Roger Bennion's photos

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) Struggling to catch-up but, in the meantime, here is a shot taken yesterday (15 April) in Oxford............a beautifully warm and sunny day :-)

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) *****This was done using PhotoFunia***** From Wikipedia - "“Diamonds & Rust" is a song written and performed by Joan Baez. It was written in November 1974 and released in 1975. In the song, Joan recounts an out-of-the-blue phone call from an old lover, which sends her a decade back in time, to a "crummy” hotel in Greenwich Village; she recalls giving him a pair of cuff-links, and summarizes that memories bring "diamonds and rust." Joan has stated that the lyrics refer to her relationship with Bob Dylan." Here we go again re my all-time fave songs :-) I have so many all-time fave songs that it might appear that everything ever written is one of my all-time faves :-) But, in my humble opinion songs don't come much better than “Diamonds & Rust” :-) I have, so far, failed to create a suitable photo but after being introduced to 'PhotoFunia' by Karen (k.e.s_kloset) I think I have come up with a novel solution. Well, that is my logic here and I am sticking to it :-) So, “Diamonds are Forever” and “Rust Never Sleeps” becomes “Diamonds & Rust” :-)) I didn't think there could possibly be a better version than the original. However, I have been totally blown away by a live version by 'Blackmore's Night' where Candice Night takes the lead vocal. This version sends shivers up and down my spine :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Diamonds & Rust ~ Blackmore's Night

This is 'The Whisky Shop' in Oxford and for some inexplicable reason I haven't been inside the shop........well, not yet :-)) Reminds me of “Whiskey Lullaby” by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss. Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Whiskey Lullaby ~ Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss And, for my Spanish friends :-)) Listen here ~ Whiskey Lullaby ~ Arturo Leyva feat. Luz Maria

I looked at my photo and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.....then, on the fifth look it suddenly hit me that sign was the name of a song!! What an amazing coincidence, methinks :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Nutbush City Limits ~ Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) I was totally fascinated by the case on wheels and was so pleased that I got the shot before the guy walked out of the frame :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Walk of Life ~ Dire Straits

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) Okay.............it's probably pretty obvious what is comin' :-) Yep, one of my slightly obscure links for 'Soundtrack to Life' :-) This is the Gothic Temple in Stowe Landscape Gardens. It dates from 1741 and would, surely, be fit for a King. Therefore, this links nicely to "Temple of the King" by Blackmore's Night. I currently don't have any Blackmore's Night music in my collection but I am about to remedy this oversight :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Temple of the King ~ Blackmore's Night

An obvious choice here....well it is for me :-) From Wikipedia - “California Dreamin' was written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and released as a single in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stone '​s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” It is very sad to read that Michelle Phillips is the only surviving member of the Mamas & Papas. Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ California Dreamin' ~ Mamas and Papas

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) The sun had just set here so methinks that this leads quite neatly to "Sundown" by The Dillards from their album "Copperfields" released in 1970 :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Sundown ~ The Dillards

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) Okay........a slightly tenuous and wayward link I know :-) But, if there is more than 50% of blue bits here I think that allows me to post my shot to 'StoL'. And, luckily, I have worked out there is actually 51% of blue bits. So, all is well :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Blue Sky ~ Allman Brothers p.s. this song isn't actually about sky that is blue. It was composed by Dickey Betts and is about his Native American girlfriend, Sandy "Bluesky" Wabegijig, whom he later married.....and, then later divorced!

Happy Fence Friday :-)

Sinking at the mo. Out all day yesterday in Birmingham at The Photography Show. And, off out again shortly. Will be trying to catch-up later this week :-) This shot was not taken in Santa Cruz........but taken in Princes Risborough. I guess Princes Risborough is not too far away from Santa Cruz :-)) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Crazy 'Bout An Automobile ~ Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces

I figure that finding another road where you've never been and singing that two-wheeled symphony allows me to link my motorcycle photo to “Gypsy Rider” by Gene Clark and Carla Olsen :-) "Crank her over once again Put your face into the wind Find another road where you're never been. Sing that two-wheeled melody The highway symphony You know she'll never understand." This track comes from the 1986 album “So Rebellious a Lover"........another of my all-time faves :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Gypsy Rider ~ Gene Clark & Carla Olsen

Last week I was quite late uploading my HFF entry. So, this week I am gonna be extra early and it's back to Stowe Landscape Gardens :-) 'Happy Fence Friday', everyone :-)

Tom Tower is the main entrance to Christ Church College, Oxford. It is a bell tower named for its bell, 'Great Tom'. So, here comes one of my wayward and obscure links for 'Soundtrack to Life' :-) I have made two references to 'Tom'. Therefore, I think I should be allowed to use a track with 'Tom' in the title :-) And, the sky is very 'Blues' here :-) In which case, it is easy for me to link this to Bob Dylan's classic “Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues” here sung by Linda Ronstadt. This comes from Linda's “We Ran” album from 1998. According to Wikipedia “the album only lasted two weeks on the Billboard album chart, peaking at a disappointing #160. Despite positive reviews, this release was a rare commercial failure for Linda with US sales of approximately 60,000 copies. The disc was taken out of print in 2009” I find this astonishing because, in my humble opinion, the album is full of so many gems! In particular, it contains stunning versions of two of my fave songs. They are “Icy Blue Heart” written by John Hiatt and “Dreams of the San Joaquin” written by Jack Wesley Routh & Randy Sharp”. If anyone can suggest photos to go with these two songs I will be eternally grateful :-)) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues ~ Linda Ronstadt

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) Whilst I was busy searching YouTube for music to go with one of my shots of 'The Shard' I suddenly saw this track by Donovan and thought “I have a shot in the archives where I went to town on mellow yellow 'colour popping'. And, guess what? Correct! I have found the shot taken in the Paris Metro very many moons ago :-) I see from Wikipedia that on 14 April 2012 Donovan was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame :-) Apparently, the song was rumoured to be about smoking dried banana skins, which was believed to be a hallucinogenic drug in the 1960's. I don't particularly like bananas unless they are cut up with cream and sugar so there's no chance of me being interested in the skins :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Mellow Yellow ~ Donovan

If I don't hurry up it will be 'Happy Fence Saturday' :-) So, this will have to be my HFF entry! "Happy Fence Friday" everyone :-) This is no longer used as an Observatory. It is now the centre-piece of Green Templeton College.

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) Back to another shot of my fave building, taken last year :-)

Was having diffuculty deciding which track to use with this shot...........finally decided upon "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Riders on the Storm ~ The Doors Please view on black :-)