Sunday 30 August 2009

Saturday 29 August 2009

Friday 28 August 2009

Árd Oifig an Phuist/ General Post Office - Dublin

Post Office, Stamps, LetterBoxes, Post Boxes, Love Letters in the sand....
What's it all about? It's Postcard Friendship Friday time of course! And for more, much more of the same you have to zoom over to Marie's place at Vintage Postcards. Welcome back Marie - Happy PFF.

Post Summer Blues

Monday 24 August 2009

But Is It Art?

Art is subjective! One (wo)man's art is another's - " what the heck is that supposed to be?"

At the moment I am renovating my humble abode, and I want to put some inspiring images on my walls. So, as I love photography I decided to make a print from some recent photo - only there was nothing recently inspiring! Instead, I cobbled together some random, left-over images and....
Alright, it's not exactly Andy Warhol!
I showed it to a friend and asked him what did he think? He studied it for a few moments and said, "well, it's .... em... it's nice!"
At least he was honest then! So it's going in the Bathroom!

But on a more serious note, if you want Photographic Art... another friend, Maja (who is by the way, not a bad photographer) has introduced me to an amazing Polish photographer - check him out at - tomasztomaszewski.com/

Saturday 22 August 2009

No Comment Necessary

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No Comment Necessary

Would you believe it Valerie - a "mobile" Tattooist!

Thursday 20 August 2009

Home is...(2)

2/3 Bed, Terraced/semi-detached, Cabra, Dublin 7.
Last week I featured social housing flats/apartments in Oliver Bond, Dublin 8. This week we have a look at another social housing initiative, this time on Dublin's Northside in Cabra. There was a lot of sub-standard housing in Dublin in the early part of the 20th century, especially in the city centre area where there were vast numbers of people living in overcrowded tenement buildings. So in1937 plans were drawn up to build 1,950 houses, a school and a church in the Parish of Fingal, and the scheme called Cabra West was commenced in November 1938. The first houses were built on Swilly Road. My neighbour told me that his Auntie was housed in Cabra West after the German Luftwaffe bombed North Strand in Dublin in 1941 - supposedly by mistake, because Ireland remained neutral during the 2nd World War.
Today Cabra is a typical Middle Class residential area and while there was an issue with drugs in the past the area is now much sought after. The houses were originally 2 bed, but a lot of people have added a third bedroom. There is a small front garden and a large back garden, where I have actually seen apple trees and vegetables being grown.
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Tuesday 18 August 2009

Newsflash!!! Vikings Invade Dublin...

For CBS Evening News, this is Dan Rather reporting...
Oops, wrong tape!
Actually, the Vikings invaded Dublin around 841 a.d., they burned and r.. and pillaged. They were going back home to Scandinavia for the Winter, but the forecast was BAD, lots of storms brewing over the North Sea, so they built a few Apartments, and called the place Dublin (from the Irish words "Dubh Linn"- a black pool). Olsen, Jansen and Larsson looked into the black pool and thought, hmm... this could make us a few Kroner! But it never came to anything! They drank a few pints of the "black stuff", sang a few A-ha and ABBA and Robyn songs, met a few local lassie's and after a few more pint's of the "black stuff", thought the local girls with red hair and freckles actually looked kinda cute...
The Viking's stayed in Dublin!
A few years later - well, around 1759, a Mister Arthur Guinnesson had a bright idea - let's bottle this "black stuff"! And the rest as they say is history!
My photo shows an Amphibious World War Two American/Canadian vehicle called DUKWs, used by Allied forces during the invasion of Normandy. Affectionately known as "Ducks", surviving models are now used for a unique tour of Dublin by a company called Viking Splash Tours. Forget about your average open-top bus tour - this one brings you around the usual city sights, and then - drives into the sea at Grand Canal Docks!
During the tour, you have to wear a Viking "hat" and occasionally roar a Viking battle cry at the top of your voice at passersby, it's great fun!
I don't normally do prose - just photo's, but got carried away after visiting Valerie, Protege, Gaelikaa and A Little Birdie told me so.

Monday 17 August 2009

Put a little Sunshine in your life...

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It's been scientifically..


...proven that bright colours and sunshine make us happy!
(Actually babies discovered that way before Scientists)

Merchant of Happiness...

...at work!
This old run-down building in Temple Bar is getting a makeover. And seeing that August in Dublin has been dull, dark, dreary, depressing so far (ah - alliteration again), this Artist is putting a bit of colour (and happiness) into our life.

Friday 14 August 2009

"Drowning in Care"

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

And lucky old me also received a card from Lynne in Minnesota, USA. It features the magnificient Mississippi river - that we all learned how to spell at an early age in school!
(Incidentally one of my all-time favorite songs is "Missin' Mississippi" by the late, great Ted Hawkins.)
You will find Lynne blogging on the banks of the Mississippi at Postcardy.blogspot.com

...and Stamps