L - IS FOR LAND MARK? HA! HA!

I can see for miles and miles

ABC This week is brought to you by the letter L

Especially for Mrs Nesbitt( we are not worthy!) and her impending visitation upon this fair Isle (no not the other island) during the TT I thought this image would suit. I have put aside the proper photography to do a quick snapshot daily photo thingy. After all the blog is all about my town not "ooh look at the wall hanging photography." I do think some people forget this. Digressing again. I had to sneak this image on a busy road so didn't want to draw to much attention by composing(yawn) the image and juxtaposing(yawn again) the subjects. I have not put aside the puns, irony and humour though, so if you are of a sensible disposition who cannot(or will not) have a little photography, blogging fun, please leave. No apologises for the "landmark" pun title though. Hope it was a L of a laugh.

This marker in keeping with the L is on Lezayre Road. Ramsey is in the Parish of Lezayre incidentally. The three legged symbol you see is the Manx Triskelion that appears on our flag. This marker is roughly half way from my house to the town high street. Ok I mean my nearest local pub, The Swan. We have lots of quirky little things like this I around the island. I do think that some of those figures may be a little on the wrong side. No way would I be walking a mile back from the pub! So Mrs N. Especially for you a little guide to confuse you. Click on the pretty colours below to place this sign and to see a very ingenious map of the island. Naughty but nice! As for the Triskelion well that's a whole other tale, for another day.

Lezayre- The TT route
Follyfoot(bridge)

Ingenious Map
My Friday Re(treat)

If abc is the place to be check Mrs Nesbitt's bloggie blog.

Always remember it's for fun. So play nice with each other.

Babooshka can be found working 17 miles away this week

V- IS FOR VACANT

Pretty Vacant

V - Is for vacant

Now there's no point in asking you'll get no reply, (just like Isle of Man Newspapers!), honestly no one's out to lunch as no one is at home. This is just another empty property I have come across on my travels around Ramsey, Lezayre Road in fact. If anyone was looking for prime spot in Ramsey to rent a flat(apartment for my American friends) then I would suggest here. A minute from the Swan pub, Shoprite Supermarket, The library in fact you could watch the Isle Of Man TT Races from the window. Any takers?


It really is rotten luck that a lovely building such a this should be lain to waste. On the other it makes a great photo opportunity. With the credit crunch now it's just a vicious circle of pretty vacant properties like this beauty awaiting a tenant or buyer while falling into ruin, then becoming to expensive to restore etc. I've no illusions about the romance of buildings such as these. Yes perfect for photographers, but I'd much rather it was restored and converted into affordable housing even if that means making it into a bland faceless facade. Unfortunately accommodation is paramount not my photographs.

This image is a month old. Still no laptop and my borrowing time is now down to a minimum. Some of you may have noticed I have had a little fun with this post.


To view the road this property is on, click below


Lezayre Road
Foootbridge

Mrse nesbitt is the lady of letters.

ONCE MORE UNTO THE BRIDGE!

Blue and green should n'er bee seen except upon a fool

It's Saturday and I know you may have been expecting the infamous Ramsey Swing Bridge after my skywtach frday but afraid not. Not until I can open the precious file or take some new ones. Instead another sweet little connecting bridge. Luscious green isn't it? So once more unto the bridge!(stop groaning)


This footbridge stands outside the two schools in Ramsey, one on either side of the road. A few weeks ago I uploaded a shot of Lezayre Road and I mentioned the footbridge. Why do we need footbridges for such a quiet place you ask? Ah well, that would be for the famous Isle of Man TT Road Races. When the motorbikes are here the roads around the island that are part of the course are closed off to traffic. So you really can get trapped in one part of the island for a few hours and indeed trapped on one side of the road. The footbridges were erected to enable the kids to cross from one side of the road to the other. Good idea eh. Pity the kids aren't actually in school that week. Doh! To be fair there is practise week for the bikes(outside of school hours though so double doh!) and exams are occurring so perhaps there is method in the madness. I will exercise the benefit of the doubt. Have I ever see anyone use the footbridge, no. Have I used it. Your'e kidding me aren't you?


In keeping with photographing one subject a zilion times I will show you a shot from the other side wthin the space of a Manx minute and you won't believe the change in light and shadows. Cartier - Bresson for those of you taking note will come to mind for that shot but then so many of mine are anyway, like the black and white of this shot. You want to be a real photographer, not a computer manipulation whizz kid you will understand. Before I realised who he was I was taking images that way naturally. Photography comes from within you, not a computer.

Click below for ideas and info.

Bench
Isle of Man TT
Lezayre

A WALK ALONG LEZAYRE ROAD

Lezayre Road, Ramsey

This is Lezayre Road, Ramsey. Looks very Suburban doesn't it? Actually it's a minute walk into the town high street, or if you like the downtown area. Not that we really have a downtown area. When you live on an island and a small town, everything becomes squashed, compact, within easy reach. As you can see it's also very quiet, very, very quiet.


Lezayre, is actually another Parish. This though is just it's namesake the road. Looking into the distance you are heading towards, Kirk Micheal, Curraghs Wildlife Park and the lead out to Peel. As you can see it is a very tree lined area and sunlight struggles to make an impact which is great for those Bresson shadows. In the distance you can see a footbridge, where the solitary walker and solitary car are situated underneath. On the left hand side of the footbridge (looking at the shot) you will find Ramsey Grammar School and on the right hand side the newly built Junior and infants school.


Quiet isn't it. What time of day do you think I took this image? Dawn perhaps? No it was 4.45pm. Just before the rush hour traffic. There is an optimum time for the photographs here. Before 4.30pm, it's full of school kids and school run cars, after 5.pm the slight rush hour. A 15 minute window for a 5 minute walk into town. Enough time to stop at intervals and play around with the light and shadows. Keep an eye on that footbridge. It's going to to be featured in it's own post soon, with it's own quirky background story.


If you follow the TT, The Isle of Man TT Road Races, motorbikes then you are looking at part of the circuit. This is the approach into Ramsey under the footbridge, coming towards the point I've taken the image from, travelling over my shoulder out of shot and onto a right turn at the Swan Pub, the backdrop for my motorbike photos. It's a lot quieter today than it is then. A lot quieter!