Keep Out!

The owners of this building are making it very clear that members of the general public should not enter, with seven KEEP OUT signs. I shouldn't think it would happen anyway, as you would need to know the combination of the door code to gain access.

Hold the Front Page

Today's posting marks my 100th photo. This piece of information probably won't make the front page of our local daily newspaper; the Nottingham Evening Post. This is the view of the publishers' front entrance. Only it isn't. Due to a planning error, the steps are an inch or so too near the pavement, so everyone has to use the tradesman's entrance round the back.

Flower Power

I wonder if the owner of this car believes that his radio reception is increased by using the head of a sunflower as a receiver? Did he try different flowers before plumping on this variety? Maybe it acts as a filter, and he only gets to listen to songs of the late 1960's!

There Hangs a Tail

The world of advertising is a strange one. Various devices and images are used to persuade us, the general public to part with our money on things we didn't know we needed, but ultimately we don't. This image promoting a local empty office block, clearly demonstrates that the space inside is big enough to swing a cat in.

Ask a Policeman

Yesterday our now fairly unpopular Prime Minister Tony Blair was in Nottingham to promote personal health issues to an invited audience at the Albert Hall. As it is close to where I work, I stood around to see if there were any photos worth taking. A lot of the streets around the area were closed and there was a huge police presence. There's 18 in this photo alone!

On the Market

This Watson Fothergill designed house in the Park is up for sale through a local estate agents. I don't know what the price is, but it will be quite expensive. But then you get the added value of owning a special and unique residence.

We Don't Need No Education

This building on the Ropewalk is the site of the first People's College, circa 1888. The college moved in the 1960's and is now opposite the Castle, in a typical dull concrete structure. The college has re-branded itself by being renamed Castle College, and plans are afoot for a rebuild in the next few years.

It's More Than Rock 'n' Roll

Here is Nottingham's version of the Hard Rock Cafe. It is in a very unrock like building, being a former insurance company head office. It is located just offf the Market Square.

Gis a Job!

Today's title refer's to Yosser Hughes' catchphrase from Boys from the Blackstuff. A Liverpool based TV drama series from the 1980's about not having a job. Every fortnight unemployed people would 'sign on' to receive benefit. This photograph shows one on Castle Boulevard. Only the title above the door refers to what such places were called in the past. Today, they are known as Jobcentres.

Following the Leader

A slight diversion away from the city centre today and a visit to the award winning Attenborough Nature Reserve. It is a great place to go and see all sorts of birdlife, or have a relaxing stroll around the grounds. Here are some geese in search of their next snack, and by the look in their eyes, I might be on their menu.

Water Works

With no sign of the current heatwave abating, this photo of the gates of the former water works on Castle Boulevard seems timely. Whilst the gates clearly state what the building was built for, the building now belongs to the city council and is part of the Brewhouse Yard Museum and is used for artefact restoration & research.

Green Grow the Meters

Most people have flowers growing outside their houses. Whether it be in soil or a windowbox. Roses have always been popular. But how many people have a parking meter next to their front door? This home near the Park has one. Parking meters in Nottingham are now all solar powered, and traffic wardens walk around in pairs, pads in hand, on the lookout for cars, whose owners have unfortunately parked in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Knight Errant

The last flower statue is that of Sir Bloom-a-lot. According to the inscription, he took 5 days to make & consists of around 16,000 plants. But none of them are knight scented stocks.

Flowers for My Lady

Robin Hood's girlfriend Maid Marian is today's photographic subject. She too has been made out of flowers. For some reason she reminds me of Chewbacca from Star Wars.

Flower Power

This statue of Robin Hood is made entirely of flowers around a compost filled wire frame, and has just arrived at Nottingham Castle. The use of flowers is quite well known in England, as they are often used in floral displays and floats. The most famous probably being the Well Dressing custom of Derbyshire.

Cloak and Dagger

I also took this photo by accident in the Lace Market. It reminds me of a scene from Inspector Morse. A low level tracking shot of the murder suspect leaving a pub where she's met her fancy man. Then she drives back to Oxford in her sports car, to her professor husband.

Is it Art?

I took this photo by accident whilst out looking for the next subject. It sometimes happens, as the way I hold my camera, my fingers are over the button ready for the next shot. Most of them I delete, but I thought this one didn't look too bad with all the straight edges and angles.

Let me Out

This is the main entrance to Nottingham Castle, from the inside, and shows the old turnstile and emblem of Nottingham; two rampant stags. Alas there's no moat, as the castle was built on top of a hill, called naturally enough Castle Rock. Which incidentally is the name of a local beer!

The Lion, the Latch and the Doorframe

This office door hasn't been used in years, and is looked very weatherbeaten, with flaking paint. Even the doorknob has been removed. But the lion's head took my fancy, although it does look a bit like a bull.

Seat of Learning

This fine old building is part of the Trent University campus. All the locals know it at 'Trent Poly'. But the campus was re-branded a few years ago as a university. Nottingham contains another university, around 4 miles south west of the city.

One for the Road

Here's another Watson Fothergill creation. This is The Castle pub, which naturally is opposite the castle. Besides the pub, the building also contains some small offices, an ex resturant and an empty shop. Hopefully it won't be long before the whole building is open for business and turns out to be a popular spot for tourists.

On a Clear Day...

This is a normal view of the Nottingham skyline, also taken from the multi-storey carpark & looking towards the Victoria Centre flats. The tall white building on the left is part of Trent University, whilst on the right is the Royal Centre. The building site at the end of the road is where the Trinity Square car park used to be.

Reflections of a City

These windows belong to a local hotel & I took the picture from the top of an ajacent multi-storey car park. The darkened windows reflect clearly the dome of the Council House, some of the cranes that are puncturing the skyline at the moment and outlines of the many buildings that are close by.

Sermons and sandwiches

St Mary's Parish Church in the Lace Market dates back to 1377, although the area had been used for worship since Saxon times. The Lace Market has seen many changes over the years, but the church and its grounds have remained virtually the same. Besides coming to the church for the usual reasons, visitors use the grounds at lunchtimes as a place for retreat and to eat ones sandwiches.

Lights. Camera. Action!

Today's photo shows my local BBC TV & radio studios. Alas they are not as glamourous as their big London one. In fact the building only produces news reports, not actual programmes. So no chance of bumping into any big stars outside. Nottingham used to have another studio that belonged to Central, later Carlton TV, which made many programmes including; 'Boon', the revamped 'Crossroads' and 'The Price is Right'. But it closed down a few years ago. Today it is owned by the university.

An Own Goal

Today's photo has nothing to do with football, but involves a stonemason who couldn't spell. As you can see from this photo from part of what is now the Galleries of Justice, the stonemason here had a problem with the word Gaol. Unfortunately he couldn't use a rubber or Tippex to cancel his mistake, and maybe he wasn't allowed to use the word jail.

Happy Anniversary

It seems fortuitous that my 75th posting should co-incide with American Independence Day. The only Stars & Stripes I could find in the city yesterday, was this one outside a boutique hotel in the Lace Market, called appropriately the Lace Market Hotel.

Fingers to the Sky

The reflection of these cranes is due to the black marble like material that covers the bottom half of our YMCA building. The cranes are helping to erect some new buildings on a large site which included the Trinity Square multi-storey car park. The car park in turn was built on the site of the Holy Trinity church in 1958, which then had the highest steeple in Nottingham.

Hop to it Mr Fox

This intreguing Art Deco facade and carving of a fox in search of a pint of beer is on a former pub on Upper Parliament Street. It is now a trendy wine called Number 10. Home Brewery was a brewing company that began in 1875. Its logo was that of Robin Hood. The company isn't around anymore, but evidence of its exsistence is still around, if you look carefully.

Supermarket Sweep

Yesterday, was supermarket photo blog day, where us bloggers were taking pictures of their local food shops. I missed the calling. So a few hours late, here is a snap of my local Somerfield. It used to be a Kwik Save, but they were taken over last year, and it was rebranded, although they still stock the same goods at the same prices, and served by the same staff.

Building on the Past

This sad, neglected building, was built in 1902, as it says over the doorway. Latterly it appears to have been a restaurant called Gee's. It now has been sold to developers, who I hope are going to restore the building to it's former glory, like with the old Co-Op building I published a few days ago, rather than knock it down. I will do updates when builders appear.