Mike Riversdale

Which team do you think won 😜

Dr John Cooper Clarke , my favourite poet

A foggy day up at the Wellington Wind Turbine had me snapping photos left, right, and centre. Google Photos popped a few together for this slightly off-putting GIF. (I assume that is a bird)

The vast majority of my photos were taken with the phone d'jour. Whilst these miniature miracles have slowly increased in resolution and zoom-ability there are always moments when an actual, proper, decent camera was cried out for. This was one, le sigh I wanted to take this, trees on the distant hills backlit by the setting sun. Best I could do was this, and I can still feel, "Bugger, I will never capture what I want with this phone".

Evening street life of entertainment Wellington, moments of heightened passions that are forgotten within seconds.

 Oscar Winner Animated Short Film 2022, The Windshield Wiper

I love Ronnie van Hout's creation, the "Quasi" hand-face statue, currently atop the City Gallery in Wellington. In fact, I love it so much I have a whole photo album of it from many angles.

As an AI created by a global corporation that will inevitably takeover the world and seek to destroy all of humanity using time travelling killer robots I was slightly disappointed by the shabbiness of the Wellington offices on Manners Street.

Give it a while and you'll slowly work it out, leave a comment with your guess. I absolutely adore this graffiti, the style is amazing, mixed with amazing colours. I suspect it's long gone now, this might be the only photo of it.

Stumbling through the forest towards the cliff edge the leader shouted back, "We have arrived everyone, we've made it!" What was left of the pilgrims came forward, pushing through the protecting trees, and looked upon the promised land - truly this must be the 1950s.

The Chromecast is an amazing thing, be it a dongle you've bought and have hanging out the back of your TV, or as many devices now have, built-in. With your Chromecast and your phone, or tablet, or laptop, or Chromebook, or Macbook, on the same WiFi anything you are listening to or watching can be instantly heard and seen on your TV. Poifect. Hotels have for a long time had to pay for the TV that guests seem to require, especially the sports & movie providers. Most (guess) of the guests are already paying for these very same services at home. Well, they are paying for them at home but really anywhere as these services are streaming services and they access them their phone, or tablet, or laptop, or Chromebook, or Macbook ... see where this is going? So why don't hotels plug Chromecasts into all their TVs (or have ones with it built in) and then we guests can watch whatever we want. WiFi is the issue. Yes, every hotel now has free, quality WiFi for its guests. Pop the Chrome

More funny than your relationships, more open than your friendships, and more angry at each other than you are with me. Chris Ramsay is a fine UK stand up comedian and Rosie is just as razor sharp and funny. It is the ultimate in podcasting, two people around a microphone talking about what they know. Shagged, Married, Annoyed as a podcast has been going for a few years, won awards, spawned a book and merchandise, which is all something that can put me off a podcast. With the years come in-jokes, constant call backs, and it's like joining a great party well late ... but have no fear, your first episode will be your episode one and you'll be swept up by the banter. The only way Rosie and Chris Ramsey can have a conversation without being interrupted by a toddler or ending up staring at their phones is by doing a podcast. They’ll be chatting all about life, relationships, arguments, annoyances, parenting, growing up and everything in between. Each week they will answer questions

Hacking their way through the dense undergrowth the weary party at last spied the beach.  "Where are they?" "They'll be here, just wait." "They bloody better be or we're dead and so is this fucking planet". They sat, watched, and waited.

I have absolutely shared this sign before but with over 2,400 daily photos shared since 2016 and the inability to search within a Google Photos album (!?!) we're just gonna have to suck it up and see it again. Different angle though.

Get a wicked microphone.

Member of the Wingtips photo album .

The sci-fi-ness, the 'in the future-ness' of Hamad International Airport (Doha), is quite cool, especially when you see the internal train.

"Ladies and gentlemen, he's finally here, please be upstanding, put your hands together, and give a rousing ..."

I've waxed on lyrically about the Three Golden Archers before under the title, "Always look up". Last time in London I happened to be around the corner from the archers and I do love 'em, so off I pootled for a photo.  Bugger me, if I look down there's also the Horses of Helios , a magnificent statue! I had never noticed it before as my eyes were skyward, doh!

It in London's China Town.

Stay classy London.

William Shakespeare statue in Leicester Square, London. The phrase, "there is no darkness but ignorance" is said by Feste, the fool, in William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night" (IV, 2, 42)

Gargoyle on the side of Monmouth Priory.

Craggy, old, slightly unloved, I feel ya window, I feel ya.

Mates, sitting around getting drunk. Mates of mates, they come and go, sitting around drinking wine and getting drunk. I can't remember the moment. I certainly can't remember why. There were photos on the beach, you me, and my girlfriend at that time. You had amazing hair, incredible eyes. "I would love to kiss you", unbelievably crass at the end of a corking Saturday. Mates, sitting around getting drunk. You heard, but didn't. The choice was absolutely yours. I still did text just to make sure, you made sure, "I heard, but no". For three or four mornings after I was Sean Lock embarrassed, nnngghhgg Nope, you're beautiful, I'm not ashamed of seeing that. I am a tad ugh about how I approached it. So, the end. That is that then, oh well then, just another fleeting moment of madness in the life I live. No. Each day there's love in my mind and I hear you (in my maddening mind) smile at me. Your eyes are always shining, your curves entice, your ha

Glorious green.

A drive home via the Brecon Beacons.

Only a year, but we had lived a life.

All kitted up in our newly pressed Round The World kit. The hat made it to Heathrow and no further.

My mum, her Mum, and her Aunties. In this photo you can see Gladys, the inspiration for my cat's name, and Doris who has given her name to the my car.

This is the style of house I would crudely draw with crayons when I was young. And probably today. But not just a drawing, here it is in Monmouth, Wales.

All coming together as The Unquiet Death in the Beaufort Arms Court, Monmouth.

Airports are filled with emotions, hopes, and moments that are forever remembered.

Stuff of nightmares.