Monday, October 2, 2006, 01:17 AM
Generally, when you fly a slightly less desirable airline, you may occasionally be unfortunate enough to encounter a less desirable passenger. This particular individual in the red T-shirt deserves web-wide notoriety.
He and his troupe of beered-up lads boarded my usual Ryanair flight from Hamburg to Stansted. Nothing wrong in that, except that they took exception to a gay couple sitting nearby, and apparently started to taunt them in that particularly sophisticated manner that bored, frustrated, aggressive men will use. Throughout the flight, the tension in the cabin rose, as more and more anxious stewardesses shared concerns that the situation was turning nasty. It was when Mr red T-shirt allegedly offered to beat the crap out of the gay gentlemen when they were off the plane in Stansted, that the evening's course was set. Upon landing (already 90 minutes late) in Stansted, we were told to stay in our seats as armed officers boarded the plane and escorted him off it. Unfortunately, he got nothing more than a ticking off, as he was next seen at baggage reclaim with his sycophantic group of followers (see right), brazenly laughing at the situation, using the f-word like his life depended on it. "I told them to 'ave a word with themselves".
This is not the broken-toothed thug who breaks into your house or grabs old ladies' handbags. This bloke has designer glasses, knows good wine and probably drives a powerful German saloon. But it doesn't stop him from getting in touch with his inner neanderthal and ruining 170 other people's evening with a performance that none of us will forget.
Oh well, with the law enforcement officers powerless to deport him, I thought that maybe a carefully-taken photo and dose of fame on the blog might help matters...
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Sunday, October 1, 2006, 12:59 AM
In any other year, this would be an absolutely epic entry. However Ruby's arrival has definitely relegated this to a lesser event for me. Still, suffice to say that The 4 Of Us, a band whose music I have passionately followed since I was much younger, released their latest studio album, Fingerprints, on EMI Records today. I've heard it, and each song is a real gift. My connection to the whole affair is that I photographed the cover of the band, and the booklet shots as well. If you're willing to treat opportunities like this as an opportunity to earn experience, rather than money, then all sorts of doors open for you. I really enjoyed doing this, and I think that the guys did too.
If you like new music, I urge you to visit their website for a taste of an album that deserves to become disturbingly successful. For anyone weary of the drudgery of James Blunt and Coldplay, it makes a refreshing alternative. My personal favourite is the hauntingly romantic song 'Into your arms'.
Anyway, I'm done on album covers now. I'm on to babies.
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Thursday, September 28, 2006, 12:52 AM
I guess any parent can identify with this - any photo of one's own child feels like a classic. You can sit watching a baby for hours, watching its face work its way through several thousand equally captivating expressions. You want to bottle and store each and every one.
In any case, Mayke is entirely responsible for this particular shot, taken when I was on my way down to a trade fair in Cologne. She seems to be practising for the 'la la la la not listening' routine. I mean Ruby of course, not Mayke.
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Tuesday, September 26, 2006, 03:08 PM
You are looking at a picture of our 2 hour-old daughter, Ruby Matilda Rolls, brought into the world today in Hamburg at a weight of 3.94 kilos. I don't feel that words can do this event justice - language is a bit limiting sometimes. But she opened her eyes, sniffed, and then smiled at me, so I am head over heels in love. Mayke is fine, but has endured quite an epic, gruelling experience, and she is now on the road to recovery.
It all makes sense now. That's all I can say.
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Friday, September 22, 2006, 02:11 AM
I've heard it said that travel broadens the mind. But I guess that the creators of this saying weren't thinking of the people on the receiving end of the travel - the locals. Nevertheless, these US lovelies brightened up a cross-city tube journey with a long chat about favourite ice cream flavours. Chocolate with fudgy bits won, I believe.
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