Going to Seed

Spring has yet to appear in Norway; there's probably a good month or two of winter left here, but that's no reason not to start thinking ahead, to when all the seeds one planted last year may (or may) not appear as buds in the garden. Or to think about what quick-growing vegetables to sew when the snow melts. All this is purely academic as I do not even have a garden, just a little balcony, but I am nevertheless fascinated by seeds and anything that grows. And I loved the sight of this display in a local florist's backroom. The order and colour and excitement of such a confrontation is infectious, inspiring, and unlike similar displays of –for instance– sweets, everything here looks gorgeously healthy! I felt it was an interesting image (or series of images) to capture, and I particularly liked it that there are four empty slots in the shelves –breaking the perfection just a little.

Location: Oslo, Norway

World Book Day

It's World Book Day, so I thought it would be appropriate to share a picture that features books. This little collection is on display at a used-books shop in Heidelberg, so all the titles are in German. You might care to try guessing at some of their original titles if you've got time on your hands. Collections of anything that are similar yet unique are always pleasing motives, and part of the pleasure of collecting books is having them on display; unlike many other items, books are seldom untidy or "cluttered". The only thing that annoys me about these particular books is that the titles on the spines are printed "the wrong way" ie, in the opposite direction to what is generally normal. You'll occasionally get books like this and they exasperate me as I never know whether to have them upside down in my shelf so that the spine is commensurate with all the others, or to have the face the right way up, thus causing an anomaly in the row! But, as I have used up all my shelf space long ago and books are now piled up in stacks all over my flat, the problem is largely academic and books that are "the wrong way round" get banished to less conspicuous corners. However, the important thing is really the content, and books of all kinds continue to thrill, entertain, educate and inspire me. And I hope they do the same to you. Happy World Book Day!

Location: Heidelberg, Germany

British Market

Norwich has one of the oldest and finest markets in all of England, so well established that it's permanently covered and many of the stalls are pretty much miniature shops; yet the atmosphere is still very much that of any other market, with the certainty that once you go in you will find things you never knew existed and emerge clutching half a dozen things you don't need for every one item you do. But that's the fun of a market, and I for one love to explore such places; this one has essentially remained the same since I was a child, yet remains just as exciting and enjoyable. Now, I find it equally rewarding to photograph there whenever I visit the city. On this occasion, the market was just closing for the day so most of the stalls were boarded up. Boxes were stacked in the passageways between stalls that usually throng with people but which now were eerily empty. The light was interesting –pale sunlight filtering through the coverings of the market stalls giving a pale, almost underwater-like feeling. Here, I was attracted by the contrast of this to the bright Union Jack on the side of the box, and haphazard beauty of the pile of boxes itself.

Location: Norwich, England

Gathering of Nisser!

With Christmas rapidly approaching here's a feisty collection of "nisser", or elves if you prefer (gnomes, perhaps too?) with a heritage stretching back for at least a century. Many of these rosy elves are from Sweden, but one or two are German, Norwegian and perhaps even further afield. You'll notice also that they all seem to be male. Or are they? It is quite rare to see a female Christmas elf, but one has managed to infiltrate this otherwise masculine crowd –can you spot her? (clue: she's the one without a beard!). The setting here is a local market that sells bric-a-brac and antiques most of the year, but close to Christmas focuses on more seasonal fare. The abundance of red gave me an instant injection of Christmas spirit, and it's somehow always satisfying to photograph a collection of things that are similar in one respect yet diverse in another. I hope your own Christmas elves treat you well, and that you treat them well in return!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Market Square in Germany

A church, pretty buildings, cobblestones, market stalls, blue sky spread with fairly friendly clouds. No real story here, I just liked the peacefulness and prettiness of the scene and particularly the way the church seems to look out over the square – looking out for the town. It's quiet because the market day is almost over. Time for some berries. Location: Trier, Germany

Striped Roofs

The striped roofs of an English city market seen from above. No spectacular story, I just liked the variety of colours contrasting with the white and stretching out into the distance, the eveness broken up by the string of lights –which should also have been coloured!

Location: Norwich, England

Paperbacks on Display

Used paperbacks for sale at London's South Bank, and the late afternoon just bouncing off their well-worn colourful spines. Very simple, but somehow beautiful.

Location: London, England

Cloth

Colourful cloth on display in Birmingham's rag-market -speaks for itself really, I just like the colours -and see if you can spot the two pairs of scissors!

Location: Birmingham, England