Seems like we've gone straight from winter into summer, without the benefit of an intervening spring (global warming where are you? )

Time to post some new pics:

Welcome back, and a fine set of photos too. I like the last one, I would swear that it was taken 50 years ago. My favorite though, and I am shocked is the one of the antique auto in front of the Tavern I presume, with the front number plate saying FU 2. I know you are a gentleman so I do not take offense, although over here those are fighting words.

Absolutely love the girl in the shower and the one with the couple and the umbrella






Sorry for the quality, didn't realize the brutal compression postimage uses - yikes

WarRI1 wrote:

Welcome back, and a fine set of photos too. I like the last one, I would swear that it was taken 50 years ago. My favorite though, and I am shocked is the one of the antique auto in front of the Tavern I presume, with the front number plate saying FU 2. I know you are a gentleman so I do not take offense, although over here those are fighting words.

Thanks, WarRI1. I can assure you that FU 2 means exactly the same over here as it does Stateside. No doubt it's just the owners of the pub having a bit of fun, though the interesting thing is that, even though it couldn't be an actual registration (it's too short), it's identical to a number plate from the first half of the last century, so I'm scratching my head here as to how they actually sourced it. Trust you to throw up some conundrum . . . . On the other hand, it has been speculated that it's a message to local rockers U2, as the pub is famous for traditional Irish music.

ACDC8 wrote:

Absolutely love the girl in the shower and the one with the couple and the umbrella

Thank you! I love your black and white shots, btw.

ACDC8 wrote:

Sorry for the quality, didn't realize the brutal compression postimage uses - yikes

Know the feeling, I use Imgur and had to really intensify the blacks on the first and third images to make them solid.

Braybuddy wrote:

Thank you! I love your black and white shots, btw.

Thanks, I appreciate it! The non-compressed ones look way better tho

Braybuddy wrote:

Know the feeling, I use Imgur and had to really intensify the blacks on the first and third images to make them solid.

How do you post the embedded pictures from imgur?

Just a few random shots from the past couple of years I took with my iPhone 7. And yes, I like to edit my photos, use different filters and just play around with stuff until I like the story I'm trying to tell - photography to me is all about the story telling and not always the pixels

And yes, I used postimage again - so excuse any compression/quality issues

Braybuddy wrote:

WarRI1 wrote:

My favorite though, and I am shocked is the one of the antique auto in front of the Tavern I presume, with the front number plate saying FU 2. I know you are a gentleman so I do not take offense, although over here those are fighting words.

Thanks, WarRI1. I can assure you that FU 2 means exactly the same over here as it does Stateside. No doubt it's just the owners of the pub having a bit of fun, though the interesting thing is that, even though it couldn't be an actual registration (it's too short), it's identical to a number plate from the first half of the last century, so I'm scratching my head here as to how they actually sourced it. Trust you to throw up some conundrum . . .

No conundrum at all; FU 2 is a perfectly legitimate number plate in terms of format, as can be seen from this 1902 Napier, registered HE 1

photo credit to Bonhams / London to Brighton run 2017 https://www.veterancarrun.com/entry-list/2017/page-10

In fact, speaking of Bonhams.... I found these articles detailing the history of the genuine FU 2 plate, previously owned by Paul "Mayfair Magazine" Raymond and worn on a yellow E-type Jaguar driven by Fiona "Vesta demitte" Richmond.


https://www.regplates.com/blog/2016/06/ ... auctioned/
https://www.regtransfers.co.uk/content/ ... ories/fu2/
Quite how FU 2 came to be issued in the first place (sometime back in the 1920's) is the actual conundrum.

However, since the pub would have needed very deep pockets to buy the rights to the use genuine FU2 plate, and as the vehicle in front of the pub is not on a public highway, the registration need not be legally valid, which leaves the question "how did they create a realistic facsimile of a 1920's number plate?". One might also ask who do they think they are fooling by placing it on a 1950's Ford Popular? But since it is all just for a laugh, historical accuracy isn't really that important.

Apologies for the quality of the photos; they are for illustrative purposes only.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

No conundrum at all; FU 2 is a perfectly legitimate number plate in terms of format, as can be seen from this 1902 Napier, registered HE 1

But those prefixes were not used in Ireland. Our original system was similar to the British one, but all registrations contained either an I or a Z. There would have been very short registrations initially, but you'd have to go back to the first decade of the 20th century for that, which is too far back for the Austin here. You can't get personalised number plates here either, so that's out. There is a possibility that the car is a UK import, but who'd put a high-value number plate on an old banger like that?

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

which leaves the question "how did they create a realistic facsimile of a 1920's number plate?

That's the $64,000 question! It certainly looks real.

Braybuddy wrote:

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

No conundrum at all; FU 2 is a perfectly legitimate number plate in terms of format, as can be seen from this 1902 Napier, registered HE 1

But those prefixes were not used in Ireland. Our original system was similar to the British one, but all registrations contained either an I or a Z.

I'll agree the registration isn't local to Dublin, but if you are going to be pedantic....the Irish system wasn't merely similar to the British one - it was part of it; a sub-division if you prefer, in the same way that Scotland featured the letter "S". Furthermore, registrations of this age were issued on a county-by-county basis, so that within the Dublin area, you would have expected to see IK, RI, YI or ZI vehicles. Anything else (from another county) would be identified as "foreign", except there was no restriction in terms of crossing county boundaries (AFAIK). Hence a vehicle registered in Cheshire (FU 2) would be a visitor to Dublin in exactly the same way as a visitor from Galway, apart from the necessity of crossing the Irish Sea. And if the owner of FU 2 sold that vehicle to a Dublin resident, it was no more an import than if it had come from Galway.
Obviously as the Republic of Ireland came into being, stage by stage, the "importation" of vehicles, either by ship from the UK mainland, or driven down from Northern Ireland, became more of an issue.
Meanwhile, under this system, "Irish" vehicle registration marks could be transferred to Britain for re-registration on other vehicles, (even after Irish independence, and even though they could not be re-used within Ireland). The letter I in many combinations made these attractive for collectors, and indeed the Kilkenny issue VIP 1 has fetched a record price at auction. I should know; for some years I drove a Discovery with a registration that included the letter "I".
This format (I's and Z's) was only replaced in Eire in 1987. Elements of it are still in use in Northern Ireland today.
So, whilst FU 2 is not a local Dublin County registration, neither is it necessarily a foreign import in the context of when it might have originally appeared.

There would have been very short registrations initially[ ], but you'd have to go back to the first decade of the 20th century for that [ ], which is too far back for the Austin here.

Sorry, can't let you get away with that last one. Previously there was a green Austin (also showing as "FU 2"), shown here with one headlight missing back in the days when the pub was just Fox's. I have seen more recent images of that same Austin, looking much smarter and potentially roadworthy ca 2009. However, your photo was taken some time after that, by which time the Austin had been replaced by a very tatty black Ford Popular, as I mentioned previously. And as both of us have observed, neither vehicle justifies a registration originally issued in the 1920's.

You can't get personalised number plates here either, so that's out

Within carefully defined limits, it is still possible to make your vehicle stand out from the crowd; e.g. 06-D-750 is assigned to a BMW 750, and 06-D-911 to a Porsche 911. But it's true that your options are very limited.

However, since FU 2 is properly and legally allocated to a roadworthy vehicle somewhere within the UK, that...

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

...leaves the question "how did they create a realistic facsimile of a 1920's number plate?

That's the $64,000 question! It certainly looks real.

Obviously, somebody somewhere still makes these plates for historic vehicles.
https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/ ... er-plates/

This outfit will supply an authentic pair for GBP£35.98
http://blacknumberplates.co.uk/

And as that's my 999th post, it's time for me to go.
Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

I'll agree the registration isn't local to Dublin, but if you are going to be pedantic..

Oh wow, pot, kettle and black! Rather than go into long-winded possible explanations, I tried to be as concise as possible which sacrificed accuracy for brevity. I didn't think readers of a Non-Av Pic thread would thank me for even a potted History of Irish Registration Plates. That's the trouble with internet forums: you leave out the tiniest details and you'll be slaughtered . . . You've obviously done some research on Irish registration plates, and your information is generally correct, although registrations from other counties within the Republic would never, ever, be considered "foreign". And yes, you can order registrations out-of-sequence, but actual personalised plates are out. You are right about the Ford Popular though. I've seen the Austin Seven there so many times I hadn't realised it had been replaced (even with the different colour ) and the number plate retained, although I reckon you're out by 30 years on the age of the vehicle.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

And as that's my 999th post, it's time for me to go.
Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish.

Hmmmm . . . . can I quote you on that?

Braybuddy wrote:

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

I'll agree the registration isn't local to Dublin, but if you are going to be pedantic..

Oh wow, pot, kettle and black! Rather than go into long-winded possible explanations, I tried to be as concise as possible which sacrificed accuracy for brevity. I didn't think readers of a Non-Av Pic thread would thank me for even a potted History of Irish Registration Plates. That's the trouble with internet forums: you leave out the tiniest details and you'll be slaughtered . . . You've obviously done some research on Irish registration plates, and your information is generally correct, although registrations from other counties within the Republic would never, ever, be considered "foreign". And yes, you can order registrations out-of-sequence, but actual personalised plates are out. You are right about the Ford Popular though. I've seen the Austin Seven there so many times I hadn't realised it had been replaced (even with the different colour ) and the number plate retained, although I reckon you're out by 30 years on the age of the vehicle.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

And as that's my 999th post, it's time for me to go.
Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish.

Hmmmm . . . . can I quote you on that?

I still like the shot and the plate, and it sure created some good discussion on this thread also. I now know more about Irish auto registrations than I could have ever imagined.

ACDC8


And a fine job with your phone camera also.

ACDC8 wrote:

How do you post the embedded pictures from imgur?

After uploading the images, click on each one individually, then copy and paste the BBC code on the right.

Some pics from a whistle stop trip across the Balkans:

First time in a while I've put some photos up.

The Italian Garden and the view at Tatton Park, Knutsford on 31st March 2018


The Italian Garden at Lyme Park, Disley on 1st April 2018


Upper Flower Garden at Trentham Gardens, Stoke on 5th May 2018


View of Hardwick Hall taken from Hardwick Old Hall, Chesterfield on 13th May 2018


Skating lake at Bodnant Garden, Colwyn Bay on 19th May 2018

A fine set of shots from places I will never get to. I will skip the fish market if I do get there. Thanks to you all.

WarRI1 wrote:

A fine set of shots from places I will never get to. I will skip the fish market if I do get there. Thanks to you all.

Why not? For us New Englanders Europe isn't that far away. Especially Ireland.

For us Europe starts at Iceland and the Azores, only about a 5 hour flight away!

Went to Dublin for 24h last week and managed to bag my absolute bucketlist photo for this destination:

Trinity College Old Library - The Long Room by Kas van Zonneveld, on Flickr

airkas1 wrote:

Went to Dublin for 24h last week and managed to bag my absolute bucketlist photo for this destination:

Beautiful pic! You even beat me to it . . . I've never been, and have been intending to go to Trinity Library for a long time, but I had heard only sections are open to the public. How did you manage to visit?

Braybuddy wrote:

How did you manage to visit?

It actually wasn't that hard. I booked my ticket online and was able to choose a time. So I went for 08:30, right at opening time. Got there around 8 and was third in line already. Since I already had a ticket, we could overtake the people who still needed to buy and head upstairs quickly. This enabled us to get there earlier than most people, leading to an unobstructed view. It really is an amazing place and would definitely recommend it. Online ticket was 11 Euro. The whole library ('ground floor') was accessible, so one could walk almost all the way to the back.

airkas1 wrote:

It actually wasn't that hard. I booked my ticket online and was able to choose a time. So I went for 08:30, right at opening time. Got there around 8 and was third in line already. Since I already had a ticket, we could overtake the people who still needed to buy and head upstairs quickly. This enabled us to get there earlier than most people, leading to an unobstructed view. It really is an amazing place and would definitely recommend it. Online ticket was 11 Euro. The whole library ('ground floor') was accessible, so one could walk almost all the way to the back.

Thanks for that! I'll put it on my to-do list . . .

Jouhou wrote:

WarRI1 wrote:

A fine set of shots from places I will never get to. I will skip the fish market if I do get there. Thanks to you all.

Why not? For us New Englanders Europe isn't that far away. Especially Ireland.

For us Europe starts at Iceland and the Azores, only about a 5 hour flight away!

I do not eat seafood in any way shape or form, that is why I said I would skip the fish market.

WarRI1 wrote:

ACDC8And a fine job with your phone camera also.

Thanks

Braybuddy wrote:

After uploading the images, click on each one individually, then copy and paste the BBC code on the right.

Awesome, thanks for that - I'll give it a try later on today. Awesome shots as always

And awesome shots to all the other contributors

Some summer pics taken in the beautiful county of Kerry, and along the river Shannon:

Braybuddy,

I'm always impressed how you have an eye for simple subjects and turn them into great pictures! May I ask which equipment you use?

Here's my take for the summer - a storm cell building up suddenly last Saturday evening at around 10 p.m. Picture is OOC, without any photoshopping. I was reminded of the time warp scene in "The final Countdown". Fortunately, the storm that followed was not too obstructive, only half an hour of heavy rain.

BartSimpson wrote:

Braybuddy,

I'm always impressed how you have an eye for simple subjects and turn them into great pictures! May I ask which equipment you use?

Thank you! I use either a Nikon D7100 or an D810 (with various Nikon or Nikkor lenses), depending on where the pics were taken. The 810 is a better camera, but at twice the price of the 7100 there's no way I'd risk taking it abroad, so I use the 7100 for foreign trips and the 810 for the rest. The 810 is a better camera, for sure, but I'm perfectly happy with the results I get from the 7100, although it's probably coming to the end of its life at this stage, unfortunately . . .

That sky pic is truly spectacular, especially considering that it's not photoshopped.

Braybuddy.

I like the pictures, well done. I see Our Flag flying on what looks like a Pub. I am not really surprised about it being on a Pub, but I am happy that somebody in Europe still likes us enough to recognize that we are all not horrible people and will still do so in spite of you know who..

Braybuddy.

I am honored that in spite of you know who, we can still get our flag flown in all its glory on an Irish Pub. I take no insult at it being on a Pub. In fact in Ireland that maybe the highest honor of all.

WarRI1 wrote:

Braybuddy. I am honored that in spite of you know who, we can still get our flag flown in all its glory on an Irish Pub. I take no insult at it being on a Pub. In fact in Ireland that maybe the highest honor of all.

LOL! It had never occurred to me, but indeed, that is indeed probably the highest honour you can receive in this country . . . . And don't worry, no matter who is in charge over there people here will always welcome ornery Americans, particularly when they come with walletfulls of dollars . . .

I like photos 8 and 9. Here is today's last addition to my Flickr https://flic.kr/p/28gbyao and more if you scroll down. I'm getting more and more reliable to my smartphones for taking picture, something that i was against a few years back, but now quality is optimal and convenience of course. DSLR use is limited to planes photography now.

Braybuddy wrote:

WarRI1 wrote:

Braybuddy. I am honored that in spite of you know who, we can still get our flag flown in all its glory on an Irish Pub. I take no insult at it being on a Pub. In fact in Ireland that maybe the highest honor of all.

LOL! It had never occurred to me, but indeed, that is indeed probably the highest honour you can receive in this country . . . . And don't worry, no matter who is in charge over there people here will always welcome ornery Americans, particularly when they come with walletfulls of dollars . . .

My wallet is less full these days, but hey! the wealthy needed the tax break. Mansions and Yachts do not come cheap.

Spain is such a fantastic country to visit with so many magnificent towns and cities, so this time it was a trip across the nothwest of the country:

Braybuddy

A couple of questions. What is that huge wall or building, it is imposing for sure. Picture number 7 down. Surely that vehicle is of a certain age, is it still actually in service? The picture of the lady holding the umbrella, did you notice the face in reflection? Is it a Mannequin in the window? Good job with the pictures.

WarRI1 wrote:

Braybuddy

A couple of questions. What is that huge wall or building, it is imposing for sure. Picture number 7 down. Surely that vehicle is of a certain age, is it still actually in service? The picture of the lady holding the umbrella, did you notice the face in reflection? Is it a Mannequin in the window? Good job with the pictures.

That is the Roman acqueduct in Segovia, near Madrid, WarRI1, the symbol of the city and a remarkable feat of engineering for its time. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it is believed to have been between 1,900 and 2000 years ago! Here's another pic:



The vehicle (a Citroen I'd say, going by the pattern on the radiator grill) is indeed of a certain age: it was being used in the making of a Spanish civil war film in the main square of Salamanca (pic 5), which the cast and crew had taken over for the day. So the vehicle probably dates from the late 1920s or early '30s. The guy in pic 4 was an extra on the film, hence the clothing. Some more pics:





I had noticed the reflection of the woman in the window: that's why I took the pic! Photographers are always on the lookout for reflections as they are a very simple way to add interest to a picture, and they can pop-up in any reflective surface (that's also why I took pic 8). They're always eye-catching!

That is a feat of engineering even today, never mind that far back. The angle of the picture you took was clever making it look like a massive wall. It sure fooled me. The truck if in service would have also have been a feat of engineering to keep it running well all these years. Darn it, I thought you missed the reflection, I will just have to keep my eyes open for your next batch of pictures.

I just looked again at the woman and her reflection, do you see the face in the narrow shinning strip on the facade above her height, looks like bald man to me, or is that what you mean?

WarRI1 wrote:

I just looked again at the woman and her reflection, do you see the face in the narrow shinning strip on the facade above her height, looks like bald man to me, or is that what you mean?

I see what you mean now! I hadn't noticed it at all and I thought you were talking about the woman's reflection in the window, but it IS a mannequin's face reflected in that metal strip. Well spotted WarRI1, your eagle-eye hasn't deserted you yet!

I was talking about the reflection in the of the woman walking down the street in pic 8, which you can see in the metal awning just above the windows.

Braybuddy wrote:

WarRI1 wrote:

I just looked again at the woman and her reflection, do you see the face in the narrow shinning strip on the facade above her height, looks like bald man to me, or is that what you mean?

I see what you mean now! I hadn't noticed it at all and I thought you were talking about the woman's reflection in the window, but it IS a mannequin's face reflected in that metal strip. Well spotted WarRI1, your eagle-eye hasn't deserted you yet!

I was talking about the reflection in the of the woman walking down the street in pic 8, which you can see in the metal awning just above the windows.

I will try to be more precise as to what picture I am speaking of next time, keep them coming.

My fabourite time of year, at last! Some summer pics:

Braybuddy.

Fine job. Last picture, I find the Denver Colorado USA T shirt interesting. Brew yourself. A clever play on words. I assume you were on your side of the pond for this picture?

WarRI1 wrote:

Braybuddy.

Fine job. Last picture, I find the Denver Colorado USA T shirt interesting. Brew yourself. A clever play on words. I assume you were on your side of the pond for this picture?

Thank you, and all pics are local, WarRI1. The guy wearing the t-shirt is from your side of the pond (perhaps Colorado, but for some reason I think I remember him saying Kansas). Somwhere you wouldn't normally find visitors from over here. The girl is from Thailand and they met when he stayed as a guest in her Airbnb accommodation. They ended-up on on holiday here, so I have no doubt there's a very interesting story there . I'm afraid the slogan on the t-shirt goes completely over my head, so you'll have to explain here: I hadn't even noticed it. While the pics are local, the one of the cricket is a bit of a cheat. They are not native to this country, but the local pet shop sells them as live food for reptiles, so I buy a couple of boxes of them this time of year to have that lovely chirruping sound in the garden so I can pretend I'm somewhere exotic when sitting outside on these long, lovely evenings.

Braybuddy wrote:

I'm afraid the slogan on the t-shirt goes completely over my head, so you'll have to explain here: I hadn't even noticed it. rin:

The gentleman appears to be a fan of the ever-growing "Home Brew" club. I'm not sure how much it has caught on in other countries but here in the USA there is a growing fanbase of people who brew their own beer at home (and it's not just beer anymore! some are even doing wine). Most municipalities have modified their laws to allow you to brew up to a certain gallon/liter amount of beer/wine. It's resulted in a boom of new craft breweries that started with a few friends in a garage. So many new takes on traditional beer styles. It's really fantastic.

trpmb6 wrote:

Braybuddy wrote:

I'm afraid the slogan on the t-shirt goes completely over my head, so you'll have to explain here: I hadn't even noticed it. rin:

The gentleman appears to be a fan of the ever-growing "Home Brew" club. I'm not sure how much it has caught on in other countries but here in the USA there is a growing fanbase of people who brew their own beer at home (and it's not just beer anymore! some are even doing wine). Most municipalities have modified their laws to allow you to brew up to a certain gallon/liter amount of beer/wine. It's resulted in a boom of new craft breweries that started with a few friends in a garage. So many new takes on traditional beer styles. It's really fantastic.

Ah right, that's interesting. Reminds me of my home-brew wine back in the '80s, but nothing could persuade me to go down that route again. It was disgusting (but it worked ) . . .

Braybuddy.

While the pics are local, the one of the cricket is a bit of a cheat. They are not native to this country, but the local pet shop sells them as live food for reptiles, so I buy a couple of boxes of them this time of year to have that lovely chirruping sound in the garden so I can pretend I'm somewhere exotic when sitting outside on these long, lovely evenings.

Next month I could send you more Crickets than you will ever need. I like them outside, but they do not want to stay there. We get overrun in August. My Wife hates them in or out. when I hear a scream, I come running, and sure enough a Cricket or Crickets.

WarRI1 wrote:

Next month I could send you more Crickets than you will ever need. I like them outside, but they do not want to stay there. We get overrun in August. My Wife hates them in or out. when I hear a scream, I come running, and sure enough a Cricket or Crickets.

Hah! Thanks, but I think I'll pass though. Mine seem to prefer the garden. Probably enjoying their brief spell of freedom after living in a box, although it will be short-lived. If the birds don't get them the cold will . . .

Braybuddy wrote:

WarRI1 wrote:

Next month I could send you more Crickets than you will ever need. I like them outside, but they do not want to stay there. We get overrun in August. My Wife hates them in or out. when I hear a scream, I come running, and sure enough a Cricket or Crickets.

Hah! Thanks, but I think I'll pass though. Mine seem to prefer the garden. Probably enjoying their brief spell of freedom after living in a box, although it will be short-lived. If the birds don't get them the cold will . . .

Ok, I was just trying to be nice. My wife is heartbroken though.