Ian, Susie and Poppy

Please transfer ....

2008-08-16T22:34:00.002+01:00

This blog has been discontinued. As I don't write but do take photos, please look at my Flickr page.

For those who have found this page through a web search for "Broadbottom" please look here.

Poppy at the window

2008-04-28T21:21:00.003+01:00

Location Portrait Course

2008-04-28T21:20:00.002+01:00

carly diptych
Originally uploaded by Ian_Boys

Had a top time courtesy of Steve Ashton who took a bunch of us for a great location portrait course in Manchester.

Art :)

2008-03-19T00:19:00.000Z

2008-02-20T22:28:00.001Z

Prague Book

2008-02-09T20:26:00.001Z

Prague

By Ian Boys

Book Preview

Blue Planet, Chester

2008-01-07T00:09:00.000Z

Panasonic Lx-2

2008-01-05T21:45:00.000Z

Just got one of these little gems as a carry-around and street camera. Even at ISO 400 the results in decent light are pretty good given the minute sensor. Can't wait to give it a proper try-out. I'm off to Prague for 2 days later this month.

Tritones

2007-12-28T22:17:00.001Z

I have been discovering how much duotones and tritones can add to a black and white photo. It may look like the past but I feel it's the future :)

Skating

2007-12-27T22:22:00.001Z

Christmas

2007-12-20T20:37:00.000Z

Christmas is always a bit of a marathon for us, as with any Post Office. However this year the combination of illness, staff sickness, a new business and problems in our wider families have combined to exhaust us. Roll on January!!!!

Nevertheless, we wish everyone a
HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2008!

A Day out in Manchester

2007-12-12T00:25:00.001Z

light

2007-11-28T21:49:00.001Z

It's just a digger but I like it.

2007-11-26T22:01:00.001Z

Scary but fun!

2007-11-13T09:38:00.000Z

We've bought a Day Nursery. Actually a bank bought it for us and we have to work for them for free for the next 10 years and 8 months but you get the picture.

Scary but fun.

Photoshopping

2007-11-10T23:06:00.000Z

Recently been attracted by Flickr's "Pimp My Pixels" group, where you get to photoshop other people's pic to your heart's content.

Riding and more ...

2007-10-31T20:15:00.000Z

Loads of photos at the moment but this one will do for now. I can't believe how grown up she is.

You can always see the most recent photos by clicking here:

East End Houses

2007-10-26T22:26:00.000+01:00

Hannover

2007-10-16T22:10:00.001+01:00

Broadbottom Portrait Project

2007-10-13T15:38:00.000+01:00

I've taken so many photos of the fabric of the village and too few of the people, Rachel Weisz notwithstanding. So for the rest of this year and in 2008 I want to take more portraits, probably with a view to doing a book for Christmas 2008. I've got 2 done already, only 148 to go :)

Manchester Flickr meet

2007-10-13T15:31:00.000+01:00

White Duck Pond

2007-10-13T15:30:00.001+01:00

White Duck Pond
Originally uploaded by Ian_Boys

Old Broadbottom photo

2007-10-04T13:45:00.001+01:00

Hannah passed me an old Broadbottom photo that shows the mills in operation and shows the streets as they were before Mill Street became garages and Brick Street became a car park. I may be wrong but as I can't see Ebenezer Place on the picture it would seem to be before 1890.

I have a large annotated version. If anyone would like it, please email me.

Some of us in Black and White

2007-10-03T21:48:00.000+01:00

Broadbottom

2007-10-03T21:43:00.000+01:00

Flickr: Ian_Boys

2007-09-30T21:42:00.000+01:00

Coombes Rocks

2007-09-24T21:47:00.001+01:00

Tatton Park

2007-09-24T21:41:00.001+01:00

We went to Tatton Park and had a lovely day out, except that it was quite expensive and they closed the carousel too early. But we had fun and enjoyed the playground and the pigs and the maze.

Werneth Low

2007-09-09T21:08:00.000+01:00

London Part 6 - HMS Belfast

2007-09-09T21:06:00.001+01:00

London Part 5 - Hindu Centenary, Trafalgar Square

2007-09-04T22:29:00.001+01:00

London Part 4 - British Museum

2007-09-04T22:21:00.001+01:00

London Part 3 - Out and about

2007-08-29T23:45:00.000+01:00

London Part 2 - Street Photos

2007-08-29T00:30:00.000+01:00

This trip to London was the first time in AGES that I've felt like a photographer again ...

London Part 1 - Travel

2007-08-28T22:23:00.001+01:00

Just come back from a long weekend in London with Poppy. Did plenty, saw plenty - so the photos will come in stages. The first set are all travel - train & tube.

Years ago I took a photo of Susie that is so like this one. It makes for nice photos - good distance, good light, good head and eye position. Anyway, I think this worked with Poppy as well as it did with her mother some 14 years earlier.

I like this one - bright colours at the bottom, near enough monochrome above.

Summer at last!

2007-08-22T23:28:00.000+01:00

Summer's here at last and the blackberries have ripened nicely, as you can see ...

Lovely clear view down to Longdendale, with Glossopdale on the right.

Behind Spring Street ...

Market Street

This photo isn't any good technically or artistically but she went skipping down Gibble Gabble swinging here arms in the best possible mood and it was great to see.

Odd

2007-08-19T18:19:00.000+01:00

The girls are away and it's kind of odd being all alone in the house. Can't wait for tonight - haven't seen Pops for over 2 weeks.

If Hollywood hadn't called ...

2007-08-19T13:26:00.000+01:00

Holga-ised

2007-08-19T11:10:00.001+01:00

The Holga is so fashionable at the moment that I thought I'd redo this pic as though I'd used a £30 plastic camera. The thing is, it doesn't look too bad.

At the moment I'm listening to Kombat over and over again. What a song! It's not actually about combat. Kombat means the Battalion Commander. But it is about WW2 in Russia - fighting, girls, vodka, bravery. I love it.

Pairs

2007-08-19T10:48:00.000+01:00

Wednesday

2007-08-15T20:55:00.000+01:00

I'm quite happy with this picture of the station. Given that bits were in sunshine and bits in shade it came out quite well. It's a nice rural station but it's odd to think it was once on the line to London! It is said we only have a station because the man who owned the company lived in the village but I doubt that's true - the mills would have required one anyway, without a canal.

Our shop. It's easy to think nothing changes but i wonder how many of these brands will be around in 10 years?

Chris. Who very kindly agreed to a photo.

The railway bridge to Glossop and Hadfield. It's the second bridge - the first was wooden. The electric trains are so quiet that you don't even notice them, and the railway is right opposite our bedroom windows.

Garden street. I reckon most people in the village wouldn't know where it is.

This will change - next year the Hair Gallery is having extensions upstairs. Which fits.

One of the two last big mills - Tiviot Prints.

Monday Evening walk

2007-08-13T21:58:00.000+01:00

Poppy in Czecho

2007-08-09T08:51:00.000+01:00

Nicola's in the Czech Republic spending 17 days with her grandmother, going to caves, castles and spending time in the countryside. Apparently she can even do the breaststroke properly now in the village pond! Anyway, judging by this shot she seems to be coping, just.

Summer's here ... so it's a little otter

2007-08-08T18:59:00.000+01:00

Taken at the Chesnut centre, Chapel-en-la Frith, Derbyshire.

Ladies

2007-08-06T20:21:00.001+01:00

Portraits

2007-08-06T20:14:00.001+01:00

They're crazy!

2007-07-30T20:21:00.001+01:00

I've just seen this pic on a friend's website of my 5 year old rafting over a weir. I'm sure it was perfectly safe.

RIP Bradman

2007-07-28T23:21:00.000+01:00

Bradman, the fantastic black cat who was so often to be seen on the Post Office counter or curled up on the newspapers, died today after being hit by a car.

He wasn't my cat but it bloody hurts.

My girls

2007-07-21T19:16:00.001+01:00

Canoeing in the Czech Republic

2007-07-15T20:53:00.000+01:00

Susie and Poppy have just come back from 2 weeks camping and canoeing in the Czech Republic. Susie has been going with the same group since she was a young teenager and Pops was on her 3rd year, which isn't bad for a five year old. She even has her own paddle. Camping out for two weeks isn't easy anyway, and to do it in the rain with a five year old is pretty good going given that they both came back very cheerful and relaxed.

Lymefield

2007-06-30T17:19:00.001+01:00

Broadbottom Midsummer show

2007-06-23T19:35:00.000+01:00

It was the village Midsummer show today and there were 200 hundred entries, from cross-stitch to flowers, cakes to collages. The highlight was the Scarecrow Competition with some really good entries.

We did quite well - Poppy got a 1st and 2nd for photos and a 3rd for her collage, while I got 1st, 2nd and 3rd for photos in various categories. Susie has two lovely photos entered which I really liked but didn't score. Anyway, six winners between the three of us isn't bad! And in spite of her age, Pops probably had the second best child photo overall after Christy Dowling's gem.

The average standard was far higher than the previous year - lots of people entering 6x4" snapshots didn't bother this time. The serious competion in future will be David Wrench who submitted perfectly developed black and white pictures that he printed himself. Amazing quality.

Manor Park

2007-06-02T21:57:00.001+01:00

Had a lovely day in Manchester with Pops yesterday - after a bit of business we went on the Big Wheel then had a nice meal in a restaurant. Afterwards she had ice cream in the park then we played cards on the train home. I wonder how many five year olds really make good company for a whole day?

Last night was a bit mad - around midnight two guys tried to smash their way into a flat up the street with a spade. They got through the outer door and made quite an impression on the inner door before they left. Two police vans and two police cars turned up and got the family inside away to a place of safety. Lovely. Unfortunately this kind of thing keeps happening to the same house, all thanks to their lovely slum landlord who keeps filling it with the same kinds of people (who can be relied upon not to make a fuss about the conditions!)

Today we went to Manor Park in Glossop for a bit of a play. A nice afternoon out.

Poppy's Birthday

2007-05-25T22:06:00.001+01:00

Poppy had her 5th Birthday and had a wonderful time. Susie did a really nice party for her and at the end of the day Nicola said with great feeling "I REALLY enjoyed today!". What more can you ask for?

She has the loveliest friends and at the party she said "I've got SO many nice friends" which was great. And even later, opening the presents, she was just overjoyed with each one. It will be such a pity when she "grows up" and loses that sincerity.

She's the best.

Broadbottom History Exhibition / Little Mill

2007-05-22T21:23:00.000+01:00

Last weekend was the Broadbottom History Exhibition. It was a fantastic job bythe organisers - really impressive and very well attended indeed. I'm hoping they bring out a book as there was just so much to take in. Anyway, it dated our house to around 1839.

Afterwards we all went to the Little Mill pub at Rowarth. Average food in the bar but a nice atmosphere and a great slide outside for Poppy.

Museum of Science and Industry

2007-05-22T21:07:00.000+01:00

On Bank Holiday Monday we went to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. It wasn't very good, to be honest. The aircraft section was a little half-hearted and in disrepair, the textiles bit was OK-ish and we had a short ride on some ancient train.

Old and new Manchester ...

After the museum Pops and I went to a restaurant where they provide crayons and let the kids (and adults!) draw all over the paper tablecloths. Why don't all restaurants do that? It certainly kills the time while waiting for the food and is good fun.

Simple weekend

2007-04-24T20:20:00.000+01:00

Went for a nice walk in Great Wood, first time for me. Pops played in the river by the dye vats. Saw a heron getting chased by crows and later a huge owl which flew across the path in front of us. Later she went for her first ride of the year.

Russian Air Force

2007-04-09T19:28:00.000+01:00

Completely OT but this video showcases my main non-Broadbottom hobby/interest, the Russian airforce of WW2. This was sparked by the IL-2 PC game, which I started off in as a tester and then became a developer, firstly within the team and later with my own product, Ostfront. Even though the game is now 7 years old it still consumes far too many hours per week and has been the basis of many friendships in the real world. Yes, we even meet up in person and stay with each other when not trying to shoot each other down.

Another reason I like this video is that it's one of the few songs I know off by heart in Russian. It helps that it only has 2 verses :)

Cycling at the mill

2007-04-09T16:42:00.000+01:00

Good Friday - Upper Derwent Valley

2007-04-06T14:43:00.000+01:00

The day didn't start too well with news that my brother Peter is in hospital with pneumonia and the huge fire in Glossop's Wren's Nest Mill. Even though it started at 0700, wagons were still arriving at 1300 with blue lights flashing. We passed it just before 10 and the top floor was ablaze and the High Street full of smoke. By the time we returned at 1300 the roof was gone and central Glossop was sealed off.

Anyway, we had a much better day over the Snake's Pass in the Upper Derwent Valley. It was sunny and windy, gorgeous for walking, and the valley is just beautiful. We walked passed Ladybower Dam, made famous by the Dambusters film and saw the 617 Sqn memorial. They lost 204 aircrew in 2 years, which is over 100%!

We then walked up to Howden Dam, got tired and took the bus back to the car. A lovely day out.

Sunday biking

2007-03-25T18:45:00.000+01:00

After the very enjoyable Mad March parties (thanks to the organisers!) we decided to take it easy today and took Pops down to the mill for a ride. She rides just great for a four year old, which is all down to Susie, who started her off without training wheels.

End of an era

2007-03-20T09:26:00.000Z

The Kowloon restaurant in London has been sold. I've been going there for 19 years and it's a sad day. They were always so friendly.

Mutti's 60th - Part 3

2007-03-19T21:01:00.000Z

A fantastic time for 50 people in Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park. Everything went really well and it was lovely to see both sides of the family and so many friends together.

You can see a larger version of any picture by clicking on it.

Mutti's 60th - Part 2

2007-03-19T20:55:00.000Z

Outside with Jobst, Antoinette, George and Poppy:

Mutti's 60th - Part 1

2007-03-19T20:42:00.000Z

Some pictures from the first evening in Surbiton with the German side of the family. It was fantastic to see everyone:

Isle of Man

2007-03-15T21:26:00.000Z

Just back from a sunny few days on the Isle of Man. Quite a nice, relaxing time, except everything is shut until Easter. Castles, railways, trams, everything. The B&B was OK except for the rancid kipper smell but it had a DVD player in the room, which I've never comes across before. Gave me the chance to brush up on a few magic tricks, but not many as I could follow how James Brown was doing them but was nowhere near being able to do them myself.

The IoM was sunny and breezy, just how I like it. And expensive! Still, the buses were reasonable, as was the quality of the pub grub so I wandered around the island a bit and took it easy. The way back took longer than expected as the ferry had been diverted to help another vessel in distress but by tea time I was back in the Broadbottom drizzle. Down to London with Pops tomorrow.

One thing I noticed on the IoM was there was only one person I'd call at all cheerful. Scary.

Chester Zoo

2007-03-04T20:16:00.000Z

A top day out at Chester Zoo again, in spite of the wind and rain. Pops and I were both in good spirits and determined to make the best of it and the animals obliged: the lions scrapped over their beef, the elephants rolled in the mud, the snakes slithered and chimpanzees played. Normally they all just sit around. One chimpanzee even tightrope-walked along a long webbing strap on his hind legs which I've never seen before. The penguins frolicked and even the storks put on quite a show. Only the rhinos wished they were elsewhere. There are some great new bats too, with a wingspan of 1.5 metres!

It is such a contrast to the awful Eureka "museum" in Halifax - fake bats, fake shops etc. Give me Chester Zoo any day!

The God FAQ and His Noodliness

2007-02-27T22:55:00.000Z

This made me laugh >> God FAQ

Whereas everyone should know about His Noodliness

A few February photos

2007-02-27T19:36:00.000Z

Skiing

2007-02-26T23:34:00.000Z

Countries I've been to ...

2006-08-28T00:03:00.000+01:00

create your own visited country map

Still some huge holes ...

Recent adventures ...

2006-07-23T11:49:00.000+01:00

Castleton

2006-01-28T20:09:00.000Z

Had a fantastic day out in Castleton. What a lovely village! A Norman castle, 4 show caves and six pubs - perfect! We started out from Broadbottom in rare but brilliant sunshine but once over Snake Pass we descended into cloud that stayed with us the rest of the day, so low that Peveril castle was invisible from the village and once in the castle, the great hills around may just as well not have existed.

We visited Peak Cavern, known locally as the Devil's Arse for the rude noises that issue when the cavern floods. Poppy was very concerned there might be bears in the cave and clung tightly to my hand, often using her other hand to check we were still attached. But she grew chatty and soon everyone in our little group knew all about her.

One thing that troubled her a bit about Castleton was that nobody knew her. In our village everyone knows Poppy and she found it strange that she could walks past so many people and recognise none, and that nobody would say "Hello Poppy" and chat to her. Can there really be so many strangers in the world? It took a while to explain that not everybody lived in Broadbottom and other people had houses in other villages. She still felt unsettled by it though, which amused me as she was actually born in an anonymous city.

Eureka! Or not.

2006-01-09T10:14:00.000Z

Went to visit the Eureka Children's Museum in Halifax yesterday: what a disappointment! Some kids from the village went last week and loved it, but it did nothing for Poppy at all. Fake shops, a fake kitchen, a fake Post Office, fake trees, fake bats - and bits of it sponsored in the worst Millenium Dome fiasco way. I wouldn't swap the whole thing for 10 minutes in the Chester Zoo bat cave. It was full of things that adults thought kids would enjoy but as I looked around I couldn't really see any of the kids looking really happy and excited about any of it.

The journey in both directions was pretty fraught - snow, ice and low cloud on the moors meant you could see about 20 yards.

Mirror,mirror

2006-01-06T01:49:00.000Z

Got a new Nikon D50 now - very happy with it!

Sledging - happy but overcrowded!

2006-01-03T01:44:00.000Z

Poppy and Annika

2006-01-03T01:40:00.000Z

Poppy and Annika, originally uploaded by Ian_Boys.

Summer is here

2005-05-14T21:20:00.000+01:00

Blazing sunshine and a freezing cold wind but the best we've had so far. And even a blue sky!

Happy Birthday to me!

2005-05-02T16:05:00.000+01:00

This morning Susie removed my alarm clock and gave me the rarest of all gifts in this job - a lie-in! Then we had some lovely cake, presents and a morning out together, walking in the sunshine on Werneth Low. What a lovely day.

Stupid Sunday

2005-05-01T20:36:00.000+01:00

Almost had a disaster this morning - first Poppy and I were delivering papers, I left Poppy in the van and came back down the stairs from the house to find the van gone. Couldn't understand it so not panicking - I knew it hadn't been stolen. Looked right, saw a white van down the street, thought "I didn't walk that far" and realised the white van wasn't ours. Looked left, saw our white van across the road up against a hedge. I hadn't set the handbrake.

I need more sleep.

Rest of the day: went to baby gym with Poppy, watched "Girl on the Bridge" with Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paradis (pretty good film) and later took the little bundle of energy out for a walk.

Looking up

2005-04-25T20:38:00.000+01:00

Things are looking up - we've all got holidays arranged, supplier lists for the new shop, the fridge in the current shop has (finally) been replaced, summer is here (kinda) and it's all good.

Learning to draw

2005-04-25T20:17:00.000+01:00

Village Walk, 24 April

2005-04-24T15:03:00.000+01:00

Poppy in the wild garlic in Tom Wood

Broadbottom from Tom Wood

.

Country Walk, 23 April

2005-04-23T20:42:00.000+01:00

Going to see the ducks (and lambs and tadpoles ...) with Grandma:

Peace :)

2005-04-17T14:32:00.000+01:00

Susie, Poppy and Zdenka have gone to Chester zoo. Time for loud music and a long bath.

Our shop

2005-04-11T22:33:00.000+01:00

We live in the left hand part of this house (red and white door) and work in the shop/post office. Our intended new shop is about three doors right (uphill) of this one.

Days out

2005-04-11T22:17:00.000+01:00

The last few weekends we've been really busy - we've been to the Chestnut Centre ( Otters, Owls, Deer, Fox etc.) near Chapel, to Stockley Farm in Cheshire where Poppy fed a lamb, stroked a falcon (!!) and played with rabbits and last weekend we went to Chester Zoo (again) and had a great 4 1/2 hours. We saw the bear for the first time in our many trips, visited the bat house three times, saw the "orange juice madin" (orang-utans) and the two baby elephants. Also the kangaroos and the "dada bird" (cassowary) which we seem to have missed before. A good, if expensive, day out.

April 11

2005-04-11T22:04:00.001+01:00

Currently we are all a bit stressed with thoughts about the new shop (if/how ...), supply problems, a broken display freezer in the current shop, prices, mortgages, too much to do, too little time etc. But if it all comes together then by Christmas it could all be really great. And compared to others we are doing nicely - we are all healthy, we are together, we are solvent ... I reckon we'll make it.

Happy face

2005-04-11T22:04:00.000+01:00

Poppy (Nicola)

This picture always cheers me up. How could it not?

Welcome

2005-04-11T21:46:00.000+01:00

... to our adventures in life, commerce and parenthood.