XH558

 So, another year between posts but I still have the Minox and still use it every so often. I'm hoping that there will be an improved version one day as I still think it's an excellent size and form and could be so much more useable than it is. Anyway... Here is a picture from Yeovilton air show. It was one of the hottest days of the year and 30,000 people turned up to watch the Fleet Air Arm's annual airshow. Once again, the last remaining airworthy Avro Vulcan was the star of the show. Every time we see it we're told it may be the last year it'll be able to fly. There's currently an initiative to take it flying into 2015, details here: www.vulcantothesky.org

 I do enjoy an air show which is somewhat perverse as I'm scared stiff of flying. I'd certainly risk it all for a flight in a Spitfire though, or even a ride in the BBMF Lancaster would do me fine. Other stars of this year's display included an excellent Saab Gripen which did a superb noisy display which appealed to the small boy in me. Will try not to leave it another year to post again...

Auschwitz-Birkenau

A long time ago now, about 25 years ago, a friend of mine's Jewish father told me that I should read a book. The book was by Primo Levi, an Italian who spent time in the notorious German concentration camp Auschwitz. That book has always stayed with me and when I got the chance recently to take a trip to Krakow along with some work colleagues I jumped at the chance. I took the little Minox camera as well as a film camera but to be honest Auschwitz is not the sort of place you want to be constantly snapping away. It is a place to look and learn and reflect on what has happened and must never happen again. Rooms upon rooms of evidence of man's inhumanity to man. All this happened in the very recent past. I'm not an old person and my father fought in the second world war-it's still modern history. We spent the morning at the smaller site of Auschwitz which served as the administrative centre. It is here that you see the infamous 'arbeit macht frei' sign above the entrance gates. Also here is the site of Mengele's terrible experiments on children. Auschwitz is a disturbing experience but a worthwhile one for anybody. In the afternoon we moved on to Auschwitz-Birkenau or Auschwitz II. This is a much bigger site and was planned to be further extended still as part of hitler's 'final solution'. The majority of the million plus people who were exterminated died on this site and it's a place you feel you've been to before you even arrive, such is it notoriety. The size of the site gives plenty of space for you to walk around, away from tour guides in order to find what meaning you can from the rubble and monuments to those who lost their lives. It would be wrong to say this was an enjoyable day but I think it was one of the things I needed to see and do. It's safe to say we all needed a beer on returning to Krakow.

Bar Italia

One of the oldest proper coffee shops in London is Bar Italia in Frith St, Soho. It's famously open all hours and is home to colourful characters of all types. The coffee is authentic and authentically expensive-well worth a visit but I couldn't afford to go there every day!

Linda Internet

Had a day shopping in London yesterday. Had coffee in Soho and was amused by the name of this shop. I rank this alongside the famous 'Alan Fish Bar' in Ely!

On the Cob

Had a couple of days off last week so we met up with a couple of friends at Lyme Regis. In between rain showers we had a walk along the Cob, made famous by Meryl Streep and Harold Pinter/John Fowles. I took the digital Minox and again most of the colour pictures are very dodgy exposure wise which results in a general muddiness. Anyway, here's a black and white contre jour snap of walkers on the Cob.

Live Eels

Here's another Minox film scan. Quality from this old black and white film is a bit hit and miss but there's nothing like film. This picture must have been sitting waiting to be developed for about four years. I'm sure the Live Eels have passed on by now...

Back from the Dead

If you go back to the very first post I made on this blog you'll notice a picture of the digital minox sitting alongside the beautiful original Minox iii from the 1950s. Well this camera hasn't been used for years, mainly due to the difficulty of getting film developed and the cost involved when it has been possible. Luckily, minox themselves have continued to sell film in their own format so what we might call 'Minoxing the analogue way' has been able to continue in this instant world.

Anyway, I caught wind of a brave company in Burnley who have a passion for all things film and heard that they were prepared to have a go at Minox film. I found this hard to believe, as even when minox were relatively popular I still had to send films to Germany for development and tiny, fuzzy prints. So i sent off my two ancient films and waited for development and scans to cd to arrive, which they did today! I'm going to be posting a few of these as they are indeed 'digital' just in a slightly more roundabout and filmic way.