Sunday, January 01, 2006

The Last Of 2005, The First Of 2006

Happy New Year all! 2006 should be fun. Out of work by July, but dead excited about it. Hopefully a lot of things can come together with that event - I'll be working flat out as ever and adding the odd snap here and there.

Yesterday we went to the Calennig celebrations at Cardiff City Hall, alongside the Winter Wonderland. Elis had a ball and a ride on several of the funfair rides. I got some new snaps. Hover for details.

Ice, shadows and lights on the Winter Wonderland Ice Rink

The typical shot of the Winter Wonderland in Cardiff

Stilt walking knight, lights and the Sun Wheel in Cardiff's Winter Wonderland

Gaudy lights for fast food at the Calennig celebration on New Year's Eve 2005 - Cardiff

Cuddly toys grow in great abundance from the roof of the 21 Game trailer - just don't try to win one...

Spooky people flit by the ghost train...

As the clock turned midnight last night, a barrage of fireworks went up around Cardiff, and a few thoughts of New Year's Eves past sprang to mind. I'll bore you with some memories whilst I still have them.

As a child I spent many of them at my Nan and Gramps in Cathays, and at the turn of midnight we used to go out into the street and everyone would be on the doorsteps waving. You used to hear the fog horns bellowing out from the Bristol Channel. I used to love going out and listening to the sound of the them echoing faintly down the long terraced streets.

You don't hear fog horns any more - at least I haven't for ages - they should carry as far as Fairwater, we can see the Severn from here so we should hear them. MAybe they've been replaced by GPS or something less glamorous. I really miss that sound. I don't think people go out on the streets anymore either. My Nan's street is now 95% student accommodation, so none of them are about this time of year. That makes parking a treat though.

Another fond memory I have is for the New Year I spent in Austria - I think it was the turn of 1990. Unfortunately, what was a wild celebration with fireworks in the street was marred by the fact I had injured my knee that afternoon and would not be skiing anymore - and was starting the earliest stages of scarlet fever. It was magical though. Shortly after I'd bust my knee up, we came down the mountain on New Year's Eve afternoon for the last time. I had to grit my teeth, I was in a lot of pain.

As we came down the mountain we had a commanding view of the massive lake (Zell Am Zee I think - the whole holiday is a blur) miles below us. Suddenly fireworks started flowering above it as a big display began. It was amazing - I wish I could remember it better and had stopped for photos, but it was truly lovely.

Fond memories. I'm not immune to reminiscing about the past come this time of year. But onwards and upwards. today we went to Penarth for a walk. We went up on to the top end where I've never been before. There were some lovely views across the Severn (but no fog horns.) It was just turning dusk, and the air was clear enough to see to the Severn Bridge on one side, and across to Minehead and on across the Holmes. Beautiful - the batteries only had a few shots in them and the viewpoints were limited, but here's some of what I got.

Murky sunset over Flat Holme and Steepholme from the Cliff walk at Penarth

Looking down on Penarth Beach and across the Bristol Channel and Flatholme

Looking up the Severn towards Bristol and the Severn Bridges

Anyways - happy 2006 all - hope its a good one for the planet. Not hopeful though.

Posted by Dio Bach at 23:42

4 Comments:

Elise Tomlinson said...: Happy 2006 Dio!

Why does everything in Wales look so much exciting and interesting than my life?

Anyway, again, I'm sorry you'll be out of work in July but it's nice you have time to plan for it and it might be the best thing to ever happen to you. You're such a great entrepreneur (I know I just murdered the spelling of that word)...

The new photos really are beautiful.; 10:44 PM
Dio Bach said...: Thanks Elise - I am looking forward to it, but to be an entrepr, entripi, ntrep - waagh - a money maker I need to start making some money :)

As for Wales, I'd swap you at the drop of a hat. :); 9:42 AM
holly said...: I've been expressing my jealousy at your weekend jaunts for years now. This batch of photos is lovely from beginning to end (but is that *Hitler* shelling out stuffed doggies to the kiddies?). It looks festive and holiday-like-- what fun! The broken umbrella shots make me think of some sort of death of a surrealist painting (that or Mary Poppins is in a bad way in the scrub somewhere).

Also sorry to hear about the job and hope things work out for you. You always seem to have a zillion things going on the side-- the law of averages says one of these is going to be a money-maker for you. You have some great ideas.

ahem... will you be PAINTING anything this year? ;-); 2:54 AM
Dio Bach said...: I'm hoping I may just be settled enough to start the first painting of 2006 in about September 2008... Who knows? I have some on the go from last year that need finshing first.

I think Magriette went off the cliff there, but he was alright because a pipe with wings swept down and swallowed him whole, whence he puffed out the other end as a waft of smoke in the form of an apple. The batteries were dead for that one though, sorry. :D; 10:32 PM