Crossing the bar .......... the thank you

Now in the early evening of yesterday the blog passed the four million mark.

Sardinia, 2013

This I say, not out of any vain and boastful bout of self congratulation but more out of a sense of gratitude to those four million readers and to the people who have contributed to the blog since it was set up at the end of November 2011.

And here I know I will miss some one out, but I am sure those who are not conducted into the Hall of Fame will not mind.

It is a long list and includes Andy Robertson who has been recording the changing landscape and buildings across Greater Manchester and whose portfolio of images are an invaluable record of how the Twin Cities continue to adapt and change.

Manchester, 1979

And of course there are the paintings of Peter Topping, the first of which appeared on the blog six years ago and regularly form a backdrop for a story and more often than not are the story.

Peter and I now collaborate on a range of projects from exhibitions to festivals and of course books, of which we have written five together, with two more planned for the end of the year.

Alongside those images there are the articles which have been contributed by Martin, Tony, Sally, Susan, and a host of other people.

Each of them has brought their own interests and research to the blog producing some fine pieces.

And the blog wouldn’t be half as a successful if it wasn’t for those like Tricia, Neil, Bill, and Sally and many more who have offered up their research with just the throw away comment “I know you can make something of this”, and along with the research there have been all those people who have passed over a picture or agreed to me using one of their own photographs.

Greenwich by the River Thames, 1979

Of these I do have to single out David Harrop, who will contact me to say he has just acquired a new picture postcard and asking if I can use it, or suggesting stories from his vast collection of memorabilia from two world wars and the history of the Post Office.

And also Dave Kennedy, who has been happy to share his father’s photograph album with me as well as his own extensive collection.

To which must be added Neil Simpson and his colleagues at Central Ref who have uncovered a fascinating new archive of Manchester pictures and Ron for his magnificent collection of old picture postcards and ghost signs and Ryan's of London Bridge.

London, 1983

Nor can I miss out that long list of other blog writers, which includes my old friend Lois in Weston-Super-Mare, my new friend Liz the archivist at the Together Trust, Lorri and Arthur in Canada, and heaps of others who have allowed me to plunder their work and in return have referenced and show cased my stories.

At which point I also have to acknowledge social media and especially Facebook, which remains a powerful platform for all of us to share our photographs and articles, while making it possible to connect with people and places around the planet.

And finally there are my sisters and our four lads who have at times gone out of their way to take a picture I have asked for or shared their holiday pictures.

So thank you to our Jillian who has an impressive portfolio of her own photographs,  Liz, Colin & Theresa, and Ben, Luca, Joshua and Saul and their partners.

Saul and Emilka's pictures of Naples and southern Israel have provided me with some fine stories, as have those of our cousin Chris and Andrea in Canada

Greece, 2014

All of which is turning into a mutual pat on the back, and that would never do, so I shall leave it there, with just the obvious comment .......... never feel shy about bringing on a story, a picture, or some research and of course a thank you to the four million.


Location; pretty much everywhere


Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson