PULL UP A CHAIR - MONOCHROME ODDSHOTS

Yes this is the famous abandoned chair in the nature reserve, but a different shot. It's monochrome and it's odd. Simple. The text is very hard hitting today.

We've had far to many pretty pictures on this blog recently that I thought we'd get back to reality and have the uglier side of life again. The photographer in me knew straight away that this was going to be snapped as an example of the odd shot concept. The other side of me though,
well got really angry about this.

On so many levels this image is wrong! The image was taken yet again in the nature reserve. The reserve as I have often stated is a haven for wildlife. It is not a landfill site, dumping ground, or recycling bin. Obviously some idiot out there blatantly disagrees. Now, I know I spend a lot of time over here, but that does not give me the right to pull up a abandoned chair to study the wildlife. This really angers me! For a start, if you want to get rid of it hire a skip and dispose of it.
Why would you go to the trouble of dragging the chair through the brambles onto a designated wildlife area. The other thing is, the chair itself seemed in not to bad condition. What was wrong with donating it to a local charity to get it cleaned and refurbished. I'm sure a poor soul in need of
such an item would gladly give this poor chair a home. As for the child's toy buggy, the same applies. How do we know that wouldn't have made some kids day to receive that, which another had so easily discarded.

We live in a very selfish age. There really is no need for this kind of unsociable behaviour. These abandoned items are a danger to wildlife and a missed opportunity on the recycling front. Charity is supposed to begin at home. So maybe next time you have a item you no longer need try your neighbour, charity shop, homeless centre, or recycling plant. Whoever you are that did this, I hope you and your new shiny sofa are siting very uncomfortably right now!

This is as much Ramsey as the sunsets. Some people are scared of the truth appearing on their own blog so I know I can print this in the knowledge this will not be ripped off as it's not pretty. Some people too would prefer to gloss over these issues. No, we need to address them in order to recognise what is wrong so we can correct it. Like many of the other Isle of Man problems, like the economic downturn, rising unemployment, dwindling tourist industry and yes the nepotism.
The right people for the right job. Improve what is poor, do not ignore it. Helping each other, not hijacking their ideas. Enough said. Bad day, very disappointed with certain quarters, and have learnt the hard way not to help others, and it really is who you know, not merit talent or work ethic that is the way to get on. This I needed to say in order for me to get back into blog mode and indeed picking up the camera.

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UNBALANCED BENCH ON THE LOOSE IN RAMSEY!- MONOCHROME ODDSHOTS

I swear I don't make these things up! I know you think I saw this bench chained up outside the tram station and thought that's odd, but not quite odd enough. I know I'll just go over tip it to a 45 degree angle against the conveniently placed tree, wait for the right light for the long shadows and then photograph my handiwork. Shame on you for thinking I set this Bresson scene up. Not even I think that fast on my feet. Besides that it's a busy main road. Now there is one thing being seen taking the image of an unbalanced bench chained up outside the tram station, but staging the scene, tipping over public benches, no way. The police station is just round the corner you know!

I suppose you want to see the tram station now I've mentioned that. Typical me, I snapped everything else around and only got one of the tram station building. Too busy knocking that bench over and dragging to the tree... I mean adjusting my camera setting accordingly, and finding my focal point and dispersing the fractured light... you just don't believe me do you?

In case you are wondering, this is a sober post, despite the tone. The irreverence purely due to the fact that this blog is of no importance whatsoever, and really does it get me work on the island, or just waste my free time. It seems, I'm told of no importance. Now you really think I man handled the bench don't you?

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SO LONG TO THE PONDI - MONOCHROME ODDSHOTS

One day you walk past the familiar sight of the Estate affectionately known as the "Pondi" in Ramsey, the next day this is what you see. In fact today these houses no longer exist. A pile of of demolished rubble stands in the place of what were once a proportion of Ramsey residents homes. To me, who is using to passing this place to get home the image is odd, very odd.

The Pondi contained an Estate of houses known as "Commissioners houses. "To Uk readers you may be more familiar with the term "Council Houses." I am not sure what the equivalent would be in other parts of the world, or even if this type of housing exists in this form elsewhere. Council Housing is a form of accommodation that is owned by the local Council authority and rented out to tenants on long term lets(lifetime in some people's cases) at a low rental. They are not Private sector rentals. The idea was to abolish the slum landlords and overcrowding and provide the working class or lower income families with affordable habitable accommodation. This enabled people to pay a lower rent with a view to purchasing their own home in subsequent years, then relinquishing the property to new tenants and continuing the cycle to provide a step on the mortgage ladder for all. With the boom and bust nature of the world at the moment, we need more of these, yet none are being built. All I will say before I go into a rant.

The Pondi is no more!A new lovely housing Estate has been built to replace it closer to the town centre.The residents then have thankfully been rehoused. What though is to become of this area? I have heard many theories, and conjecture. I will hold fire until I get the definitive answer. I know many people who started life here and who will probably look back fondly. I hope the demolition of the Pondi is a positive step forward for Ramsey and that the land is utilised accordingly for the good of the community. I know it's not the prettiest mono oddshot, but I like photojournalism and historical documentation images and I don't get the change in Ramsey to do them often. Life isn't all sunsets after all.

Does this kind of housing exist in your part of the world?

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RAMSEY, BUS GRAFFITI - ODD SHOTS MONDAY

Isle of Man map or Graffiti Odd shot?

Well no one can ever say I only put the pretty shots on. I did say you might be getting a lot of snapshots this week, well here's the first. For those of you who just want Moody Blues and glorious Ramsey sunsets look away now. For those of you who can handle honest Ramsey read on.

I snapped this on the one of the local buses. I waited 'til everyone had got off and quickly knocked off a few auto shots. I didn't take the material to the edge of the shot so you could see what it is. Yes it is a bus seat. It's had a makeover by the look of it too.

I think the kids may have been bored over the holidays. It is graffiti, but I hate to say it's the most ingenious graffiti I've seen on the island. That green splodge you see dotted about the bus seat is the Isle of Man. Most of the map is right, but for some reason they have placed Kirk Micheal(KM) on the opposite side to where it should be. I think this person doesn't like Peel either as where the KM is should be Peel. Unless of course they are just trying to fool the tourists. We don't want you taking all our lovely Davidson's ice cream or Manx kippers. Good idea, lets hide Peel. The 3 legged object in the centre of the map is of course the most famous Manx symbol, The Triskelion as featured on the flag.

This is really a shot that should be monochrome, but for the purposes of odd shots you really needed to see the green land, and the blue sea. Don't we just have the quirkiest bus seats? Jealous aren't you! I bet you don't have a regional hand coloured map on yours either do you? No you don't do you! Now kids if you're reading this. It's very naughty, don't do it again. Instead put those artistic geographical skills to use at school and produce some er legal artwork.


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ODD SHOTS MONDAY- ISLE OF MAN TT SEA OF BIKES

I know it's not one of my usual barmy bird images, but The Isle of Man TT is finally here and that's where I'll be working mostly this week. What though is particuarlly odd about this shot.

Well there are probably more tourists bikes here in this shot, than there are on the whole island the rest of the time. Also, do you notice those white posts in the distance, far left ? They are rugby goal posts. That means the motorbikes you see are actually parked on the rugby pitch. For me this is really wierd to see motorbikes en mass parked on a piece of land that belongs to another sport, especially as I usually photograph Ramsey Rugby here.

Gotta run. Off to the morning races. By the way, I will be wearing the T.shirt I had made with Ramsey Daily Photo on the back, and one of my photos of a rider on the front. You'll know who I am then if I turn up on someone else's photos or the T.V.

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