My local hill is Winter Hill, and it is a key feature in my moorland playground. I've been walking, cycling, and running on here since late 1996.

I love being here in all weathers and today is a warm Saturday, so there are many other folk out enjoying Winter Hill.

Bolton town centre may not be the thriving place it once was as it is being redeveloped, but the diverse population is always interesting.

Friday lunchtime seems to have a special, more relaxed atmosphere as people begin to anticipate the weekend. Of course, the sunshine helps too.

Pubs provide interesting but difficult opportunities - quiet pubs are best because in a busy pub, someone will spot your camera every time.

The tram system provides endless opportunities and varying backdrops. These are all at Deansgate-Castlefield station, and almost every station is as good, whatever the weather.

There is something so intrinsically wrong about trying to reduce the calorific impact of sausage and chips by washing them down with Diet Coke.

I don't think there is anything to add other than such photo opportunities are rare and must be taken.

"Alison's Fish Special" advertisement is intended to be eye-catching, and this passerby proves it works. Clearly taken by the sign, she concentrates on the message, perhaps considering a cod and chips with all the trimmings, at a bargain price.

I also like some of the other details; her over-the-ear headphones, the crammed full shopping bag, and the waterproof jacket - still needed in the middle of June.

Mostly, though, it is her concentration which is obvious, even with only one side of her face visible.

Taken almost straight into the light with some sunbeams spreading from the sky. The figure casts a long shadow from the centre of the image. The wind blows her hair and makes her coat billow, enhancing the sense of movement as she walks across the road.

Her light coloured hair is highlighted against the black building behind, while most of the rest of the figure is silhouetted against the light reflected by the wet road. The buildings and the parked cars on the left provide some interest in the background. The buildings on the right create a strong shadow from which the figure emerged.

The high heels on her shoes create three very small points of contact between the figure and the shadow, almost bringing the shadow to life.

Market Street is often lively, and usually I am here later in the day, so I miss the urgency of around nine o'clock in the morning. There is a sense of having to be somewhere else, a need to be getting there, and finally, in the case of the man with the morning paper (how rare is that in 2026?), of being only a few steps away from your destination - even if it is a pub so early in the day.

I've seen people sit with their backs against Trig Points, and I've been with people who climbed on top of a Trig Point to get higher than everyone else. Until today, I've never seen anyone use a Trig Point as their Standing Desk. Chapeau!

Sometimes, only one shot isn't quite enough, and this pair seem to tell the story more completely together than either could do alone.

I always enjoy visiting Salford Quays because of the endlessly fascinating shapes and textures provided by the buildings. A sense of scale isn't always so easy to achieve, which is why I try to include people in my compositions. I also like to include people in the shots because while the shapes and textures are interesting, the size of buildings is overwhelming, and that sense can be too easily lost.

Rainy days in Bolton happen often enough to give photographers plenty of opportunities for practise and enable other people to take them in their stride. The two main subjects seem completely unconcerned by the weather, and the younger woman with the umbrella is positively enjoying being out in the rain. Even the elder woman has a hint of a smile, despite the weather, and this is in July! The expressions on the faces of these two women are the photograph. The rain, their clothing, and the umbrella create the atmosphere along with the shiny pavement.

I love being able to capture people enjoying themselves and to be able to do it on a rainy day is a rare treat.

I wish I could thank them both.

I expect the structure and layout of "Northern Folk" is going to evolve, even though I thought I had started with a structure that I thought would last longer than a few weeks. I intended the static pages to be collections of my favourite photos from particular locations. I think they (my "Best of ….") achieved what I intended for them, but they are another few clicks beyond the front screen, and the extra friction isn't helpful. I also realised the judicious use of tags could achieve the same thing, by "collecting" these images. From today, I will no longer update the existing "Best of …" pages and instead will use a "best" tag so that in addition to "bolton" I will also use "bolton-best". In due course, I'll do the same for the Wigan and Manchester pages.