Random

Yuletide Thrills

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Mark

Carousel Horse

Christmas Tree in Chorlton cum Hardy Manchester by Mark Wallis Twelve months ago, Christmas was largely cancelled as we packed up and left the city for the leafy lanes of Chorlton. This time around, Panos created the ultimate tree to banish any winter blues.

Mark Wallis at the Christmas Markets in Manchester

Mark at the Xmas Markets

This year Christmas is Big. Sparks were seen as early as September and then just a few weeks ago the whole thing exploded. There are any number of Winter Wonderlands to walk through as Manchester becomes Lapland or the Swiss Alps. The only thing missing is the snow. Here I am, rosy-cheeked from mulled wine in front of an impressive… helicopter…carousel-type thing.

As much as I love the Yuletide, I’m thinking of lobbying the UN to make Christmas like the Olympics. It can be held in one country every five years, and every nation has to bid. What do you think of that?

Season’s greeting to all!

Categories: Photography, Random, Vibe Monitor | Tags: Carousel, christmas, Christmas Markets, Christmas Tree, Manchester, Saturnalia, UK, Xmas, Yule, Yuletide | 4 Comments

Winterville

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Mark

The first whiff of autumn, down on the village green
Low sun, scarves and shivers.
Fireworks and candles.
Ever changing sky over Chorlton-cum-Hardy.

Categories: Photography, Random, Travel, Vibe Monitor | Tags: autumn, Chorlton, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Chorltonville, Fall, Manchester, Mark Wallis, winter | 13 Comments

Good Vibrations

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Mark

After some jiggery-pokery behind the scenes, The Vibes is now available as a scruffy old cloth-bound book. Which has been left on the floor. Of a beach hut.
It’s still the faithful old Adventure Journal theme, which you can find on your WordPress dashboard, but I had to say goodbye to my spiral-bound notebook, which so many people borrowed for their own blogs. Hope you like the new look!

Categories: Art, Design, Music, Photography, Random, Vibe Monitor | Tags: Adventure Journal, blog, customize, Graphic Design, Mark Wallis, new, The Vibes, Theme, web design | 3 Comments

Summer Ghost

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Mark

As the pumpkins grin with Harvest mischief, and the smell of gunpowder hangs in the crisp air, I have the memories of a great summer to keep me warm.

Categories: Cats, Photography, Random, Vibe Monitor | Tags: Chorlton, Cleveleys Avenue Allotments, Double Exposure, Manchester, Mark Wallis, Summer, UK | 8 Comments

It’s All About the Satyr

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Mark

It looks like the whole tradition of Halloween goes back thousands of years, which makes me feel so much better when I’m walking around looking diabolical.

Mummery, or the art of disguise was supposed to confuse the spirits of evil by imitating them and confusing their dark hearts, rendering them useless.

Gotta love those Pagans, whose Gaelic heritage was plundered by the invention of christianity, and our loveable horny, primitive Satyr (the hairy drunken guy who will do anyone for a laugh) gets cast as Satan, Lord of Darkness. Sounds like a bum deal to me. Some of my best nights have been with Satyrs.