Have you upgraded to WordPress 3.0 and got the following message when trying to automatically update to 3.01?

Fatal error: Allowed memory size of xxxxxxxx bytes exhausted (tried to allocate xxxxxxxxx bytes)

I used to get that error on older versions of WordPress from time to time and resolved it by editing the wp-settings.php file. There’s a line that says define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’32M’); and a quick edit to define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’); used to sort the problem out.

But on a recent attempt to upgrade from 3.0 to 3.01 I got the error and found the memory allocation in the wp-settings.php file is split out as an include file on line 20

require( ABSPATH . WPINC . ‘/default-constants.php’ );

and the “default-constants.php” file, with its memory settings is in the wp-includes folder and appears to now be correctly specified at 64M. After some research I found a site that suggested increasing this to 128M, or 256M I tried both and neither worked.

Another site suggested changing the PHP.ini file’s memory from 32M to 64M, but I use Namecheap and I don’t have access to that file.

I finally found the answer that worked for me.

Locate the .htaccess file in the WordPress root folder and add this line:

php_value memory_limit 64M

That worked fine. I hope that helps you too.

I recently took some photos to help young fashion designer Harriet Brookes produce a portfolio for her degree. She was awarded a First Class Honours.

Here’s Harriet at her exhibition at Manchester Uni with my pics are on the wall in the background. I’m really pleased for her and glad I could help.

We have added two tracks to the Sound of Flak MySpace page to give a flavour of what’s to come on the forthcoming 11 track album titled The Unbalance. Enjoy

Sound of Flak

After what appears to be ages David Burleson and I have created our first CD’s worth of material under the name Flak. We’ve been pulling it together over a one year period in Friday night sessions. And now have it mixed down and ready to roll.

We will be launching the CD on a variety of media soon. Watch this space!

I’ve always been the one in the house that’s had to deal with spiders, bees and other bugs. More recently with the introduction of a cat I’m now also in control of frog, bird, mouse, vole and, would you believe it, worm removal. None of it bothered me, until last night when this thing appeared.

I’ve no idea what it is (any clues?) but it was much bigger than a bumble bee and with no reference as to whether it would sting or bite gave me quite a shock as it took off and flew like a Hercules in an uncontrollable fashion. There was a huge sense of relief when I managed to get it out through the window (I’m not a squasher, I like to let them go)

For all those overseas readers you can tell from the shock that us Brits are a bit rubbish when it comes to bugs!

It’s been a while, but I’m now feeling good about climbing hills and venturing off the beaten tracks. Last week I took the day off and walked from the Strines Reservoir Car Park over to Derwent edge and did a round walk across the edge, downto Cutthroat Bridge and back over to the Strines Inn for a pint of the guest Ale. I think it’s about 6 miles. I wasn’t phased and the legs didn’t give in.

So yesterday I did what I’ve been meaning to do for several years and visited the crash site of the B-29 Superfortress on Higher Shelf Stones, nr Bleaklow. It’s not too difficult to get to, but is very exposed, and, despite it being May, we hit a short hail storm. Thankfully it quickly passed.

The quarter mile area of airplane wreckage isn’t marked – basically you walk the Pennine way from the top of the Snake Pass, heading towards Bleaklow and then take a left to cut over the moorland and head for the trig point on Shelf Stones.  The wreckage is about 500 yards or so from the trig point.

It’s an incredible site and quite Eerie. Fragments of riveted aluminium and stainless steel, engines and various other objects are scattered everywhere. Poppies and remembrance crosses have been left over the years, some made from nearby gritstone on the exposed peat.

The site is well worth a visit.

I’ve neglected my blog here so though I’d update with a recent photography excursion – yesterday in fact. I ventured out to Manchester Victoria Baths – a fascinating restoration project taken on by locals when the baths closed in 1993.

The Baths has a small entrance charge (£2 at the time of writing) and offers free guided tours around the premises. Unlike most NT and English Heritage buildings you’re free to wander around with a camera, even tripod, and take photos. The Victorian fixtures are brilliant subjects to photograph. Wandering around is almost like urban exploration, but without the trespass element.  Derelict areas, partly restored, old glazed tiles vivid green and fabulous coloured stain glass windows, rusty metal works, broken showers, taps, buzzers, victorian electrics, old flaky doors – it’s almost an urbex dream.

The volunteers are really helpful and there’s a cafe serving baked potatoes with Chilli, Beans or Cheese and sandwiches, along with some great home made cakes.

Allow a couple of hours and be prepared to shoot loads of tripod mounted HDR brackets.

I decided this year I will try to do as many new things as I can. I’ve made a list of places in the UK that I haven’t been as part of that resolution and I will also be on the look out for new activities.

My first challenge, to break me in gradually, was something I’ve never done with snow before..and that’s to build an igloo. I’ve done snow men and snow sculptures before but never attempted an igloo.

I also decided to record the building of the igloo photographically and then shoot the built igloo at night with an inner glow. I’ve uploaded the result in my portfolio and the rating is favourable, so I’m pleased with that.

I’ve also written how to do it on my foliopic site blog Building an Igloo so you can get an idea a) how to build an igloo, b) how to photograph one and c) view one of the strengths of a foliopic site’s article system.

Yes that’s right last night I was out in the dark taking a photo from a bridge running over a dual carriage way and I was stopped.

I was playing with the Fujifilm Finepix F70EXR compact’s Pro Low-light mode. It’s a great mode for shooting in low light with static subjects. It takes four shots in quick succession and merges them to create one lower noise and sharp image free from camera shake. It works well, but I wanted to see what would happen with car light trails, so I’d gone to the bridge to get an overhead view of passing cars.

I was holding the camera over the rail when a car slowed down and drove past. The driver and passenger were both looking at me. The car turned into a pull in a few yards up the road and stopped. Minutes later a woman got out of the car and came towards me. And asked if I was ok???

Ok, I guess that’s not what you expected this post be about, in the light of all the police and security issues that are topical at the moment, but it got you hooked

It took me a few seconds to comprehend, and then I realised she may have thought I was about to jump? I’m not sure, but it was quite surreal, and also very encouraging that there are people around who care enough to stop and check.

And the picture I took? Well that was rubbish as you can see. I’ll stick to static shots for this mode, as it was intended.

I started backing up my CDs using iTunes about two years ago.  The one thing that concerned me was playing them on the iPod didn’t seem like the sound from my trusty hifi through my Linn speakers.

I’m not a Hi-Fi buff, but I do like a decent sound…and the iPod has always been a bit too shallow for my liking.

Recently I hooked it up to the hifi using a jack to two phono through the headphone socket. The sound was better, but still nothing to write home about, and the volume varied from track to track. So I started to look around for an ipod dock…and the first one I came across was the Cambridge Audio iD10. What grabbed me about this was the price…£14.95 from Richer Sounds.

According to a mate, you can easily spend up to two grand on kit to play digital files through the hifi, so 15 quid seemed like a no brainer. I popped along to Mr Richer’s shop in Sheffield and bought one. It doesn’t come with a remote or cable, but I already had the cable, and I’ll access my 5000+ tracks via shuffle. So I parted with £15 and as I write I’m  enjoying the sounds of Unkle.

Just thought I’d let you know that the sound is excellent, the build is good and the price is top!

It’s here if you’re interested in reading more about it: Cambridge Audio iD10 iPod dock

The iD10 is certainly a  Mr Bargh Highly Recommended gadget.