Survival!

One of the items to emerge during the clearance operation was a surprise, an  ancient bakelite hair dryer in its own vanity case. It wasn't hard to discover that it was made by the Ormond Engineering Company and dates from the 1950s. It's regarded as such a classic of retro design that the same model is held in several  museums.  It came top in the first ever 'Which' hairdryer comparison trial in 1961. To my amazement it still works (it must have had a new plug at some point because surely they have changed?)

Of course the discovery of an old hair dryer wasn't the main event of the day. That was the announcement that Blipfoto was in liquidation. Suspense mounted as I switched anxiously between Facebook, 365 and the  website, monitoring the breaking news, the gossip, the advice and the suggestions on if/how we can preserve our precious community in the event of total shipwreck. Many heartbreaking/warming blips have strengthened the determination of members to stay afloat if the vessel  founders and there has been concern and sympathy for those members of the crew who remain aboard.

In the image here my hands can be seen doing what they have done almost every day for the past four and a half years: capturing a blip. The process of taking a picture and setting it to words has given me enormous pleasure and satisfaction and has brought me into contact with an incredible realm of humanity: people who have shared their lives, thoughts, emotions, memories, interests, passion and wit through the medium of photography and the invention of Blipfoto. An old hair dryer may be a clumsy metaphor but I'm still hoping that the site will also keep going one way or another.