I'm not here

You don't get much colour here, as you know, but that's going to change for a week or two.  Two reasons - the first being that I'm not really here.  That's correct, you are listening to a recording.  I'm in Bath - well, at this place to be precise.

Think of me as one of the 'deserving poor'.   The Mineral Water Hospital, or just The Min to those in the know, is a wonderful place to be if like me you have Ankylosing Spondylitis.  For 12 days you get access to the best treatment - in the world, no less.   Mostly that means stretching and doing exercises, on land and in water while you get screamed at encouraged by the sadistic commandants caring physiotherapists.  It's no holiday - your day starts at 8.45 in the gym or the pool and finishes at about 4.30, so it's no surprise that after 12 days you feel a little different - better, you feel better, that's what I meant to say, yes...

But the good news is that although you are in hospital, you're not really 'in' hospital.  You are able to go out and about inbetween times (assuming you have the energy, that is).  And that means not only have I packed my shorts&t-shirt for the gym and speedos for the hydrotherapy pool, I have also packed some film and a Nikon.  And a little Yashica T4 that me mate Dr C lended to me...it's a P&S but gets rave reviews so I'm intrigued - he might not get it back haha.  Anway, in about a month's time, once I've recovered from my 'therapy', you might see some shots from around and about this pleasant little city.

I know Bath well, y'see, since I came here as a young fellow to the big Institution up on Claverton Down and studied for a few years.  Here's a wee snap from c1981 of the University - or part of it at least.

Bath Uni, c1981

Eh, don't the cars look different nowadays.  Must be getting old...

What's that?  The colour thing?  Oh yes, nearly forgot.  The second reason then is that I got a delivery yesterday.  Two little blue boxes with white tops and inside were a whole load of colour transparencies, mounted and all.

If you're like me whenever you shot colour slide film, by the time you actually finished the film, remembered to send if off and got the slides back you'd totally forgotten what was on the film in the first place.  That was me, yesterday.  I blame Kodak.  It was looking at all those lovely Kodachromes from the '80s and '90s wot did it.  It got me wondering, y'see, what modern slide films are like.  So I went and purchased a couple of Fuji Provia 100 films earlier this year and one by one they sat in the Nikon and occasionally got wound on and eventually got finished and sent off.

So for the next couple of weeks it's a chance to re-visit some of the places I've been to over the last few months - in colour this time.