And So It's Goodnight From Me

Please be seated, as this is my final post from Nottingham Daily Photo.

After nearly 11 years and over 3500 entries, I have decided to stop posting. It has been a tough decision; being part of my life for so long, but there doesn't seem to be as much interest in photoblogs these days, and I have seen a visible drop in visitors and comments over the last year or so I know that isn't the main reason for doing a blog, but it is good to get feedback and to know what you're doing is worthwhile, rather than something to do to pass the time.

But I've not really been getting that recently, and my enthusiasm for posting everyday has wained too. I could take a sabbatical from it like I have done before. But I don't think the situation would improve after the break. So I have made the decision of not doing it anymore.

I will of course still be taking photos every day, as photography is my passion. And so will probably just post daily on Facebook and Twitter, as I get more interaction there. I may even give Instagram a go.

Also the Blogger platform has changed over time, and I don't find it as easy to use anymore, as they keep tweaking with it, and it seems to take ages for it to perform tasks. It might be down to having so many photos on here now.

So my final photo from Nottingham shows the Pitcher and Piano bar, a converted church in the Lace Market. I was there to take some photos and videos of my friends band The Disco Prophets, who performed there and saw in 2017 with some great covers of disco classics.

Finally I would like to thank all the visitors down the years. All 545,000 of them, and especially those that have left comments. William Kendall and Stefan Jansson who are regular visitors and to my long suffering wife Gail. The ultimate photography widow.

So it just leaves me to wish you all a great 2017. Which after 2016, should be an improvement.

Lunchtime Sunshine

My lunchtime stroll today took me through the Lace Market. A lovely sunny, autumnal day.

I decided to try out one of my vintage manual lenses, as I've not had a play with one for a while.

Here is St Mary's Church, bathed in sunshine, surrounded by some of the trees that are in the ancient churchyard.

Talk To Me

A shot of Kayes Walk in the Lace Market today, which runs parallel to St Mary's Church.

All the old buildings have been turned into offices, and makes for a good backdrop to any scene.

I spotted these two people coming up the gentle slope towards me, and thought I would take a shot or two. It looks like the woman is doing all the talking, whilst the man, possibly pretends to listen, but thinking of the tasks that he has to do back in the office.

I've given the photo a slight sepia tinge, just to make it a little different.

Sofa, So Good

Walking up towards the Lace Market today, I saw something that was really unusual; a gigantic purple settee. It must be unique, as I've never seen one before, even on the television.

I've not heard about the 'Summer Sofa' promotion at all, despite keeping my ear to the ground and eyes open for events happening in the city centre.

I don't know whether the sofa will be staying there, or being moved across the city. I do hope that they put it undercover, as it won't be very nice to sit on if it is soaking wet.

A Door To Another Universe

I remember as a child watching a Japanese cartoon series called Marineboy. It told the tale of a boy who could swim underwater and stopped invading monsters through using exploding boomerangs.

The one thing that I haven't forgotten is that all the characters had such big eyes, which these days is known as Manga.

So I was pleased to see these characters protecting the doorway to a comic shop in the Lace Market. Looking at the state of it, especially with those bricks missing, it certainly needs something.

Foor For Thought

As there are so many eating places in the city centre, it's often difficult to know what to choose, as there is so much on offer. Italian, Spanish, French, pizzas, pies, burgers, fish & chips. Nottingham has it all.

This woman is studying the menu of the Cock & Hoop pub in the Lace Market, situated opposite the Galleries of Justice.

The pub is linked to the hotel next door, and both have been closed for a while, as the hotel closed for some reason.

But a new owner has been found, and so both businesses have reopened.  But they might have finished painting the door before they did.

A Teller Of Legends

Amongst the few highlights  of Friday's Light Night, was overhearing part of a tale from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

He was in the Lace Market entertaining a group of people of stories about things that had happened in the city centre a long time ago.

His audience seemed enthralled with his tale. I stayed a little while, before moving on to the next event

Who''s Got A Cold Hand Then?

Someone somewhere in Nottingham's city centre is walking about with a cold right hand, as this sheepskin glove has lost it's owner.

Some kind soul had found it and hung it up on the railings of St Mary's Church, in the hope that the owner will realise where they had lost it and return to the scene of the crime, in a manner of speaking.

In A World Of Her Own

If it wasn't for the mobile phone, you could be mistaken that I had taken this in the 1960s, with the girl in her wooly jumper and duffel coat.

Night Life

The Pitcher & Piano in the Lace Market is a fab bar, set in an old converted church, complete with stained glass windows.

It has been open a while now and is very popular with young and old alike. So when they recently announced that they were building a new outside area bar, I was quite excited.

I follow P&P on Twitter, and they ran a competition the other day to win tickets to their special opening night party. I entered, and fortunately I won. Gail was busy doing something, so couldn't make it.

So after work I popped along to see what was going on. I met up with a few of my Twitter pals, who I didn't know were going to be there. There were waitresses walking around with plates of free nibbles, which were very tasty, especially the stylish fish fingers.

As you can see the building is very modern with a good stocked bar. Obviously not as well stocked as the one in the main building, as that's huge, and situated in the middle of the ground floor. There is a garden too, complete with a flower covered piano.

I should think the new endeavour will do well, as it's like being outside, but inside. I wonder how it will look when it's decorated with Christmas decorations.

Meals On Wheels

On my travels down in Hockley and the Lace Market yesterday with my fellow photographer, we came across this handcart that was being used to grow food. It was there to prove that no matter how small your garden, you could still grown your own, and hopefully organic food.

It had be created by the shop you can see in the background called Ice Nine. They sell all sorts of weird and wonderful things, like clothing, jewellery and gifts.

I don't know if the shop sells this bee wind chime, but he was a cute bit of decoration for the barrow. Just a shame that he was hanging upsidedown.

Facing The Future

Walking through the Lace Market at lunchtime today with a pal from work, we came across a road that was closed due to some building work that was going on.

Whilst my mate was talking to one of the construction workers about what sort of building they were putting up, incidentally some more students flats, I was looking around and what the construction site was like, I noticed this silver face staring at me.

He didn't say anything at all, even when I took his photo. He was a strange looking creature. Not very tall. For a moment I thought he was related to the Cybermen, as he face was silver colour. Then I realised that he was actually the side and handle of an industrial sized wheelie bin!

Lines

Walking through the Lace Market this evening I saw these three vapour trails across the sky, which look quite close together and heading the same way.

I wonder what sort of planes made them? I saw an AWACs plane flying overhead yesterday, as I was cycling home, so I wonder if there is some sort of military training going on at the moment?

Orange Beauty

Passing through St Mary's churchyard, I same across this big orange tulip enjoying the lunchtime sunshine.

Spirited Away

It's not everyday that you come across an empty pub, but sadly I did today.

The Cock & Hoop pub in the Lace Market closed last year, when the hotel that it's attached to also shut its doors.  There have been announcements that the hotel and pub will be reopened. But obviously this hasn't happened yet.

Purple

I seem to be taking a lot of flower photos recently. I'm not too sure why. Possibly because there's not too many events going on at the moment, being still early in the year.

It was lovely and sunny today, and so I went for a walk around Hockley and the Lace Market. These crocuses were enjoying the warmth in the grounds of St Mary's Church.

Spring is definitely on it's way.

Peek-a-Boo

A sunny lunchtime today, so I took a stroll around the Lace Market. Whilst I was walking along, I began to notice that there seemed to be a lot of photography students about in small groups and all carrying cameras.

Passing through St Mary's churchyard, I saw a couple of girls trying to take a photo of another girl who was hiding herself in-between the branches of a tree. They were obviously trying to learn about light and shade.

One said that it was too dark to take a photo, and I thought that they should either increase the ISO, reduce the shutter speed or change the lens's f stop.

If anyone is interested, I took this with my 45mm lens, 100 ISO, f1.8 at 1/60th. Also slightly tweaked in Lightroom.

The Black Panther

It's surprising what I come across when I'm out walking with my camera at lunchtime. Sometimes it's nothing and sometimes it's an unique photo opportunity. And that's what happened while I was walking through the Lace Market today.

Turning the corner near St Mary's Church, I was met by two ice hockey players from the Nottingham Panthers team having a photoshoot, whilst having a mess around with a puck.

I have no idea what it was for. I just stood, watched & took the occasional shot. The most bizarre part to the image is the fact that he's playing in flip flops, like he was on the beach or next to the pool.

Not being an ice hockey fan, I have absolutely no idea who this is, or if he is in fact a real hockey player.

Glad To Be Gay (2)

Nottingham Pride today. And what a colourful, musical day it was. Met up with a friend who has a band, and they opened the event with a fresh new line up.

There were certainly plenty of characters about, but I spotted these two girls waiting near a tram stop at then end of the day. I like the way they were standing, like Agnetha & Frida did in some ABBA videos from the 70s.

It was a much smaller event this year, and took place in the Lace Market, rather than the Arboretum like last year. Apparently the event lost a lot of money, so they have gone back to basics and scaled things down a bit. I hope this one breaks even, if not makes a bit of money for them, so it comes back next year, as I hand a very enjoyable day.

NG Phone Home

Just happen to come across another one of those apprentice sculptures, that keep appearing across the city centre.

This one is in the Lace Market, and is obviously a phone box. But not just any phone box, but one with a real Notts connection.

For a start there are a couple of arrows stuck in the top, which were obviously fired by the one and only Robin Hood.

I'm Not From London is a Nottingham based music promotion company that put on local gigs featuring local artists.

There are also a number of other local references on the posters inside; Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, LeftLion magazine etc.