At the Bristol Balloon Fiesta today. It's so hard to impress kids these days. Actually, we both had a great time. See here for the story I wrote about the event for NowPublic.com
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
All the fun of the fair
There are some days when so many weird and wonderful things happen you don't know where to begin. As yesterday was the start of the 30th annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta (click her for more details) I decided to have a day out with my camera and eventually wind up there for the 6pm take off. On my way however, I managed to come across stuff both beautiful and bizarre.
I was going through Bedminster on the bus when I saw this guy, literally covered in pigeons so I rang the bell jumped off and rushed back to take his picture.
Next as I was drinking coffee on Corn St I saw these cops giving the guy on the steps a hard time. I'm not sure why as he wasn't doing anything illegal or disruptive. Simply resting.
As part of my 100 Strangers project on Flickr I sometimes go up to people and ask if I could take their photograph. As I had already had success with the guy with the birds in Bedminster I thought I'd ask this woman busking. She said yes and told me that she is travelling around the south of England busking and playing gigs. Click here to listen to her music on her Myspace page. Brooke Sharkey is playing at the Blue Lagoon, Bristol on the 9th August.
Next it was onto the Bristol Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court and to tell you the truth I wanted to get as close as possible in order to take photos of what happens before the balloons lift off so I blagged my way through the cordoned off area saying I was looking for the Press Office to get my credentials. Naughty but fun. As I was passing this balloon the pilot asked me if I wanted to take some pictures which was great. That reminds me I have to send off a bunch of emails to the people I photographed as I promised I'd send them pictures.
Somebody told me the guys in the balloon were part of a famous band so I thought I'd take their picture just for the hell of it. Click here to find out more about Blake. The guy on the right, for those of you not living in the Bristol area is a local anchorman.
That evening was the monthly get together of the Bristol Flickr group and thankfully even though I went to the wrong pub I bumped into another Flickrer and so didn't miss anything.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Lydia turns nine
Lydia turned nine today and we had a bbq in the back garden. Miracle of miracles it didn't rain.So it was a Greek themed meal with tzatziki, aubergine dip, souvlaki plus some exotic Indian fare for those with flame proof tongues.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
UK police accused of heavy handedness in green protest
Despite ever growing evidence of the role of fossil fuels in global warming the British government has insisted on pushing ahead with plans to rebuild a coal burning power station at Kingsnorth, Kent. Environmental activist argue that the construction, which they claim is the first of six similar projects, will produce between six and eight million tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Green activists who have set up a camp in order to protest plans to refurbish the existing power plant have accused police of excessive violence in dealing with demonstratoers who have set up camp on the Hoo peninsular. In video footage aired on the BBC police were shown forcibly entering Climate Camp 2008 in order to remove "abandoned vehicles" according to one participating police officer inteviewed by the BBC.
Activists at the camp claim that the local authorities have been involved in a series of actions aimed at preventing or harassing peaceful protests. Actions which have included the confiscation by the police of items such as board games and crayons.
However, assistant chief constable of Kent police, Gary Beautridge, speaking to the Guardian newspaper said that his officers have recovered knives and makeshift weapons during searches near the camp and that their dicovery indicated that elements within the demonstration intended to break the law. Such accusations were quickly dismissed by protestor, Simon Evans arguing that the they were part of a "smear campaign" against the environmentalists protesting.
The protests are expected to continue for the rest of the week.
Tags: Environment police Global Warming UK green protest climate camp 2008 kingsnorth power station
Nic Dartnell
I had just my finished my shopping when I went into the Grant Bradley gallery for a coffee. Nic was creating a sand painting so I went up and asked if I could take his picture as he worked.
http://www.nicdartnell.com/
‘SAND’PAINTING EXHIBITION at the Grant Bradley Gallery - Bedminster - Bristol 2008
‘EARTH & SKY ‘ Navajo dry-paintings - 1st – 30th August- Nic Dartnell
Preview Thursday 7th August- open to the public. 6-8 pm
Public Lecture Saturday 30th August: Nic Dartnell will be hosting a public lecture at the Grant Bradley Gallery. For more information on how to book your place please contact the gallery.
Email: rebecca@grantbradleygallery.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)117 9637673
Tickets cost £4 / £3 concessions.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Yesterday
The Slow at the Cascade Stage
Nuala and the Alchemy Quartet at the Amphitheatre stage.
The Martha Graham Company duet
Ruth Royall at the Cascade Stage
The She Creatures after their gig at the Amphitheatre stage.
Highlights of the Bristol Harbour Festival. I thought I'd put up some pictures and links of the bands and other artists that I saw over the last few days that I enjoyed the most. As the festival was so large and encompassed so many different stages and types of performances I only got the chance to see a fraction of what was on offer.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Bristol harbour festival
Taken on the first day of the 2008 Bristol harbour festival. The event will continue until Sunday evening.
Click here for more details.
Bristol Harbour Festival 2008 - bread and circuses?
"The city's 37th annual Harbour Festival takes place from 1-3 August and this year there's even more dance - with three stages at the Dance Village bringing dance styles from all over the world - music events carry on later into the evening, and spill into nearby indoor venues, and singer Beth Rowley takes to the stage in her home city."
However, not everyone was happy with EDF's attempt at the 21st century version of bread and cicuses.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Open mike night at the King's Head pub
The guys will be playing, along with many other bands this Saturday at Kingstock (Woodstock at the King's Head pub, geddit!).
Kingstock
King's Head Pub
91 Bridgewater Rd.
10 bands
£4 ticket
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Today's sick joke
"The lowest gas price of any major supplier is arriving."
British Gas
For those of you outside the UK or recently woken from a coma, British Gas has decided to raise prices by anything up to 44% as of today.
Whilst pleading poverty the company posted record profits of over £1,000,000,000. Centrica, which owns British Gas, boasted in their last annual report that basic earnings per share have risen from 18 pence per share in 2005 to nearly 37 pence in 2007.
This will come as a crumb of comfort to the 500,000 people who will be plunged into fuel poverty as a result of the rise in bills.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Down and Out In Bristol and Who Knows Where?
"If one looks closely one sees that there is no essential difference between a beggar's livelihood and that of numberless respectable people. Beggars do not work, it is said; but then, what is work? A navvy works by swinging a pick. An accountant works by adding up figures. A beggar works by standing out of doors in all weathers and getting varicose veins, chronic bronchitis, etc. It is a trade like any other; quite useless, of course - but then, many reputable trades are quite useless."
(George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London)
Inspired by Robert Frank
I recently bought a book that I have been looking for since I first heard about it last year. Robert Frank's, The Americans.
"The Americans, by Robert Frank, was a highly influential book in post-war American photography. It was first published in France in 1958, and the following year in the United States. The photographs were notable for their distanced view of both high and low strata of American society. The book as a whole created a complicated portrait of the period that was viewed as skeptical of contemporary values and evocative of ubiquitous loneliness."
I've been trying, as I so often do, to put some of the atmosphere of the book into my own photographs. Once again I am limited by the fact I'm not free to roam a continent, or even a country for that matter but still I feel there is plenty to see on your own door step, if you look hard enough.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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