Recently, I was challenged on Facebook to post black and white photographs of my life. The wording of the challenge was –
“7 days 7 B&W pictures of your life, no people, no words, no explanation. Challenge someone new each day. n/7. Today I nominate ?????.”
I grew up in the black and white days, so could have quite easily picked some photos from my childhood or young adult years, however, these were generally pictures of people, and as such were not appropriate, therefore I chose to take new ones to represent my life.
Here are my pictures and the explanations for their inclusion.
Day 1 – Music
This is my black Epiphone Riviera and represents music.
When I was a young lad, my family would go for a walk on a Sunday afternoon around the neighbourhood. I would be seen with my red transistor radio on my shoulder listening usually to ‘Pick of the Pops’.
It was the early 60s and I enjoyed the bands springing up everywhere – the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Spencer Davis Group, Kinks. This was the start of my love affair with music.
I soon played in a band, the Salty Dogs, playing the music of the bands above plus American rhythm & blues by artists such as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Then I was introduced to the Dungeon Club where more American music, the original versions of some of the music played by the bands, was heard and I heard soul music and Motown, jazz, blues and more rhythm & blues and my life changed forever.
Throughout my life I have listened to a variety of music, I’ve played in bands or solo, I’ve DJ-ed and I’ve run music quizzes. I’ve written songs, filmed music videos and created podcasts of my favourites.
I still listen to that music I heard in a dark club way back in the 60s – there are monthly meet-ups of the Dungeon Club where the very friendly attendees enjoy meeting, talking about those halcyon days or just dancing to their favourite music.
Day 2 – Toys & Games
I have always had an interest in toys and games. From using a spinning top in the backyard, and playing ‘cricket’ by throwing a ball against a wall and hitting it when it came back. I grew up with trains (Tri-ang and Hornby), Soldiers and other lead or plastic figures (generally Britains) and Dinky cars, army vehicles and other such transport. There was the Bayco house-building set. I used to love going to and searching through the stall in the Central Market which sold toys (Beecrofts I think).
I had a three-quarter size snooker table which I practised on regularly and many games such as ludo and snakes and ladders. I also played games like chess and draughts, Diplomacy (which could really upset some people), Cluedo, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuits.
Later, I still had the trains, lost many of the others but acquired some of the tin, wind-up toys as shown in the photo above.
I still keep my mind active by doing crosswords, different types of Sudoku and other mental games.
Day 3 – Nature
Nature and the great outdoors means a lot to me. I spend hours walking around maybe taking photographs of animals, views; whether it be around places local to me, such as Attenborough Nature Centre with its myriad of birds or Wollaton Park with more birds and deer, or further afield, especially by the coast, I may get tired these days but I also get much enjoyment.
The photograph shown was taken outside ‘The Village’ – Portmeirion, on the estuary of the River Dwyryd in North Wales. It was the site for filming in the sixties for Patrick McGoohan’s ‘The Prisoner’: the floating white ball known as Rover, the Guardian of the inmates, would often be seen rushing over the beaches or waters of this estuary.
Day 4 – Photograpy
As far as I remember, my first camera was a Practika Nova. This was followed by a Pentax ME Super and a Nikon F3. I had a Tamron telephoto lens, all sorts of extension tubes and close up lenses, filters, etc etc. All 35mm slr’s, I took many photos, generally on slide film, so must have been very boring to visit – “Would you like to see our holiday snaps?” I also bought an enlarger and started to process my own films and develop my own photos.
I bought the Rolleiflex shown in the picture in the mid-80s; it is a Rolleiflex T Model 1, built in either 1960 or 1961 and came with many accessories. Being a medium format camera, the negatives produced are larger than those on the 35mm cameras, thus the output is very good quality but not as instant as today’s digital cameras.
For a period, I stopped taking as many photos and used compact cameras which I could pop into my pocket and take with me anywhere such as the Canon IXUS which used APT film: this gave the choice of taking a photograph in one of three formats – high definition, classic or panoramic. Later I used a selection of compact digital cameras.
These days I use a Nikon DSLR with Nikon and Sigma lenses and have rediscovered the passion for photography, taking nature and wildlife and being the house photographer at the monthly Dungeon Club Meet-ups.
Day 5 – Clothes
Since the days of going to the Dungeon and becoming a Mod, clothes have been an important part of my life: you have to look good, no matter what. I have always set my own style, not necessarily followed fashion, but bought clothes by fashionable designers such as Paul Smith, who opened his first shop in Nottingham in 1970.
The picture above contains a small selection of my extensive tie and bow tie collection.
Day 6 – Computers
Before I left school, the careers oficer asked me what I intended to do in the wide world and I said I was interested in working with computers. He said I had no chance as I was taking the wrong subjects.
I spent the next 40 years working mainly with mainframe computers at several companies in different cities and even countries – programming, analysis, problem-solving, all sorts of diverse activities including education (teaching IBM employees amongst others).
Outside the work environment, computers eventually became more used in my other life, such as the Sinclair Spectrum (pictured) and similar for game playing (I did try to write some of my own games but could not be bothered). I introduced computers to the gold clubs I joined, to handle competition results and handicaps and spent many hours stuck in a small room all alone.
Nowadays, I use computers to create and maintain websites, create videos, record music, edit photos, communicate and educate myself.
Day 7 – Sports
At school, I played football, cricket, rugby, hockey, tennis. I was the captain for Thorsby House for table tennis. I occasionally went ice skating. When young my mother took me to see Nottingham Panthers playing Ice Hockey, my Grandad and Uncle ran the local football team, Dunkirk, and I became the ‘mascot’ and my Grandad started taking me to watch Nottingham Forest.
I took part in Athletics – running, throwing, jumping – but was never any good at any of these events: I used to hate cross country runs!!
After school, I still played occasional football, cricket and tennis, played a little squash and badminton and was then introduced to the game I probably played most and certainly spent most time on, golf.
I became a Club Captain, match and handicap secretary, organised many competitions (and took part in many, winning a few), played courses around the world and met many people.
I don’t play much sport these days but still enjoy spectating, mainly on the television.
Maurice Moore 