Not So Pretty

I am aware that I have been posting a lot of photos of blue skies and picturesque views since moving "down north"  as they say here.

The island is, however,  not all neat and pretty .  It is a "real" workaday place which has some economic hardships and has its own grittier side.

During yesterday evening's post-supper stroll I snapped some of the not so pretty views we see every day  just to balance out my diary reporting.








22 comments:

  1. Sorry but even your gritty views have an openness and quality of light about them that raises them above slums of industry.

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    1. Thanks Mr T. There are much worse places that I could photograph. I am just not keen to venture down those streets just yet!

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  2. My inner William Blake dislikes the Industrial Revolution. When I lived in Northwest England I would spend my time walking in old valleys full of derelict cotton mills and along canals with sunken coal barges and marvel at how nature encroached and reclaimed these places for her own. Industry is important and old railways can be beautiful. Smashing photos JayCee.

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    1. Thanks Dave. I think that, even though some places are a little scruffy here, I have seen much worse across in the area where I grew up.

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  3. My friends who live most of the time on the I O M (he was a Headmaster there until retirement) love living there and I just think your photographs show an interesting workaday side to the island.

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    1. Yes, I love it here, even with its share of scruffy bits!

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  4. So it is not a tropical paradise, huh? Glad you are getting out and about and exploring all housing possibilities!?!

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    1. Definitely not a tropical paradise Ellen!

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  5. Have to agree with Tigger...those blue skies kind of capture one's attention long before the gritty stuff. Considering I live not far from a large US city my view is somewhat skewered...there is gritty and then there is GRITTY. Fortunately, I'd say IoM has a bit of the former, likely not much of the latter.

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  6. Railway lines? Not pretty? I beg to differ.

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    1. It was more the weeds and the metal fencing I thought were a bit zcruffy, Tasker.

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  7. If you want gritty then, believe me, my Hebridean paradise can do a lot grittier than that!

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  8. Don't like the boarded up buildings but the railway tracks are still attractive. I see green!

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    1. Lots of weeds, Linda. Growing up through the pavements, walls and in the gutters. Some places look almost as though they have a roof garden!

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  9. I think most towns have similar areas, it's all part of an evolving landscape.

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    1. With some worse than others. Ours are not too bad, considering.

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  10. Do you have any beggars on The Isle of Man? I saw one outside our Lidl supermarket on Wednesday night. She was sitting on her haunches reading a novel and each time I passed her she said "Spare some change?" Unfortunately, I use a debit card. What level of unemployment do you have on Man?

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    1. I am always saddened to see young people begging on the streets. We don't really have that issue here but there are of course some people in need of help, including those who often end up sleeping on the seafront shelter benches.
      As at the end of May our unemployment rate was 1.4%. I am not sure what the longer term impact of our 2 year border closure will be.

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  11. I rather liked the grittier side of your Island, JayCee! The photos were brilliant.

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Although I am quite used to talking to myself, any comments on my posts are very welcome, provided they are not abusive. I do reply to them so please check back. It's good to talk (!)