Amsterdam Russ

Agreed - so many brilliant photos, from the expert photographers and most of us who just capture things with our phone cameras or whatever basic kit we have to hand. Every photo posted here is a real delight to see. See you - and everyone else - in the New Year!

Best wishes to one and all for a very merry, but more importantly healthy Christmas and New Year!

Best wishes to one and all for a very merry, but more importantly healthy Christmas and New Year!

Listening to a mixed bag of Christmas tunes via iTunes right now and this one popped up...

A positive ID. Nice one - and well done to your dog for flushing the bird out so you might see it!

Enlarging the pic as much as possible while still maintaining some integrity suggests a black beak and yellow legs, and thus a little egret.

Great white egret?

It was Seb who added that information.

Machine stamped. On closer inspection I see what looks to be 'A 1' about 1.5cm after the matrix stamp. That's also machine stamped. Additionally, there's a feint and rather small hand-etched 'R' at 6 o'clock (if you have the matrix stamp at 12 o'clock). The 'A 1' and 'R' appear on both sides.

Legend of Otis Redding: W4KM - 0276 - - 1 Got to have your love: W4KM - 0277 - - 1 A further difference between originals and boots of the white-label demos is that original copies have a bevelled outer edge on the label whereas the boots do not. Also got caught out myself some years back with a Dutch/Belgian boot, but happily the seller was more than accommodating regarding a refund. A quick check on Popsike shows that loads of the boot demos have been sold as originals across the years!

PM sent

Amsterdam's Fingerpoppin Soul is one of the world's longest-running soul radio shows. They do a two-hour show every Thursday at 10pm CET (9pm UK time) Hans Diepstraten @fingerpoppinsoul and Harry van Vliet started broadcasting in 1993 and have been going ever since. Check out their website, and particularly the "Artists we met" page to get a solid idea about their undisputed pedigree. Website here: https://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam They're been streaming shows since about 2013, and you can listen to them on Mixcloud here:

A touch of nostalgia for our tree - a clove-studded orange. The scent is filling the room and it smells an awful lot like Christmas!

Another great thread this year - lots of brilliant photos, and never a dull moment. And entirely down to everyone's enthusiastic participation! It doesn't matter whether you lie in wait for a hoped-for photo opportunity or whether you just happen to be in the right place at the right time, much of it is down to luck. At the same time, often with landscapes and the like, the beauty is, quite literally, in the eye of the beholder - the beholder being the one looking through the camera and who sees something worth snapping and then takes the time to share it with us all. Whatever your photos have been of, and however you got them, they are all hugely appreciated and definitely enjoyed!

Caught the second half of the show last night and loved the 'being close, being together' theme for the songs. Here's hoping the days of social distancing, etc, etc, really are soon to start coming to an end.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year - shortlisted selections in the ‘people’s choice’ category. Well worth checking out - there are some stunners! https://news.sky.com/story/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-which-is-your-favourite-image-12147100

Scotland is the focus of a fine selection of photos sent in to BBC News for the week 20-27 November. Here's one of the pics: Source: BBC News / © Morag Allen Click the link below to see all the photos: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-55042969

Thank you kindly. Not much in the way of birds. I did bump into a local birdwatcher who told me (in Dutch) that he'd seen snipe, woodcock, owls and more. I didn't, so must be looking in the wrong places. Next time, maybe! Hawthorn - I'll take your word for it unless told otherwise by our resident expert.

First time out on the bike today since July, and only the fourth time this year. Didn't go very far, but I'm knackered. Still, it was worth it. The light became nicely golden as the afternoon drew to a close, and I managed to get a few pics into the bargain. Magpie Kestrel Autumnal berries (name, please) Moss growing on a bench made from part of a tree trunk Grasses/wild flowers (name, please) - nicely backlit against a dark background Nicely lit reeds against a backdrop of industrial greenhouses One of three windmills on our little 'borough'. This one's Molen de zwarte ruiter (Windmill the black rider)

My pleasure. 👍

There's a thread on the subject here:

As someone with an interest in 'Northern Soul' and who has edited more than my fair share of academic papers and books, I look forward to reading. By the way, I do believe another PhD dissertation/thesis is due very soon.

As someone with an interest in 'Northern Soul' and who has edited more than my fair share of academic papers and books, I look forward to reading. By the way, I do believe another PhD dissertation/thesis is due very soon.

If you're tired with everyone's "never get tired of" selections, why not participate and share your own rather than denigrate? Come on... be involved rather than be negative. 👍

Cam Cameron - They say (Capri) Had a copy for maybe 35 years and never tired of it yet.