ET - Enormous Talent

A co-worker said that she was in the city centre on Saturday and heard a really wonderful busker called Sian Alex. Sian, as in the Welsh spelling she added

She wondered if it was a musician I knew, as I know a few nowadays. I said that I hadn't heard of her before, but was intrigued to know what she sounded like, as my co-worker was really enthusiastic about her.

Bizarrely enough, whilst out for my lunchtime stroll, who happened to be setting up on Bridalsmithgate, but none other than Sian. So I said hello, while she was sorting out her cables, and asked her if she was starting, or packing up. Alex replied that she would be starting shortly. So I said that I would come back shortly.

When I returned to Bridalsmithgate Alex was singing away. In fact I could hear her as I was walking up St Peter's Gate. So I stopped and listened to a couple of her songs. And indeed she was very good. Some nice folk songs. Original ones too I think. But sadly I had to return to work. But I dropped some money in her collection box before I left.

Colourful Collection

The widow display at the Tolkenhouse gift shop on Bridalsmithgate is looking quite colourful at the moment with a display of various designs of wrapping paper, cards and gifts.

Fragility

I went to the opening of an exhibition tonight, that's only on for a few days at Waterstone's bookshop on Bridalsmithgate.

The work is very colourful as it's made of stained glass and lit by lights; similar to a Tiffany lamp.

Sadly the artist Simon Leivers couldn't attend as he committed suicide in May 2012. He was only 45. Not that age has anything to do with it. Simon had some mental health issues and decided to end it all by drowning in the River Trent.

The exhibition is called 'Into the Light' and is on between now and Friday (18th). It's well worth seeing, as the pieces are so colourful, as you can see from the photo below. Some leaflets are available from organisations like the Samaritans promoting the good work that they do.

Birthday Greetings

Well we've made it; Nottingham Daily Photo is now eight years old. Over 2700 stories from my life since 2006. The places that I've visited, both alone and with Gail, the people I've met and things I've captured with the various cameras that I've owned since then.

And what better way to celebrate this birthday than with a well known film and TV actress and local girl Vicky McClure.

Vicky is well known for being in Shane Meadows' This Is England, and last year she appeared in the highly rated TV drama Broadchurch. The BBC have just finished showing her latest series Line of Duty.

I met her in the Fred Perry shop on Bridalsmithgate, where she was doing a bit of DJ'ing, before going to the Broadway Cinema, where they were showing her latest movie called Svengali.

That's Not The Sort Of Mouse I Was Thinking Of!

I was amused to see this cat with a computer mouse in its mouth as part of a window display for a city centre fashion shop, on the fashionable Bridalsmithgate.

I think it is quite creative, although I am not too sure what it has to do with women's clothing though. At least its eye-catching, so maybe that is the point. Stop to look at the cat, and then realise what the shop is. Sex might sell, but obviously so does eccentric window displays