Author: freelancewastrel

Single frame… Knife Angel, Coventry

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Knife Angel, CoventryKnife Angel, Coventry
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 18mm, 1/420s, f8, ISO 400

Currently on display in Coventry, the National Monument Against Violence and Aggression, more commonly known as the ‘Knife Angel’ is a towering, poignant tribute to the lives lost to knife violence.

Artist Alfie Bradley disinfected and blunted more than 100,000 weapons before welding them together to form the angel. Thirty percent of the knives used in the sculpture were bloodied on arrival and came in biohazard bags.

It’s an incredibly moving piece of art and ironically I almost had a moment of ‘violence and aggression’ myself while viewing it… The urge to slap senseless the person who insisted on telling me ‘it’s a statue dedicated to Mick Dagger! Geddit? Mick DAGGER!’ was almost irresistible…

Throwback Thursday… Radio Times ‘ghost’ sign

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HRadio Times 'ghost' sign, DerbyRadio Times ‘ghost’ sign, Derby
Olympus Stylus XZ-10, i.Zuiko 4.7-23.5mm f1.8~2.7 ED at 11.1mm, 1/125s, f8, ISO 160

What was I photographing on this day in previous years?

Four years ago it was this ‘ghost’ sign in Derby. I have a fondness for old painted, carved or tiled signs advertising long defunct businesses and I photograph them whenever possible.

This one has obviously been repainted at some point as two sets of ‘Radio Times’ lettering are clearly visible…

Throwback Thursday… Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost XM480

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Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost XM480 (tail section)Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost XM480
Nikon D600, AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR at 32mm, 1/1000s, f8, ISO 200

What was I photographing on this day in previous years?

Five years ago it was this gently decaying Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost trainer aircraft XM480.

Delivered new in July 1960 to No.27 Maintenance Unit (MU) at RAF Shawbury XM480 moved to No.1 Flight Training School (FTS) at RAF Linton-on-Ouse three months later. A transfer to No.6 FTS at RAF Acklington followed in June 1962 and a return to No.27 MU in December 1967 for storage.

Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost XM480Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost XM480
Nikon D600, AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR at 48mm, 1/320s, f8, ISO 200

Declared non-effective in March 1969 XM480 was transported to No.1 School of Technical Training (SoTT) at RAF Halton for ground instructional use and allocated the maintenance serial no. 8080M. A final transfer to RAF Finningley came in February 1994 before finally being tendered for sale in February 1995.

Jet Provosts were regular visitors to the skies above my childhood home and I used to watch them for hours…

Monochrome Monday… Scaring the crows, Calke Abbey

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Scaring the crows, Calke AbbeyScaring the crows, Calke Abbey
Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 – 1/1000s, f4, – Rollei RPX 400 rated at ISO 320

The first weekend in January saw a trip to the National Trust property of Calke Abbey in Derbyshire with my Olympus OM-1N (loaded with Rollei RPX 400) and a couple of Zuiko prime lenses.

I didn’t venture inside the house itself, preferring to wander in the gardens on such an unseasonably warm day.

Sadly it would appear that the OM-1N is in need of new light seals but as soon as I’ve done that little job it’ll be back in use…

Scan by AgLab with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.