Strange Day in a Lancashire Cemetery

Over the past few years, I have taken some 25,000 digital images - many of them in cemeteries. What has been remarkable is that of all those shots I have taken, only about half-a-dozen failed to come out. I recently went to a cemetery that I had heard about and was excited at the prospect. I was disappointed at the results and have been thinking about it a lot.

I realised that I hadn't felt relaxed when photographing part of the cemetery and closer scrutiny revealed some interesting photographs. I share a few of them with you here. Pay particular attention to the last one. Has anyone else had any unusual experiences while photographing graves? I'd be interested to hear about it!

There were a lot of coffin-shaped tombs 

I mean lots of them!

A number of headstones had blood red stains down them

This large recumbent stone had long been covered over and had recently been partially uncovered . . .

A crumbling window at the chapel. Note the ornate flower

Note also the golden glow behind the glass

What caused this glowing light? There was no sun on the building.

I  couldn't look in as I held the camera above my head to get this photograph

This spooked me a little. Is that an evil eye?

From a different angle.

A dull red glow behind the this portrait . . . It was not there on the preceding shot
which showed the headstone full-length

My final shot. Now, if I was holding up the camera to my eye with both hands, then who or what is this?

How Big is Big? How Small is Small?

A remarkable demonstration of the Scale of the Universe. Click HERE to view the Interactive Scale of the Universe Tool. I am not too sure where I sit on the scale. Where do you think you sit?

Strange Creatures!

Recently, I came across some strange creatures guarding the entrance to Alston Hall near Longridge.

Eccentric art inside London's The Museum of Everything

Smoking squirrels, circus banners, miniature fairgrounds - The Museum of Everything in London's Primrose Hill shows art that people have made for themselves rather than for fame or money.

According to a BBC film report today, the museum claims to be a window on the creativity of people who did not go to art school. The current exhibition has had to be extended as it appears this display of the odd and fascinating output from Britain's sheds and workshops has captured the imagination.

I throughly enjoyed seeing the extraordinary banners and posters on the walls and former exhibits from Potter's Museum of Curiosity. I hope you do, too.

Click HERE to see the report.

Macabre Sight!

When I blogged about the abandoned building, I promised to tell you what had spooked me. Well, I was concentrating so hard on photographing the ruins, it came as a real shock to look down and find the skeleton of an animal at my feet. It was so unexpected and gave me quite a start. As the barbed wire surrounding the site was so extensive, I have trouble working out how it got inside. I imagine it to be the remains of a roe deer? Nature was reclaiming it, but it only when you compose a photograph that you realise what interesting patterns are left behind.

Something Happened Here!

For many weeks, I have travelled a country road. Late one afternoon I glimpsed a chimney peeking out from some trees. Last week, I had the opportunity to stop and investigate. As I negotiated the tuffets of dead grass and got closer, I saw it was a ruined house. As I got to the rusty gate, I noticed it was surrounded by barbed wire. I was able to steal a few glimpses through the undergrowth which are shared with you here. As I left the site, I saw something macabre that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! I will reveal what it was in my next post . . .

This was the view as I approached

The rusting gate was tied shut with barbed wire

I could see an empty doorway

A fallen beam was visible

Part of the wall had fallen away

More collapse inside

Is that a sign of fire?

No birds roost here

A final glimpse

Another Creature Emerges from the Bark!

In Chorley Cemetery today, I was startled when this creature started to push its way out of a tree! With its clenched fists, it reminded me of the White Rabbit in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - I have always wondered what had happened to him?

Four Young Sailors

More from the glass plate negative collection. These four young nautical cadets paid a visit to a photographer's studio for a souvenir snapshot. I wonder what became of them? Is that the Titanic depicted in the background to their right? Not an omen, I hope.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone. Welcome to 2011!