market the bulk of the workforce have now been pulled off the job leaving only a skeleton crew. This is quite a blow for the City planners as this private developement was in their eyes the big one. Anyone remember how the first one million pound flat in Norwich was trumpeted last year? I feel sorry for the people (probably a company actually) who bought it because they are going to be in the middle of a building site for a bit longer than they originally thought.

Who said there wasn't a house sales crisis?

The Standards Committee is nothing to do with driving standards then.

2008-04-11T12:45:00.001+01:00

We hope he is not on any steering commitees, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The current Chairman Of Norfolk County Council demonstrates just how difficult it is to drive between those pesky white lines. In mitigation he is driving a Ford Mondeo EDGE but hey its HIS council this year and if he wants to park on the grass he jolly well will.

I just hope he is not on any steering committee.....

Reflected Glory

2008-04-11T11:23:00.001+01:00

Jaguar GR1 XW563 at Norfolk County Hall, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

One of the most moving things about the war memorials we see in almost every church in the land is how the people who erected it usually remain anonymous. We are left to imagine the widow's tears.

Not so these days. Far more prominently positioned and in larger type than the plaque describing how this "gate guardian stands as a permanent memorial to those members of the Jaguar Force who have lost their lives during the course of their duties" is this plaque describing how Patrick T Hacon unveiled this one. May his name live for evermore.

A message from a bad place

2008-02-19T09:59:00.001Z

The five word, single sentence novel, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Seen in Upper Goat Lane, Norwich, England.

Lets be honest. In a world overburdened by visual imagery and messages most graffiti comes across as so much visual static - even the arty ones such as those by Banksy one notices because of the desecration as much as the aesthetics. Very occasionally something seen out of the corner of the eye will stick in the mind. Was this written as a warning to someone or did someone write it as a reflection of their own situation?

The Exile From Crinkly Bottom

2008-02-16T22:51:00.001Z

The Exile From Crinkly Bottom, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I don't know what you call them (The opposite of tableau vivant - tableau mordant maybe) but the displays at Norwich Castle are without exception hilarious.

Noel Edmonds (for it is he) can be plainly seen being ejected from a night club by an extremely camp bouncer in Roman costume. Proof, if proof was needed, that "our Noel" has been around for far too long. His helecopter is hidden behind the houses.

The one below shows someone who looks suspiciously like Brian Sewell getting it in the neck from a Roman soldier presumably the target of his art criticism.

The glimpse of the Iceni Village in the background is weirdly reminiscent of Thorpe Marriot the commuter "village" created in the 1980s on the outskirts of Taverham. The Iceni village does not appear to have a pub, shop, post office, school, church or village hall either.

Swan

2008-02-13T08:06:00.002Z

Salhouse Broad - Swan, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

We are always in two minds about swans; we are impressed by their beauty and grace but wary of their wrath. Much like Blake's Tiger.

(Not another photograph of a swan you might say. They are a flickr favourite along with pictures of kittens with balls of string and appealing looking puppies. I was pleased with this one however because for once I got it right and did not "burn" out the details of the feathers in a glare of white. Photographing the thing in a fog helped.)

A light dusting of snow - The beckoning light

2008-02-02T10:19:00.001Z

A light dusting of snow - The beckoning light, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

In Norwich we are so used to the presence of the Cathedral that we usually forget it is ever present on the skyline and we have for certain lost the sense of awe that it must have inspired when the Norman's first had it built.

Myself and young Master Menace Blink had gone outside just after dawn (well you try and keep a ten year old inside when there is any kind of snow on the ground).

Through the black silhouettes of the trees I saw the Sun's light hitting the Cathedral. The normally grey to yellow stone glowed like a candle.

It is an old saw that there are no atheists in a foxhole. I am not sure that is true but rather I think it is moments like this that cause doubters to doubt.

Photo uploaded as a late Christmas present for Simon K.

Rosary Road Weather Report

2008-02-01T23:24:00.001Z

Rosary Road Weather Report, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A pinch and a punch,
The first of the month

......................and no returns

In The Night Garden

2008-01-25T14:49:00.001Z

In The Night Garden, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Scent and Sensibility

2007-12-26T10:01:00.001Z

Art Installation - White Lion Street, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Has anyone else noticed that since the smoking ban when you walk into a pub it is common to be able to smell the toilets? Either the Jeyes Fluid or more usually the lack of it.

The Other

2007-12-25T02:10:00.001Z

Another Country Right Next To Ours, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Reflected trees in the Wensum River, Norwich, Norfolk.

"'I should be ill,' she continued, 'if I did not live on the borders of the fairies' country, and now and then eat of their food. And I see by your eyes that you are not quite free of the same need; though, from your education and the activity of your mind, you have felt it less than I.'"
George MacDonald - Phantasteses

It is supposed to be viewed large.

Later Note Only ten year old Master Menace Blink shares my sense of the otherness of this landscape stating unprompted "This photo is really weird. It is both night and day." No one else has given it a second glance. ho hum I will just have to plough a lonely furrow.

straw and string

2007-12-22T14:34:00.001Z

straw and string, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Well its straw and wool really but that is not alliterative. I suppose I could have written wheat and wool which is alliterative but somehow not le mot juste so I didn't. Very popular in and traditional to Austria, I have been told, these kind of tree decorations.

Are they like corn dollies and you are supposed to destroy them before the next planting or be cursed for the next year? I don't know.

And finally.........

Why are their only 25 letters in the alphabet at Christmas time?

Because the angel said No L

What do they sing outside Psychiatric Hospitals in Germany at Christmas time?

God Rest Ye Gerry Mentalmen

THE pierROT SETS IN.

2007-12-18T14:06:00.001Z

A Snowball's chance in (City) Hall, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

While following the abysmal Ice Sculpture Trail through Norwich I saw "The Singing Snowmen" coming out of City Hall. It is actually Tom Carver leading the usual suspects. We traded insults and sneered at each other and then they melted away.

I have since learned that the sculptures were taken to nearby Earlham Park to melt away naturally. I wish they had brought one round to my house as I could have added lemon, tonic and gin to it. That way I could have, at least, got something pleasurable out of the event.

Snowbusiness like Showbusiness uploaded by Colonel Blink.

MG

2007-12-18T09:41:00.001Z

MG, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

When Norwich Became An Icy Wasteland

2007-12-17T00:05:00.001Z

I dont know anything about art but I know this is garfunkel, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Oh god, today we took the Menace and a friend of his around the Norwich Ice Sculpture trail and boy was it tedious. Even worse than The Gt. Yarmouth Festival Of Sand Sculpture Massacre. Something felt by most of the onlookers who instead of looking at the so-called art photographed it instead. Presumably so they could look at it at another time when they felt mentally stronger. Like the sand sculptures this photograph makes them look better than they were in reality and that is not saying much.

Baby, it's cold outside

2007-12-15T11:27:00.001Z

Frost & Fog4, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Mast Base

2007-12-11T13:21:00.001Z

Mast Base, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

About twenty years ago this corner of the River Wensum, next to the mortuary that has turned into Zaks Hamburger restaurant, was given a face lift. Seats were put in, a large notice board describing the history of the area was erected and a Wherry mast was installed as a flag pole. After a few months the notice board was burnt and the seats had had an axe taken to them.

All that remains now of the revamp is the sign announcing the totally made up name for the spot -Petch's Corner- peeping through the forest of weeds, litter and discarded syringes and the mast.

Unfortunately when "they" concieve of these schemes and get funding for installing them they never get money for the upkeep and for the lack of a coat of varnish or even creosote the mast is rotting away and will soon either fall down or have to be taken down.

Sic transit Gloria Mundi which as any fule kno translates as "Every Monday Gloria gets travel sick".

Norfolk Harpys

2007-12-11T10:30:00.001Z

Norfolk Harpys, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

These were modelled on woman who, still to this day, can be found in the smaller, more remote North Norfolk villages.

The Early Bird

2007-11-29T11:16:00.001Z

Ding Dong Merrily - and it's not even Advent, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Lines written on hearing the first carol singer of Christmas November 27th 2007 but at least he waited unlike the TV adverts till after Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night.

To the editor of The Times

Dear Sir,
Today I heard the first carol of Christmas sung on the street. Is this a record?

Yours etc.
Colonel Blink

Smoking in public

2007-11-28T14:55:00.001Z

But a cigar is a good smoke, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I saw these two come out of the tobacconists opposite Jarrold's corner, Norwich and with great ceremony and ritual light their cigars.

In Stone

2007-11-06T09:02:00.001Z

The Rosary Burial Ground, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

"THE ROSARY BURIAL GROUND FOR PERSONS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS REGISTERED AT THE OFFICE OF THE LORD BISHOP OF NORWICH JUNE 14th 1821"

For more photographs of "The Rosary" click here

Progress

2007-11-02T12:06:00.001Z

Progress, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A few 19th and 20th Century Cream Bottles and jugs photographed to demonstrate how ignorant and savage our ancestors were. All these were reusable; it was a simple matter to return them to the milkman, have them washed and sterilised and reused. How much better our modern method of putting cream into plastic pots and sending them to a landfill. How clever we are to have realised that it is better to smash up bottles and "recycle" them rather than wash and use them again.

Back-row (l-r) 1. Earthenware jug. incised mark Western Counties Creameries. 2. Earthenware jug. No Mark 3. Earthenware Pot with Registration Mark. 4. 1960s Glass bottle. MMB (Milk Marketing Board)

Front Row (l-r) Earthenware jug. Makers mark - the Dorset Pottery. Earthenware pot - Hailwoods Rich Cream Manchester

Culinary Names Explained; No 1. Beef Wellington

2007-10-26T20:28:00.001+01:00

Culinary Names Explained; No 1. Beef Wellington, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

In Norwich's Cathedral Close the Iron Duke is depicted in the act of pulling back his coat presumably to expose himself. There must be a joke about not going out without first pulling on your rubbers in there somewhere.

The same only different

2007-10-10T07:32:00.001+01:00

that skull had a tongue in it, and could sing once, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

This chap is a well photochopped version of the skull previously recorded with a mate here

Cube

2007-09-21T00:25:00.001+01:00

Cube, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Sometimes I wonder if I am over stating my case when I describe Norwich Castle as the ugliest building in Norwich and then I look at it and realise that I am, if anything, being generous. Even THAT hotel down Duke Street or the wonder that is Anglia Square are beautiful when set against Old Norwich Prison.

Mind you the art galleries inside the Castle work better for me than the sterile oppressive interior of the Sainsbury Centre with its ever present, almost subsonic hum of air conditioning and its strange grey light. Gosh oh golly. Two sacred cows in one posting.

Learning new skulls.

2007-09-19T13:11:00.001+01:00

St Andrew Norwich - Day 7 of my enforced diet, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Both spotted in St Andrew's Church Norwich: this last one for those who prefer a skull rather than cream on their fruit salad....

St Andrew Norwich - Green Man

2007-09-16T12:42:00.001+01:00

St Andrew Norwich - Green Man, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Seen in the Parish Church of St Andrews in Norwich. A tiny Green Man on the Victorian Stone reredos which is a surprise to say the least. I cannot think of any other Green Man within the Sanctuary area of any church anywhere else.

Forget contemporary new age drivel about Green Men. In medieval symbolism the Green Man was not a man but a beast without a soul, a creature who was wholly subservient to every gross need and drive. He is completely without intellect, compassion or guilt. He is a monster that takes what he wants, when he wants it.

The oak leaf strewn face was a popular design with both Gothic revival and Arts and Crafts designers but they knew exactly what the symbolism meant. Christianity is heavily dependent on symbols (the Cross, The Dove, etc. ) and they fill our churches -so why did the Victorian mason decide to put this one by the altar?

It is tiny, being only a few inches tall. All the other panels in line have the oak leaves but not the face. If you do not know it is there you will not find it. (If you do go in search of it: you will find it immediately behind the cross and to the left.)

Hidden or not. Every Sunday the congregation kneel in prayer before the Cross and a tiny stone carving of a rapist. Which is weird

More than a junk store

2007-09-07T10:09:00.001+01:00

St Mary The Less, Norwich, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Daily Mail and Daily Express readers look away now.

The state of the interior of St Mary The Less almost makes me believe in the conspiracy theory of history. This particular church is a solid representation of one of the most glorious revolutions in Norwich's history and is also a beacon of hope for the future of our whole country. I do not understand how we can allow a building like this which should be a place of secular pilgrimage to be treated in this manner.

This church was given to The Strangers, Dutch refugees from religious persecution to be used as their own. If you look at the parish records for the church you find they start off being written in their own language but after a hundred years or so they continue in English. But this was not the subsumation of a smaller culture into a greater one; The Dutch Strangers changed forever the politics, the culture and the economics of the whole of Norfolk.

It was not without it's stresses as can be read here but the history of St Mary The Less proves that multiculturalism works. It has all happened before. Actually the present wave of economic migrants is as nothing when you think that at one point one quarter of the population of Norwich was Dutch and Walloon.

The Death Of Language

2007-09-05T21:57:00.001+01:00

Contemporary Dining and Drinking, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Uh what? What the hell is contemporary dining and drinking?

Scene: The Bull public house in Ambridge. Sid Perks, the landlord, is behind the bar polishing glasses, his wife Jolene is out of sight in the kitchen. Occasionally the sound of her humming "Stand By Your Man" wafts through the whole pub.

Sid Perks: Would you like a drink gentlemen?
Doctor Who (for it is he): I am trying to work out if I want a pint of contemporary Stella Artois or whether I want to get in the Tardis and go back in time to 1982 and redrink the non contemporary but very historical Harvey Wallbanger I drank then.
Doctor Sam Beckett: Oh boy. Not again. It was bad enough the first time. Besides if you go back in time that Harvey Wallbanger then becomes contemporary.
etc. etc

Empty

2007-08-30T17:31:00.001+01:00

The Big Nothing - Halvergate Marshes 4, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

A strange featureless empty place - The drained marshes that lie between Great Yarmouth and Acle. A place of extremes: it is freezing cold in winter with nothing to protect you from the wind and the rain and the frost conversely on a hot summer's day the heat can become unbearable.

Double tags

2007-08-30T11:22:00.001+01:00

Formerly known as Willie, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Engineer, sculptor, cello maker, furniture maker, toy maker Willie Bailey displays his hospital label on his right wrist and his electronic tag on his left ankle.

Previously featured in my occasional series of Norwich characters here

He is currently designing and building a steam engine with the heat source originating from a rechargeable electric battery. When I asked why, he explained that the coal fired one he had built was far too smelly and was thus upsetting the neighbours as well as making his flat uninhabitable.

The court ordered electronic tag he tells me interferes with his digital radio signal and the label reveals his name is not Willie at all but Robert. Which all gives credence to my late mother's theory that he gained the name Willie because of the obscenely short, cut off jeans he insisted on wearing in the days of his youth.

Whatever the reason - Hello Bob.

Idle Thoughts At The Lowestoft Air Show

2007-08-22T08:16:00.001+01:00

Cloud Painting, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Units of the provisional wing of the Suffolk Tourist Board painting clouds to "make them less boring and more of an attraction"

.....and how does one apply for a job as a wing walker? Do they advertise for them in job centres or are you supposed to hang around the right bars and wait for a pilot to call out "Hey Kid do you want to earn a tenner tomorrow"?

Seeing the light

2007-08-19T14:49:00.001+01:00

Suffolk Clouds Part 5, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Seeing this move towards me I thought I was in for some kind of divine revelation which would have been handy as I was having trouble trying to think what to cook for everyone's dinner

Commerce In Britain - THE VERDICT

2007-08-18T11:23:00.001+01:00

Norton Peskett's Little Sunburst, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I photographed this in Southwold as part of my pursuit of Sunburst designs.

Norton Peskett's mission statement is boringly obvious; "Our team approach means that we work together to bring you the quickest, practical and most cost effective solution to your problems." Ho hum. They would generate far more business if they changed it to "We will pepper your small towns with cast iron sunbursts."

That is the problem, in a nutshell, of the malaise that strikes at the heart of all commerce in Britain today; no vision.

Chalk Hill Works Revisited

2007-07-06T11:01:00.001+01:00

Chalk Hill Works Revisited, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I first posted a photograph of this 1930s building to flickr two years ago and it has lain empty since then. The fabric of the building is starting to rapidly deteriorate and clear signs of subsidence can be seen in the car park. Doorways and gutters are becoming choked with weeds and parts of it appear to have flooded. The boards that have appeared on the windows since I first photographed it are there to prevent trespass rather than protect the building.

The site started off as Thomsons ironmongery works in the 19th century and manufacture continued there until after the war. (Production was given over to making shell and bomb casings 1939 - 45 and bombs fell near the entrance to the works during the so called Baedaker Raids). It was Thompson's who subsidised the Ferryman at Pulls Ferry until the start of World War II to allow their workers to take a short cut to the factory.

The factory has a hidden surprise. The buildings go back into the hill behind and join the Chalk caves (really flint mines)that riddle the whole of Thorpe Hamlet.) I was allowed to go down a little way some years back (although not take photos). The metal bunk beds that they used when it was air raid shelter during the war are still there..

Manufacture stopped and Thomsons turned into Decco and the works became a local distribution centre (that's a warehouse to you and me)

Two and a half years ago Decco moved their operation to their Ipswich works and the works have been empty ever since.

The building has Grade 2 listing and in spite of this outline planning permission has been given to develope the site for offices and housing. Industrial buildings are the most difficult to preserve as those of us who mourn the demolition of the fine Art Deco façade to Jarrolds Printing works a few weeks ago well know.

The site presents a lot of difficulty for any developer; Rosary Road used to be called Chalk Hill Road and chalk is not the best medium to lay foundations on. In addition because of its industrial history and because of the presence of at least two petrol tanks under the ground the site is heavily polluted. In addition the presence of 250 housing units will put a lot of pressure on local traffic. For all of the aforementioned reasons it seems likely that it will be a while before the site is developed and probably the land will be banked leaving residents with a view of a gradually rotting building.

Roll Over Max Jaffa

2007-06-08T13:40:00.001+01:00

Homework, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

My next project: a recently acquired single string phonofiddle. Made somewhere between 1910 and 1930. Manufacturer (as yet) unknown. There is the remains of a torn paper label below the soundbox which although unreadable is sufficent to recognise if I see another complete one. It was found in the back of a dryish garage.

The string which is played with a fiddle bow sits against a soundbox at its base which amplifies the sound through a horn. Homemade ones were often made utilising the soundboxes (and horns) from phonagraphs. This one, which appears commercially made, connects the string to the mica diaphragm of the soundbox using a piece of cork.

Whats wrong: It is missing its horn. The body is in terrible cosmetic condition. The soundbox needs attention; the mica diaphragm is fine but the pieces of rubber that hold it in place although still intact have perished and become hard thus losing the necessary pliability to offer the best sound. The cork which should be attached to the diaphragm (?using beeswax?) has dropped off. Five woodworm holes in the wood of the body although these appear to be old. It is currently strung with what appears to be a plastic string from a child's toy ukelele.

What next: Acquire a reproduction Phonagraph horn. These are available in brass, enamalled tin and aluminium. Attend to the wooden body. Fix and tune the soundbox. String.

Questions I am minded to get a brass horn because it will look better than an aluminium one. Will the weight make it impractical to use? The price difference is only about seven pounds. Which will sound better?
Which is the best violin string to use?
Anyone done up one of these?
Any tips?
Anyone recognise the manufacture from the remains of the label?

What after that: Learn to play and become a rock god. After all if Norfolk's own Bruce Lacey could play one in legendary band The Alberts I can surely do it too.

Colonel Blinks Bad Trip

2007-06-04T14:08:00.001+01:00

Truly unseen Beatles, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Picture the Colonel on a pavement by the YMCA taking photographs of that building ("Just a plain photograph of the front of the building Nothing arty" I had been commanded) when I noticed all these toys in the window of the St Giles Gallery.

I had forgotten that they had an exhibition of photographs of the Fab Four called The Unseen Beatles taken by newshound Frank Herman in 1967. The window featured modern toys from the the 1968 animated children's film "Yellow Submarine" which the Beatles had little or nothing to do with and the display seemed to be more about 21st Century eBay marketing than about Herman's wonderful and revealing photographs.

What I did like was St Giles Street reflected in the strong colours of the window and I took a photograph and then another one of a balloon. Big mistake.

"Can I HELP you............Sir?" This guy in a purple t-shirt had run out of the shop and was looming over me, speaking very loudly.

"um. yes. well I was just taking a picture of er your window" I said

His hand rested on his hip and his lip curled "You should have asked first" he said and with that he spun round and walked away.

"I was just coming in to have a look" I said to his back but the slamming of the shop door hid my words.

Now I knew how the Apple Scruffs felt. On reflection I decided that I would wait a month or so before I visited the exhibition. As I trudged down St Giles Street I found myself singing one of the fabs most famous songs "All You Need Is Cash".

This photograph is my 1000th entry into the Norwich flickr pool.

What Sally was doing in the Alley

2007-05-18T00:06:00.001+01:00

Sua é uma ofensa a Urinate nesta maneira pública da aléia, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I find it reassuring that Norfolk County Council decided to put this sign up in three languages because it has been constantly preying upon my mind that continental types are taking cheap flights into Norwich International Airport merely to urinate up the back passages of Norwich Citizens - and everyone knows their wee smells different to ours.

From Our Show Business Correspondent

2007-05-17T06:53:00.001+01:00

Change Of Career, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

To stay ahead in show business you have to continually reinvent yourself. He has an extraordinary ability to naturally talk in soundbites. He told me (with a Norwich accent)

"They can't call me The Puppet Man no more cuz I'm the Karaoke Man. I think it do a bit better. Only thing is I can't remember all the words so I have to put my own in"

The Last Ride

2007-05-10T11:11:00.001+01:00

Surlingham Ferry From The Postwick Side, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

My grandfather used to boast that he was the last person to ever use Surlingham Ferry. It happened this way.

He was a doctor and while acting as a locum in the 1960s he was called out after midnight on a stormy night to attend a woman in Surlingham who had just gone into labour. He arranged for Tom Ellis (the son of local naturalist Ted Ellis) to row him across the ferry. Halfway over they noticed that the boat was filling up with water in a way that could not be attributed to the torrential rain. As they stepped out of the dinghy it sank into the water never to rise again. He sprinted up the road with soaking wet clothes and found that his patient had her baby without him. (She was mortified, he remembered, that the doctor had come round and the house was 'in a mess')

Me And The Devil

2007-05-10T11:05:00.001+01:00

Postwick All Saints, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

The Parish Church of All Saints, Postwick. Postwick, as anyone in Norfolk will tell you, is pronounced POZZICK and interestingly enough the Domesday Book gives it a french spelling Possuic which suggests to me that the proper pronounciation was always thus. The spelling of the village name is probably the result of a fantasy of some early mapmaker.

This photograph is taken from the very spot upon which I was standing when at the age of nine my friend Alan Williams, told me that if I pointed my finger at a gravestone then my hand would turn black and rot away. I can still, after all these years, hear the shock in his voice as he warned me of my fate. Only washing it with holy water would save my arm he told me. Now Holy Water is not something readily available in Anglican Churchyards but after some thought we decided puddlewater from the graveyard would be just as good as it came from sacred ground. Due only to this use of muddy rainwater I am writing this entry with both my hands intact.

(Shamefacedly I must admit that even now I check myself if I should unthinkingly point my finger in a churchyard.)

Another related superstition from childhood that comes to mind was if a Bible fell on the ground three times then it was no longer holy and thus no use for swearing oaths, warding off vampires etc.. Indeed it could even be a malign influence and attract the very evil one hoped to avoid. The trouble was, I recall, that you could not tell a Holy Bible from an unholy one.

These and other tales made up a kind of secret annexe to the official religion we were taught at home and school and were only spoken of among ourselves and never never mentioned to adults.

From My Bedroom Window - Sunset Norwich Cathedral 05 05 07

2007-05-08T11:28:00.001+01:00

From My Bedroom Window - Sunset Norwich Cathedral 05 05 07, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I had decided in advance that I would take yet another photograph in my series From My Bedroom Window for the highly trailed flickr group Twenty Four Hours Of Flickr 05 05 07.

Came the day though the sky was overcast and as mundane as a view of a medieval cathedral steeple can be. :-)

The clouds began to clear in the late afternoon but I still could not get excited by what I was viewing through my lens. Just before Sunset the sky took on a rose hue as the sun dipped down behind Magdelan Street and I took this photo. After five seconds the sky returned to a more normal blue but I already had this photo.