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Ignorance or Stupidity?

This weekend was my partners birthday, so we decided that a trip to Meadowhall would be in order for her to buy some stuff. A friend of ours came with, the problem was she had broken her foot so she was on crutches. Now been on crutches is not fun really, especially when you have never been on crutches before. I would guess that a good majority of people learnt how to walk or use crutches at a younger age. Needless to say she was not good on crutches.

Now my partner can be a little bit helpful of other people, in fact she is extremely helpful to the needy. So she is very aware of people in wheelchairs, on crutches, who are deaf or blind etc. So this day oout was going to be a slow one but we all new this, unfortunately no one else in the whole shopping mall gives to hootds about people with a disability, whether it is a temporary one like a broken foot or someone who is wheelchair bound for life.

We spent half the day with the crutches and the other half we got a free wheelchair from the nice people at Meadowhall Customer services. I was amazed or more to the point appalled at the general publics in ability to move out of the way from someone who had a mobility problem. People would cut across her when she was on crutches making her stop when she finds it hard to get moving or just stop walking completely and gaze into a shop window wishing they could buy the very expensive outfit or computer console.

This did not just happen to us. Now that I am aware of people with mobility problems I saw more people on crutches, in wheelchairs or who had general mobility problems. I was completely disgusted by the reaction and the ignorance that it is alright to walk in front of people like that.

On reflection I thought to myself it is alright blaming everyone else but I must remember that my eyes have just been opened that day to the ignorance and stupidity, I was once those people!

My definition of cute

Baseball 3531, originally uploaded by The Nico.

So what is your definition of cute?

Niagara Falls

So I had the chance to go to see Niagara Falls. I must say the place was not as commercialised as I first thought it would be. You are allowed to access the falls without having to pay extortionate prices. The parking was reasonable, but I think that is were people make a lot of money. The minute you drive into Niagara (the Canadian side) there are several people with signs saying 'Parking'. In some cases they will walk out in front of the car just incase you did not see their signs. Well lucky for us we found a great place to park for the full day only $12 CAD.

The place is extremely alive. It has everything from Casinos to Coca Cola store etc. I think at one point I saw a fair, a Marvel comic building. Oh there is everything, but the point of the trip does not always seem to be the falls. Everyone comes has a relatively quick look at the falls and then they disappear into the many attractions either for food or entertainment. I would expect that it is no different from the American side either. We did not go on the boat ride into the falls for two reason. Firstly, there were thousands of people lined up to go on the boats. It would have taken the whole day to get on the boat. Secondly, I did not fancy getting my camera equipment soaking wet.

Some of these stores sell many different things from beaver hats, t-shirts etc. to water from the falls. They even managed to capture the coloured light into the bottle. This clearly proves how stupid or easily marketed people can be. Also the other thing that amazed me was how much genuine hand made items were made in china. Well enough negativity, here are a few pictures from the falls.

Americana Falls



Those are people in the yellow!




Horseshoe Falls



On the larger version of this you can see one of the Maid of the Mist boats cruising into the falls.

Fairy...

Fairy 1, originally uploaded by Magoo23.

Yesterday (June, 12th) we went up to my girlfriends parents house. Her mother has cultivated a beautiful garden and so I decided that I needed to take a few photos of the flower and plants in the garden.

As I was wondering around I found a little fairy sitting in one of the pots. I forgot that she pus things like this into her garden. It was such a delight to find this little lady in the garden.

Taken with thanks...

Poppies 24, originally uploaded by Magoo23.

I was out on a photography trip on Sunday (10th June) when I saw some beautiful poppies in a local village. I drove past thinking they would be lovely to get a few photos of, however, they were difficult to get to unless I trespassed on the property. So I carried on driving and found a little way down the road some more poppies in a field. These weren't as nice but I settled for second best.

Once I had finished taking a photos I remembered I needed to get some stuff to a friend of mine. So I turned the car around and headed back along the road. As I was doing so I thought about those first poppies. When I was pulling into the village the lady that owned the house was waving at me. So I slowed down and opened my window. She asked me if I wanted to take some photos of the poppies in her garden (well in the field next to her garden). I was delighted and took her up on her offer. I pulled the car up and snapped the attached pictures.

I found out that she had seen me drive past looking at the poppies and then saw me down the road in a field with my camera. I thought I was further away than that but obviously not. Her husband was intrigued with what I was doing and suggested a few times to return and take some more pictures. I think he may have enjoyed photography or still does. We carried on talking for a while and I said I would get them a few prints of the photos. They were delighted that I would do this for them. I thought it was the least I could do for them seems as they had allowed me to go on their property and take the pictures. Now it is just a matter of getting the prints done and up to them.

I was delighted that there are people out there that are willing to help and talk with you. I always imagined most people would be a little more reserved, unwilling and unhelpful. But I suppose that is the problem with imagining and assumptions. Or maybe it is due to the television and all the horror stories one can hear.

Either way next time I may try asking instead of settling for second best.

Flickr

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

My Latest Photos

These photos where taken up on a local hillside called Belmount (aka. Belmont) near Belton Village & Belton House. You can see more of my pictures of Belton on my Flickr page.

Philadelphia 76ers

So yesterday (10th April 2007) I went to my first Sixers game and my first NBA game. What an awesome game! ! ! We arrived at the stadium after taking an interesting taxi ride in an authentic Philly taxi. The guy smoked like a chimney, drove like a mad man, had the deepest Philly accented voice anyone could have and his Notre Dame Irish cap on backwards. We arrived just after 18:00hrs we went straight into the stadium. We go to the box office to enquire about getting better seats for the game upon arrival at the box office we are confronted by a guy behind the glass, we explained it was out first time here, our first NBA & Sixers game and my birthday. The guy looked at the tickets and said, with a note of exasperation, "Your on the floor, you can't get any better seats!". Now with this knew knowledge we headed into the stadium.



I went straight to the merchandise stand and bought myself a 76ers 2006 draft flex-fit cap & a Sixers hooded sweatshirt. So 100 bucks later we are making our way to the food stands. We buy some chicken strips, crab fries and a large soda. We are now on our way to our seats. It was a "look around with mouth wide open" moment. There was so much to see we had sensory overload! We ate our food and we went in turn to walk the sideline. The player were on the court warming up, they were right there almost touchable. I walked down the sideline inches away from the team bench to the media section on the sideline, there were lights, cameras monitors etc. everywhere. Seven mintues later the game starts, the player are introduced onto the court the referees join them and the game is underway.



Well the first two quarters were easy quarters for the Sixers with the Pacers failing at all but a few attempts to score. The Sixers were consistently 9 - 11 points ahead. The third quarter did not go so well for the Sixers they were losing by one point for a few minutes but then kept a steady 4 - 6 points lead. In the final quarter the Pacers began to find their feet, but the Sixers resisted all attempt by the Pacers. The last five minutes were a series of time outs and fouling by the Pacers in their last ditch attempt at winning. But inevitably the Sixers won 90 - 86.

My Photowalk

Two days ago I decided to walk home from walk. On my way I thought to myself I will take some photos, it was a nice evening a little cool but nothing strange. This was the first time I had decided to do a photowalk without any planning. So I set off with my camera in hand.

On my way home I have to walk through the main park in my town. This was one of the reasons I thought of taking photos. It is a reasonably nice park. However, today I was to be stopped by the local constabulary. I was taking photos of some ducks, I then changed lens to do some wide angle shots of the WWII gateway the army marched through. I started to compose my shot when a police officer walked through the gate. So I lowered my camera ready to recompose my shot. He then stopped and started asking me questions.

"Were you taking pictures of us?" he said,

"No" I said "Just taking pictures of the ducks and the gateway"

"Oh" he said

To this his partner walks up and says "You weren't taking pictures to put onto the internet?"

"No, I was taking pictures of the ducks and this gateway. Why?" I said,

"It is just the fact that he has had pictures taken of him before an plastered all over the internet" she said.

They then said "good evening" and walked back to their car. It was quite uneventful really but a very strange thing to happen. Of course it would happen to me on my first impromptu photowalk.

It really amazed me how people react to cameras being around. OK, that police officer had had a bad experience. However, a few minutes later I was taking this picture...









...when a young lad about 16/17ish was walking up the path. He then scooted off the path, not strange I know, but then continued to glare at me for some reason. He looked very annoyed.

Anyway, as I said before not that exciting but interesting the reaction from people. I must be more careful of people around me and what I could potentially be accused of photographing.

Funeral Day

So today is the day of grans funeral. A little bit of a strange day so far, but I think the strangest thing is going into the funeral directors to take photos of the flowers and coffin (closed casket).

The place always feels so quiet and still. Even when you have walked from outside where there are cars and people everywhere, the normal noises of a busy town. The is nothingness inside, complete quiet sometime you wonder whether words will come out when you talk.

Either way it is not the nicest of places to be but I needed to take the photos as my grandfather and father are not here for the funeral. Fortunately she past away when my grandfather went on a break to South Africa. I think it would have been very hard for him of he was here. He has a lot more friends down in Malawi and South Africa, and they all supported him.

The Flowers

Her name plate

Phyllis Gwendolen Bridle, 1926 - 2007

Well I have not blogged obviously since the last time. However, this weekend was a strange one due to my gran dying on Sunday morning. It was not a sudden thing she had Alzheimer's disease and was diagnosed approx. two years ago. It was inevitable that she would go and she had a gradual move down hill. However, over the past six weeks she rapidly disappeared. Realistically she was gone mentally years prior. She did not recognise her son (my father) or myself. She somewhat recognised my grandfather but that came and went.

She was born in Scollard, Alberta, Canada on the 18th September 1926, Phyllis Gwendolen Kite she was a Jehovah's Witness. Her father, Mr Cyril John Kite, was a farmer from Welwyn, Hertfordshire, UK and her mum, Adele Mathilda Emblem, came from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, B.C. She was married to Peter Langford Bridle, from Derbyshire, UK, on the 9th August, 1953 in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. They moved to Malawi to become missionaries where they had their one and only son Paul David Bridle (my father).

Phyllis Gwendolen Kite

Mr & Mrs Peter Langford Bridle

I wanted to post an entry to mark the time when she left this physical world and finally met her creator. Sunday 4th March 2007 @ 9.30am. R.I.P