ODS Election Poster 2006

Mirek Topolanek, who announced his plan to resign as Civic Democrat (ODS) chairman yesterday, won seven elections during more than seven years at the ODS helm and he brought the ODS to power, but after an election flop in 2008 his position weakened and he gradually became a burden for his party.

An outspoken maverick, Topolanek perhaps epitomises the Czech political scene!

More details of his career in The Prague Daily Monitor

On Guard

For no other reason than that it always makes me smile, here’s a shot I took in the charming lttle town of Pardubice in Eastern Bohemia.

Pardubice is best known as the home of one of Europe’s most gruelling horse races. It’s also famous for the explosive Semtex – and for marzipan.

However there are also some beautiful buildings and interesting little side streets. It’s only a short train ride from Prague, and well worth a visit for the tourist who wants to get away from the crowds in Prague and visit a typical small Czech town.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Prague Ham roasting over spit

© Stockczech/Sheila Atter