Smoke On The Water

Today marks my 1500th post. No balloons, banners or fireworks this time, but a very misty Highfields Lake. It was very foggy this morning, an obvious sign that winter is on its way. Shot in black and white for added atmosphere,

Street Life

Headbanger Wednesday again, and Tom's choice this week is of a reflected image in water. An interesting subject matter, and open to all sorts of interpretations. I have quite a few possibilities in my archive, but chose this one, as I like the colour of the brickwork against the black of the wet road.

Please visit the rest of the gang to see their choices.

As promised yesterday, here's another 'now and then' photograph. This is Theatre Square, named naturally because of the presence of the Theatre Royal, a fine Victorian building of great note. In the undated original, but going on the fashions I'd say the 1910s, the County Hotel adjoined it, but shamelessly knocked down many years ago. The Royal Centre now stands in its place. The road layout has clearly changed, mainly thanks to the tram. Alas I do not know what happened to the statue, or who it is of.

What A Difference A Century Makes

I was looking at some old photos of Nottingham the other day, partly for inspiration and partly for pleasure. Seeing quite a few familiar streets, I wondered how many, or how few differences there might be. I did something similar earlier in the year with the locations used in Saturday Night Sunday Morning.

So to begin with here is Bridalsmith Gate. The photo on left was taken during 1899, the one on the right was taken today. I think I managed to stand in just about the same spot. On the whole, the street has hardly changed. The buildings have obviously been modernised, or in one case, rebuilt. Not exactly sure when though, but probably in the 1920s.

Shoot To Thrill

Here's a fellow photographer shooting the deer in Wollaton Park. Fortunately not with a rifle or shotgun but with a Nikon or Canon.

No Train No Strain

Beeston has had a railway station since Victorian times, but this sign has nothing to do with trains, but a small health spa in Chilwell. It follows the same design as the old British Railways logo which was used before it was broken up in the late 1960s.

Halfway Up The Stairs

Marmalade has a number of places where she likes to fall asleep. On our bed, on the settee, a seat in the upstairs office and on the stairs for some reason. It is usually the seventh step from the top. Here's a close up of her after just waking up.

For The Chop

For various reasons I've never really been a fan of going to the barber. Fortunately, since meeting Gail, she's done it, as she did a course some years ago. It seems many children don't like going either, going on the way this Beeston hairdressers have tried to make the experience more enjoyable.

You may have heard the old joke before about this man goes for a haircut. The barber says "how would you like it sir?". The customer replies "in silence!".

Flower Power

It was curry night tonight at The Last Post; our local Wetherspoon's pub. Just over a fiver for a curry and a pint of real ale, is a great deal, and it makes a nice treat for a Thursday night. I tend to go for a chicken jalfrazi, while Gail switches between a korma and a lamb rogan josh.
Naturally I had my camera with me, and so I tried taking a photo or two of this flower that was on our table while we were waiting for the food. I used a floating candle, which was also on the table for a bit of ambient lighting.

Night Of The Living Dead

The carnival went on for quite some time, and it was dark by the time they returned to the Old Market Square. They were following a truck that had musicians on it. There were also some spotlights on the back which helped to keep the party atmosphere going.

This week it's my turn to choose the theme for the Headbanger Challenge. And to tie in with my theatricals last week, I've suggested 'All The world's A Stage'. To bring my series about Friday's Latin carnival, I've done a montage of some scenes I took. Have a look at the gang's interpretations through the links above.

Hold Your Head Up

This puppet of a giant certainly kept the crowds entertained with its antics. I don't know if it is a Latin version of the Wicker Man, but it is certainly a lot more colourful than the one from the remote Scottish Island.

Photography On Photography

This is my pal Lewis who is also a keen photographer and fellow Flickrite. He is presently doing an arts course at Trent University. Although he lives on the same street as me, we have a tendency to bump into each other at events around town. Somehow he always manages to find his way up on top of things for that different angle. I took this shot outside the Contemporary, which is presently showing a number of photographs by Diane Arbus.

Smile

This dancer looks like she's enjoying herself with her spinning hat. I quite like her make-up around her eyes. I just hope they don't represent tears.

When Twelve Heads Are Better Than One

I'm not too sure what this character represents. He is certainly strange looking with all those heads, and the person playing him must certainly have been tired after being on those stilts for several hours.
The women behind him look very colourful in their wedding cake style outfits.

Dem Bones

Tonight there was a parade around the city centre of music and dancing Cuban style. It was very loud and very colourful, with everyone in great costumes, as I intend showing you over the next couple of days. Firstly then here's a great example of facial make-up that some of the dancers wore.

Bill Posters Are Never Prosecuted

Came across this rather unusual advertising poster during my walk on Sunday. Not the advert itself, although it's quite amusing, but the fact that they've tried to make it look like one of those old adverts where they used to actually paint the bricks. You can still see remains of these 'ghost signs' as they are called even now. Apparently there are three designs. I hope to capture the other two on my travels.

Slow Timing

This week's 'Headbanger Challenge' is macros or close up, and chosen by Imac, who likes doing that sort of thing and to be honest is rather good at it. It's not something I've done very much, so I was wondering what to take a photo of. I just happen to be putting the lock to the garage on the wheelie bin, when I spotted this baby snail chugging along the lid. I took a few frames, with this one being about the best, although it wouldn't win any prizes, let alone the gold shield! So for my header shot this week, I've gone for a 'close up' of the logo that was on the side of one of the Bartons buses that I saw on Saturday.

Don't forget to visit the rest of the gang to see their interpretations of the theme.

School For Cows

During the walk we stopped outside this old house. The guide told us that the right side of the building was used as a school and a cow shed. Naturally the school was upstairs and the cows downstairs. I'm not sure how well the children did in their lessons with all that mooing going on under them.

This Ole House

As a change to all the drama rehearsals that I have been doing, and more next week, I went on a local history walk. The Beeston and District Civic Society had organised a free guided tour around my town as part of the Heritage Weekend. Between thirty and forty of us spend an interesting two hours being shown buildings and being told about them. The first one we stopped at was the Manor House, the oldest building in Beeston. And like the name suggests, it was the main house in Beeston when the area was just farmland.

On The Pull

There has been another Heritage weekend of buildings and events being open to the public. I only managed to get around a couple yesterday, as I had a drama rehearsal in the afternoon. One of the really good ones is visiting the old Barton bus garage in Chilwell. There were a few new things to see, including a film show of old buses moving along the routes in the 50's and 60's. I saw this truck last year, but it was parked in such a way that I couldn't photograph it properly. Better luck this year.

Skywalking

Another drama rehearsal this afternoon. My poor old brain is struggling to remember the lines, although I haven't got that many. And only one week to go!
Arriving home, I saw quite a display of clouds. Of course I had my camera with me, so I collected a few shots.

Late Night Loneliness

This is the High Road in Beeston, taken yesterday at 9:15pm. Strangely deserted. I was waiting for Gail, and of course I had my camera with me. Whilst I was waiting for her, only about three people passed me; and one of them was on a bike. I even passed a pub that had no customers in it!
I'm not sure where everyone was. It wasn't even raining.

You Need Hands

Hands can be highly expressive, as every Italian knows. These three girls were all busy doing something with their hands as they were walking along Bridalsmithgate. And not a shopping bag between them!

Hanging Around

This week's headbanger subject is 'with strings attached' and was picked by Dave. Another theme to get the brain going. An early contender was Gail's guitar, which unfortunately has been languishing in it's bag for the best part of two years. But walking around town I remembered the balloon seller, and so went to hunt him out. When I saw him, he was having some problem with the balloons, as it was windy and all the strings had got entwined and so he was having some difficulty straightening them out.

Don't forget to see what Dave and the others in the gang have come up with this week. Links above.

My daily photo today is one I took last night, as I walked around town with a fellow Flickr photographer. We both agreed this window display in a clothes shop looked a bit macabre, with the headless manikins being hung up by a single chain (or string) from the ceiling. I went back today to take some more photos, but there was too much reflection in the windows and didn't look so effective as they did when it was dark.

A Square Deal

Hooray, the beach has finally disappeared and the Square is empty and ready for another event. There was a solitary roadsweeping vehicle this evening going around and around and sucking up the last remaining grains of sand.

Supercat

Here's the latest photo of Marmalade, sound asleep. From her pose I think she's dreaming that she is Supercat and flying through the air and saving other cats from barking dogs and horrible humans. Or maybe she's seen the new Go-Cat TV commercial, and she leaping over buildings, just like the ginger cat in the ad.

Two Hands Make Light Work

Stumped for a photo again, so I've been toying with one from my archive. One that came out poorly, but haven't got around to deleting yet. So even rejected photos have their uses sometimes!
It shows one of the corner towers that make up Wollaton Hall It was taken from the gardens, rather than the park.

Lord Love A Duck

I went through Highfields on the way home yesterday, just to see if there was anything worth taking a photo of, as there has been a dearth of subjects in the city centre this week. Nothing really different in the park except this duck doing an impression of Long John Silver!

Golden Days

I was looking for a bit of inspiration today, as I haven't really found anything worth photographing since I got back from Arabia. So I had a stroll through the Lace Market. But it was very quiet, as the students haven't returned to their classrooms yet. Passing through the grounds of St Mary's, I saw this rather nice rose shining in the lunchtime sunshine. Alas it didn't have a scent, just this wonderful honey colour.

You Need Hands

Sorry, here's another shot from Dubai, as I've not found anything worth recording in Nottingham since I got back.
This stand is to promote caring for others during Ramadam and beyond. I like the way one of the promoters has his hand on the back of the other, in a close friendship and supportive way.

Hello Earth

These Headbanger challenges soon come round, and Lanny has picked this weeks' subject of 'change'. Change comes in many forms, how a room looks after it's been decorated, how a person ages down the years, from that kid with lots of energy to the person with various aches and pains. But I've gone for a shot of the remainder of our spending money. Yes, I've taken the literal translation of change! If you're interested, these Dirhams represent about £5.

Leaving the airport in Paris in a smaller plane, we were soon flying over England. I'm not entirely sure where this bit of Britain starts, but I would guess somewhere along the Essex coastline.