Red Frame Journey

It's not the critic who counts...

2010-09-29T23:02:00.003+02:00

Press On – No matter what they say to you
It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

The above is attributed to former US President, Theodore Roosevelt, the speech writer doesn't get a credit, they never do, and I find that the speech writers generally got the main essence of such 'phrases' from other sources. the greatest source for most speech writers and indeed, speech makers, is usually Dr Samuel Johnson, the first man to write a lexicon, dictionary, of the English language.
Why am I writing this? Guess I am fighting an uphill battle right now in trying to get everything back on track after a succession of 'derailments' and need a ready reference for me to log on to so I remember that, at the very least, I am giving it a go, no matter how badly, and I will get there. for sure, I will get there and so will you, as long as you think 'I can' and never ever give room in your thinking to the phrase 'I can't'.

Industrial Decline, Social Destruction

2010-02-25T11:59:00.012+01:00

When ever I go to the UK there is a place that is, for me, a must visit. Dungeness in Kent.

It is unique in almost every respect and if there is a place that should NOT be judged on first impressions, Dungeness is it.Sitting on the 'corner' of Romney Marsh, it first appears to be a remote and desolate place. Numerous small shacks, many seeming on the verge of collapse, sit in the shadow of the colossus of Dungeness Nuclear Power Station that dominates this headland, the old and new lighthouses seem to add to the bleakness of a this flat, windswept landscape that is devoid of trees and, away from the single tarmac road, it is difficult to trudge across the loose shingle, scattered with redundant, decaying fishing boats and machinery, which the headland is made of.

However, Dungeness is a true place of beauty. It has a diversity of wildlife, both fauna and flora, much of which can only be found here. The RSPB nature reserve is a stop over for migrating birds and a winter shelter for many species.

It has a rich and colourful history including horror stories of piracy and smuggling and a tradition of the community making a living from the sea.

Sadly, the local community is in decline. The numerous shacks were home to generations of fishermen but are increasingly becoming weekend retreats and holiday homes, commanding prices beyond the reach of the local people.

The fishing industry, which this and many other coastal communities depend on for their livelihoods, has for years been dominated by big business and the decline of the beach launch fishing fleets has been exacerbated by catch quotas and controls imposed by politicians and bureaucrats. (A ridiculous strategy when one considers that any excess numbers of fish caught have to be thrown back into the sea, ridiculous because the fish being thrown back are already dead).

Many people across the Marsh are employed in the Nuclear Power Station, this is now in the process of closing. Its two reactors are being decommissioned, the first is already being subjected to this and the second will be shut down in the next few years.

The local 'born and bred' population want a new reactor built within the compound of the existing Power Station. There is ample room with in the Stations perimeter wall for this without any expansion. The 'incomers' and 'distant politicals' have objected to this proposal and many hundreds of people will be unemployed in the area.

What has been built on the Marsh is a Wind Turbine Farm. How the heck people have become believers and worshippers of Wind Turbines is an absolute gob-smacker for me. Hideous eyesores which are always erected in the most beautiful locations with an ugliness visible for miles around, that spend more time idle than working, incredibly inefficient, producing no where near enough electricity for current needs let alone the future demands that are increasing daily and do nothing for local employment, the local economy or the environment. The latter on the basis that raw materials are extracted from the ground with the associated environmental damage and pollution that produces. The transportation, the manufacturing process etc etc etc.

Another large employer on the edges of Dungeness is Lydd Airport, this airport is ideally located for flights to and from the continent and again, 'incomers' and 'distant politcals' fight against the locals desire for an expansion of services at the airport, essentially destroying employment opportunities for the local population.
Napoleon dismissed England as a nation of 'shopkeepers'. Wellington and Nelson disabused him of this notion, however, England is indeed becoming a nation of 'shopkeepers'. A nation of service providers who will soon have no one to provide a service to or for. This nation, or more correctly, this Island, has been kept afloat by financial institutions that have collapsed into greed and selfishness, kept alive only by money borrowed by the government against tax revenues of the future, a future that is looking increasingly bleak for those of us on the wrong side of the social divide, particularly when the tax revenues diminish due to greater unemployment and an ever increasing social support requirement.

Despite everything, Dungeness is truly a place a beauty, if one is an artist or photographer, Dungeness has a unique light, a unique environment, a unique beauty that will easily be found if one follows the principal rule of art... Look and See.

No Words Needed

2009-10-06T03:53:00.003+02:00

No words are needed, in my humble opinion, the man is pure class.

Ivy in a Dead Tree

2009-09-25T01:32:00.021+02:00

Much has been written, over the years, about a small rural town in the Limousin region of France I recently visited.
Much of this written material I have since read, trying to make sense of what happened. Trying to get a broader, more rounded, clearer picture of what happened. Trying to...

I don't know. I wanted to weep but I was too angry. I wanted to speak, but was struck dumb.

Oradour sur Glane is the small town I visited, as I approached the place along a modern high road I glimpsed some of the stone buildings through the trees. Roofless stone buildings.

This small rural town is written in history as the scene of an atrocity committed by the Waffen SS in the closing months of the second world war. It is said, written, that on a Saturday afternoon, the 10th June 1944 to be precise, a battalion from this notorious regiment sealed off the town, then instructed all the inhabitants to assemble in the town market place for an identity check.
Once there, the identity check never took place, the women and children were taken to the town church and ordered to stay there for their own safety.
The men were split in to smaller groups and placed in various small barns and workshops in the town centre.
Once this was complete, every man, women and child was killed. Machine gunned then burned.
Once the killing was completed, every building had hand grenades thrown in and was set to fire. The entire village was destroyed.

247 women died. 205 children died. 190 men died.
A total of 642 men, women and children died in the space of a little over two hours.
A few people managed to escape the carnage. They were able to tell what happened and, following the war, a special military court was convened in Bordeaux.

Why did I want to weep but I was too angry?
To get in to the town I had to enter through a sleek modern visitors centre full of smiling tour guides with a multitude of souvenirs and mementos for sale at extortionate prices. Entry to the town itself is free, to access the visitor centre there is an admission fee.

Why did I want to speak, but was struck dumb?
I wanted to ask. Why was there no explanation of what happened on the day by the soldiers? Why it was done? Why the Waffen SS arrived, sealed off and destroyed a town and its people then left? They did arrive in villages and carry out identity checks. They did apprehend and execute men publicly when resistance activity took place, but never before had they killed the population of and destroyed, an entire town. The tour guides and staff would countenance no questions that wavered from the official line. Would not let any doubt or desire for understanding challenge the prescribed circumstance.

There is no doubt that an horrendous, barbaric, event took place in this town. There is no doubt the Waffen SS were party to it. However, for me, I want and need to know more. I want and need to understand.

Heed Not The Critic

2009-09-24T14:49:00.004+02:00

Press On – No matter what they say to you

It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt

The above is attributed to a former US President, Theodore Roosevelt, the speech writer doesn't get a credit, they never do, and I find that the speech writers generally got the main essence of such 'phrases' from other sources, the greatest source for most speech writers and indeed, speech makers, is usually Dr Samuel Johnson, the first man to write a lexicon, dictionary, of the English language.

Why am I writing this?
For me really, need to crack on and lacking a bit of enthusiasm, for want of a better description, so having this as a ready reference on the Internet, I can remind myself to give the critics, those who sit on their backsides doing nothing but bemoan the TV and people that do things, those that hide in crowds in bars and restaurants snickering and gossiping about the things they lack the balls to do, those that go to the dinner parties and social gatherings to create an image instead of creating something, anything, of substance beyond an impression... to give them all the finger {:-))

Well F@ck Me, A Talking Pig!

2009-07-08T14:24:00.007+02:00

Being in a city is like being in heavy rain to me. Everyone rushes about without making eye contact. They all are going some place else. When they do stop they're crammed into the same little spaces, the choices of what to do are, really, quite limited and it's generally oppressive and restricting.
Now the rain has eased off here maybe I can get on and do some work.

I live about a third of the way up the Dordogne Valley from the coast, the Dordogne meets the sea at Bordeaux. Bordeaux, like all cities in my opinion, is just that, like all cities.I have never been able to fathom out why people want to spend a fortune on going to Rome, London, Paris, New York or any other city in any country on this planet.
They are all so diverse and multicultural now they have developed into clones of each other.
All you really need to do is go to your nearest home country city, find a pavement cafe (every city has these French inspired cafes now). Sit down with a drink, close your eyes and listen to the city go by.
If you're in Paris, tell yourself you're in London. If you're in New York, tell yourself you're in Rome.
It'll take just a few minutes before you will hear, possibly, every variety of language spoken go by you sitting in that pavement cafe. Open your eyes and look at the people, every nationality you can imagine. The traffic, every brand from around the globe.

Walk through the shopping districts. The shops in New York are the same shops in London, Milan, Moscow, Berlin, Paris...Restaurants, from a Chinese Take-A-Way to a Haute-Cuisine French Restaurant, you'll find them. People in traditional dress? From an Indian Sari to a Highlander Kilt. You'll find them.
Sky Scrapers? They have them in the desert now.
The Colosseum is impressive, if you get there first thing in the morning and are the first through the gate. After that, the crowds are so huge, the queues so long, all you ever see is other peoples heads or, for the children, other peoples legs!

Sadly, people want to go to Paris, Rome, Madrid, etal so they can say to other people, "I've been to Paris.." etc etc etc. I'm pretty much convinced it's an image thing. 'Been there, done that, aren't I great!'
Go to Bali for the sunsets, spectacular. You and three thousand other people crammed on the beach, beer or wine in hand, cameras going off like fire crackers. What joy and bliss, you really get a feel for the moment.
Miserable and cynical? Moi? Perish the thought.
If you want to experience countries, places, people and genuine culture, you really do need to get away from the cities. Get into the rural areas, the market towns, get to the fishing villages.In these areas the life is geared for the 'local' not for the tourist. The prices are not upped by 35% or more because the visitor doesn't know any better, they are pegged for the local.
People greet you with a genuine smile and are as interested in you as you are them.
They will help you find and show you, with pride, all there is to see of real interest in their area. In the majority of villages and small towns, the buildings are uncorrupted, unlike in cities where the facades are lost beneath commercial fascias and the insides gutted to make way for modern offices, sleek shopping displays and chic homes.

They are not primitive by any stretch of the imagination, in all probability the conditions, services, and comforts far exceed anything you will find in any city simply because it isn't designed for the tourist, it is designed for the local population and the local population are the true business for the non-city locations, the repeat business. The local population is the true culture of a country and the local population will welcome you and share with you, their time, their knowledge, their food, even their homes.
Now I've ranted about cities, I should justify my views of the more rural locations I'm singing the praises of. I will. As part of the Red Frame Journey, I'll tell you about the places I visit too, so if you venture down this way, at least you'll have an insight of the places the travel guides don't tell you about. Some of them are truly wonderful.
Now, to work. So which way will I go? I will go east, up river. My first ports of call are going to be Le Bugue and Le Buisson. Two small market towns, with genuine Farmers Markets selling everything from local produce to livestock to farm machinery and just six kilometers from where I sit writing this blog.
Every time I go to a Farmers Market I always think of a joke my elder brother told me about the Three Little pigs....
A teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where first pig was trying to gather the building materials for his home. She read ... 'and so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?' The teacher paused then asked the class: 'And what do you think the man said?' One little boy raised his hand and said very matter-of-factly ..'I think the man would have said - 'Well, f*ck me!! A talking pig!'

Remiss I Have Been

2009-07-06T13:40:00.007+02:00

As the title says, Remiss I Have Been in not contributing to my blog.
Why So? I ask myself. Many reasons: My parents ill health. Putting together a new image library (see previous post). Re-vamping my own website (click this posts title to view it). Renovating my ancient house in the Dordogne Valley, (currently have half the roof removed and waiting for timber and run out of money to pay for it!). Plus many other mini minor issues that congregate in ones life when one is trying to reach a final goal, as I have no doubt you all feel as often as the next person.
None the less. Onward and upward we must go....
I need to take a trip, not want to on this occasion, Need To. Was going to fly but at my age, the arms are no longer up to it, so am going to drive instead.
The camping car, for those who have not given up on me and still read from time to time, has long departed. In addition to the minor fire calamity, the insurance company arranged for recovery people to take my old girl back to UK for repairs.
Said Recovery people collected my old wagon on the back of an enormous recovery vehicle, en-route to the UK for repairs, the driver managed to hit a bridge with it and the repairs were transformed in to an insurance write off in one simple move....annoyed? Me? Bloody incandescent more like!!!
The insurance company were as good as gold, (not) screwed me down to the last half cent and paid what they could get away with.
For the time being I am back with my very old Mitsubishi 4x4 (I love old things but not a lover of the antique bow-locks) which means I am back using my tent and sleeping bag, gone are the comforts of mobile shower, cooking facilities, toilet and in-built double bed, back are the aching bones, smelly armpits and digging holes behind bushes to crap when not travelling major routes... something I am always reluctant to do.
I am setting off in the next 24 hrs for the UK and plan to be there for no more than two weeks, will have camera gear and sketch books with me so will be do lots of imagery en-route, while there and on the way back (have been finding time for this scarce of late which has not helped my mood in any way shape or form) all of which will be loaded to the various locations it has to go to on a daily or bi-daily basis as I have other work to do too.
Now I have actually re discovered my blog, I shall endeavour to maintain the content as I once did and hopefully re-discover the work ethic that has escaped me for a while. Speak soon.

My Library is Born

2009-05-27T15:25:00.004+02:00

Have been working on this for a while and it will be an on going project to improve it constantly. It is an image library with a difference, in that instead of saying the artists come first, they do actually come first. It is a library that covers the spectrum of royalty free, rights managed and rights protected image files in photography, video and graphics.
It does have a micro-stock section but I do not want it perceived as just another micro-stock site,
In addition to the micro it has section dedicated to RM/RP and has a section that I currently call 'Contributor Specials', for want of a better name, for contributors to the site to offer images at the price they decide.
The key differences, apart from the above are:
The commission structure starts at just 30% for the site across the board reducing to 20% after a pre-determined number of sales.In time I aim to have the 20% as standard or even less if it can be financially viable.
The site is more or less portfolio based, in that each contributor has a portfolio created with a brief bio and links to their own sites, (for those with no website their is an on-site mail system for direct contact from potential clients). The portfolios are directly accessible from the front of the site.
Two things here, would appreciate your thoughts etc on the site and the concept and invite you to sign up with the site.
There are no fees involved, no binding contractual obligations,no back door tricks, the only conditions are that every image loaded is offered for sale, the site can deduct 30% of the sale price as the fee for the sale and the file quality is acceptable. Image content is not checked except for the micro section but no pornography.
The site is just a few weeks old and contains images from a few colleagues, so it is all very, very new. here is the link http://www.tops-image-library.com/

There has to be a better way...

2008-11-30T18:03:00.010+01:00

The thing I love, the thing I am passionate about, the mistress in my life is; Creativity.

I probably work an average of 14-16 hours, 7 days a week. I do so because there is so much I want to get done. I am described as a 'workaholic' by some, whatever one of those is; antisocial by others and even a 'loner' by some others.

They miss the point, most of the time I am doing the things I want to do, the thing I love.

Being creative in terms of my art, my photography, my house renovations (I am on my third successive renovation project in 6 years and I do all the work myself) because it is all about creating.

I believe, in creating we are learning and in learning we are understanding. In in understanding we are growing and in growing, we should, hopefully, become better people.

More tolerant, more giving and more caring.

I am not the brightest soul on the planet. I am not the most gifted soul on the planet. I am though, possibly, the most confused soul on the planet.

I am confused because I am unable to work out what has gone wrong with our global society.

I am unable to get any understanding of the wanton destruction that is occurring around us in almost every walk of life. The terrorism, in all its guises, as well as the extremists we read about every day, I refer to the governmental terrorism as reeked by the so called civilised western governments.

I am appalled and saddened by it all. It makes me weep to think of the atrocities that man does to man. Even on a local scale, kids killing kids. In the UK this last year, a child playing kick-about with a football in pub car park, shot dead simply because he was there.

UK this year again, a motorcyclist shot dead on a motorway, because he wore a particular jacket.

America & the Netherlands, kids wandering into college and shooting dead as many other kids as possible before committing suicide.

Where will it all end? Hold up. Where the Hell did it all start?

My last post was about an art & photography drop in centre. (I am still pursuing that, its just hard to get people to listen right now, but I never quit until the fat lady sings). I refer to that because, I truly, truly do believe in the creativity that is in even single person on this planet. I not only believe, I have proved time and time again that the phrase 'I Can't...' as uttered by so many billions of people is the anti-thesis of creativity. I say that because, I have had so many people say to me over the years 'I can't...' about them being creative, for me to then sit them down and show them, they can.

I don't suggest for one moment that art, creativity, is the answer to the worlds woes, it would be brilliant if it was but, no, I don't suppose it is but, if was to help bring an end to some peoples anger, frustration and disillusionment, wouldn't that be a small step in the right direction?

I am thinking one of my life goals should be to give up everything I have and travel the world on foot, teaching people that the phrase 'I Can't...' can be expunged from their vocabulary and thinking! Maybe it would help to slow down the 'angry' epidemic that is sweeping the globe like some out of control virus; maybe it would start to bring about an end to the contagion of disillusionment that fills so many lives.

Why have I written all that? because I need to. What I really wanted to do was talk about the new art and photography forum I'm putting together.

A community forum for anything art & photography, for artists, photographers and anyone interested in art & photography. No special requirements or knowledge needed, just enthusiasm for art & photography.

The forum http://www.terryodee-forum.com was initially created to provide a service for the members of my terryodee photostock website, however, once I started to put it together I wanted it to be more than just another exclusive forum, I wanted to create some thing that really is a community forum, somewhere for anyone with an interest in art or photography can express themselves, find out anything and or just read what others are saying or thinking.

One of the important aspects is that anyone can ask for help, its my on-line drop in centre too, I am even including a 'crisis' board for anyone who wants to ask for help about/with anything.

This forum was started in November 2008, it really is that new, so you truly have an opportunity to join now at its very conception and actually help shape it into something to suit you, you can suggest additions to the boards or even removal of boards. It costs nothing and there are no spamming or junk mails. I don't do news letters or try to sell stuff for other people and I certainly wouldn't use the forum to advertise my wares.

I want it to be a place users can describe as 'our forum'. So why not give it a try, join up and see how it develops, its free to leave as well as join.

What we do

2008-10-03T15:33:00.006+02:00

What we do is go to great extremes to dump our trash and junk anywhere but where it should be

The trash bin is full but hey, what the hell does that matter I aint taking the crap I generated home with me, and I did dump it near the bin so that makes it okay.

So the bag split, whats that got to do with me? The trash here is bagged and carried way out into the country side, people go to extreme lengths to dump their rubbish, this stuff was miles from the nearest road, just like the stuff below...

If you saw the tiny track I had to clamber down to get to this spot in the middle of a woodland, you would ask the same question as me...How the hell did these people get this old engine block here?

And how about this old washing machine? When i walked through these woods in the morning, No washing machine.. When I walk back through the woods in the afternoon, a washing machine. No trackway this time, just woodland and a dumped washer.

When I was a kid we used to get a shilling, five pence in modern England, for every bottle we took back to the shop, if only that was still do-able

Global Warming? Part 2

2008-09-08T12:46:00.008+02:00

I'm British by birth and it is in my genes to complain about the weather. Actually, it's in my genes to complain about everything, well, that's my cover story for being a miserable, sour faced prat and I'm sticking to it.
I am still in a bad humour generally because all my projects this year are way, way behind schedule.
All the reasons are my responsibility really but I can say, hand on heart, that the weather has and continues to play a major role in the delays, which brings me on to the theme most prevalent in the thoughts of all right minded, non-selfish people.
Global Warming.
I travel a great deal, I travel because I need to and in recent times I have travelled by air a great deal.
Air travel is a recent development for me, I have always preferred to go overland and sea as it gives opportunity to see what is around us and enjoy what is around us. On an aeroplane we can 'enjoy' the company of complete strangers who are too wrapped up in their own little worlds to see the real one; take in an in-flight movie (generally a mind numbing action film involving aircraft hi-jacking and plane crashes to give great comfort whilst flying) the back of the seat in front and of course, the in-flight plastic meal in it's plastic wrapping to be eaten with plastic cutlery. All disposable and contributing to the tons of landfill rubbish we all produce annually and even the recyclable stuff is, in my view, very debatable.
The bee up my arse today is... contrails.
For the few who may not know a contrail is the pretty white line scored across the sky by aircraft as they fly over our heads. It is nothing more than water vapour really and, in itself, technically, a totally harmless phenomena, after all, water is the source of life.
However, this day I rose early from bed to find another gloriously beautiful morning, clear blue sky, sun climbing upward over the distant hills and although a little chilly in the shadow of the house, the sun was wonderfully warm in the garden so, breakfast for me was out-doors.
Sitting at the garden table I was looking skyward to spot any Buzzards or Eagles that may have been soaring above in search of their own breakfasts, usually some hapless reptile or small mammal that hadn't quite got the sleep out of it's eyes, when I spied a glint of sun reflected from an aircraft fuselage ahead of the ubiquitous contrail, as ever, my camera was to hand and I snapped the image at the head of this article.
What happens to the vapour, I pondered and watched.
Ten minutes later, I snapped image number two. I started to look for more contrails as I sat there in the garden and found them easily.
Although the noise from aircraft here in central south west France is non-existant, many aircraft do fly over at a great hieght travelling from all manner of international locations to all manner of other international locations. (Just how many aircraft and people are in the air at any given time I wonder?).
As I finished my coffee sitting in the garden, I snapped shot three. This is the many contrails, clearly visible amid the general image, all merging together.
This was the beginning of the death of the gloriously beautiful morning that had greeted me and impelled me to have my breakfast in the garden.
Aircraft alone had turned a clear blue, sunny sky into a hazy sunshine, overcast morning.
How alarmingly depressing is that?
How alarmingly depressing is it that we think we can off-set our carbon emmissions with a tree or some other self justifying act of greeness?
What is the point of that when what I am witnessing is nothing to do with carbon emmissions at all? Yet the phenomina is having a huge impact on the very weather conditions I am sitting in right now!!!
As said before by me, I do believe that the climatic changes we are witnessing are part and parcel of the planets natural processes and to think we can stop that or change it is, basically, a fools errand. However, as also said before by me, I also believe that we, the human race, by our own selfish actions which will not change because of our own self justifications, are accelerating the process and, my own hypocrosy is evident in the fact that later this week I shall myself be climbing into an aircraft to leave this country to fly to another country. Shame on me and shame on all us air travellers.

Global Warming?

2008-05-25T18:22:00.006+02:00

I've been reading and listening to the multitude of recent new/rehashed arguments about Global Warming

Global Warming? The very phrase now leaves me cold.
There are, undoubtedly, changes in the weather systems. There are, undoubtedly, changes in the climate. I have no doubt that we, the human species, have contributed in some way.

However...
I am tired of the political exploitation of the phrase 'Global warming', (I have a vivid memory of a senior UK politician giving a sincere, heartfelt interview about his concerns for the environment and demanding that we, the 'General Public', should consider our own behaviour, our travel.

(The Politician was giving this interview on a chartered executive jet flying him to the city of Manchester UK from the city of London UK in the spring of 2007).

I am tired of the commercial exploitation of the phrase.
Organic food costs an average of 15% to 20% more than the usually produced food stuffs. The so called 'Environmentally Friendly' products in the stores are always more expensive than the products we all used to buy but they still come in the same plastic and cardboard packaging, much more than is needed to transport it in.

I'm tired of the scientific worlds opposing views.

I've listened to scientists hammer on about this gas and that pollutant. I've also listened to other scientists hammer on about sunspots effecting the oceans, amongst other contributory factors.

I'm tired of the charities exploiation of the term.

My biggest bugbear is GreenPeace and the sheer hypocrisy they fail to see they preach. Without question, the single biggest polluting machines on this planet are ships. Ships chuck out tons and tons of carbon emissions every time they start their engines, far more than any other machine, factory, process yet there we have Greenpeace and their ships sailing all round the world and to boot, I'd wager that most of their onboard garbage turns into 'seaboard' garbage more than once per trip.

As for "...donate for the sake of your children and your childrens children"

Sorry, don't wash as I have no children. If I did, I don't wear emotional blackmail.

The earth does go through climatic cycles and some of the cycles are extreme. Have we contributed to an extra extreme in this particular cycle? In all probability yes we have.
Is there anything we can do about it? In all probability no, there isn't.
Many, many people are changing their behaviour, buying smaller cars, recycling their household waste, installing energy efficient this and energy efficient the next thing.
Wonderful.

Bloody futile. Why? Because a car is a car and it still produces carbon emissions.

An energy efficient light bulb is still a lightbulb and uses energy, just as switching on the kettle for a brew does when we step back to proudly admire our new energy efficient this that and the next thing.

Recycling as much as possible is great, in the UK and here in Europe, there are specially produced PLASTIC bags and bins for our recyclable plastics, boxes, paper, tins and bottles. All collected by huge gas guzzling lorries taken to either energy hungry recycling stations for sorting, (approx 60% of the waste is NOT suitable for recycling and is either incinerated or put in landfill sites or dumped at sea from barges) then transferred on to other energy hungry factories for processing. Much of it is put in containers and put on gas guzzling ships to be transported to places such as India and China for processing whom we then accuse of being excessively polluting. Which they may well be but largely because we send them the bulk of our crap to process.

I agree that we can-not judge climatic change on local weather, as I write this it is literally teeming down with rain and has been for the last 16 hours, I think it has rained like this on and off since last November, I have a flooded utility room down stairs to prove it!.
Last year at this time it was 36 degrees Celsius. So? We had this same rain fall four years ago.
My own view is the earth is well into one of it's major climatic changes, changes that it has undertaken many times in its billions of years of existence. As mentioned earlier, I do believe we, the human race, have contributed to a possible acceleration of this change but, we are not the cause of it and we will not be able to stop it either.
Modifying our behaviour may make individuals feel better and lay claim to being greener beings but, as said, a car is a car and the emissions it produces may be less but emissions it does produce. The manufacturing of the car, the processing of the raw materials, the fuel it uses... the same applies to all manufactured goods we purchase. It may well have a 'Green Badge' to wear, but the same damage was done in it's production and emissions are still produced.

If you're reading this, you have a computer. Oh dear, thats not very environmentally friendly is it.

If you really want to help the environment, why not start by NOT fly-tipping your rubbish in country lanes, that does include the tissue you blew nose on too.

Art & Photography Workshop Centre and Retreat

2008-05-24T23:38:00.004+02:00

I have been looking for a building suitable for hosting photography and art workshops, a place that people can come a stay as a holiday while developing their particular talents and skills aided by professional photographers and artists. With the tuition designed for each individuals wants and needs. in other words, the workshops won't be the strict structured approach that a whole group has to follow, regardless of what you want to achieve, it will be flexible enough for the individual tuition of each guest.

As part of my business plan, I need to get an idea of how much interest such a workshop in the heart of the Dordogne Valley for either or both the photography and the art would be generated and what length of time would be considered a practical stay from a guests point of view.

The full detail of what I want to achieve will be on my photography website in the next few days, I'll post the link here so you can see it when it is up and running.

In the meantime, I would appreciate your views either as a comment on this blog or you can email me here. terry.odonnell@orange.fr I would emphasise that your responses would NOT constitute an invitation for me to email you with offers or anything else and would most certainly NOT constitute you wanting to come stay, I merely want an indication as to the feasibility of such a place. Thanks in anticipation of your help

Best Place In The World?

2008-05-24T22:10:00.003+02:00

When things get as shitty as they have the last few weeks I walk. As in 'hiking' walk. Regardless of the weather conditions.

In this part of the Dordogne valley, Perigord, it is rolling country side and woodlands. Which is a bit of an misnomer really as, although it is predominantly woodland, agriculture plays a major, major part in life here and when walking along some of the ridges the patchwork scenery of the various crops and woodlands is truly stunning.

Walking through the woodlands is a true delight too, the wildlife and birdlife is abundant including wild boar, roe deer, otters, European Beaver are around too but are now very rare.

The birds in the woods are multitude and you will be amazed by the variety and will delight in the flashes of colour as the Hoopoe, Jays and Finches go about there work of feeding their chicks at this time of year and when you are in less wooded stretches looking up you'll see the ubiquitous Buzzards soaring above.

It's not only an area for nature lovers around here, there are things for everybody of every age and generation.

What are you into? Action Holidays? How about canoeing; Horse riding; go-karting; climbing; watersports et-al?

History? Chateaus; Bastide Villages; Stone-Age Settlements and of course the laceuax cave paintings.

Food? Come on, this is France, a nation that prides itself on its cuisine, quite rightly too.

I know I've said it before but, really, if you want to visit the Dordogne valley, this really is the area to stay in. To get a true sense of France and how genuine the people and their culture are, then stay in Chambres D'Hotes, not only will you have excellent and affordable accommodation with fabulous food made from fresh ingredients, you'll have a host and hostess who know the valley, where to go and what to do, so you will never be without something to do or see.

Change of Plan...

2008-05-23T13:37:00.004+02:00

Continuing on yesterdays theme, I have had a 'Change of Plan' forced upon me due to... I'm not sure if I should describe it as 'Un-foreseen circumstances' or 'Down-right stupidity' on my part.

You can decide.

I own a rather old but, extremely comfortable motor home which has all mod-cons and efficiently, if somewhat slowly, gets me to various locations giving me the freedom and flexibility I need (and saves me the expense of hotels)

A couple of nights ago I returned to the house having been further down the valley and parked the motor home in it's allotted space at the end of the garden, connected it up to the mains electricity supply and, as the weather hasn't been that great out here, turned on the electric night heater to keep things from getting damp.

An uneventful night and I retired to bed early as i was absolutely knackered.

The following morning, I went to the motor home to retrieve all the bits and pieces I'd been too idle to remove the previous night.

All looked fine until I unlocked the door and...

The smell was overpowering. The inside was as black as a coal-cellar. What the hell has happened here?!

The smell was a combination of burnt plastic, wood and fabric. The blackness was soot and smoke damage. I climbed inside to find the night heater no longer existed as a night heater but was now a solidified pool of melted plastic with a small metal fan sitting on top of it.

For what ever reason, the bloody thing had melted during the night, which has left me completely bemused as to how this could have happened as it was literally only a few months old, there is a hole in the floor, the cupboard to the side has been burned slightly, the bench seat on the opposite side is also slightly burned and the cushions on said seat are burned and melted.

Thank goodness they build these things with fire resistant materials. I shudder to think what the consequences would have been had it caught alight fully and allowed to blaze away unchecked.

It is parked directly beneath some trees that are in the garden and the fuel tank is half full. I can imagine the trees being set on fire and the fuel tank exploding, beyond that, I do not want to imagine what could have happened.

I was pretty pee'd off but set about sorting this bloody mess out.

I quickly discovered that this was a job far bigger than I could under-take my-self. The soot and smoke have penetrated just about every square inch of surface, every cupboard and drawer, into the shower unit. The clothing and bedding I left in there overnight are damaged, the on-board television is probably trashed, the CD disc-changer too but worse of all for me, I foolishly left two of my cameras in there and I know that they are trashed as the soot and smoke have worked their way inside the bodies and the sensors, being as sensitive as they are, are buggered by the acidity in the soot and smoke.

This is not a good time to be terryodee.

Particularly as the insurance has restrictions on the value of individual items, namely, £100 per item damaged, lost or stolen. needless to say the cameras are substantially more valuable than that. Gutted is what I am. Gutted.

I was, I have no shame in admitting, pretty bloody down and pretty bloody angry at myself.

I had, reluctantly, no choice but to ask the insurance company for some help.

Well, I can't really complain about the insurance companies response. They are dealing with it but, it is going to take some-time of that there is no doubt.

The vehicle has now to be recovered back to the UK for repairs. The reason for this being, although I live in France, much of my official life is still in the UK and as such the motor-home was purchased in England, registered there, is maintained by a motor-home specialist there and is insured by an English insurance company. Which in some ways was a bad move as if I had French Insurance the premium would be about half of what I paid in England!

Oh well, I my-self am off to the UK in the next day or two as well, needs must and all that. So I am altering the remit for the redframe project slightly, it will include the Romney Marsh region of Kent England as that is the area I will be staying in for a couple of weeks or so.

If it doesn't rain, It pours hard. Which leaves me wondering, Are there any glaciers left in the world?

Why Is Life Like That?

2008-05-21T20:21:00.013+02:00

Ever noticed when something goes a bit wrong in life, it is rapidly followed by something else going wrong? Then another problem crops up while you're trying to deal with the first two; then another and another and another.... Before you know where you are, the little hole in the 'Dyke-Wall' you stuck your thumb in to stop the water has turned into a watering can rose and your up to your neck in water...and sinking fast.

Melodrama 1.

Living in France I have a local bank account but maintain my main account in the UK. Periodically, I telephone the UK bank and transfer funds to the French Bank. Been doing that since I moved out here without any issue.

About eight weeks ago, made my phone call and was informed I would need to 'Verify my identity'.
"OK" says I, "What do you want me to do?"
"Pop into your local branch with your passport" Says the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Oh" Responds I in surprise "Where is your branch out here?"
"Out where Sir?" Asks the voice I had just told I am calling from France some 1100miles from where he is sitting.

"France" I remind him.
"We don't have any branches in France sir"
"Then how do I 'Pop into my local branch' ? I enquire.

Silence is the response. A silence long enough for me to ask if he is still there.

When he does respond, I'm afraid I let myself down a little as my parents raised me to be patient with and tolerant of those with afflictions, particularly those with an I.Q. that challenges the temperature of frost in terms of digits.

He asked me if I was "...sure I couldn't just pop into.." my local branch as he was "..quite certain it would only take a few minutes.." of my time and he would then be able to "..process my request".

I briefly questioned his heritage, the orifice he employed to speak with and the location of his brain-cell. This was followed by a short, terse conversation about options and it was agreed that I would get a certified photocopy of my passport in the post to them.

My local Mayor duly obliged, photocopied, official stamp, signed and I dropped it in the post.

One week later, I telephoned the UK bank and indeed they had the copy. Indeed, they could not accept it as verification of my identity as I had posted it to them myself.

"What is the problem with that?" I ask
"It is possible that it could be a forgery" The voice replied.
The silence on the phone line this time was mine.
"Hello" His little voice kept repeating "Hello"

I hung up the phone, as I was in danger of climbing into it, along the phone line and out the other end to inflict some serious damage on this fool.

After a short delay, my telephone rang, which I answered to discover it was the UK bank. I lost it. Completely.
Now I am in my own home, the telephone in my home rings and I answer my own telephone in my own home to have some socially challenged gimp ask me to 'Identify myself'. Ask me to confirm my date of birth and my postcode.
My response to this is not publishable.
I asked this caller the same personal questions as they asked me and they declined to answer.
I told the caller I will be closing my bank account, complaining to the banking ombudsman and consulting a solicitor in regard to suing the UK bank and this individual in particular.

After profuse apologies from the socially challenged gimp on the phone, I listened intently to what it had to say.
In short, they needed to write to the Mayor to verify the verification. To top this, they need the address of the Mayor and, this is the good bit, they ask me to supply it!
This is, I point out, rather ironic as the reason for writing to the Mayor is to ensure I haven't some how made a Mayoral Seal/Stamp and forged the Mayors signature. I could give any address and forge the reply.
I gave them the address, as he can not imagine me doing such a thing...despite more or less accusing me of forging the document the wish to verify with the Mayor.

The account in the UK is now closed and it took all of eight or nine weeks to complete the transaction which, previously, had taken literally a few minutes on the phone on numerous previous occasions. The Uk bank also manged to amass charges of £973.37. I am contesting this.

I got this email

2008-05-05T12:32:00.003+02:00

I got this via email over the weekend and thought I'd put it on here to see what you all think...

Andy Rooney said on '60 Minutes' a few weeks back:

"I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers.

The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion. I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American/Canadian/British citizen, you should have to speak English! My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot or arrest you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines. I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special National Assistance, loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, corner store, or any other business. We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor. I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say 'NO!'

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be 'African-Americans/Canadian/British'? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe.

I am proud to be from America and nowhere else And if you don't like my point of view, tough... I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE Canadian FLAG, to the BRITISH FLAG & TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
It is said that on average 86% of Canadians, Americans & British believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on American money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 15%+ to BE QUIET!!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Collected my Mum from the airport on Saturday, she's staying for a couple of weeks so my blog is going to be every other day.

Belief In....What?

2008-05-02T12:18:00.009+02:00

[Red Frame Home]
The 'objects' I come across predominantly in rural areas, no matter where I travel in central and southern Europe, are religious shrines and icons of one description or another.

Never came across any in England, which is not a surprise, with the political correctness of the UK Government and all the ridiculous equal this and fair-play nonsense the next thing groups, England is a place, like a few other 'western civilized nations' where religious festivals, such as Christmas, are frowned upon and in some areas not allowed to be called Christmas at all. How insane is that?

The purpose of these shrines is clear, to praise the God that people devoutly believe in. The shrines do vary, some a small simple crucifix, others an elaborate display of statues and water features. All are maintained to some degree or another, none are totally neglected.

My reason for mentioning this is Belief.

We, the Human Race, are complex, sophisticated bits of kit. We can walk, talk, invent, rationalize, analyze, etc, etc, and we have evolved into the mammal that, basically, controls this planet we inhabit. (Even though we have no control in reality because it is getting ready to wipe us all out and start again, as it has so many times in the millions of years it has been in operation). Yet as a species we still believe in the basic concepts of 'Good and Evil'.

The guise that these two concepts take is different for each individual but, I think the vast majority of people still have a basic belief that 'Good' is represented by God and 'Evil' is represented by the Devil.

Okay, so there are people that don't believe in God or the Devil, but even these people believe in something, like Mother Nature or Neptune or Fate, Chance, Sun, Moon, Destiny, Spacemen, Credit Cards, whatever. Get over it.

The thing is, every one believes in something outside themselves and 99 times out of 100, the something that is believed in has an opposite something outside of themselves, so for ease for me to write (and think) I'll call it Good and Evil.

My question still remains, what is it, why is it, how is it that us, the human race, have this ingrained need to have belief in something outside of ourselves, outside of the species we are?

I myself believe in God. What I believe God to be is another matter. I can totally understand why rural, farming communities want, and in some ways, need to, openly, strongly, 'pay homage' to the God they believe in. Their livelihood is entirely dependant on the elements, the weather.

Get crap weather, get a crap crop. Get good weather, get a good crop. Simple.

So who controls the elements? The weather?

We don't. Scientist give it a good try, but we don't. So, our complexity, our ability to think, analyze, rationalize, steps up to the breach and says, quite rationally. "If I don't control this thing, who does?"

Can't see anyone, so must be.........

Throughout the recorded history of the human race and, undoubtedly when we lived in caves, our race has looked at the sky, the sea and even the forests (before we cut them down) and asked, 'How did this come to be?' 'Who/ What made these things?'

Farmers have watched their crop destroyed by a thunderstorm the day before harvest and asked. 'Why?'

Parents have watched a child die and asked 'Why?'

When we can't find an answer to a question. When we can't see a logical explanation for something that happens, we have to fill the space, if we didn't fill the blank space with something, we would go insane trying to find the solution.

So what do we do? If something bad is happening, I must of pissed off the 'entity' that controls that aspect of my existence, so I better let the 'entity' know I respect it, I talk to it (prayer) I put signs up that say I respect it (shrines) I get people together in groups to add support to my words and requests, to show respect (church).

Still the bad things happen. So I try the harder to show the entity that I respect it and am incredibly grateful if it can keep the bad things away for a while, bigger prayers, bigger shrines, bigger churches and presto, a good summer, a good crop, everyone healthy. Done the job.

We Believe.

The next year, a hurricane writes off the crop. The house burns down and I wake up to find I have cancer. Mmmh, must have annoyed the entity big-time somehow. Better pray harder.

What do we believe in though? A Good, Caring, Loving Entity?
Or is the entity a nasty vindictive piece of work that likes to screw us over if we don't do as it wants?
Do we believe through love and devotion? Or do we believe through fear?

Fear is born in any situation we do not know the answer to.
We don't know there is a God, We only believe there is a God.
Do I believe in God? I only believe I believe in God. The scariest bit for me is.

What if there nothing to believe in but 'shit happens'?

Why Is Everybody Wearing Spectacles?

2008-05-01T01:36:00.026+02:00

[Red Frame Home]

I am at a loss to understand, in this advanced century of advanced technology, advanced living conditions and advanced health-care, why so many young people wear spectacles.

Is the advanced generation genetically dis-advanced in someway?

Or, as I am starting to suspect, is the wearing of spectacles simply some sort of peculiar fashion requisite? I see 'designer specs' advertised all over the place now. I see an ever increasing number of young people wearing spectacles and am actually perplexed and even a little concerned. If the current young generations eyes are failing at the rate they seem to be, what is in store for the next generation?

Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that there is very little wrong with the eyes of so many young people, I fear it really is just a continuation of the 'must have' syndrome that plagues our societies now. Designer labels? Surely, instead of them expecting people to pay way over the true value of these often poorly made products, there should be a commission payed to the wearer for advertising the goods?

Enough of my cynicism, I made it into Le Buisson de Cadouin this day. The town-centre is set a little back from the Dordogne, sitting on a cross roads of main routes to Paris; Spain; Bordeaux and Toulouse. It boasts an exceedingly large railway station and one of the finest, and busiest, cinemas in the region.

The town square plays host to an exceptional, genuine, farmers market, as outlined in yesterdays post, and sitting just outside of town is quite possibly one of the most opulent hotels I have ever come across. Hotel Manoir de Bellerive.

There are bars; cafes; domestic electronics-store; computer-stores; hairdressers; bakers; grocery-stores; clothing-store; restaurants; shoe-store; builders-merchants; garden-centre; car showrooms; hotels; guest-houses; gites; camping-parks; canoe-centre; school; tourism office....

The list goes on. Hold-up. This place must be huge... The traffic horrendous... Teeming with people.

Actually. No. The population is around 2000 souls and is spread over an area of some 41sq km.

It is a town for local people but also welcomes visitors with open arms.

As for things to do and see, well, where do I start. I guess the most important sites (apart from me just out-side of town of course) include the Caves at Lascaux, Beynac, Sarlat, Bergerac, Abbey at Cadouin, just to give you an idea, are all with-in 20/25 minutes drive of the town. The pre-historic inventory of this region is endless and doesn't start or end with the cave paintings at Lascaux.

Night-life, clubs and shows for all ages, abound in this area. The villages and bastides from the middle ages are all around and you could spend a year here as a tourist and still not get to see everything.

That's my sales pitch for Le Buisson over with, don't even get paid for it!

Red Frame is not about the towns, its about the people. I like the people here abouts. Don't see much of them, probably because of where I live out in the sticks.

When I used to come this way as a tourist, it wasn't unusual to have people wave to you as you drove through the more rural villages, particularly when in an English registered right-hand drive car. It wasn't 'quaint', it was actually really pleasant.

I have to confess, even now I live here, I struggle with the French Language but it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem on a day to day basis, as people are quick to help and my sign language, even though self praise is no praise, is pretty damned mustard!

Today's poignant moment for me was coming across a very simple memorial for what was clearly an incredibly brave man.

His name was Robert Mathe and he was a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. All I know at this time is what I read on the plaque attached to the memorial which, in my basic French, translates to...

'In homage to the resistant Robert Mathe, child of Cadouin, that in this place on October 22 1943 was cut down during the course of the first mission against the Nazi in Dordogne'

Forget the politics of it, at the risk of seeming to be dismissive, it's too long ago to judge people and those responsible for that episode in human history are either gone from this life or of no consequence any more.

What struck me about it was standing in a place where someone with a true belief and a genuine courage of conviction attempted to carryout an action in support of that belief and died in the process. Added to that is the fact Roses are attached to the stone, so some-one clearly remembers this man, some-one clearly still loves this man and marks that love on a regular basis with a rose. I know its regularly because some there are three roses on there this day, one is fresh, the other two are at various degrees of fading, leading me to believe the roses are placed there on a weekly basis.

Essentially, he sacrificed his life for something he believed in. Does this still happen? Are there people still strong enough to be as this man was? True to himself?

I sometimes wonder, given the state of the world today and the over-riding importance given to the materialistic must haves that seem to pervade, not only our lives, but our very personalities.

Which Way - Where To

2008-04-30T11:32:00.023+02:00

[Red Frame Home]

Now the rain has eased off here maybe I can get on and do some work on Red Frame.

I live about a third of the way up the Dordogne Valley from the coast, the Dordogne meets the sea at Bordeaux. Bordeaux, like all cities in my opinion, is just that, like all cities.

I have never been able to fathom out why people want to spend a fortune on going to Rome, London, Paris, New York or any other city in any country on this planet.
They are all so diverse and multicultural now they have developed into clones of each other.
All you really need to do is go to your nearest home country city, find a pavement cafe (every city has these French inspired cafes now). Sit down with a drink, close your eyes and listen to the city go by.
If you're in Paris, tell yourself you're in London. If you're in New York, tell yourself you're in Rome.
It'll take just a few minutes before you will hear, possibly, every variety of language spoken go by you sitting in that pavement cafe. Open your eyes and look at the people, every nationality you can imagine. The traffic, every brand from around the globe.

Walk through the shopping districts. The shops in New York are the same shops in London, Milan, Moscow, Berlin, Paris...

Restaurants, from a Chinese Take-A-Way to a Haute-Cuisine French Restaurant, you'll find them. People in traditional dress? From an Indian Sari to a Highlander Kilt. You'll find them.
Sky Scrapers? They have them in the desert now.
The Colosseum is impressive, if you get there first thing in the morning and are the first through the gate. After that, the crowds are so huge, the queues so long, all you ever see is other peoples heads or, for the children, other peoples legs!

Sadly, people want to go to Paris, Rome, Madrid, etal so they can say to other people, "I've been to Paris.." etc etc etc. I'm pretty much convinced it's an image thing. 'Been there, done that, aren't I great!'

Go to Bali for the sunsets, spectacular. You and three thousand other people crammed on the beach, beer or wine in hand, cameras going off like fire crackers. What joy and bliss, you really get a feel for the moment.

Miserable and cynical? Moi? Perish the thought.

If you want to experience countries, places, people and genuine culture, you really do need to get away from the cities. Get into the rural areas, the market towns, get to the fishing villages.

In these areas the life is geared for the 'local' not for the tourist. The prices are not upped by 35% or more because the visitor doesn't know any better, they are pegged for the local.
People greet you with a genuine smile and are as interested in you as you are them.
They will help you find and show you, with pride, all there is to see of real interest in their area. In the majority of villages and small towns, the buildings are uncorrupted, unlike in cities where the facades are lost beneath commercial fascias and the insides gutted to make way for modern offices, sleek shopping displays and chic homes.

They are not primitive by any stretch of the imagination, in all probability the conditions, services, and comforts far exceed anything you will find in any city simply because it isn't designed for the tourist, it is designed for the local population and the local population are the true business for the non-city locations, the repeat business. The local population is the true culture of a country and the local population will welcome you and share with you, their time, their knowledge, their food, even their homes.

Now I've ranted about cities, I should justify my views of the more rural locations I'm singing the praises of. I will. As part of the Red Frame Journey, I'll tell you about the places I visit too, so if you venture down this way, at least you'll have an insight of the places the travel guides don't tell you about. Some of them are truly wonderful.

Now, to work. So which way will I go? I will go east, up river. My first ports of call are going to be Le Bugue and Le Buisson. Two small market towns, with genuine Farmers Markets selling everything from local produce to livestock to farm machinery and just six kilometers from where I sit writing this blog.

Every time I go to a Farmers Market I always think of a joke my elder brother told me about the Three Little pigs....

A teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where first pig was trying to gather the building materials for his home. She read ... 'and so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?'

The teacher paused then asked the class: 'And what do you think the man said?'

One little boy raised his hand and said very matter-of-factly ..'I think the man would have said - 'Well, f*ck me!! A talking pig!'

Red Frame Rain

2008-04-29T12:38:00.003+02:00

Rain stop play, which gave me time to prepare the web pages so I can load the images direct. Gave me time to think too.

Haven't done any painting for a while but as an artist painting portraits, exploring the physical contours of another person in every sense is an adventure of discovery. The way they sit or stand, the way they cross their legs or hold their hands. The slump in their shoulders, the rigidity of their back but, most importantly, their face.

The face holds the detail of every journey it has taken. The mouth telling every word it has spoken and the eyes. The eyes do not and can not keep secrets. The eyes are the traitors to our private world, they tell our deepest secrets, showing the world our hates and loves, our pains and joys. They show if others can trust us, believe in us, if we love them or loathe them and everything in between. BUT, having said all that, do we ever really know people? Do we ever really understand them? Or is our interpretations of what we think we see influenced by the assumptions we made in the first few moments of meeting them?

I like to think I have learned a great deal about people. Particularly, that we never know everything, no matter how intimate the relationship. I know that, no matter how we try to parcel people up and shove them into boxes, they don't really fit a particular box. They are too complex and could fit into many boxes. Is it impossible to know them? To predict their behaviour or reactions? Are we right to judge people on 'what they have done or do?' Should we 'catergorize' people, shoving them into 'boxes' of our making? I believe not. Red Frame is, for me another journey of discovery, not people coming to me for a portrait, me going to them and asking for their portrait. I want to learn some more. I want to know that 'The clothes do not maketh the man'.

A New Project, A New Journey

2008-04-28T10:53:00.004+02:00

[Gallery]

I start my new project this week, this day. It is named

'The Red Frame Journey'.
Red Frame is a people project I am starting end of April 2008. It's a walk through the Dordogne Valley in SW France with a small, red, wooden, picture frame and a camera to photograph people.

As we progress the people and places we encounter will be pictured and in the case of people, I will invite them to write a sinole sentence in my journal that best describes them as a person. The sentence they write for me I'll add to the photograph.

Not what they are, who they are and there is a very distinct difference.

Someone telling you they are a Doctor tells you nothing about the person except their job. Where as, if I told you, "My name is Terry, I really don't give a toss". Would tell you an aspect of me the person. It is an aspect of the people we encounter that I want to capture

People, humans, are fascinating. No two people are the same yet we instictively categorize people. Good People; Bad People. Happy People; Sad People. Winners; Losers.

In real terms we can't truly categorize people at all, everyone is an individual, we are born with traits of our parents and we learn much from them. As we grow, our education into life is gleaned from our experiences, day by day; hour by hour; second by second, we see, we feel, we experience, we learn, from the cradle to the grave we change as we learn and each of us is shaped into an individual person.

We tend to categorize ourselves too, if you asked me who I am, the main tag would be artist and photographer. My job, not who I am. So I want to know who people are but only in a sentence. I want to know who you are too, tell me in a sentence, maybe you will send me a picture of you, maybe I will put you in the book I publish.

Should you want to see the images I create, some will appear in this blog, some will also appear on my flickr and livespace sites. All of them will start to appear on my website soon via this link at http://www.terryodonnellphotographs.com/red-frame.html. You will be welcome, and I encourage you, to add your comments, thoughts opinions. Most important though, tell me about you in a sentence.