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Finished reading: Supporting Cast by Kit de Waal 📚

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📸 September 2023 photo challenge. Day 1: Abstract

Paint on canvas. Starting light grey at the bottom and gradually getting darker. Hints of purple near the top. Red string across the middle horizontal along with two blocks of silver gilt on the right.
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Derivé in Durham

This morning I took a short train ride to Durham to take a walk and explore some (new to me) corners of the city. This activity and the prompts I used to guide me were inspired by Andrew Eberlin.

Here’s what I found…

  1. Pick any direction and walk in a straight line. After 100 paces take a photo of what is in front of you. The path of a footbridge over a road.

  2. At the next opportunity turn right. Photograph the oldest and newest building on the street. An old church tower.An ugly modern block of flats.

  3. Turn down the next street that starts with a vowel. Photograph something that moves. A merry-go-round in a childrens play park.

  4. Head in the noisiest direction and find somewhere to take a self portrait. A mirrored traffic sign nestled in an overgrown wall.

  5. Wave and smile at the next surveillance camera. Photograph it. An old building with ivy growing up its side. A surveillance camera is attached to the wall overlooking the entrance.

  6. Turn left. Find a place to sit for a while and watch the world go by. Walk to the subject that most captivates you. A statue of Neptune on a plinth in front of a decorative white building with lots of windows.

  7. Go north until you see something red or yellow. Or both. Take its photo. A courtyard with multiple small trees growing in wooden planters that are painted with the colours of the rainbow.

  8. Take two lefts and photograph the middle of the road. If it’s safe to do so. A major road pictured from a footbridge over the carriageway.

  9. Take the next right and photograph something wonderful. Red geranium flowers.

  10. Find something that no longer works. Looking up from underneath an old lamp attached to the side of a building.

  11. Meander to a nearby tree. Photograph it close up and far away. A small tree with overhanging branches growing in the middle of a grass lawn.

  12. Take a typical photo of Durham. A view from a bridge crossing the River Wear. Trees line both banks. A double scull boat is in the water. Durham Cathedral peaks out from behind the treetops on the right riverbank.

  13. And then photograph something discarded or lost. A fridge sitting on the pavement outside the walls of a churchyard.

  14. Stand somewhere and photograph a passer-by. Two people walking in the road in front of an old church building now a museum.

  15. Walk until you notice something unreasonable. Document your experience. Sign in a window reading 'You Should Have Gone to Hatfield'.

  16. Continue until you want to photograph something. You choose the subject. It’s a free world. Side of a concrete building with multiple narrow vertical windows and a small bust of the architect Ove Arup sitting on a plinth attached to the wall.

The End.

The walk took about 90 minutes in total with 60 minutes time on the move. This final image is the route the prompts took me in.

I enjoyed seeing some new parts of this small city. I know it a little but definitely found some areas new to me, and appreciated some places I used to frequent during my lunch breaks when I worked here briefly. I’ll definitely do this again and maybe see what new perspectives it can bring to my home town.

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Someone wrote recently about the reason for blogging / who a blog is for. Can’t find it now and want to share with someone 😞 Can anyone point me in the right direction?

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On my way to Durham this morning for a wander inspired by this derivé walk

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My Neighbor Totoro, 1988 - ★★★★

Almost ashamed to say this is the first time I’ve watched this. I was tired and feeling a bit sorry for myself and some time with Totoro et al was exactly what I needed.

I’m kind of amazed that a film almost as old as me could feel so timeless, but I guess that’s the magic of Miyazaki.

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YouTube have unintentionally made the best user experience ever. Loving the calm of this, long may it last

Screenshot of YouTube app with a completely white screen. An alert box reads “Your watch history is off. You can change your setting at any time to get the latest videos tailored to you.” The call to action is a button to update settings.
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“You’re not a perfectionist. You’re insecure about how your best effort will be received.”

💬 Unknown author. Source: Dense Discovery #250

This is one of those quotes that took the wind out of me a little the first time I read it.

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Finished reading: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 📚

I devoured this. It is one of those rare books that’s as good as everyone says it is.

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First full session back at hockey tonight and it’s clear that the brain needs pre-season as much as the body. My decision making was definitely off 🏑

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Holiday highlights #2 - a cheeseboard to rival Christmas with newfound favourite, Alp Blossom

Large plate holding six large pieces of cheese.
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Well, the better team on the day won. Just a shame we didn’t get the same level of football in the second half after the ref lost all control of the game. Other than that all I can say is I bloody love Mary Earps 🤩 - player of match for me even though on losing side ⚽️

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Switching to ITV for half time to hear what Karen Carney, and hopefully Emma Hayes, have got to say about the game so far ⚽️

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It’s World Cup Final Day! So excited and nervous. No idea how I’m going to distract myself for the next couple of hours until it kicks off ⚽️

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Holiday highlights #1 - with three kids under 10 finding a holiday let with its own play park including the climbing frame pictured, a trampoline and two decent football goals was a big win.

Wooden climbing frame with slide and tyre swing.
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Just home from a week away with the family. A wonderful mix of outdoor activities, rest and countless games of Yahtzee. Spending the afternoon on the sofa reading in the hope of extending the holiday mood a while longer.

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Finished reading: Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta 📚

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Last few days to join the microblog Fantasy Premier League mini-league ⚽️

  1. Sign up for an FPL account
  2. Pick your team (15 players, max of 3 per club)
  3. Join the league using the code gg0qs9
  4. Make transfers and confirm your starting lineup by the gameweek deadline each week during the season
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First 🍅 harvest

Three yellow cherry tomatoes sitting in the palm of a hand.
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Today epitomises the different approaches to relaxation taken in our household. One of us made two cakes, mincemeat and the Christmas pudding, then cleaned the car. The other watched two football matches, the netball World Cup final and kept one eye on The Hundred. We walked the dog together.