Down And Out

We return to the demolition of the old Odeon Cinema today, as the final section of this once popular entertainment centre is removed.

The frontage is the last bit to go. It wasn't very exciting to look at, but it did have the word ODEON as a ghost sign. But it is all gone now. Just a pile of rubble.

Yummy In Yellow

This is Beverley, a model that I had the pleasure of photographing in Wollaton Park on a sunny day during the Autumn.

I think she looks a real princess in her lemon dress and tiara.

I hope you agree.

Never Hurry A Curry

Gail and I went to The Curry Lounge tonight, as they were celebrating their sixth birthday and launching their new menu for the year.

And as an act of generosity and philanthropy, Raz the owner and head chef was doing a special 50% discount on the cost of the food and also doing a special donation to charity.

The restaurant was heaving with people enjoying some top quality nosh and getting to meet the main man himself.

The food was of course delicious. So it's no wonder that the place had won a number of awards for it's cuisine.

If you do live in Nottingham, or are planning to visit the city and fancy a delicious ruby. Then you know where to go.

Here's a LINK to their website.

A Sepia Moment

A bit of a grey day today. Although the snow has completely disappeared now, the sun hasn't replaced it. But the wind has. It was a bit of a struggle cycling to and from work today. Headwind all the way on bot journeys.

I was hoping to show a photo or two of a demonstration that took place at lunchtime in the Old Market Square. But there were only about six people there. So it wasn't worth it.

I have therefore nothing new today. So it's a quick raid on the archive, and thought I'd show this from a foggy ride through Highfields a couple of weeks ago.

Red Alert

Well the snow has all gone now & I don't think it is expected to come back.

I was pottering around at home today, so didn't take any photos. So I thought you might like to see this multi-storey car park fire hydrant.

It looks like a bit of abstract art to me. An installation they call it in museums and art galleries.

G'day

Today is Australia Day. That great, sunny continent 12,000 miles away from here.

I have two, half brothers and several nieces and nephews. Gail and I got married at the Chinese Gardens in Sydney, almost seven years ago now.

As part of the City Daily Photo sub theme day, I am participating with this Australian themed bar sited in central Nottingham.

It's on St James' Street. It's not a pub I have been in, as I tend to go to The Roebuck, which is a bit further down. Especially on a Thursday, when it's Curry Night.

Guessing Game

Here's a little picture puzzle for you. What links the above photo with the significance of today?

Any ideas?

Need a clue?

Ready to give up?

Well the answer is of course Burn's Night. A Scottish celebration of their national poet Robert Burns, on his official birthday.

Now the big question is why doesn't England celebrate the birthday of our greatest wordsmith; William Shakespeare?

The 26th of April is his day, and it would be great if we could do something in a similar style to celebrate his life and work.

Instead of haggis and potatoes, we could have roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and for afters, apple pie and custard. Or maybe the other classic English dish of fish and chips.

Two Sugars In Mine

I went to see a local fashion designer yesterday regarding doing a photoshoot for her latest clothing line.
Alas, due to the snowy weather and the lack of a make-up artist, it had to be cancelled.

But I did manage to take a photo in the form of this slightly surreal scene.

Just the sort of thing that turns up in the Tate Modern and sells for millions.

Letting Off A Little Steam

I was planning to spin one of my fantastical yarns about these two photographs. Of how a team of Nottingham University scientists have discovered a way into the centre of the Earth and that molten lava is slowly seeping to the surface. But I don't think you'd fall for it, right!

So the truth is that one of the main roads into the city centre is presently closed to traffic whilst repairs are being undertaken to mend the pipes that pump steam to buildings connected to the district heating scheme. Reality is a bit boring eh.

The Sun Has Got His Wooly Hat On

Well, what do you know, the sun came out today. It was still 0 degrees C though. It was certainly nice to see, even though it wasn't doing anything to melt the snow on the ground.

So I took a trundle through Highfields for a change, as the snow along University Boulevard has become quite bad to cycle through. I try to stay within the rut created by other cyclists, but it's not always possible. Especially with the construction works that are going on at the moment.

Couple of arty shots here. I did take a couple of photos of the Trent Building, but thought you might like to see these trees and this park bench with the icicles twinkling between the two planks of wood.

It's Snow Time

Well we had a little dusting of snow last night, so work up to more whiteness, as it had settled on the compacted snow from the last couple of days.

So here's a couple more photos taken today. Above is the castle. I'm not sure if it the front, back or one of the sides, as the building has no clear demarcation of what side is what. But this is the side that has the cafe in it and the main viewing area towards the west of the city.

Below is a bit of the canal towpath, not far from the Broad Marsh shopping centre. It runs parallel to the road above, although more in line with the castle itself.

Who's Who?

Hello, what's going on here then?

Seems like Colin Baker's Doctor isn't too happy about being turned into a Gallifreyian snowball.

Matt Smith's and Sylvester McCoy's Doctors are certainly up to mischief with their former self. No doubt William Hartnell's version of the time lord will have something to say!

Cold As The Grave

No more snow today, but the snow from yesterday still remains. So as usual, I went into Beeston to do some food shopping and to have a look around. I also went on the hunt for some snowy pics.

And what better than Beeston's parish church. I often have a wander there when there is a wedding going on. Remember the buses from last year?

So here are a couple of shots; one of the church itself, and one of some of the old gravestones that date from the 1800s.

Bet He Wishes He Had A Scarf

The weather people said that we were in for a snowstorm today. I and a few friends at work sat and waited for it to come. It seemed to be ages and ages before we saw the first flakes.

Darryl, one of my co-workers kept looking on the Internet for weather updates.

Then at around Noon, it began. Not much to start with. Only tiny flakes, which I called dandruff.

The flakes slowly got bigger into what I would call proper flakes and lasted for an hour or so.

It was still lightly snowing on my way home. I took care on my bike, as it was quite thick in places and possibly slippery.

I stopped at a few places and took some photos for Twitter. I also decided to take some for my blog. Above is the bust of Jesse Boot at Highfields, and below is the sandstone rock that the castle was built on.

A Blot On The Landscape

This building site in Beeston used to be where a multi-storey car park and a small row of shops used to stand.

Unfortunately nothing can be done with it until the tram works that we are unfortunately getting are completed and running. Which might not be for another two years.

So for now there's this big empty space that's doing nothing and making the town untidy.

You maybe interested to know a little bit of television history regarding The Star Inn. It appeared in the TV series called Boon, but was renamed 'The Drum'.

Strangers In The Night

The fog began to close in, as I was cycling home tonight. It was quite eerie riding along the canal towpath. Fortunately there wasn't much snow around, so I didn't have to worry about skidding and falling in the freezing water.

I thought I would stop for a little while and see if I could take a few atmospheric photos of the narrowboats, lights and reflections through the light mist.

I quite like this one of two people walking by, their mirrored in the still canal.

Arty Shot - 'Cause I have Nothing Else!

Today has been fairly non descript. Busy at work as usual, but the weather wasn't doing anything exciting.

It was cold, and during the night yesterday's snowfall froze to a grey, but very dangerous slippery mess. Fortunately my cycle ride into town passed without incident. I walked, rather than rode in some of the more icier spots encountered on my journey.

Nothing worth photographing either. So here's a shot from yesterday. The Trip To Jerusalem pub looking as black and white as the snow and the trees.

More snow is predicted. So my camera might get another outing very soon.

Snowly Does It

Well it's arrived, Nottingham's first proper snowfall of the year.

It wasn't that thick to start with, so it didn't stop me cycling to work. Of course I just had to make a detour through Highfields. I must have spent over twenty minutes snapping away at the various wintery scenes on offer.

Here's the lake surrounded by snow dusted  trees. While below is a shot of the castle, which I took at lunchtime when the snow began to fall at a decent rate. I couldn't go into the grounds as they are closed on a Monday, which is good in a way, as the snow hadn't been disturbed by tourists.

Is There A Doctor In The House?

We've had our first bit of snow today. Not much. Just a sprinkle. I missed most of it, as I had a bit of a Sunday morning lie-in.

I bought a full set of Doctor Who figures the other day, as they were in a shop sale, and I have been wondering how I can use them in a photograph.

As there are eleven of them altogether, I thought the photo might be a bit crowded, so I have just chosen Doctor numbers 3, 4, 5 and 11.

I chose them because, Jon Pertwee was the first one I saw on TV. Tom Baker is my favourite. I met Peter Davison in real life and Matt Smith is the current one.

As much as I like the new style of show, I don't think it is a patch on the old style stories with character development and plot pacing. They seem to try and cover so much in 45 minutes now, which before used to be 90, or 150 minutes. Yes, there used to be a bit of padding, but having to wait until the following Saturday to see the next instalment, was exciting.

If only the old show had the budget and available special effects that the modern version has, then it would have been incredible. But the production team did well with their imagination, trying to show great effects with a small amount of money.

The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round

There's a photographic exhibition on at the moment in the city centre about the Co-operative Society, which was one of the largest supermarket chains in the country; now unfortunately it is one of the smallest, with the onslaught of Tesco's, Sainsbury's and ASDA.

What makes this exhibition different is that it is outside and the photographs are film poster size. There are quite a number, and they tell the story of the Co-op from the early years to the present day and their involvement in helping third world countries through the Fairtrade scheme etc.

I think most people remember going to the Co-op and getting the 'divi'; blue stamps that you saved in a book, and when it was full, you used to get money off your shopping. It was similar in a way to the Green Shield Stamps scheme. You got these from petrol stations and when you had enough you could go to their catalogue shop and exchange them for goods.

Both schemes finished in the early 1980s, as people got fed up with saving them and prices rose, which meant you have to save even more stamps for an item.

The society looked after its employees, as you can see here, as members of staff are taken to the seaside by charabanc.

Day For Night

Here's another of my 'compare and contrast' shots. This time it's the Lakeside Arts Centre in Highfields.

Above was yesterday morning. Below was taken tonight. I like the way that the roof section, which looks like the upturned hull of a boat glows with a blue aura, and the building itself looks alive now that the lights have been switched on.

The Lakeside Arts Centre is actually made up of two buildings, a theatre and an exhibition space. The building here is called the D.H Lawrence Pavilion, and hosts many drama, music and dance productions. If you want to see what sort of things go on there here is a LINK to their website.

Misty Eyed

Well 24 hours later and similar views from top of the multi-storey car park, but completely different weather conditions.

The fog started to fall last night, and has held Nottingham in its grey shroud all day long, with not a single break .

It is still foggy, and temperatures are expected to drop below freezing tonight, with the probability of snow over the weekend.

So it should be fun cycling to work tomorrow morning!

Sunny Skyline

Well surprise, surprise, we had some sun today. It was colder than yesterday, but a lot brighter.

As there didn't seem to be anything happening in the city centre, I decided to go to the top of one of the many multi-storey car parks to see what the city's skyline looked like on this bright winter's day.

I chose the one near the castle, as it is the one closest to where I work.

I went in the lift, to the top floor. It was empty except for one van that had a fair few bird poos on it.

The shot above shows towards the east of the city and out into the farmland around Ruddington. While below is the castle and grounds. Half in sun, half in shadow.

What'o Ginger, Chocks Away

I heard a very amusing, but slightly sad story yesterday about a restored WW2 flying Spitfire fighter that had to crashland at East Midlands Airport, after it had problems with its undercarriage.

The plane caused the temporary closure of the airport, and all flights had to be diverted to the airport at Birmingham; 40 miles away  The pilot wasn't hurt and the airport opened after a few hours.

The vintage fighter which belongs to Rolls Royce was fully restored in 2010 and is often used in air displays throughout the summer months. Incidentally Rolls Royce made the Merlin engine that powered the famous fighter.

Hopefully the plane can be repaired and will be able to fly before too long, just like the one below that I snapped in Lincolnshire last summer.

Building Sight

Here's an updated shot of the former Odeon cinema site.

As you can see, all the rubble has been taken away and the big hole has been filled in.  So now work can begin on constructing the new student flats that are going to be built there.

Personally I think the site could be used for a much better purpose like a swimming pool or a group of small independent shops.

Paddling Your Own Canoe

Now that Christmas is well and truly over. Twelfth night tonight. Our thoughts naturally turn to spring, with the lighter nights and hopefully warmer and drier weather.

This carved stonework is part of the kiosk in Highfields where you pay and enter to use the rowing boats on the lake.

You can tell the art deco influence on the carving. Although for some reason the man looks like a Roman Gladiator to me and the kayak looks like the sort Eskimos used to use.

Saturday Scrummage

I tend to spend Saturday mornings shopping in Beeston. Besides the usual food shopping, I love to have a look around our plethora of charity shops. We have about seven. Some I buy a fair bit from; others very little.

The only thing I bought today was this ash tray, which I got for the princely cost of 50 pence. I saw it, and knew that I just had to have it, as it has a local connection with Nottingham.

Home Bitter was one of the ales belonging to Home Brewery, a local brewer that unfortunately closed in the mid 1980s.

They of course had Robin Hood for their logo, as on here.

I'm not sure how old this tray is, as there is no date on the back. It was produced in England though and made from Melamine. Maybe someone with an interest in brewerina might be able to shed some light about it.

I don't suppose it is worth much money, but it is a fun thing to own and part of local history.

A Bit Of Friday Fun

Believe it or not, the sun actually came out today. Hooray!

I didn't really come across anything worth photographing thought. Although January's tend to be rather boring; especially after the excitement of Christmas.

So I had another go at using the 'double exposure' facility of the Olympus OMD. It's something that I've recently come across, and thought I would see what sort of pictures it can produce.

Wandering around the Old Market Square, I saw this man trying to take a photograph with his Blackberry. So I took a photo of him. He then asked if I would take a photo of him using his mobile. Of course I agreed, and so he posed for me, while I took his picture.

I had heard on the radio that this weekend would be the last one for the entertainment and food that's been on offer in the Old Market Square. since late November. So I wondered what would happen if I combined the photo of the guy, with a picture of the sky ride.

And here's the result. I'm not sure whether it is any good or not. But it was just an experiment. I know that you can probably do a similar thing in Photoshop. But I wanted to know what it would look like doing it 'live'.

Lighting Up

Although I am back to work now, I've not really seen anything worth photographing. And the weather has been lousy too. Dull and overcast. It feels like it is permanently dusk.

So here's another shot of model Chrissy who I shot during a recent studio lighting course.

The Twin Towers

Now I know that Nottingham University is a very popular educational institute and that it is oversubscribed for places each year, but I don't think that even the university itself has the money to build an extra tower onto the Trent Building.

No, it's just me and my OMD mucking around with the double exposure button!

Review Of 2012

Well a new year and new beginnings. A time to reflect on the past year and what might happen during the new one.

I have been looking through all my blog posts and really surprised how much I've done and places & events that we've been to.

It's difficult to try and pick one favourite photograph from the 365+ that I've published on my blog this year. They have included many models, shots of Oscar and Marmalade, old cars, large scale events and the little minutiae that make up a day.

For some reason I'm drawn to this shot that I took in May at Wollaton Park at a battle reenactment show. Possibly because it is unusual to see two people in period costume walking next to a period building with no 21st century clutter in view.

I think it looks like a scene from a movie. Although I if I was taking the shot again, I would set the couple more to the right side of the frame and show a bit more of Wollaton Hall. Still I don't think it is too bad a shot considering that it is not posed.

So here's to hopefully a enjoyable and successful year full of photographic highlights and wonderful shots.