21 May 2009

Images


It's been a while since I posted anything that might give you some idea of what I've been seeing during my time in England, so I thought I'd put up some photos.

First:  I went to Nottingham for a conference on Lord Byron, and while I was there I found this cafe next to the station:



How could you not want to go in there?  If I lived in Nottingham (which, incidentally, heaven forfend), I'd come here to have a cup of tea every day!

Then, last time I went to London, I saw the following in a shop window:



As I think I've mentioned before, I love big things made tiny, so of course the conceit of this would crack me up.  But what I also love is the way that something so clearly not alive has been made to look as if it had volition and determination.  You go, tiny wooden armatures!

And how about this utterly British magazine title?


Or this?  When my parents came to visit me last week they stayed in a room in Trinity College engaged for them by a friend who teaches there.  This was their room!  (I took this with the at-that-time malfunctioning phone camera, which is why it has that curious ghostly shimmer. That figure that looks like a Victorian apparition is my father):



And here are the ducks that apparently live at my college.  I see them in the morning and at night, and they're always together.  A duck couple!  They waddle along in that way that makes ducks and small dogs look as if they are determined to make it to a very important appointment, and their cuteness always makes me smile:


And this is my very favourite sight of all.  I see it every week when I travel home on the train from tango.  Look at the lowest line of text:


Yes, I think, in the sense that it overlooks the train tracks.  Way to turn a disadvantage into a selling point!

And finally finally, a picture of Neil Hannon I found on the web today.  It's not hilarious, but it's certainly the wittiest thing anyone's done with this icon since the cartoon in the New Yorker:  


The Hannon photo made me laugh:


A more nervous-looking Che I don't think could exist.

2 comments:

Incubus said...

The cosy teapot is extremely inviting, for sure. Including the color.

Adam said...

Ducks seem sinister to me -- very much unlike turtles. However, both please me. I like to imagine the teams I'd pick for certain imaginary scenarios. For instance, should a Red Dawn-esque situation play out in real life, I would pick form my team my admin, for sheer terrifying insanity and undead invincibility, and her husband, for his fearlessness from living with said admin. I think if I was in a Disney inspired, anthromorphic animal, cold war scenario, I'd pick a duck. However, my best friend would be a turtle.