Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Outside the greenhouse and broken laptops

Today has been something of a letdown. In the continuing saga of my attempts to get my laptop upgraded to a new build I went into the office to meet up with the engineer for the installation. My attempt to install the build myself a couple of months ago ended in failure, and there have since been three other attempts – all abortive for one reason or another – until today, when I finally met the engineer to get the work sorted.

Unfortunately it failed, and this time in a more impactful way, with the outcome being that the computer is now bricked. So I’m now without my laptop and unable to work (beyond accessing email and other apps on my phone) until I get a replacement machine. Thankfully this shouldn’t take too long and might even be as soon as tomorrow, but I’ll still need to restore my data and get things set up properly before I can get back to normal, so I reckon it will be Wednesday at the earliest before this is all done, and possibly later.

Luckily, this week seems quieter than normal – not sure if people are already getting ready for Christmas – and I don’t have too many things that will be badly impacted by the disruption, although I had a bunch of jobs I wanted to catch up on while I had a bit of breathing room. Last week would have been much worse had it happened then though, so in a way I’m glad that the appointment that was supposed to have taken place then was cancelled.

Today’s picture is of the greenhouse / glasshouse at Clumber Park again.

Greenhouse tree

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Glasshouse

Today’s photo is of the greenhouse in the walled kitchen garden at Clumber Park. I’d hoped to go inside and make some photos but it was closed off (although I did manage to grab one sneaky photo through the barriers – I’ll probably post that tomorrow).

One of my son’s had his second Covid vaccination today, so that means we’re now all at least double-jabbed. He’ll have to wait until March until he gets his booster though. On the way home we stopped off to get him some shirts that he’s asked for and, as it was lunchtime, popped intot the Burger King that was nearby. I decided to try the meat-free Whopper to see what it was like. I’ve already had the McPlant from Macdonalds and have been impressed by just how close to a regular beef burger it is, so wanted to see how the Burger King alternative stood in comparison. Turns out, pretty well. Again I couldn’t really tell that it wasn’t meat and it tasted just as good as any other burgers I’ve had from fast food chains like this. While I’m not vegan (or even vegetarian), I’m more than happy to eat these meat-free alternatives if they taste as good as the real thing. In fact I’m happy to eat any vegetarian / vegan food full stop if it taste nice, not just those that are mimicing meat dishes.

When we arrived home, despite it raining, I put the Christmas lights up outside the house. It took longer than I’d expected – mostly because of my pernicketyness at trying to get everything lined up just right. They’re all up (and now lit), so that’s that sorted out for the next few weeks until they get taken back down again.

Clumber greenhouse

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Botanical gardens

After visiting a photo exhibition at Weston Park Museum a few weeks ago, I took a circuitous route back to my car, snapping pictures of this-and-that (including the shot of the cobbled alley I showed on the blog yesterday). The route took me through the botanical gardens and I made the three pictures published here today.

I’ve not visited the botanical gardens that many times despite the duration of my abode in the city – I recall my nan talking about taking me when I was a small child, but I can’t remember anything about the visit beyond the feintest gossamer thin memory of the event. It’s somewhere I tend to forget is there, but I might try and explore it a little more next time I visit – there’s the remains of an old bear-pit in a part of the park I’ve not explored, and the glasshouse (while being closed to the public during the Covid-19 lockdowns) is another place where a nice photo or two might be had.

Giant emerald fronds
Take abode in the glasshouse
Heady, tropic scent

At the botanical gardens
One end of the glass house
Down to the fountain

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 29 May 2021