Kissing gate

May 13, 2026May 14, 2026 fishyfisharcade5 Comments

Kissing gates’ primary purpose is to allow human passage while restricting that of livestock. The origin of the name is supposedly because the gate “kisses” it’s frame when it opens and closes, although the more romantic later etymology alludes to couples in close proximity taking the opportunity to kiss in the confined space.

They can be a real PITA if you have a backpack and a tripod, let me tell you!

Nikon F80 and Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-D on Tri-X Pan Kodak Tri-X Pan (likely expired sometime in the 1990s) @125asa
Ilfotec DD-X. 1+4 8mins @ 20°.

Taken on 21 March 2026

35mm · Film photography · Photography

At Oldcotes

August 26, 2025 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Back in June my wife and I went strawberry picking at a farm near Tickhill. It was a hot day so, on the way home, laden with three large tubs of delicious berries, we decided to see if we could find a cafe. Looking on Google Maps, I found a place called Manor Farm (which is the building in the last photo below) in the village of Oldcotes which has a cafe and makes its own ice cream. The ice cream was very nice, as was the cafe which had seating in a lovely courtyard as well as indoors.

In getting to the place, I noticed a few other things in the area that might make for interesting photos. I didn’t have my camera with me at the time so, a few days later, I returned, parked the can and went and took some pictures (I also returned to Tickhill on the same trip, and took a bunch more there, but those are for another day).

As tends to be my thing quite often these days, most of the pictures are of buildings I found interesting (although I snuck a kissing gate in too…).

Olympus OM-10, Zuiko Auto-S 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 June 2025

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Kissing gate

July 21, 2021 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

While walking through Pleasley Country Park, my route took me through this metal kissing gate. While not a quaint as some of the older wooden gates I’ve seen, it still made for a nice photos I thought.

The name “kissing gate” derives from the gate itself swinging freely, “kissing” the inside of the frame rather than needing to be latched to prevent livestock from passing through. When I was young however, I was told that it was traditional to kiss the person passing the gate with you. While a nicely romantic idea, I have sometimes had to pass through such gates at the same time as complete strangers, so probably not a practical suggestion! 🙂

Kiss from a stranger?
Perhaps not a good idea
In a pandemic

Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 12 June 2021