Monday 14 June 2021

Two of a Kind


I have absolutely no idea if today's highly unimaginatively titled post will be a blink and you miss it one-off or a jumping-off point for a feature I'll wheel out on high days and holidays. Or, even, Mondays. 

I've been going through my photographs and theming them. At the risk of telling you how to suck eggs they can be by subject, location, time, colour, texture; you name it - it may even just be a feel. So what I thought I'd do today is give you a couple of photos I took in Nottingham recently. The first is a tunnel which is cut into the sandstone not far from the city centre; it's still one of the best kept secrets that many Nottinghamians are blissfully unaware of. This shot is quite literally the light at the end of the tunnel.

Tunnel Road, Nottingham NG1 (2021)


Its photo buddy for purposes of today's 'Two of a Kind' was taken in the pub (quelle surprise) last week. The light streaming thru the open door was too good an opportunity to miss.

The Abdication, Daybrook, Nottingham NG5


...

To round up this one-off/feature (watch this space) I'm also looking at two records that are thematically linked. This brace are both well known Top 10 UK singles from the 70s and have been joined at the hip thanks to a rather lovely pub quiz question. I'm sure you all know the answer, tho' I will slip it in at the bottom of the page*.

Roxy Music - Virginia Plain (1972)



And then a mere seven years later these lads from Deptford in South London came up with a perfect three minute kitchen sink drama. From the Difford & Tilbrook songbook -

Squeeze - Up the Junction (1979)



And finally, a further bit of connectivity that joins the dots between Roxy and Squeeze - both Chris Difford and Phil Manzanera have recently been guests of David Hepworth and Mark Ellen on their splendid antidote to lockdown, Word in Your Attic. Give them a coat of looking at if you get a spare minute.

* The title of both songs are mentioned only once, and in the final line.

8 comments:

  1. Great idea for a regular feature so please keep it going. Love your pictures as although a similar theme, very different in terms of colour, subject matter.

    Had to look up the answer to the music question actually despite being a fan of both songs. Thanks.

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    1. Thanks, Alyson. Yes, I may do some more of these. The Roxy/Squeeze thing is pretty cool, isn't it?

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  2. It's great to see a few more of your shots turning up on the blog, I always look out for them whenever I'm on one of my increasingly rare forays onto Twitter. Coincidentally I just kicked off a new photo based feature over at my place on Friday called, ...erm..., Friday Photo. My production meeting was clearly a much briefer affair than yours.

    The top shot reminds me of one of those arches under bridges in Central Park NYC, the other looks like a very fine hostelry indeed.

    Are you a Patreon member of WIYA? I signed up last year and as a result get content dropping into my inbox on an almost daily basis. I use the phrase '...when this bloody war is over...' at least once a day at work.

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    1. Where The Swede leads, John Medd will follow!
      Production meetings are overrated in my book; I'm sure Friday Photo does exactly what it says on the tin. And if for any reason you decided to change it to, say, a Thursday I'm guessing the feature could accommodate it without the need for a PM.

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  3. Given the title I was looking forward to an appreciation of coutry husband and wife duo Carl and Pearl Butler. Two Of A Kind showcases Pearl's great out-of-tune gravelly vocal perfectly

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  4. Superb photos, both of them, and a great theme to bond them in spite of their subjects being so different. You had me looking down the narrow path over the gate beyond my back garden this morning, which has the hedges and shrubs now lining it in full foliage and so tall in places they arch over to form a tunnel - I could really appreciate the light at the end of it. The metaphor seems very fitting too.
    I didn't know that either about the songs. But I do now!

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    1. You're very kind, C - thank you. Feel free to share a photo of your garden - we can do that at our age(!).

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