We have had a really busy day, and a tiring one. The National Trust committee meeting at Mansfield was a strain. One member doesn't like the way we now run the raffle and said that six people had complained to him about it. He wasn't prepared to put us in touch with these people so that they could speak for themselves however.And at the last meeting we took over £50 in raffle money whereas under the old system it hovered at around £30+ - which, in my opinion, speaks for itself and certainly doesn't indicate that the new system is unpopular. Y is still not 100% and was a little subdued.
Ho hum! as Ray says. We shall see.
Anyway, it gives me great pleasure to publish a rather beautiful AnonymousRob picture as Picture 1. That should be read as the picture being beautiful, not AnonymousRob or 'nifty googler' as he now is. If it looks a little 'soft' it is because it was taken with a pinhole camera. Nothing more than a light-proof box with a small hole in the front surface instead of a lens and a piece of light-sensitive material on the rear surface. The system dates right back to the old camera obscura days when they were an aid to drawing. And, quite some time ago, Pete (Manxislander) sent some pictures of the camera obscura on the Isle of Man.David Hockney is convinced that artists such as Canaletto relied heavily on their use. Indeed the linked Wiki-article actually mentions the fact.
Just for fun I decided to check the picture's EXIF data but it was a little coy with regard to information.Picture 2 is almost the reverse. My birthday prezzie from John and family was a very powerful halogen torch and in the middle of the night I decided to shine it our of my bedroom window onto the garage. This was the result. No flash obviously and I can see it being a handy tool.
Back to our day now. After the committee meeting we went to the Rufford for a carvery lunch. and I couldn't find a link with a decent picture. If you open the link you will see that customers have been far from happy! The food was OK but the staff weren't; I had to point out to the barman how rude I considered it to be referred to as 'matey' but Y said I was just working off my irritation with the committee meeting !
After that we made our way to Boughton to see Bungus who, under the circumstances, looked well. He has lost quite a lot of weight but he doesn't look worryingly thin and he says he is going to try not to put it back on.
The quotation is quite a famous one, and I didn't realise it was Johnson:-
"Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good."
Samuel Johnson
The reason that it is now several hours since I started my blog is that I am suffering a googlemail-glitch whereby HTML codes are put into the address box rather than where I post them. Either they, or I will fix it I'm sure. Just don't fancy doing it now. I will try and insert a Smiley Xtra4 smiley and see what happens. 
Oh well, it must just be my mail 'settings'. Sleep tight and I'll catch you tomorrow.....
Oh well, it must just be my mail 'settings'. Sleep tight and I'll catch you tomorrow.....
I think I would suggest that your awkward nT member should be allowed to run the raffles himself. He sounds a right prat (not the noun I started to write).
ReplyDeleteThe pinhole camera photo is astonishingly good. I remember a camera obscura at Edinburgh (1984)but all that could be seen was rain.
Your halogen torch looks great for scaring the neighbours. Not quite as alarming as a spotlight from a helicopter but it’s getting there. Hope you successfully move house before the vigilantes come round.
I don’t like 'matey' (or even ‘mate’) as a form of address either, even though intended to be friendly. But my pet hate is being called ‘young man’ by people in their thirties and forties. I find it intensely condescending and would like someone to give them a slap.
Yes, I now weigh the same 12st4lb as I did after a month or so on ‘boxing training’ early in my army career aged 25 (having been deferred for 7 years study).
I am now probably less than a stone overweight according to those idiotic tables which say that all World Cup semi-finalist members of what I believe is called the ‘pack’ in RU are clinically obese.
Nice quote.
I made an apt comment on Sunday when we had guests for luncheon.
Sandra’s sister said “I like that; I’ve never heard that before.” to which I was able to reply, honestly, “That’s because I’ve never said it before.”
Now I’ve forgotten what it was!
I suppose a ‘googlemail-glitch’ is somewhat less irritating than a ‘gooley-itch’ even though it lasts longer.
Thank you for publishing my picture. I'm delighted it looks so good! I'm furtherdelighted with Bungus's comment.
ReplyDeleteI felt this picture was appropriate for the blog because:
pinhole cameras have a certain history and dignity and are held in high regard, just like this blog
the image is gentle yet still bright and engaging (well in my view), just like this blog, and,
the subject matter is reminescent (spelling?) of times gone by but still a vital part of today's world, just like this blog.
Your search for EXIF info may have proved fruitless as it's a monochrome neg scanned in via an Epson 4490 scanner. The picture was taken at Cala Liberotto, Sardinia, in September 2005.
Your NT person obviously has 'issues' if he's getting excited about the way a raffle is conducted. Why is it that people join groups to meet like-minded individuals and then complain about said individuals? He needs either:
a) a life, or
b) putting down
You asked for feedback on the news bar - I'm afraid I tend not to notice it. Sorry!
Nifty Googler
I do like tne camera obscura picture - I've seen one of those in action in ?Edinburgh ?Bath. Also a tv prog. some years ago about how old masters used them, I think it might have been David Hockney who demonstrated how they used it.
ReplyDeleteTell the chap who complains about the raffle to do it himself - what is it he is complaining about? Because he doesn't win?
Pleased to get a report on Bungus first-hand....judging by tonight's news we are supposed to keep very thin....what a load of rubbish. Leave our bacon butties alone! I think so many cancers are genetic/familial, diet may have something to do with it if one over-indulges every day, but not otherwise.
Liked the smiley - most appropriate!
why does every one write really really long you know it saves time writing/typing short
ReplyDeleteHannah