Wednesday 23 September 2009

Railways


Firstly my apologies for not blogging for a while. In my other role as a supposedly responsible single parent I find that school summer holidays tend to put all my other projects on hold.

So for now I will just post this card that I recently picked up depicting the Docklands Light Railway before it was constructed - this is a 'Derelict Elevated Route East of Limehouse 1983' Enjoy and I promise I'll be back again next week.

Monday 27 July 2009

Howcroft Head Greetland


When I first started writing about Boring Postcards back in 1999, I had hoped that one day I might write a book about them.

Unbeknown to me, I had already been beaten to it by Martin Parr and his brilliant 'Boring Postcards' which was published by Phaidon shortly after I'd started my writing. I got to meet Martin shortly afterwards and this card, which he sent to me, is another of my favourites. It also appears in the book so do check it out if you haven't already got a copy.

Monday 20 July 2009

Southend Pier Damage


Another odd card: This one depicts pier damage at Southend on Sea in the 1980's. Incredibly it's one of a 'collectors series'! I don't know how many there are but this is number 4. (I happen to have two by the way)


The series shows damag to to the pier caused by the tanker Kingsabbey. Luckily for us this one concentrates on the lifeboat station which was declared unsafe and had to be blown up. Hee the station can be seen both pre and post explosion - enjoy!

Tuesday 14 July 2009

Dartmoor Prison


I'm not sure if this should be in the category Boring Postcards or Inappropriate Postcards. It's not necessarily boring - the building itself is dull - but the photo shows some pleasant countryside surrounding it, even if it does suggest that the photographer popped up from behind the wall for the split second that it took to get the photo, before scooting off in case he'd been spotted by the guards.

I find myself asking who would buy this card and also who would send it? Would it be sent from an inmate? How delighted would you be to receive it? It's certainly not going to come with the ultimate postcard cliche, 'Having a lovly time wish you were here.'

There is an unused 3p stamp on the reverse which I think would have been the cost of first class postage around the mid 1970's. However there is no message so we can only guess as to who had intended to send it.

Thursday 2 July 2009

The Control Tower London Airport


After last week's stab at making my own postcard, I'm delighted to return to the genuine article. Here then is the Control Tower at London Airport.

Nothing I can add here other than to urge you to bask in all it's boring glory.

Tuesday 23 June 2009

I know it's cheating


This isn't really a postcard and I know I shouldn't put it here but I often wonder what would be the modern equivalent of a boring postcard.

This is a disused quarry near to where I live. I find it interesting in that it suddenly appears out of nowhere on what is otherwise a very pleasant country walk. If I were designing a boring postcard today I'd definitely consider this.

I may include some photos from time to time but not too many in case I upset the purists. Come back next week for a genuine boring card.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Mersey Tunnel


There's not much I can ass to this other than to ask, once again, the question why? Why would anyone publish this and why would anyone want to buy it?


Answers on a (boring) postcard please.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

From Russia With Boredom


I can't remember how I got this. All I know is that it's from the former Soviet Union which has some classic boring postcards - it's just difficult to get hold of them.


I speak a little Russian but can only translate the words 'sea' and 'tourist'. It looks like it was published by the local tourist board!!!


I'll put another Soviet card on in the next couple of days.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

A Eureka Moment


I thought I'd lost this. This is the first boring postcard I ever bought. Broxbourne Civic Hall in all its glory. Shame about the crease but I'm just relieved to have found it.


This is the card that started the collection and I have to say I've probably still to better it. After 20 years I don't think I've found a duller card. Anyway, I'm just happy to have it back!
While you're here please visit my Squidoo page at http://www.squidoo.com/boringpostcards and the Flickr boring postcards group http://www.flickr.com/groups/boringpostcards/pool/

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Hastings


There is an art of the postcard maker that we have yet to highlight. How to make a potentially pretty scene look dismal and dispiriting.
Hastings is a pretty town on the Sussex South Coast and it also receives the best of the English weather. So why publish a postcard with such a bleak scene as this?
Maybe it’s supposed to look arty or mysterious as opposed to plain awful. Whatever the photographer’s thoughts were, would it make you want to visit Hastings?

Monday 11 May 2009

Civic Centre & Assembly Hall Walthamstow


I'm often asked what do you consider to be boring? After all one man's Sydney Opera House os another's Braintree bypass.


I've written a whole article on the subject here http://www.squidoo.com/moreboringpostcards but one of the first subjects I look for is Civic Buildings. They are uniformly hideous and this one is no exception.


Enjoy - more soon.

Monday 4 May 2009

Basildon


A postcard from Basildon Town Square. This begs two questions - the obvious one is why would anyone want a postcard from Basildon Town Square and secondly has the publisher not spotted the young lad in the picture who is clearly enjoying a good old scratch of his backside? (I've blown this photo up full size and it's not pretty)


I must have bought this around 1993 and it's never increased my desire to visit Basildon.


Tuesday 28 April 2009

Friday 24 April 2009

MOVING OVERSEAS - NEW ZEALAND


I was lucky enough to visit New Zealand ten years ago and personally consider it to be the most beautiful place on earth. Therefore it was surprising to discover that it is a close rival to the UK as a source of boring postcards.


This is the best one for me - Lyttelton Road Tunnel. It's the longest road tunnel in New Zealand linking Christchurch to the sea port of Lyttelton. Clearly they're very proud of it but on a postcard????


I now have an article on Squidoo about my hobby - if you want to have a look it's at http://www.squidoo.com/boringpostcards

Tuesday 21 April 2009

EAST KILBRIDE


This postcard is another of my favourites: Simply titled City Centre, East Kilbride, it was going to be used in a feature for the Scottish Daily Mail. Unfortunately, my timing being as good as ever, it co-incided with the release of Martin Parr’s Boring Postcards book and the Daily Mail itself had already planned to feature him.




The card was sent in 1974, a golden era for Boring Postcards, and the writer was having a lovely time apparently! It does however appear that they lived in Wood Green so East Kilbride probably seemed quite pleasant in comparison.

Friday 17 April 2009

East Wittering


Most postcards need no text from me. This is Shore Road in East Wittering, West Sussex; a pretty part of the South Coast turned dull. This postcard was sent in 1972 - the weather was apparently pretty dismal and maybe the correspondent found that this card matched her mood.


Enjoy - more soon.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Keep it Boring


I got into collecting Boring Postcards about 20 years ago. I can remember standing in a queue at my local newsagents and noticing a postcard of our local civic centre, a building widely acknowledged as being quite hideous. I wondered initially how many tourists our town actually attracted each year (somewhere around nil), and then wondered if any of these misguided travellers would buy such a ridiculous card and boast to their friends about where they had stayed.




The collection grew over the years and I now have several hundred. Highlights include Brentwood shopping Centre, Lyttleton Road Tunnel in new Zealand as well as countless roundabouts and civic halls. I have appeared in my local newspapers as well as The Times, and have written artciles for Picture Postcard Monthly and various County Magazines.
Sadly my collection has stuttered for several years now as newsagents close and old stock gets thrown out when owners realise their only hope of selling these is to idiots like me. So I'd like to share my collection with the world and also make suggestions for new postcards in a campaign to bring back boring!


The card pictured above is a favourite of mine. Entitled 'Station Road Cuffley' it is quite a pleasant tree lined view but ulimately it is a road with a Sign as its focal point. More boring postcards in a week.