Halloween Pumpkin Corner

 

Fifty-four years ago, the Scoville Brothers (Randy and Andy) seems to have corners the Pumpkin Market in Mostyn, Texas.  You in the market for Halloween vegetables, Randy and Andy are the guys to see,

Bonus - My Pumpkin from 2003

Another Smiling Baby

 

I know it's Halloween Eve, but I'm happier swimming against the flow. So, here's a proud Mom and a happy baby.

Actually, this was also on the short-list for the 2022 calendar. But it didn't make it, and the calendars have been delivered.  No...you can't have a sneak peak.

Bonus - Japan ports swamped by pumice spewed from undersea volcano

The Danish Business Lunch

 

From a box of slides with masses of views from around Copenhagen, this rather stood out.  A bunch of business men (no business-women) enjoying a meal, washed down with...yes bottles of Carlsberg Export.

Ah, such civilized times.

Bonus - 

Harry, Irene

Harry and Irene (here shown with Debbie in the middle) were a couple who liven on The Green. Harry Irene were a couple that ran a canteen.

And there's a fairly obscure Pop Culture reference for you to be flummoxed by.

The "The (something) Travelodge" polo shirt is a curious detail. I suspect that it says The Forte Travelodge, but...whatever.

Bonus - From pagan spirits to Wonder Woman: A brief history of the Halloween costume

 

River Traffic Jam

 

Although this slide was in a box full of South American Exploration slides, I don't think that this is taken in South America.

It's interesting to note how few navigable rivers there are in South America, and how that has rather restricted population growth and industry to the coastline. The Amazon being a rather large exception.

Bonus - 

Frills, Foliage and Frippery

 

It's Tuesday and that means Tedium.

Indoor decorating, with an overabundance of frills. Definitely not my taste.

Bonus - the Astronaut Who Smuggled a Sandwich Into Space.

Bonus 2 - I went to a Indian restaurant last night. After I had ordered, a little old lady came to me and said, "Aren't you polite. You have such lovely manners."

It was my complimentary nan.

Abstractly Yours...

 

On first glance at this slide, I was thinking "What The Flubblesticks?".

Cue much squinting, and turning the slide 90 degrees.

And then... "A-ha". Got it. Can't un-see it.

And now you have it but with the aide of it being right-way-up. (Or is it.... :-D )

Bonus - Every Problem is an Opportunity. (NSFK)

Bonus 2 - 

Guns for Christmas

 

So, yesterday and today, I have been collating the images for next year's calendars (A nice one of my own photos for family and nice people, a collection of Slide Guy images for ... other folks)and this one almost made the grade for the Slide Guy December page. Alas, while I love the while "Guns for Kids" vibe, and the presents reward some closer inspection, the image just wasn't striking enough.

So, two months ahead of Christmas, here's your first Christmas Slide all the way from 1959. Enjoy !

Bonus - Under stand your exact Logical Fallacy

Bonus 2 - 

"It Was Sixty Years Ago Today...!

 

It's not often that I know the exact day that a slide was taken...but today is the day. And exactly 60years ago.   Looks like Miss Jackson's class is preparing for a trip to Capitol City on a Bus. 

OOOOH !

Bonus 

Coiffure

 

"First appearing in English in the 1630s, coiffure derives from the French verb coiffer, which can mean "to arrange (hair)" or "to cover with a coif (any of various close-fitting caps, such as that worn under a veil by a nun)." The word is now used as a somewhat fancy way of saying "hairdo." Be careful not to confuse it with "coiffeur," which refers to a man who works as a hairdresser (and of which "coiffeuse" is the female equivalent). You may also encounter "coif" used to mean "hairstyle" - in such cases, "coif" is operating as a shortened form of "coiffure."

Bonus - Real or Wind-up?

My Mother the Car was an American fantasy sitcom that aired for a single season on NBC in 1966. Thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television. The premise features a man whose deceased mother is reincarnated as an antique car, and she communicates with him through the car radio.

"No Bicycles"

 

An early example of anti-bicyclist prejudice.

Slide dates from 1979, but from the subject's fashion sense, it could have been any time from 1934 onwards.

Bonus - The mystery of ancient roman dodecahedrons. And it's probably been solved !

Bonus 2 -      

Name That Plane !

 

Welcome to another episode of Name That Plane.

When you've consider, cogitated and calculated enough, the answer is here.

Wozzit?

Bonus - Welcome to Autumn, also known as ‘was that a slippy leaf or dog poo?’ season…

Bonus 2 - NSFK

It's Tuesday Evening...

 

...And You Know What That Means !

Tedious Tuesday !

Today's slide is...deeply dull. I could pretend that that tree features a rare and unusual bird, but as photographed, it's a unexciting tree. Somewhere.

Bonus - I have many friends who opine that "All Americans Are Barking Mad." I disagree, only some are mad, but there is undoubtedly a lunatic fringe.

Mrs Flowers, happy. Very Happy.

 Mrs Edna Flowers was, as expected, happy to be at her daughter's wedding.

But... THAT happy?

According to the prosecution, she had inadvertently consumed FOUR of the celebratory hash-brownies that her ister had prepared.

Bonus - How Odd.

The Vibrant Street Market

 

A vibrant street market i ... well, I'm not sure. Sure it was in a box of slides from a Brazilian / Argentine expedition, but... it could just as easily be Kenya, or Bakewell.

Bonus - Stuck for a Lockdown hobby? What about Miniature Dry-Stone Walling?    

Bonus 2 - This medicinal plant,found only in dark rainy forests is called Oodhu Paavai in Tamil. It blows out pollen grains periodically through its funnel like structure.

A Weekend at the Cabin

 

Every year for the past 47 years, the Syracuse Six meet up at JT's cabin. Mary and Gordon, Angie D and Jeff (the photographer), Angie T and Wilbur get together to toast absent friends, discuss grandchildren, complain about presidents and consider their future.

And to check that the shallow graves are still undisturbed. Yes the events of Mid October, all those years ago still hang heavy on their consciences. And those suburbs keep getting closer...

Bonus - What the world needs - The Fart Pedal. 

Bonus 2  - 

The Family Go Pony-Trekking

 

What could be more "Seventies" that taking a day from your caravan holiday at Salcombe to go pony-trekking with the family wearing your brown anorak and monkey-shit-brown flared cords.

...and asking "Unsteady Eddie" to do the honours with the camera...with inevitable blur.

Bonus - Insanity

Bonus 2 - 

Woo-woo on the Choo-choo

 

Yes, just a nice little picture of an adventure for the younglings.

Bonus - Happy Birthday Cliff, my Brother-in-law.  Same birthday as Roger Moore, Steve Cram and Ben ("Q") Wishaw. (Good Company.)

Bonus 2 - The phrase "Wetter than an otter's pocket".  Today I learned that otters do have pockets.

The Engagement

 

Not all proposals of marriage are made on a spectacular beach in Fiji, or atop a mountain on a crisp September Morning.

Sometimes, the proposal is made accepted and marked with a ring in a dingy flat in (possibly) suburban Madrid.

Still, as long as they're happy.

Bonus - The Outrageous Baby Names Parents Picked In 2017.    "Lucifer....stop doing that to Solaris."

Bonus 2 - 

The Canadian Forest Giraffe

 

...is a master of disguise and concealment.

As you can see.

or maybe not.

Bonus - The Stories Behind 20 Inventions That Changed the World

Are You 'aving A Giraffe?

 

The slide suggest that this is at Whipsnade Zoo in 971.

Looking at the patterns of the skin, I'd say that these are West African Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta), but perhaps some passing zoo fiend to confirm or deny this.

Bonus - Who is this Rorschach, and why does he have so many pictures of my parents fighting?

Bonus 2 - Piss-colored sadness

Trowelsworth Tor

 

The slide is helpfully marked with "1980-06-Plymouth Reg Guides above Trowelsworthy Warren" which tells you almost everything you want to know.

Oh, that that big block is an unfinished plinth for a flagpole at Devonport Dockyard.  Great Trowlesworthy Tor.

Bonus - PEA SOUP AND PANCAKES – SWEDEN’S THURSDAY FAVOURITE

Bonus 2.  People. Some people just deserve to be sodomised by a herd of horny adolescent rhinos.

Scholastic Tradition

 

The fact that English Universities have some odd traditions will be news to no-one.

At Alvaston University and School of Butchery (in Derby, England) the end of year exams have extra pressure. The student with the lowest passing score in the English Culture 101 syllabus has to march around the building in full graduation regalia, and accompanied by his college mentor who must be dressed in "Thee tightest of tightest shortes".

No-one knows the background story but shown above is student Phillip Longton, with mentor Prof William de Hubblewick, rocking the shorts and socks combo.

Bonus -  The curious story of the Raines Sandwich

Look To The Heavens

 

I normally avoid posting many pictures of "fascinating churches we found on our holiday" or "this was the stately home a mile from our hotel".

This image, well, OK. It's rather special.

It's the Nave roof, in Ely Cathedral. The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The present building dates back to 1083, and it was granted cathedral status in 1109. Until the Reformation it was the Church of St Etheldreda and St Peter, at which point it was refounded as the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely.

Bonus - Things you never knew that you would enjoy watching. Indian? Tribal People Try Cheesecake for the First Time.

The Pensive Model

 

In the middle of a box of fairly standard "Here's a nice view of the scenery from our trip to Spain etc" slide, this slide pops up.

How curious.  Just the one slide, of a model in a studio.  I wonder if there is a story behind it.

Bonus - wait for it, wait for it, wait for it...

Colourful Pigeons

 

Today's slide is marked "Iquassu Falls. Barbara and Macau."

And that rather tells you everything you probably wanted to know. (Except for the fact that Barbara is an escaped serial killer from Martha's Vinyard, but we all have skeletons in our cupboards. Actually, Barb.....)

Bonus Shoebill with a shoe bill.

Bonus 2 - The lonely death of Charles McCunn

"

Herbal Medicine

 

Oh, grow up guys.

It's just a found slide.

I'm not endorsing Herbalism, or Recreational Drugs, or Anti-Vaxxing. It's just a rather dull slide.

Bonus - No Explanation 

Yes, it's the Flying Scotsman

 

Yes.

The most famous steam engine in the world. Yadda yadda yadda.

Perhaps some steam buff will wander along and tell us where, when and why.

Bonus - I wonder if anyone has thought of starting a food business called "The Frying Scotsman".

<Googles>

Yes. Several.

Bonus 2 - We may never terraform mars but we are already martian-forming earth.

Bonus 3

The Talent Show - Three Fishermen

 

From a set of slides of a school's talent show. These would appear to be the guys doing "The Fishermen Sketch". And I bet it went down a storm.

Bonus - Why do we sleep?

Why do we sleep?

The Intersection of DIY and Medicine

 

The box this slide came in was marked "Aix-les-Bains" and "Dr Herbert, Sept 1967, and seemed to show a surgery to be fillmed for TV. Very curious. Looked like a hip surgery, which would explain the need for Big Boy Toys.

Most interestingly, some digging reveals that there was a Dr JJ Herbert, who seemed to be a bit of a wizz on hip surgery.  I like it when the evidence joins up.  There's even a Boulevard du Dr Jean Jules Herbert in Aix-les-Bains, France.

Bonus - Did 56% of Survey Respondents Say ‘Arabic Numerals’ Shouldn’t be Taught in School?

Bonus 2 - Truth and Honesty in Fashion

Where In The World? Shihmen Reservoir

 

I'm sure that 97% of the readership will look at the name, and the labels on the map and say "China".

And you would be sort of correct.

A genuine tip o' the sombrero to the 3% who said "Taiwan" or "Chinese Teipei" or Republic of China. Yes, the reservoir is located on that island.

Bonus - Mount Vesuvius eruptions in the 1700s - pietro fabris

Bonus 2 - Do I really have to explain every image?