iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

As of 17.18 on 27 January, it looks significantly different- well done to all those who complained directly to the Beeb.

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Bad news / good news from Whitehaven, England. The stepped path through Arrowthwaite Wood has turned into a cascade, but a) it's quite pretty, and b) the outlet specially provided for such situations is working, so the little lake on the main path should soon disappear

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

We could be heading for a colourful autumn

Looking east from the Brake Top, Whitehaven, England, over the nearby allotment huts (one with St. George's flag) and through a hemi-rainbow (with a hint of doubling) to the fells around Ennerdale. 5-50pm, 8 Sep 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

#BlueSkyArtShow #Shiny is really problematic when copying framed & glazed pictures.

A photograph of a print of a line drawing of the Old Quay, Whitehaven, England, spoiled by reflections off the shiny glass used in framing. 10-30am, 30 Aug 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

In the absence of smell-o-vision on Bluesky, there didn't seem much point in photographing the Continental Market along the quayside in Whitehaven just to the right of this scene. Better to come over this weekend and savour it with all your senses.

Swans in Whitehaven Harbour, England, with the old lighthouse in the background. 9-55am, 29 August 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

On 1 August I featured a dazed-looking young gull hanging out in a Whitehaven street. Same street today:

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

For handy reference, here's a map of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic at the height of the Soviet era, from the Penguin World Atlas (1974). I've darkened areas which are not Ukraine, for clarity.

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Not often you get the opportunity for an open-top bus ride to Whitehaven

Whitehaven harbour, England, from an open-top bus passing through Bransty. 10-15am, 15 Aug 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Barter Books in Alnwick is slick, but I'm not convinced it's more fun than Michael Moon in Whitehaven

Frontage of Barter Books (former Alnwick Railway Station). Lunchtime, 13 Aug 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Specifically (now that I'm back in my library):

Cover of the 1977 Mayflower UK paperback edition of "The End of All Songs" by Michael Moorcock, depicting (if I'm not mistaken) Lord Jagged of Canaria.

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Maybe not the best location for this poster, although the water is probably excellent for fixing an iron deficiency.

Poster "Discover a Taste of the Sea" with the soupy, orange-coloured water of Whitehaven Harbour, England in the background. 6 Aug 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Obviously, I'd have liked to feature gulls in my #Gratitude art contribution, but let's face it ...

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Definitely a time of year for #Gratitude (unless you're on the menu) #BlueSkyArtShow

Free blackberry on its way to my mouth- picked from the clump shown, in the verge of the Ginns-Kells Road, Whitehaven, England. 9-40am, 2 Aug 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

This dazed and confused young gull has been living on the street for at least the past couple of days- but at least it's now learned to sleep on the pavement.

Fledgling gull on the pavement of Cross Street, Whitehaven, England (it was lying down, but got up when I was a few metres away). 9-55am, 1 August 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

As proposed in the alt-text of my last post, here are the scurrying squirrels

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Today's coolish, dampish weather is annoying the squirrels.

Screenshot from a video clip of squirrels in Arrowthwaite Wood, Whitehaven, England, running around like mad things. 9-45am, 29 July 2025.
Close-up not available because they were moving too fast. I may try to post an edited version of the clip later.

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

This week's Backyard Gulls video is going to be delayed until Wednesday, so meanwhile, here's some nice brickwork on the building next to Boots in Whitehaven (with the usual perched on top, naturally)

Carlisle-style alternating red (stretchers) & yellow (headers) brickwork on the disused shop next to Boots on King Street, Whitehaven, England. 5-40pm, 28 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Seen stuck on the local MP's office window:

Hand-drawn poster demanding repeal of the "Online Safety Act"- stuck on local Member of Parliament's office window, James Street, Whitehaven, England. 5-40pm, 26 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Version 1 of this #BlueSkyArtShow #Alternating thingy was an animated gif- but apparently BlueSky still needs user-generated animations to be converted to mp4, which I can't do here in the shop, so here's the extra-subtle non-animated alternative.

Greyscale image of random patches, with the colours inverted to spell the word "Alternating", then the vertical stripes containing the 1st, 3rd etc. letters colour-inverted.

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

The meadow-style planting in the verges of Whitehaven's main roads is flowering nicely in time for the school holidays

A variety of meadow-style flowers in the grass verge of Preston Street, Whitehaven, England. 5-45pm, 24 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Why do they call that plant "butterfly bush"?

Red Admiral butterfly on Buddleia flower-head. Back-yard of PastPresented shop, 16 Market Place, Whitehaven, England. 23 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Whitehaven's flutterbys have decided that the chances of rainstorms today are small

Green-veined white butterfly on (I think) Herb Robert flower, by the path from Arrowthwaite Wood down to Whitehaven town centre. 9-45am, 21 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

There's a gap between those two roofs ...

Young gulls in the back-yard of the PastPresented shop in Whitehaven Market Place, England, one on the shed rooftop where it was hatched, the other, for the first time, on the roof of a different shed. Afternoon of 20 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

I hear some people have had a spot of rain ...

Looking south-east over sunny Hensingham, through the flower-clad metal fence along the Ginns-Kells Road, Whitehaven, England. 6pm, 19 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

#BlueSkyArtShow #Smooth (and I'm not referring to the surface finish of the new nameboard)

The shop in King Street, Whitehaven, England which for many decades was part of the W H Smith chain, until suddenly ... (Photographed 16 July 2025)

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Spotted on the pavement by my shop door this morning. Do I have a fan-club among the local gulls?

Cut flower lying on the pavement (by the door of the PastPresented shop in Whitehaven Market Place, England) with a single small, ragged feather on top of it. 9-40am, 18 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

More excitement in Whitehaven: archaeologists are revealing the remains of buildings not seen since the railway came to town in the mid 19th century.

Building foundations revealed by excavation on the site for the new Aldi store off Preston Street, Whitehaven, England (looking from Arrowthwaite Wood over the roof of Asda). 6-05pm, 17 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Intruder alert 👽 This suspicious-looking pair just settled themselves on the other side of my shop backyard

Fledgling gull with presumed parent, which have spent the night on the south wall of the backyard of the PastPresented shop in Whitehaven Market Place, England. The gull family I have been following on video still occupies the north side of the yard. 10-05am, 17 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Still there! And the weather's improved a lot.

Whitehaven harbour, England, from the old launch ramp where seabirds love to gather; Andalucia galleon in the background. 11-05am, 16 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

What an odd day it's been: gloom, heavy rain and bright sunshine; Schrödinger's galleon may or may not be there ...

Whitehaven harbour, England, from the old launch ramp where seabirds love to gather; Andalucia galleon in the background. 9-50am, 15 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

This is what Monday mornings are supposed to look like!

Looking north over Whitehaven harbour, England, on a drizzly Monday morning (with the Andalucia galleon still present). 9-55am, 14 July 2025

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Over the past few days I've been exploring historic photos of Dove Cottage in Grasmere on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/people/PastP... But here's another Dove Cottage, at Stonethwaite in Borrowdale, photographed by Haworth of Keswick a century or more ago:

Photo of Dove Cottage, Stonethwaite, Borrowdale, England, by Haworth of Keswick, undated but suffering from serious chemical degradation (here digitally mitigated), suggesting an age well over a century.

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

This, on the other hand, is a bit of a triumph: baby's first flaps

Baby seagull vigorously flapping its wings; back-yard of the PastPresented shop, 16 Market Place, Whitehaven, England. 5-35pm, 12 July 2025. More to follow in Monday's weekly YouTube update!

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www.pastpresented.info @pastpresented.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Not a triumph, this one. The underlying scene is too busy to appreciate the "daze" #BlueSkyArtShow #SummerDaze

Composite of two photos of the Andalucia Galleon in Whitehaven harbour, from slightly different viewpoints. 5-50pm, 11 July 2025

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