Lateral Thinking

Can there be anything more boring than scanning transparencies? I’m still working my way through the slides that were returned to me when the Sylvia Cordaiy Photolibrary went entirely digital. But sometimes one image brings back lots of memories.

The Grocer's Shop

This shot was taken on my very first visit to Prague in 1992, and was just a quick snap to remind myself of the array of goods available in a typical grocery store three years post-Revolution. It wasn’t until I looked more closely that I noticed the green sign in the top left of the window.

A little lateral thinking and this rather ordinary, well actually very boring, image has been used  in several different magazines to accompany an extended caption on the benefits of diversification for the small shopkeeper. Later it picked up another reproduction fee when featured in the Photos That Sell page in the BFP Newsletter.

Pivo Prosím

Bernard - a traditional Czech Beer

Beer is one of the things that defines the Czech Republic. A good Czech beer is a meal in itself, full of flavour and goodness. Bernard is a good example – a family brewery using traditional methods to produce a premium product. But others are always keen to muscle in on this profitable market.

Today’s Prague Monitor brings the news that the Dutch firm Heineken is negotiating to buy the Staropramen brand. This would further strengthen Heineken’s stake in the Czech beer market – they are currently in third place, owning the Krušovice, Hostan, Starobrno, Zlatopramen, Velké Březno, Louny and Kutná Hora brands already. The Staropramen group also includes the smaller Braník, Měšťan, Ostravar, Kelt, Velvet and Vratislav beers – and this takeover would doubtless increase the number of ‘zombie’ beers – small breweries being closed and all their beers brewed in Heineken’s large breweries.

A Present for Obama

Czech Puppet

It’s traditional to give a visiting Head of State a present. With President Obama about to arrive in the Czech Republic the debate is on as to what kind of gift would be appropriate. Potatoes or puppets seem to be the favourite choices – I think the Obama kids might appreciate the puppets more!

Israeli President’s Visit

Jewish Cemetery

On a two-day visit to the Czech Republic, Israeli President Shimon Peres visited the wartime memorial at Terezin, where he and Czech President Vaclav Klaus added small pebbles to the monument in the time-honoured Jewish tradition.

Yet Another Political Crisis

Election Poster 2006

Ever since the last elections in 2006, the Czech Government has been lurching from crisis to crisis as, with no working majority, Mirek Topolanek’s Civic Democrats have struggled to implement their policies.

Topolanek has called for early elections if the vote of  ‘no confidence’, due to take place today, succeeds.

No Demand!

Why is that just when you have everything worked out nicely, big companies go and change everything – usually because there’s ‘no demand’?

I was delighted when Thomsonfly started flying from Doncaster’s Robin Hood airport to Prague. The flights were at very convenient times, and always full. Then the flight schedule was changed, no flights from Robin Hood so no more Thomsonfly for me. However BMIbaby is an excellent low-cost airline, and does have the advantage that there is no weight limit for carry on baggage, a very important bonus for a travel photographer – so it was off to East Midlands airport for me.

Now that service has been withdrawn as well, so I am now booked on Easyjet for my next trip. It’s a good price, and at a good time (arriving and departing fairly late in the evening so I can do a whole day’s work at either end). Let’s just hope that this service doesn’t disappear as well!

Lost Millions

Czech Railways

Czech Police seem to have given up any idea of solving the problem of the 114 million crowns that have disappeared from the State-controlled Czech Railways.

“The case ends like all other similar cases. There is simply no interest in punishing persons responsible for the robbery of state-run companies” said a representative of the anti-corruption police.

Masopust

Carnival is celebrated in many countries – and the Czech Republic is no exception. Here it is called masopust which literally means ‘goodbye to meat’  and it is traditionally celebrated with plenty of feasting. Pork is the universal dish and many Prague restaurants honour the season with special pork dishes.

Prague Ham roasting over spit

© Stockczech/Sheila Atter

Arnošt Lustig

The Czech Business Weekly today carries an interview with Czech writer Arnošt Lustig, who was interned in Terezín concentration camp during the Second World War.

Lustig’s story is one of hope – finding the little pleasures in life. My own visit to Terezín was very moving and it’s difficult to believe that anyone could have held onto any sort of optimism in such a place. But just maybe, the sight of a few bare branches breaking into bud as spring came round, seen through a broken window high on the wall of a prison cell, would give a glimmer of hope that better times would eventually come.

Hope

EU Hoax

One of David Černy's own sculptures

It seemed like such a good idea at the time: what better way to celebrate the Czech Republic’s presidency of the European Union than a giant art installation, with input from every member state, showing what we really feel about our place in Europe?

Eccentric sculptor David Černy was charged with the task of sourcing contributions from up and coming artists from the various countries.

Now the truth has emerged. Černy has invented all the artists himself, and all the works on display are his own. Those who appreciate the Czech sense of humour just laugh. Others are not so impressed.