Inspiration and a New Find

Rogier van der Weyden

Portrait of a Lady is one of the first portraits I liked. I like the pins holding the veil together and the flawless complexion of the sitter. 

When spouse and I were in the Baltic Gateshead in 2008 we saw a photographic exhibition of People of Tyneside, and I loved it. This theme runs because in Hackney Library recently we enjoyed an exhibition of Photos of Hackney residents , made all the more poignant when we met a family who had made a special trip to see 4 of their own Family Pictures from years over 40 yrs earlier on display .

Nelissa Mendy with pics of her family taken in the 70s

I never get tired of seeing Photos and Portraits of my fellow men , indeed I love People watching , and am never bored when theres a stream of passers by , and sitters around , and coffee drinkers . Starbucks in the Whitgift Centre is a joy of  an Observation Hide, as its in the middle of the Mall with life going on all around it . I spent hours there when I was caring for the needs of my aunt in 2013, waiting for her to die, and needing to be in the midst of life whilst she determinely withdrew from us. Croydon is a great place for People as the population is so diverse.

Zubeir Tai , Freelance Photographer 

We had a great day in Leeds last week . We were people watching as we had our lunch in the cafe opposite the Parkinson Building , and our coffee inside the Costa Place inside the Parkinson Building before we saw the Exhibition that had brought us to Leeds , Nostalgia and Progress.
Replete with culture we moved on to the Art Gallery , and were people watched ourselves by Zubeir Tai (I love his name). He runs a great Facebook Site and Tumblr page . I am going to Blogroll him , and have  already done so on the Filey Parish facebook Site . He takes random pictures of people as inspired by HONY*. His site is Humans of Leeds. Well done for calling it that , of Leeds and not in Leeds. 

I started this blog page on Monday night , but have been overtaken by the events of a Family get- together to celebrate the Baptism of my Grandsons. They just decided they wanted it . So today with all my children around me , and they with all their grandparents around them we have been taking lots of photos, not the random sort , but the lets get us all in the picture together sort. 

*Humans of New York

Posts within Posts, Self Promotion without shame

View North Saltshouse Road from Newlands 260  c1965

View East from Newlands 260 Saltshouse Road  1965

History is happening in Facebook groups . I belong to several Facebook groups where people post photos of the places they remember and talk about them . Mu own experience started when our plumber started the group Photos of Filey Old and New . I am not a Filonian , and have only lived here for 23 years, but I do like to know about the houses and streets around me  and the characters that have given a place a certain Identity, real or imagined.

Cover pic of 'The Hull Connection' 

 One never knows if heresay is correct, and so the most people who discuss a place or an event , the more likely there will be agreement as to  the accuracy of the   remembered records of the past. I know that even though I was not born here I know a great deal about the recent past of 25 years, because I am part of it. I remember well now because I am not yet too old . 

Its very important to me that shared experiences are recorded for posterity if they are of common interest. I am enjoying the Listening Project on BBC. That too is recording History , not of facts about places necessarily , but about how that nation engages in talking to one another. 

And so too I am enjoying all the photos shared on another Facebook Group called Old Hull. A Hullesian I most certainly am. I was born in the Inchgarvie Nursing home in Albert Avenue, and we lived in a flat In Marlborough Avenue until 1953 when my parents bought some land from Mr Baston of Sutton and had Sewells build a house for us. Today Mike Savage posted an old photo of Saltshouse Road. It showed all the 1930s Houses built just North of Sutton Annexe Hospital.
 It has a link with Filey too, as Im sure that when the Princess Royal came to open the Annexe it was about the same time she opened the Royal Parade in Filey. We stood outside our house in Sutton and waved at her, and thought of our friend Margaret Spooner who would be giving her the bouquet at the hospital,  privilege of being the daughter of the builder no doubt .

I left home to go to college when I was 18, and never again
lived at home, a sister still lives in Sutton Village, and my interest in the history of the village and of Old Hull has never flagged. As Hull heads for it City Of Culture status its so important it realises not only where it has come from but why it is the way it is.  I have had such joy from a book of Poetry I picked up recently called The Hull Collection.

A list of my Sutton on Hull and East Riding blog posts;

Hull Blitz

East Carr Lane 

Crisps and Chips

South Riding 

Philip Larkin

Hull Hell and Halifax

Felix Mendelssohn,His part in my life

A city on the East Coast