'Door furniture' is a less shocking appellation than 'knobs and knockers'.

Somewhat neglected but developing a wonderful patina.

There's a strange trend here for breaking shop windows. some owners are unable to insure their glass again. something else to drive people out of business with no benefit for anyone. I don't get it.

📷 Google Pixel 8 Pro - Telephoto Sensor (50MP) - Date Palm, Sousse, Tunisia - Throwback February 2025

Every now and again I see this happy little figure around the place. Today it is on the side of the Lancaster terminus of the former Lancaster & Preston Junction Railway.

Outside the gelateria on Sun Street is a rather incongruous giant model of a '99' - a concoction of soft-serve ice cream with a chocolate flake, on a cornet wafer. These were made famous in UK by Mr Whippy ice cream vans, starting in Birmingham, in 1958.

Conversely, the dark chocolate gelato sold in this shop is possibly the best I have tasted outside Italy.

If you ever had a factory job, it can be traced back to Richard Arkwright and his mill.

"Richard Arkwright - Wikipedia" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Arkwright

I love going to Freehold (area in Lancaster); it is always reassuring =]

Plan early, plan twice.

Bananas, custard, cinnamon, nutmeg. Keeping it simple. But ready for a change of plan 😀

We once had a decaying oak tree in our garden, where stag beetles used to thrive.

I saw this one in London some years ago. They look fierce, but are just trying to get through the day as best they can, just like you and me.

Red beetroots

Carrots

Red onions

Celery (not red!)

Garlic

Secret herbs n spices

Stock

Slow cook overnight on low

This used to be a plumber's shop but now no longer. There are a couple convenience shops on this road, a florist, a pub, and a barber shop. This is a very residential area, so I was surprised to see the plumber go.

I like the four-square stance of this building. So, what next?

sleepy old boy

It's a dreich auld afternoon.

Happy Yule, all my pagan friends.

It's nice to have brought some life inside. The scent from the hyacinths is glorious.

Today was time for cheesy beans again. Too boring for words so i browned some finely chopped onions with garlic and a smidgeon of cayenne pepper which i mixed into the beans. Topped with a cheese and crushed cracker topping and garnished with my tomato and red onion jam. Baked for 10 minutes. No leftovers so i guess the people liked it. Cheese topped rolls to go on the side. About 70p per serve.

Blew my socks off.

Making the base.

Allowing everything to sweat under a lid develops flavor and gives me time for an espresso and a smoke outside.

Those activities are also a perfect timer 😅

A deterrent device to remind passengers not to walk off the platform.

This hangs in one of the kitchens where I work. Words to live by,

The Mercedes AMG A45 - doesn't it have a 'sharky' front end? Those skinny tyres on English roads would make a regular appointment with the chiropractor mandatory.

Near Weir Wood Reservoir

A busy day at the beach, surfers catching waves during a beautiful sunset at Laguna Niguel.

The camera on the OnePlus Open continues to impress. Not just "good for a folding phone", it's a legit good camera.

A tall evening primrose takes in the view. So many people never see a big sky, which is sad.

He loves a cardboard box

A seagull stands on the station roof. I've never seen a seagull's foot from underneath before.

My friend Bruce reminded me that a scrape of Vegemite on toast under a layer of smashed avocado is the way to go. He was right, of course.

I introduced this to a lady yesterday who had no clue what to do with an avocado. Never had one. Whatever!

So, in my Pam's ('Proudly Made in New Zealand) soap box goes a medium smashed avocado with some garlic and mendi mix, and left overnight to chill and infuse.

Next morning spread Vegemite (Proudly Made in Australia) on toast (humbly made with bread by me) and topped with some of the avo.

Result? Oarsumness 😅👍

This is one of the shops that is marking Pride month with a colorful window display.

After the shops, it's time for lunch at one of the cafes. This was an unexpected take on a classic. And the service was prompt and charming. Couldn't ask for more.

Black Combe turns to gold.

The image shows "The Wave," a public art installation in St John's Square, Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. The sculpture was designed by artist Lucy Glendinning and installed in 2009.

AI overview

This used to be a shop, but is now a beauty parlor.

The co-operative movement started in Rochdale, and you can read more about it here:

www.uk.coop/understanding-co-ops/how-co-ops-began#:~:text....

It's an interesting and important story that is still relevant.

Banana Yoshimoto wrote this. Dealing with loss and love and other stuff, it was very readable and short enough for a single sitting.

Give it a go.

This is the Mary Anne, the last remaining rowed ferry that was used on Windermere. It would have been built and in use before 1870, when the powered ferries were introduced. Ferries had been in use on Windermere since at least the 1450s.

This was rowed with huge oars, called sweeps. The ferry is 40 feet long and 11 feet at the beam, and had a movable ramp, to allow cattle to be loaded and unloaded easily.

Mary Anne sank off Belle Isle sometime after WW2 and was recovered in 1978. It is now under preservation at the Windermere Jetty Museum, which is a world leader in the preservation, restoration and maintenance of boats.

(If you are in the area, do go and support this charity; it's interesting, and has a great cafe that has tables right by the waterside!)

GalaxyS5

Snapseed edits

The granite threshold to the beer cellar shows a couple hundred years' wear. The casks used to be wooden, but today they're mostly steel things.

If you can weld and want to make a smoker or hangi cooker, beer kegs are ideal in size and robustness.

Storm Amy is currently battering the north west of England. Branches fly off trees and some roof slates have loosened and I listen to the rain dripping through the gaps.

I've never seen my barometer register such low pressure.

As predicted when I was a child, this is our new normal.