photography

2024: One year in 7 photos

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A Happy New Year to you all! We might be wondering what lies ahead in 2025, but the old year can be neatly packaged.

I’m pulling together 2024 in just seven photographs. It was a year punctuated by more travel since the pandemic, including some unheralded destinations.

Spells at home were spent stalking the changing buildings of Manchester and waiting for the next departure – a rollercoaster ride. 

Do you have just a few photos that bring the year to life?

1. FAMILY HOLIDAY

A family of four enjoy a sunset walk on the shores of Costa Calma in Fuerteventura.

I went on a summer break to the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and observed hundreds of family holidays, including this beautifully-placed one taking their sunset walk along the beach. It was for me an unusually relaxing, enjoyable week in the sun and I found a fascination with resort architecture in this holiday playground.

• See more from this sun-kissed isle here

2. LITTLE CORNER OF THE MARKET
A market street scene in the capital city of São Tomé e Príncipe.

The African island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe was an adventurous trip to a virtually unknown destination. The main island had a lively, chaotic capital city and amidst the natural beauty was still processing its colonial past. I’d found my gateway to seeing more unusual corners of the planet with this memorable visit.

• See more of fabulous São Tomé here

3. CUBES AND THE TOWERA conical tower block and famous yellow of the Cube Houses in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

I visited the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the intent of chasing the city’s varied and bold post-war architecture – and wasn’t disappointed. Even the zany cube houses, seen by millions of tourists, were a delight. Rotterdam, basking in summer sunshine, was a pleasant place to spend a long weekend.

• See more of ravishing Rotterdam here

4. PERAST AND BEYOND

A scenic view of Perast and beyond on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro.

This was a first trip to Montenegro’s stunning Bay of Kotor – an inland sea with the qualities of an Alpine lake. The town of Perast (pictured) and a beautiful hotel were quieter out of season in April, while my relaxing stay also included a whistle-stop tour of Montenegro’s ruggedly scenic north.

• See much more of Montenegro here

5. TINY ISLAND CAPITAL

Tall palms hold sway over the town of Santo Antonio on Príncipe island.

You can’t visit São Tomé without hopping over to sister island Príncipe – much smaller, less developed and natural. It’s become a far flung destination for small-scale more sustainable tourism and has turned a legacy of plantations into high-end accommodation offering relaxation and adventure. I could easily go back for a two-week holiday.

• See more of this little paradise here

6. CENTRAL HALL, MANCHESTER

An interior view of Manchester Central, the city's former railway station.

The one Manchester highlight that has squeezed into a travel-rich 2024. This building, not far from where I live, started out as a railway station and is a well-known city centre landmark. It was opened to the public this year and stepping inside made its true scale and ingenuity apparent. It’s not all about new skyscrapers in this city.

• See more of this engineering feat here

7. OUTSIDE THE STORE, ANJOUANTwo brightly clothed women outside a neighbourhood general store in Mutsamudu, Comoros Islands.

The final trip of the year took me to a country which took a long time to reach and was barely touched by tourism, possibly the most obscure destination I have ever visited. The Comoros Islands was beautiful, its people fascinating and wonderfully photogenic even in mundane settings. I’m still digesting my visit as 2025 takes hold.

• See more of unknown Comoros here

Manchester v Liverpool: A tale of two cities

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A visit from my photographer and blogging friend Kiki saw us take two photography walks around two great British cities over two days.

My home city Manchester was closely followed by a trip to Liverpool on a couple of chilly December days, mainly peering up at architecture.

Is it possible to compare the two cities? Is one more photogenic than the other?… CONTINUE READING BELOW

Tap/click first image to see gallery

What was Kiki’s take on Manchester and Liverpool? Find out here

Our wander around Manchester city centre was extensive, taking in everything from the industrial red brick of Ancoats to New Jackson’s gleaming skyscrapers.

Of course this was very familiar territory for me, although accompanying a visitor alters your vision and perspective.

It was all very different in Liverpool which isn’t very familiar to me. I also became a tourist and allowed my eyes to be drawn to majestic buildings, from the iconic old Liver Building to a good dose of Art Deco magnificence.

Christmas tree lit up at night in Manchester city centre.

Season’s greetings to all from Manchester city centre’s Christmas tree

I’d say that if you’re heading to Manchester, you’ll be spoilt for choice with new and tall buildings which have rocketed up during the past decade.

The parts of Liverpool city centre we walked around are full of grand, traditional architecture – but it’s a place that needs further exploration. Comparisons to my own adopted home city are tricky to make.

So is Manchester more photogenic than Liverpool? I couldn’t possibly comment. It’s best to visit north-west England and spend time in both its great cities. Just take a camera and keep looking up!

Do you have stronger opinions? Let me know!

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Comoros Islands: Anjouan

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The Comoros Islands. Most people would struggle to locate this country on a map.

This small nation sits in the Indian Ocean between east Africa and north Madagascar. It’s seldom visited, which made me want to visit all the more.

I’ve introduced you to Mohéli, the smallest, wildest of the three islands.

Now it’s welcome to Anjouan, a bustling island with a rebellious streak – but blessed with tropical landscapes. CONTINUE READING BELOW

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Anjouan is best reached by small inter-island aircraft, an experience in itself.

My home was the quaint and rather empty Johanna Livingstone Hotel, decorated in bat motifs and with a terrace perfectly situated to watch some fiery tropical sunsets.

It was situated in a quieter corner of Anjouan’s main city Mutsamudu, with the pretty Al Amal beach a short walk away, where we rare tourists mixed with locals enjoying the refreshing ocean.

A carpet of ylang ylang blossoms drying out before creating oil.

Ylang ylang blossoms are a valuable crop throughout the Comores

The capital city’s old centre is a dense maze of ancient alleyways and many nods to the Comoros Island’s Islamic faith. The array of market stalls and throngs of people going about their business is dizzying.

On the other side of the island sits the city of Domoni, with its own set of narrow little streets and beguiling buildings. 

The city is crowned by a bristle of gold-topped minarets making up an impressive mosque and resting place for this small nation’s first post-independence leader.

Anjouan’s more rural hinterland is filled with lush valleys, hills and rugged coastal spots which in a country more developed for tourism would be an azure-coloured holidaymakers’ playground. 

But it was the urban centres of this island which were truly eye-opening, where European visitors are seldom seen picking their way around the streets.

A place that’s yet to be discovered.

Next time: Grand Comore, this archipelago’s biggest island. But does biggest mean the best?

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Comoros Islands: Mohéli

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When it comes to the Indian Ocean, most holidaymakers have heard of the sun-drenched paradises of the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius.

How about the Comoros Islands? This small nation, situated between the east African coast and north Madagascar, seems virtually undiscovered – so I had to take a look for myself.

The Islamic country gained its independence from France in 1975 and has had a bumpy political history, so there was a lot to find out.

My trip from Manchester to the Comoros on Ethiopian Airlines consisted of three stopovers until reaching the tiny, chaotic airport outside the capital Moroni.

But let’s start this discovery in Mohéli, the smallest of the three Comores, a place where nature and relaxation hold sway. CONTINUE READING BELOW

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A view of Mohéli's mountain and coast from the Laka Lodge lookout in the Comoros.
An orange-necked Mongoose Lemur seen on a visit to Laka Lodge in Mohéli, Comoros Islands.
Boys playing football on the beach at Nioumachoua, Mohéli island, Comoros.
A vast and ancient tree in the rainforest of Mohéli in the Comoros Islands.
A stunning indigo sunset seen over the Indian Ocean at Mohéli in the Comoros Islands.
A bunch of piercing red berries found in the rainforest on Mohéli island in the Comoros.
A portrait of two teenage boys on the beach at Nioumachoua, Mohéli island, Comoros.
A view of Laka Lodge beach on Mohéli in the Comoros islands as dusk begins to fall.
A ylang ylang flower bloom in the forests of Mohéli, the Comoros Islands.
The sight of a Livingstone Bat in flight over the forest canopy on Mohéli in the Comoros Islands.
A group of Comoran men resting in the shade by a beach on Mohéli island in the Comoros.
A dazzling seashell found on a beach at Mohéli in the Comoros islands.
A large spider sets its web across a patch of forest in Mohéli, the Comoros Islands.
A view of a bungalow at Laka Lodge in Mohéli, the Comoros Islands.
A black and white Mongoose Lemur clasping a tree on Mohéli island in the Comoros.

Mohéli is best reached by one of the Comores’ internal airlines Royal Air with its 1960s small plane and a Ukrainian crew. It’s half an hour from the other islands, Grand Comore and Anjouan.

Mohéli has some decent, solid stretches of Chinese-built road which took us to Laka Lodge, a cluster of bungalows set close to a beautiful beach.

Nature is the name of the game here, with trips to visit sea turtles and the vast Livingstone fruit bat. There’s even a group of Mongoose Lemurs who visit every afternoon expecting a feast of bananas.

This is a spot where even this reluctant bather took a dip in the sea, while walks up a lookout hill to witness fantastic, fiery sunsets were obligatory.

With just a small handful of other European guests, it was evident that few travellers have heard of this place let alone decided to make the long trip here.

The lodge was next to the village of Nioumachoua, with the beach playing host to football games and young lads asking to have their photograph taken. 

One evening we heard there were lengthy, lavish wedding celebrations taking place and walked over to witness this spectacle.

It happened to be the night when it was the men’s turn to dance. I went from watching to having a ylang ylang blossom garland and a gold sash placed around my neck and joining in the festivities. A memorable brush with the culture of this small island.

Tap/click image to play video

Video credit: Priscilla Camue

Coming soon: Visits to the larger islands of the seldom visited Comoros archipelago. Is this a country that should become a bucket list staple or left to the more adventurous tourist?

Coastal walk: Lytham to Blackpool

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The weather forecast promised a warm September day in northern England.

I hurriedly booked train tickets from Manchester to the genteel Lancashire seaside town of Lytham St Annes, and planned to walk along the coast to colourful, brash Blackpool.

I took this trip on a beautiful autumn day in 2023, but the route was reversed.

Did going from south to north make all the difference? KEEP READING BELOW

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When I arrived at Lytham, I headed straight for the promenade where the tide was far out and sandscape glistening in the sun.

The curve of Granny’s Bay was full of people enjoying the warmth and dog walkers enjoying the sea’s absence.

I did the same at St Annes Beach, wandering far out on the golden sands, beyond the resort’s perfect row of bathing huts. Visiting the stranded pier and its famous old remnants had to be done.

St Annes Pier in Lancashire taken with the tide very far out.

St Annes Pier surrounded by sand not sea

The genteel coast eventually gives way to the bold bulk of Blackpool. Unlike last year, the tide was sloshing against the Brutalist coastal defences so there would be no walk along the beach this time.

I enjoyed peering up at the concrete monuments and huge mirrorball of the New South Promenade with a perfect view of famed rollercoaster The Big One – and the resort’s iconic tower.

So this time I finished my walk among the hum and buildings of Blackpool, unlike the relative calm of Lytham’s coast. As for the photographs, I was blessed with another year of stellar skies and finding relative minimalism by the sea. 

This is a coastal escape from the hustle and bustle of inland Manchester, no matter which way you walk.

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