Escape

Escape, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

What on (Google) earth is Teacher Dude doing?

I've just found out that I'm on Google Earth. The first thought that crossed my mind was that I know I've put on a few pounds over the years, but not so many as to be visible from space surely? Actually, my picture was taken by the Google Maps Street View Car as it was making its way through Bristol last summer. They have a picture of me taking a picture of them so I guess we are even.


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Thanks to Talkie Tim for letting me know about this.

Protests in Bristol over Gaza

Protests in Bristol over Gaza, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Saturday see protesters across the globe demonstrate against the Israeli invasion of Gaza. I happened to be in the Bristol when I came across a "die-in" outside various shops in the Broadmead shopping centre.

The idea of those involved was to bring to wider public attention to the fact that some stores have strong economic ties with Israel and are, according to anti - war organisations helping the war effort.

A very English nirvava

Waiting for the 75 bus, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

I decided to post this again as the picture was chosen as a finalist in the Cyan Second Look competition.

"An exciting new exhibition, in which members

of the public can participate,

is running in Bristol this summer.

The exhibition itself is being organised by Second Look,

a local photographers’ collective, and will be hosted by

Cyan Arts – a new local art gallery in St Nicholas Market.

The Bristol snappers will be showing their ‘Second Looks’

at our fair city throughout August and will be

inviting the public to send in their own photos for

possible inclusion in the show."

Take a look and if you want to vote for my photos email your preference here;

bristolasecondlook@hotmail.co.uk

The party on the hill

The party on the hill, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

This guy was trying to get people to dance at the Party on the Hill, Bristol. I asked if I could take his photo while he complained about how so few people seemed to dancing or enjoying themselves.

As I walked out one Sunday morning

I have literally walked my feet off today going from place to place here in Bristol to try and take some final pictures before I leave on Tuesday. There have been so many events today that you'd need to be in three place at once just to jeep up. First I decided to go to the Islamic Fyre in Eastville.

"Farooq Siddique, Bristol Muslim Cultural Society spokesman, said the event was about bringing communities together." Click here to find out more from BBC Bristol.

After I thought I'd also have a look at the Party on the Hill at St Michael's Hill and as I walked from Eastville I came across this concert in St Werberg's in a small square near the Albany Centre.

Then not sure if my legs would carry me up the incline I made it up to Cotham and watched more music played in a closed off street for the Party on the Hill. Great fun.

More flowers for the dead

More flowers for the dead, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"Police have arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of the murder of 28-year-old Simon Bampton in Bristol.

Mr Bampton, a construction worker from Southampton, was assaulted in Marsh Street, Bristol, just after 0230 BST on 19 August.

Police said two men were walking along Marsh Street when they were involved in an altercation.

A man got out of a car and punched Mr Bampton to the ground, causing him to hit his head.

He was taken to the Bristol Royal Infirmary where he later died.

Police are appealing to witnesses or anyone with information about the incident to contact them. "

From BBC Bristol news.

http://www.imeem.com/salad52/music/3XziaGo7/elgar_jerusalem/

Drawing to an end

My holiday is drawing to an end and soon I'll be going back to Greece. Once again there will be uncertainties about work and money as there always are at this time of year. I suppose I've got used to it, though I do not feel comfortable about the situation.

Anyway, the impending end to my summer break has made me bolder and bolder about what I take photographs of. Knowing that time is limited and there are not going to be many second chances I've been swallowing my shyness and been taking pictures of all and sundry. Airbourne BMX riders, artist displaying their latest works, people absailing in the shopping centre(?), tourists walking in the shoes of pirates, man mugged in the street and lots more. Pictures will follow,

Close, closer, Dude

Close, closer, Dude, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough."


Robert Capa

Fire on College Green

Fire on College Green, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

A cigarette carelessly discarded outside a bar led to a blaze which consumed the top two floors of the Greenhouse pub on College Green, Bristol. The resulting fire which started at approximately 3.30pm, required five crews to put it out.

Nobody was injured in the fire, however, the building suffered extensive damage.

Actually, I got there just after the fire crews arrived and before the police and the media. So, in a sense this is a first. Click here to see what the BBC said.

No 4 Kafka Heights

No 4 Kafka Heights, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

For your own protection please comply with all and every request made of you by the authorties. Anyone wishing a more detailed analysis of the formal charges filed against them must fill in form 23a(i) which can be obtained from the Department of Intelligence Extraction on the Third Floor

Amidst golds and glory Tibet protest continue

Amidst an upsurge in nationalism brought on by the British Olympic team's continuing success media criticism of China's on going crack down on Tibetan protesters has faded from TV screens and front pages. However, Tibetans in the UK have continued their attempts to keep the issue of Chinese repression in what Beijing calls the Tibetan Autonomous Region in the public eye.

Yesterday Tibetan and British demonstrators marched from the Chinese embassy in London to Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, where they handed in a petition calling upon Brown to urge Beijing to halt its bloody crack down inside Tibet and find a peaceful solution to the issue of the country's future.

In Bristol, south west England protestors held their own mock Olympics in the centre of the city in order to bring attention to a side of modern China, the communist regime would rather the world forgot at a time when the country is hosting the Games.

Tibetan forced to flee their country told of their struggle to protets and the reprisals they risk from the Chinese police for even the most beneign of protest gestures such as putting up posters. Tashi, who fled to neighbouring Nepal in 2007 and then England told of his own personal story when he narrowly escaped arrest for protesting the Chinese occupation of his country. His friend, whowever, was not so lucky and was caught and has not been heard from since.

Nor is this an isolated incident, according to Amnesty International more than 1000 protestors arrested during protests earlier this year in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet have not been accounted for. Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director sam Zarifi was reported as saying that the situation in Tibet was "a dire picture of arbitrary detentions and abuse of detainees".

Despite making commitments to the IOC when winning the Olympic Games in 2001 to improve its human rights record China has continued to harrass, arrest and detain critics of its regime. Most recently, Independent Television News reporter John Ray was detained and reportedly physically abused by Chinese police for trying to cover a Free Tibet protest near the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium. Similarly, Tibetans protesting in Bristol spoke of China failing to live up to their pre - Olympic commitments concerning press freedom in Tibet itself, saying that the level of repression had increased in the run up to the Games and that contact with the country had been made extremely difficult for those living outside Tibet.

NowPublic

Tags: China protests Beijing World england Bristol Gordon Brown ITN tibet free tibet olympic games john ray

In the streets

The last couple of days have been hectic and I seem to have seen so much on my walks through the city. Film crews making costume drama, Tibetan protesters, homeless disabled people wandering the streets, weddings, weird art galleries, concerts, bikers en masse, belly dancers performing, drunks and addicts and the whole swathe of human drama and excitment.

Free Tibet

Free Tibet, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The Mock Olympics held on College Green, Bristol today to protest Chinese occupation of Tibet.

www.tibetsociety.com 020 7272 1414

www.freetibet.org 020 734 4605

www.tibetanyouthuk.org 07725 501 995

www.sftuk.org 07919 661 609

"A moment of respect, for the Don"

"A moment of respect, for the Don", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Michael Corleone: Where does it say that you can't kill a cop?
Tom Hagen: Come on, Mikey...
Michael Corleone: Tom, wait a minute. I'm talking about a cop that's mixed up in drugs. I'm talking about a - a - a dishonest cop - a crooked cop who got mixed up in the rackets and got what was coming to him. That's a terrific story. And we have newspaper people on the payroll, don't we, Tom?
[Tom nods]
Michael Corleone: And they might like a story like that.
Tom Hagen: They might, they just might.
Michael Corleone: [to Sonny] It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business

The Godfather

Tibetans protests Chinese occupation

Tibetans protests Chinese occupation, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

There will be a protest and fun events on College Green, Bristol, this Saturday, 16th August, 1pm till 4pm.

Lydia and Maisie.

Lydia and Maisie., originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

It was off to the zoo for me, Lydia and her cousin, Maisie. taken advantage of a brief window of good weather we spent the day looking at lions, seals and ferrets.

http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/

Man in trouble

Man in trouble, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

I was walking up Union St when I saw this guy passed out on the pavement outside the travel agent's. Most people seemed happy just to negotiate their way around him and so I went over and asked if I could help. He was blindly trying to re-insert a catheter so I thought that maybe he was sick. I called for an ambulance and stayed until there was nothing else I could do.

The irony of the situation was that I had been discussing a similar situation with abusker whose picture I wanted to take just minutes before this.

In Bristol

In Bristol, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

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.

And just to round off the night a couple of boat loads of people dressed up as pirates swarmed into the pub. At first I thought it was a hen night but it turned out that these guys were all accountancy students on a booze cruise around the harbour. Rock on numbers dudes!!!