Hi I’m James Plunkett & this is my personal B&W travel photo blog

About me. Where to begin? I’ll begin by talking the unconventional route of talking about someone more interesting first! My Uncle Tom was a Professor of Italian literature, who spoke fluent, Italian, French, German, Greek and Latin. He was a fellow of Trinity Collage Dublin and lecturered at Aberdeen, Queens NY, Melbourne Australia, and Millan Universities. Thanks to him I got to see things that I would probibly never have had the opportunity to, and probably never will again, this individual shaped me as a person seeking academic achievement with a thirst for travel and the arts. Big shoes to fill; I try to live each day like I am.

I have always had a great interest in photography my parents got me hoocked at a very young age and always asked me to take photos of them when we were on holiday. I got my first film camera for Christmas in 1990, I initially though I had open my Dads present and was very surprised and happy when my parents told me it was mine. I was 6 and my passion had begun. My photography wasn’t anything special, it wasn’t until I joined Caledonian University in 2001 and started my University diploma in Multimedia that I quickly began to learned the influential techniques and styles of modern photography. B&W and Noire quickly became my chosen style, I’ve stuck with it ever since.

Allot of the older pictures you see in this blog have been digitally remastered from film and desaturated and processed (cleaned up in photoshop) to match my current B&W style. Over the last 6 weeks or so I have enjoyed going back through all my memories and rediscovering photos and stories I had forgotten. I look forward to continuing travelling in Black and White, thus far I have never ventured to America or to Asia and it is a very high priority on my to do list, hopefully soon. Let the saving begin.

A pinacle moment in my life that changed allot of what I could have became happened when I was 15. it was the 2nd last day of the school term and I ende dup getting in an argument with my english teacher. I had been told that there was a good chance that I was dyslexic. I had suspected this for a while and I was and still am completely comfortable with this, however it was what he said next that would infuriate me and as far as I am aware, I’m pretty sure that this statement and memory would give me the will and the strength over the next 10 or so years to prove him wrong.

He told me that “I should prepare to study a trade“ as “I would never amount to anything academical“, and that “I would never ever go anywhere or achieve anything meaning full in life“. My last line on the subject would be that this site renders his argument invalid, I am proud of my achievements and I am by no means finished yet!”

I am currently the lead Digital Designer for The Herald And Times Newspaper group but work primarily within the digital environment of one of the UKs most successful internet companies s1job.com. I graduated From Glasgow Caledonian University in 2006 with a Masters with distinction In Digital Media.  A B.A. Hons degree (2,2) and a University diploma in Multimedia Visualisation With Integrated Product Design. I have 3 international design awards to my name and have lectured 3 times in Paris at the Lisaa.

Point Proven, its is however in which I live the rest of my life that excites me.

Prof. Tom O’Neill (Glasgow, Aberdeen, Trinity, Queens, Melbourne & Millan Uni)

Born in Coatbridge (Scotland) in 1942, Tom O’Neill graduated in French and Italian from the University of Glasgow in 1966 graduation with 3 masters in Italian, French and Latin. He lectured at the University of Aberdeen, Queen’s College (New York), and Trinity College Dublin. In 1985 he became Professor at the University of Melbourne, guest lecturing throughout the next ten years at Millan University. He took early retirement in 1998. He sadly passed away At his home in St Kilda Bay Melbourne in early  2001. Tom’s ashes were brought back to Coatbridge By my father James Plunkett senior and were buried with his parents in Old Monkland Cemetery. A funeral service was also carried out in Dublin that year where other University Fellows attended.

He wrote a book on Foscolo, and edited annotated versions of Cassola’s Il taglio del bosco and Sciascia’s Íl contesto. He contributed several essays to a number of journals including Forum Italicum, Italian Quarterly, Italica, Rivista di letterature moderne e comparate and Spunti e ricerche. Shortly before his death he had drafted some essays on Tomasi di Lampedusa, Sciascia, Consolo and Bigongiari. Some of these were to appear in book form. Reader and friend of the poets Mario Luzi and Piero Bigongiari, he was a member of “Comitato Scientifico dei Quaderni Leonardo Sciascia” along with important writers such as Vincenzo Consolo and Salvatore Nigro, and scholars such as Nino Borsellino and Giulio Ferroni.

His memory will live on being sited in many Italian literature books.Along with Glasgow university naming a prize after him for top students of Italian Language. The Professor Thomas O’Neill Prize for italian language at Glasgow University

For me; he will live on in the images and memories I have of the short time I had to spend with him. I do miss the fact that I will never got to sit down with him now, knowing what i know about life and  bounce interesting questions about life, politics and philosophy. I think we would have had the greatest conversations.

BUT THERES MORE!
He may be most known for his academic achievements, but I will always remember the funner side of life with him.

1) I remember when I was 6 him trying to teach me to play cards in Ttorvaianica and then being accused in a frustrated voice of cheating at Snap! I also remember from this meeting his love for Campari and soda and how I hated the taste of it when he let me try it.

2) When in Paris I dragging him to Disneyland and took him on The pirates of the Caribbean ride where he was not very impressed, especially not with the amount of water and high shoots; afterwards I’m pretty sure he enjoyed himself , well I like to think so anyway.

3) Not sure if anyone knows this, my parents didn’t but he had a very bad fear of heights, I came across this in our cable car ride through Mont Blanc. He would get especially vocal and animated when I would stand up and move around the cable car to take pictures.

4) One of the funniest memories I have of him is while traveling to Madera. He began to read the Glasgow Herald (which I now work for), the herald is a very large almost broadsheet paper. We were sitting under the inflight movie TV, he proceeded to obliviously open the huge paper up in front of the TV blocking everyones view of it, complaints were made be he stuck with his guns until he was finished reading.

5) A memory that also sticks out in my mind is a time that he was visiting us in Edinburgh. We all went out to dinner at a local french restaurant at my recommendation called Pettie Parrie. The restaurant was booked solid but they managed to squeeze us in. The manager then came over to our table half way through our main course and told us that we would have to hurry up as the next customers were waiting. This was like a red rag to a bull! the man started to argue and then told us his english wasn’t the best. My Uncle Tom smiled and then proceeded to for the next 20 minutes in the most aggressive french Ive ever heard, berate the Manager With every question Tom would give him a 5 minute statement. My French wasn’t very good at this point but after it we were given free desert, tea, coffee, liquors and Toms favourite Auzzie word “GROG!”. I still to this day do not know and will never know exactly what he said , sad that ill never get to ask him, but the mystery makes the memory more powerful.

6) An equally as funny situation, again being restaurant related is the time in Paris when we turned up uninvited and under dressed to Le Train Bleu, My Uncle Tom said it would be fine as long as had money! the door concierge looked bewildered and both of us were given ties to wear!  a lesson was learned that night and the similar mistake would not be made again when visiting the Palace Hotel in Madeira 2000.

7) My final memory of him will be from Madeira in 2000 and the last time I would meet him. We were on a boat trip on a copy of Columbus’s Santa Maria, I had been applying suncream all day and ushered (he would say wing’ed/ complained ) him to do the same, I was smirked at politely. After the 3 hour trip it would transpire that through the complete miracle of god knows what! He remained untouched by the sun, Yet I had to have an ice cold bath; I had sun stroke. I should have really thought about it, he did live in Australia after all.

I have my memories and Im glad for them, and glad if you knew him and by reading this have possibly seen the other side of him. I feel so humble and lucky to have known and had such an inspiration person in my life. Undoubtedly I can say that he has been a massive motivation in how I have reached my current station, and no doubtably will continue to do so for the rest of my life.