As I may have mentioned before, I have a fascination for doors, especially old English front doors. I am not sure when or where this started. It’s probably because English doors are very individual and different to those here in Germany. They have become one of the things I miss.
Two years ago I visited family in Hornsea on the east coast of Yorkshire and became obsessed with taking photos of old doors. My aunt and uncle were very obliging and even drove me around the area looking for “doors”. I was actually a little disappointed because most of the wooden ones had been replaced with cheaper plastic ones. No good at all!
Those I did find were a real mixed bag . Different colours, shapes and sizes. One of my favourite ones was this little blue door in the village of Bempton where my mother and father got married.
Sometimes the older the better – although this barn door doesn’t look so secure!
I recently got thinking and asked myself the following question:
Why do some doors open inwards and some outwards?
I found the answer on good old google. It’s actually quite logical. Either for security, or for safety.
- Doors which open inwards (normally doors of private houses) are deemed to be more secure because all the hinges etc are inside the house and that means it’s not so easy for someone to break into.
- Doors which open outwards (normally doors of public buildings) need to open quickly so that people can exit in an orderly manner in an emergency.
So now I know!
Here’s a terrible joke about a door:
Q: “When is a door not a door? A: “When it is a jar”
You think that is bad! Don’t get me started with the traditional “knock, knock” jokes. I’ll save them for another time.
My latest mission is to photograph old German doors. I’ll keep you posted how I get on.
