Tag Archives: photography

Platinum Al’s Instagram Top 9 2025

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Here we are with another recap post! This time, a quick look at the Top 9 photos I posted on Instagram in 2025. Though with the minimal interest I get on that social media platform these days, I don’t know why I bother!

Anyway, these are the Insta pics that received the most likes last year. From most popular top left, they decrease in likes down to bottom right. Here’s the breakdown:

  1. RIP Ozzy – a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who we lost last year. An Ozzy doll, Funko Pop and some records.
  2. Black Sabbath records and CDs to commemorate the final gig.
  3. Castle Grayskull & MOTU figures – as featured on this blog.
  4. Admiral Ackbar and me.
  5. A full size Imperial Scout Walker, as seen at Liverpool Comic Con.
  6. A tribute to Mike Peters, another hero we lost in 2025: The Alarm 12″ single.
  7. An ancient tomb on Anglesey, North Wales.
  8. Predator in the wild!
  9. Me at the Taylor Swift cafe in Beaumaris, Anglesey.

Those nine photos captured some of the big events of 2025, in my life at least.

I usually post plenty of pics of vinyl, toys, skateboards and beer on my Instagram page. If that sounds like fun to you, please follow me: platinum_al.official

The Best of 2025

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Happy New Year, everybody! Welcome to 2026.

As is now tradition here at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, our first post of the New Year will recap the most popular blog posts of the last twelve months. This Top Ten covers all of the articles posted during 2025 – from day one to the very last – to give an idea of what you, the reader, has enjoyed most:

10. Berlin Wall – A Piece of History?

A school trip in 1990 brought this item into my possession. But is it a genuine piece of European history, or some concrete with paint on it? Read and decide for yourself…

9. Skateboard Museum – Sector 9 Longboard

2025 was a great year for my skateboarding. In this post, I looked at the Rolls Royce of my skate quiver, the trusty Sector 9 longboard.

8. New Deck 2025 –  Death Benson 

Another skate post, this one a look at my then-new deck and set up. Documented to preserve the memory of how it once looked! This Devil Woman graphic is a bit saucy and very cool.

7. Black Project – Blood Moon  Album Review 

The only album review to make the Top Ten, this mighty Hard Rock/Metal album by British band Black Project made some fine noise. Also featured on the Ever Metal website.

6. North West Doom Fest – Part 2 

A two day festival celebrating the joys of Doom Metal, North West Doom Fest was a fantastic event. This review of the second day, featuring bands from all over, made a healthy showing in the end of year figures.

5. Liverpool Comic Con May 2025 – Part 2

Comic Cons always fare well in these results, though Liverpool was the only one I attended last year. Day two of the convention lands at number 5.

4. Disneyland Paris 

Our family trip to Disneyland Paris in August 2024 made a big splash at number 4. A magical experience, not to be repeated – Star Tours was, of course, the highlight.

3. North West Doom Fest – Part 1 

The first day of this amazing Doom Metal festival in Chester certainly pulled in the punters. Loads of awesome bands, great music – I’m looking forward to this years event already!

2. KASP Gig Review 

Well, whaddya know?! Storming in at number 2 on this prestigious list, my review of this local band has proved popular, much like their excellent set. Hope to catch them again soon.

Which leaves us with our top performing blog post of 2025. The one with the most visits since publishing, the one that’s fired up the internet and brought the world wide web to the Virtual Hot tub. But what could it be?

  1. Liverpool Comic Con May 2025 – Part 1 

Well I said Comic Cons always do well, didn’t I?! What else could it be than Day one of my visit to Liverpool Comic Con, which included a whole bunch of Cosplay photos too. A great day out, highly recommended!

2025 was an incredibly successful year for the Virtual Hot Tub. We saw the highest number of visitors for years (2016, to be precise). Sometimes I wonder why I bother writing this trove of random nonsense, but last year showed me that it’s worthwhile. We have an audience, and you guys love it just as much as we do.

Thanks for reading Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub. There’s no place else like it!

New Skateboard 2024 – Death Blinky

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Yes, it’s new skateboard time! Though with the disgusting weather we’re having – and more set to continue – skate time this summer looks limited…

Anyway, let’s crack on, ‘cos these blog posts are really only for me – no one else reads them. I just like to document different decks and set-ups for the sake of posterity.

No surprises, I bought a new Death Skateboards deck again. This time it’s a pro rider model, for Sam ‘Blinky’ Hutchinson. It’s 8.25″ wide, great shape and concave, with a weird graphic that I kinda like.

Deck
Full set up

My previous Indy trucks have been carried over to this model, together with Independent truck bolts.

New wheels though: I went for a slightly softer durometer and got some Santa Cruz Slime Balls “Snot Rockets” – 95a, 53mm.

All bought from good ol’ reliable Native Skate Store (with free grip applied), but otherwise built by me.

I also bought some yellow Pig Wheels rails, which need to be fitted on still.

Top
Bottom

First sesh has proven this to be an excellent set up – I even learned a new trick: blunt to 5050 stalls on a curb. A small curb, but who cares? I’ll move to bigger curbs in the future.

Stoked!

Stats for anyone interested (probably just me):

  • Death Skateboards ‘Blinky’ 8.25″ deck (with free griptape)
  • Independent Trucks 144 Mid Stage II
  • Santa Cruz Slime Balls “Snot Rockets” 53mm 95a
  • Independent Trucks GP-S bearings
  • Independent Trucks allen bolts 1″

The Death Skateboards website is here.

The Native Skate Store website is here.

Slime Balls
Snot Rockets

Photo Mission: The Fun Ship

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When I was a kid, a day trip to Rhyl was a major event.  It was exciting.  The drive along the bottom road through Flint and along the coast was a drag, though.  It seemed to take forever.  One game we all used to play was “who can spot the Fun Ship first?”.  Sooner or later, the huge white abandoned carcass of the Fun Ship would appear – and the first person to shout was the winner.

Simple times, eh?

The Duke of Lancaster has been moored near Mostyn for as long as I can remember.  Once it was a popular tourist attraction, now it’s a relic.  Adorned with graffiti like the tattoos of an old sailor, now land locked.  Will it be sold for scrap?  Or will it be saved?

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