Special Issue - Welcome back Bungus !

Virginia Creeper again I'm afraid - but I feel I am getting closer to the actual red. Which, in the sunlight, is red, red, red. Quite garish and feel bad about using it because poor Bungus might open the blog without his shades.

Talking of Bungus; it is great to have him back and what a harrowing story ! It's better that he did you a précis himself rather than me having serial 'goes' at . And I don't know if it is force majeure but hasn't he become succinct ?

And welcome back also AnonymousRob and I remember how much you love France. It was very nice to see you too at EPS and thanks for your appreciative comments about my tea-mashing abilities. "Can't take photos but his tea is brilliant !" Your comments about Geoff Young are astute and I mainly share your view. It was an excellent lecture because he is an interesting chap but I felt that he slightly 'fell between two stools'. His previous 'factory closures' and 'Raleigh' stuff was straightforwardly an important historical record whereas now, as he said himself, he is not quite sure what he is doing. Much of his stuff was too 'close-up' to be described as record photography; yet, as he says, he is definitely not producing work which would please judges (that approach I endorse 100%). In my opinion, his shot of the butcher's stall was simply 'not good' - however, he is a vegetarian and no doubt the subject matter didn't appeal. I shall collect other opinions and report back.

I share wholeheartedly his desire to link his photography to his wish to produce some creative writing. If he were not so vehemently 'anti digital photography' he would find it so easy to produce a 'blog' in which he could publish his own colour pictures and write words to accompany them all within an hour or so.

Y has done excellent work re the house-move and the Insurers have agreed that, as the claim is now ongoing. they will continue to cover it until the work is completed, even if we have left by then. We also received the Drain-Man's report even though I was told we weren't entitled to it. So I have photo-copied it all for our purchaser's benefit, when she comes tomorrow to see for herself. Five neighbours are affected, and the Loss-Adjusters have written to them all informing them of their responsibility. The response to this has been mixed to say the least. As Lytton Strachey said of Florence Nightingale :-

"and in some of her speculations she seems hardly able to distinguish between the Deity and the Drains"

...Hope everybody enjoys a good night's telly followed by sweet and undisturbed sleep. Catch you tomorrow.