MJCarty snapshots December 2023

Belated cybermen, unexpected badgers and grunge memories! A few personal highlights from December 2023, captured in tiny wee snapshots.

This is my latest monthly selection of snapshots of things that caught my eye over these past few weeks, comprising the month of December 2023. I usually put out these pictorial round-ups at the end of each month, but I thought I’d share this one with the world in time for Christmas.

While we’re here, might I please also wish you an exceptional Christmas/festive season/end of December (delete according to preference) and new year?

23 November 2023: Belated Cyberman!

Speedy Cyberman sketch (drawn to mark what was the 60th anniversary of the first ever episode of Doctor Who)!

I forgot to include it in last month’s pictorial round-up, so here it is a tad bit late…

Sunday 3 December 2023: When Nirvana were not so very famous

Nirvana opened for Mudhoney (with Tad in the middle of the bill) at the Sub Pop Lame Fest, held at the London Astoria 34 years ago to this particular early December Sunday – specifically on Sunday 3 December 1989.

This is my ticket stub from that gig, back when you could see three such bands for a mere six quid!

Remarkable to think of a time when Nirvana weren’t even big enough to warrant their name on the ticket. But I am pleased to report that they were very good that night, all the same.

Saturday 9 December 2023: Shine through

Brighter times lie ahead. The cloud will break, even if almost imperceptibly at first. The sun’s rays will begin to shine through.

From my 9 December blog post entitled First rays.

Wednesday 13 December 2023: Badger sighting

Blimey!

On my early morning walk at the start of this particularly frozen December day, I (almost literally) bumped into a badger on the pavement just down the road from my house, as they were trying to get through or under a neighbour’s hedge.

Said badger didn’t seem to want to wait around for a selfie, so please accept this artist’s impression I found via Wikimedia Commons instead.

I’ve lived here nearly nine and a half years, and over that time this was my third unexpected badger sighting (all three being in the early hours of winter mornings). I wonder when or if I might ever see a badger crossing my path again?

Thursday 14 December 2023: Of sunrises and successions…

Stunning sunrise tones to this particular Thursday morning.

Where might today lead you?

Succession: I am somewhat late to the sweary, backstabby snakepit party on this, but on this particular day I watched the final episode of Succession, after binge-watching the whole thing from the beginning over the past few weeks.

What a searingly brilliant series, and what a perfect conclusion.

If you happen to have seen it, do you have a favourite character or moment (or whatever) from it?

Saturday 16 December 2023: Of flutes and vampires

Vampires.

Flutes.

I am delighted to report that this record delivers on what its brilliant sleeve promises!

Please do consider giving a listen to this amazing album… The Adventure of Kohsuke Kindaichi (1977) Soundtrack – The Mystery Kindaichi Band ミステリー金田一バンド.

Sunday 17 December 2023: Silhouetted

Silhouetted by Sunday’s softly soothing sunrise..

Your snapshots

What about you, gentle reader? What has made or is making your month memorable? I would love to know! Post a comment below, or @ me on the social medium of your choice (Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Instagram, even X/Twitter if you’re still on there – and I am not sure I will be for much longer).

May you be nothing but kind today, to others and to yourself.

May today be nothing but kind to you and yours.

IMAGES

• All photography by MJCarty (with the exception of the picture of Madonna gazing up at a picture of her mother, which was taken by and is used with the kind permission of Dr Paul Taylor-Pitt, and the Wikimedia Commons-derived pictures of mountains and badgers).