Blue Is The Colour

Here's probably the most famous landmark in Dubai; the Burj Al Arab hotel. They've self rated it as a seven star. It is a bit OTT inside, but looks fantastic from the outside. During the night, it changes colour. Here's its blue period.

Things will change in the near future when the Burj Dubai is finished. It is reported to be the tallest building in the world. I will be showing a photo of it from the air, as we took a helicopter ride over the city today. Expensive, but great fun.

Hello From Dubai

I've been hoping to post a photo everyday since we got here, but the Internet has been a little erratic & it's not always been easy getting a signal, but here's my first post.

This is not me in disguise by the way, but one of the performers at the Festival Village shopping mall, bringing a little light relief to all the shoppers. They are past of the 2008 Shopping Festival, a month long heaven or hell, depending on your point of view of spending money.

We're All Going On A Winter Holiday

Tomorrow, Gail & I head off to Birmingham Airport to catch a flight to Dubai. We can't wait, as we haven't really had a proper holiday since Turkey last May. We unfortunately won't be staying in this hotel; the 5 star Mina A Salam, but something more modest (and cheaper). Hopefully I will still be able to do a daily post. In the mean time there is my Dubai photo page to keep you going.

A Horse With No Name

Here's another photo from Ross on Wye. A nice sunny day. Very rare for this month, and so an opportunity to take a decent photo for a change. I wonder when the sun will pop its head out again?

Skating On The Thin Ice Of Life

A classic Jethro Tull song title introduces todays photo. The Christmas skating rink in the Square finished on Sunday & this week the workmen have spent every day dismantling the rink, changing room & spectator stand. I have no idea how they got rid of the ice. Perhaps they chopped it up into cubes and sold it to all the local pubs and clubs!

The Golden Shot

Not a reference to an old British television game show of the 1970's, but my snap of the sun going down over the Forest of Dean. I think I've been very lucky with this shot, as I took it quickly whilst I was waiting at the traffic lights. No time for composing, as I had one eye on the red light.

No Pulling The Wool Over His Eyes

Today has seen the arrival of the first farmer's market of the year. To inform people about buying good, locally grown food, rather than the stuff that has been transported hundreds of miles in a refrigerated truck, a kiosk had been set up. And to help publicise this, a pen of some sheep were on display. I don't know what the breeds were, but they weren't the usual sort you find in fields.

Signs Of Future Past

Back in the 'good old days' before television, advertising signs used to be colourful and made of tin. You used to see them everywhere screwed to shop walls etc. Whenever they're seen, people feel a certain nostalgia for those more simpler times. This owner of this Ross on Wye seems to share this view, from the number of signs displayed on the front of his store.

Water, Water Everywhere

I have just come back from an overnight visit to Ross on Wye in Herefordshire. The drive down was really awful, as it rained all the way there & the spray from the motorway meant that I was driving through a car wash. Fortunately it had stopped by the time I arrived at the little tourist town. I had a wander around taking photos of anything & everything. I took a walk to the River Wye, and as you can see it is flooding the immediate area. Lynn from Cheltenham DP has been detailing what effects the flooding is having on the nearby county of Gloucestershire.

Show's Over

The other day, Marley on the Cheltenham site showed an empty disused Odeon cinema. So here's Nottingham's version. It shut several years ago, with the introduction of a Multiplex called Showcase. There were plans to build a hotel on the site, but they have been withdrawn. The Beatles too played there in 1964 and mile long queues formed in 1977 when Star Wars arrived.

Hotel Hell

Here's Nottingham's latest hotel. And isn't awful? I have no idea why they've made the top look like a Portakabin. It's certainly not in keeping with the rest of the area, which borders the Lace Market. It's another example of bad, sloppy architecture. See Jackie's Glasgow page, for an example of what architecture could and should be like.

A Bookworm's Heaven

On Friday, Nottingham's main library held a massive book sale. There were thousands of books of all kinds for sale. All between 50p & 80p, with 3 novels for £1. They were also selling of a large quantity of classical vinyl records (remember them?) for 50p each and a few CD's at a pound a piece. It was packed with people picking over the goods on offer. I was there for over an hour & ended up buying 1 book, 2 LPs & 2CDs.

No Skidding!

Yesterday was another awful day, full of rain and cold winds. The ice rink was deserted, as people either stayed in their offices, or just popped to the shops. So this guy on his ice smoothing machine had the whole of the rink to himself. I don't know if he was actually working, or just doing something to pass the boredom.

Under My Umbrella, Ella Ella

The recent number one song from Rihanna, instantly sprang to mind when I saw this couple in the rain looking at the new water feature in the Market Square. There was nearly as much water falling from the sky yesterday as flowing from the fountain.

Please can we have some decent weather.

Hotline To Love

Hey girls, how would you like this pink telephone in your boudoir? With your boyfriend or husband calling to say how much he loves you!

Well he can go and buy you one from the Tokenhouse, a card and gift shop on Bridalsmithgate, who are promoting Valentine's Day a little early.

Snow Joke!

When I went to lock up last night, I was surprised to find that we had a small flurry of snow. Not wanting to miss a photo opportunity, I grabbed my camera & took a few shots. Especially as Nottingham had missed out on the snowfall at the beginning of the year.

The Watcher Of The Sea

Worn away by the salty sea air, this wooden reminder of an earlier time stands and watches the tide ebb and flow. Dogs and small children run around its base, and the odd seagull will perch on its head. How many more years will it look out to sea?

Knock Knock, Who's There?

I spotted this rather ornate and charming door knocker on one of the small cottages that we walked by in Rye. I think she must be a mermaid, and the scallop knocker finishes it off just right.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Cobbles

Here's a shot of one of the many streets in Rye that are cobbled. They make a nice change from the usual black Tarmac, although they can be a bit rough to walk on. Rye is quite hilly in places, and is full of these little lanes.

Back In Time

I've not been very lucky at all with my photography this week, as I haven't managed to find anything interesting or new to take. Also the days have been that dull and overcast that everything looks so bland. The ice rink in the Square should be taken away shortly, so there will some more action going on.

So to give you all something to look at, here's a photo from Rye, which is a very old town on the Sussex coast. We went there in August to see some old friends of mine. I had not been before & was surprised how picturesque it is. There are so many photogenic buildings, cobbled streets and the River Rother. A shame there isn't a daily photo site from there, as it's quite an inspiring place.

Keep That Frequency Clear

Here is a road sign on University Boulevard that is promoting all the local radio stations and where you can ring up for information about the state of the roads. There are a few of them dotted around, and I suppose provide a useful service to drivers that are new to the area, or just passing through.

Spend, Spend, Spend

The January sales are in full swing now & people are taking advantage of the savings to be found on almost everything. The shops are full of bargain hunters, as this scene in the Victoria Centre illustrates.

It's always seemed strange to me that you can buy something on Christmas Eve for say £5, only for it to be worth 99p a day or two later. Perhaps people ought to buy all their Christmas presents after Christmas, and in that way they'd save a fortune.

Five Swans A Swimming

Cycling home from work on Monday night, I passed this family of swans out for an evening's jaunt along the canal. So of course I had to stop and take some shots. Don't worry, they were photographic and not lead.

Picture Of The Year 2007

The new year has finally arrived and so I'd like to wish all my visitors and fellow bloggers a happy and healthy 2008.

For my photo of the year, I like to show you this one again which appeared on Nov 27. I know I said that I don't like taking photos of people, but I was quite pleased how this one turned out and certainly works better in black & white. Ideally the background wouldn't be so cluttered. But all in all I'm happy with it and might try taking more pictures of people this year.

One of the problems photographers face in England these days is that they are viewed as either deviants or terrorists. Taking photos of children is more or less deemed illegal and in London especially, the Police often stop and question people that are taking pictures of famous buildings, just in case it's the next target for a bomb. Other countries are more relaxed, and we've seen some excellent photos last year from other DP sites that display humanity in all its forms. And long may it continue.

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