Our Ginnel

[poliphilo]

Comments

[sovay]

I love your photographs. They capture an amazing sense of story or history, even if unknown; they never look just like surfaces and skies.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm glad they affect you that way. It's that sense of the inner life of a place that I'm after.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I like this very much. Life behind the facade.
:)
But I´ve not heard the word "ginnel" before. I assume that means alleyway?
Odd word...

[momof2girls.livejournal.com]

It looks like a nice little area. Do kids play in it?

(I had to look up what "ginnel" meant - I'd never heard that term before!)

[humblenarrator.livejournal.com]

Who would want to start a fire here? (I like how the second photo emerges out of shadow.)

I love these!

[elegysostenuto.livejournal.com]

Especially the color contrast in the second one and the greenery restrained behind, and spilling over, the fences. Good eye!

[manfalling.livejournal.com]

These are remarkably colorful. I never thought of your ginnel (I always thought guinnel) was as colorful as this. I would have guessed- grey. But no. Maybe due to it being a good day and sunny, whereas normally that's not the case.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I think "ginnel" is Lancashire dialect. I'm originally from Up North, not far from where poliphilo lives, and personally I would have called the thing in the photo a "back entry". To me a ginnel is narrower, usually the narrow passage between two buildings, ie buildings without back yards. But usage no doubt varies.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Kids don't use it much- it's a little too secluded.

This may change. They recently put gates on all the exits and entrances and only the residents have keys. This will make it a whole lot "safer".

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Who would want to start a fire? Kids of course.

Innocent and irresponsible.

Re: I love these!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. But the sun really makes the red brick glow.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We sometimes refer to it as "the backings".

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You are probably right. I'm not a native of these parts. My grasp of local dialect is a little shaky.

[momof2girls.livejournal.com]

I was also wondering if that's where the teenage hooligans were hanging out and causing trouble. Are they still around?

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I enjoy learning about localisms.
:)
I spent some time in Lancaster but never heard the word.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

They were on the other side of the fence, not in the alley itself- though once the altercation had started they climbed over into the alley to confront me.

I haven't seen them since. Touch wood.