22 July 2025

Mix

 
This is the only picture I took yesterday when I went for a two hour walk. Not for the first time, I caught a number 81 bus to the suburban village of Dore, intending to walk back home via Ecclesall Woods.

The weather forecast suggested occasional showers but I hoped for the best and put my old nylon raincoat in my rucksack just in case. In the event, it rained steadily for the first hour and I became a soggy sight galumphing through puddles and along woodland paths. The temperature remained summery and I quite enjoyed the experience. Beware - here cometh the grinning drowned rat!

I took the photograph by a little wooden bridge in the heart of the woods, sheltering beneath a tree where I rapidly pulled my camera out of the rucksack - putting it back moments later to avoid raindrops.

Last night, Shirley and I finished watching a rather lovely four part drama courtesy of the BBC. It was called "Mix Tape" and spanned three decades and three cities - Sheffield - which is of course my adopted city, Dublin in Ireland and Sydney, Australia.

I loved the way that this tender story moved comfortably through time and from place to place. It was about teenage love that got cut off and then rekindled years later as you might infer from the image below. Alison played by Teresa Palmer and Daniel played by Jim Sturgess are picking up where they left off in previously unexplained circumstances.

On audio-cassette tapes, you could put your best songs in a "mix" and perhaps give them as special presents. Throughout this emotionally charged drama, the music of Alison and Daniel's youth can be heard - sometimes quietly in the background. It was the soundtrack of their lives. The whole thing was delightful but please be aware there was gritty reality too.


STOP PRESS  England Women beat Italy by two goals to one in their Euros semi-final match and will now play either Germany or Spain in the final on Sunday afternoon. Come on England!

30 comments:

  1. Cheers to you for that muddy walk and that wonderful photo you captured. And cheers to the English women in their soccer(?), football(?), futbol(?) match!

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    1. In England you rarely hear the word "soccer" - it's football all the way.

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  2. I love your photo, would be very nice enlarged and framed.

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    1. If I framed all of my best pictures, there would be no spare space on our walls.

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  3. You took a chance and got a bit wet. Many people don't take the chance and miss out on some good walks.

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    1. Normally I am a fair weather walker - looking for good light to illuminate my pictures.

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  4. Thank you for recommendig "Mix Tape" - it sounds very much the kind of short series I like. Hopefully, I can find it on either Netflix or AppleTV.
    A walk in summer rain can be good, especially if the rain is so welcome after a longer period without, and when you're not walking from A to B because at B you are expected to look presentable for work or an event. As I wear glasses, that's the trickiest bit; I hate having droplets on them to hamper my vision.

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    1. Cars have electric wipers - couldn't you get some mini wipers for your glasses?

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  5. I remember mix tapes, I had several and listened while riding the bus to and from work. I don't think I'd like the movie though.

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    1. It's not a "movie" (i.e. film), it's a TV miniseries that links Sheffield with Australia.

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  6. Thanks for the warning at the end of your review. I would have watched Mix Tape but for the gritty reality bit.

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    1. I expect you get enough gritty reality with his lordship.

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  7. Two hours of walking is hard for me to imagine.
    The film sounds interesting. The same actors played the same two characters spanning thirty years?

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    1. No. A young actor and a young actress played their younger selves. Also there's an interesting side-issue. Alison's older brother, Peter, is gay.

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  8. Congratulations to the Lionesses. Spain look the most skilful and exciting attacking team. They are a bit vulnerable in defence. It should be a great final if Spain beat Germany.

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    1. To me Spain have looked the best team in the tournament.

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  9. Some people walk in the rain, some just get wet. I have a compact waterproof camera for days like that.

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  10. Lovely walk. The woods in the rain smell wonderfully fresh.

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    1. I guess you have been in rainy woods quite a lot with your dogs. Do they call that dogging?

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    2. Funny you should say that. I may elaborate at some point . . .

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    3. I hope you did not first meet Barry in a local dogging car park!

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  11. Good luck to England's team!

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    1. They will really need that if they are playing Spain who I expect to beat Germany tonight.

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  12. The image of you as a ‘grinning drowned rat’ made me smile. ‘Mix Tape’ sounds beautiful.

    I'll have to check it out. Go England

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    1. Happy to have amused you Asep. By the way, are you an AI creation?

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  13. "Mix Tape" sounds interesting. I think we'll give it a try. That looks like quite a steep and muddy slope you climbed (or descended)!

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    1. Not too bad Steve. There are steps there.

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  14. Sounds like something that would do me good

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    1. Did you ever visit "Record Collector" in Broomhill? It is there in the first scene.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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