A Tentative View

It's back. The Spiegeltent is making a welcome return to the city centre. They started putting together the building yesterday and it opens at the weekend, with shows that go on for the next seven days.

The travelling entertainment space made it's first visit this time last year. Of course I blogged about it, and you can read what I put by clicking on this link.

I will be popping in one lunchtime next week to see if it looks the same as it did in 2015.

A Touch Of Pink

A stroll up to the castle today, as I haven't been in a while. Despite the warmth, it has been a bit of an overcast day.

As autumn is rapidly approaching, I was surprised to see some, what I think are crocuses growing in the castle grounds. I find this a bit odd, as I've always thought that they were a spring flower. An indication that winter is saying goodbye. But sadly we are having to face the cold weather and dark nights once again for half the year.

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.

Bows And Arrows

The Old Market Square has been transformed into an arena for archery, as there will be a tournament taking place at the weekend.

They have been busy installing the seating, podiums etc over the last few days.

As the area has been completely sealed off, people are either having to walk round, or take a shortcut across the entrance to the Council House. Being such a busy area, this shortcut has got quite crowded as people have crossed on the stairs, which are quite narrow.

I won't be going to see the action, as I have been to see a couple of these things at Wollaton Park, and t's not that exciting to watch. Besides which they were free to go in. This one you have to pay.

Reach For The Sky

Walking across town after the book launch yesterday, I came across this big machine not far from the castle.

It looks very similar to the one that I saw near the Victoria Centre the other month. I believe it is used for pumping cement into areas where people can't normally get, such as possibly behind these two buildings.

Be interesting to see the machine in action, or even the guy who has to climb all the way up to the cab, high in the sky.

Postcards From The Edge

The thing about time travel, is that sometimes you never know whether you are in the past, the present or the future.

Take this postcard sent from the Doctor. The photo looks modern day, but because it is scratched and faded, shows that it is quite old. So did our favourite Time Lord go forward in time and buy this 'antique', rather pay only a few pence and purchase one in mint condition?

Who knows!

Shelling Out

Walking through the Old Market Square today I noticed that they had started to dismantle the Spiegel Tent, now that the shows are finished.

The workers had done a fair amount of work in taking down all the mirrors, staging, and seating, and just leaving the bare shell and the entrance.

No doubt it has all been removed now and packed away in a truck ready to be taken to the next town for a few days. From  all accounts people have enjoyed themselves at the various shows that have been put on over the last few days that it has been in Nottingham. I wonder what next will pop up in the open space?

Jones The Steam

Here's a super steam powered model railway layout, that was on show yesterday as part of the heritage weekend celebrations.

I think everyone loves watching trains of all sizes, especially the steam ones, as they portray the romance of a bygone age.  Although for me, I think I prefer old cars.

It was a big layout and took up quite a lot of the space in the hall that it had been set up in.  The enthusiasts had a couple of engines on the go, and the town that they had created was really quite quaint with a few houses, some cars and of course a station.

I watched them go round the track a few times and enjoyed looking at the small plume of steam every time the locos started up. Sometimes there was a bit of water on the tracks, and one of the owners had to rub the track with a cloth.  No wrong leaves on the line in the model world!

Tide's In

The Nottingham Riviera is back in the Old Market Square. It actually opened last week, but as I was still recovering from my illness, I couldn't see it.

So I popped along at lunchtime to see if it was any different from last years. While I was out, it started to rain. Although it had been fairly dull and cold since first light. This of course had a disastrous effect on the rides and especially the beach, as all the deckchairs had been put away and the sand was left to the pigeons, rather than the kids with their buckets and spades.

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?

Wet

There's nothing quite like a shot of the city centre at night and when it's raining and you get some good reflections of lights in dark and shiny Tarmac.

Packing Up

Well the summer school holidays are over for another year and I bet all parents are relieved, as it means that they won't have to spend time and money on finding things to do.

One thing that has been popular has been the Nottingham Riviera, situated in the Old Market Square. But now the kids are back at school, the workmen have started dismantling and packing up all the rides, kiosks and fake palm trees.

I don't know what happens to all the sand they laid back in July. Maybe they sell it on to a builder, but it would need sifting, to remove all the bottle tops, empty crisp packets and whatever else finds its way into sand.

Ran Out Of Steam

Went to check on the Victorian railway arches that are sadly being knocked down after standing there for all these years.

It's been said that they have to come down as the area is being developed. Personally, if I was the architect, I would incorporate them into the new building as a feature, as I hate to see old buildings knocked down, as they have much more character then modern soulless buildings.

There's a prime example In my photo here, the green and gold building on the left is the Contemporary art gallery, which you must admit looks awful and stands out like a sore thumb, compared to the former church, now the Pitcher & Piano bar, and the other old buildings that make up part of the Lace Market.

Market Day

It's been a cracking sunny day today. The best one of the year so far. So I thought I would take a walk to the market in the Old Market Square.

And boy was it packed with people walking up and down and looking at the things on offer. While I was wandering around, I got to thinking about how would the market look from above, with all the coloured tarpaulin roofs and people milling about.

So I called in at the Council House and asked if I could go up to the balcony to take a shot or two. They said yes, so I popped up and took a few photographs.

Conspicuous Consumption

While having a stroll around Matlock Bath on Sunday, we came across this Bentley sports car. it was of course attracting a lot of attention form the passers by.

Looking on the Internet, the price of it is somewhere around £160,000. So the person who owns it, obviously has a fair bit of money, and going on the number plate, they are not ashamed of boasting about it.

It was parked outside one of the amusement arcades, so Gail thought the car belonged to the owner of it, as such places do make lots of money from the punters who have no chance of winning, no matter how much money that they put in the slot machines and the like. These places tend to be run by criminals as well.

I'm not really sure whether I like this car or not. It's a bit too flash for my taste, as I prefer the more classic lines of the older style cars. I still took a photo of it though.

Rescued

An area of the city centre that has been abandoned for the last twenty years, is slowly coming back to life.

Cobden Chambers only appears to be accessible from a small alleyway just off a main thoroughfare. People have not even be aware of it's existence. Maybe that's why its been left alone for such a long time.

But plans are in hand to turn it into a little oasis of independent shops. A couple have recently opened; one selling vintage goods, another which looked like stationery, as the shop was closed and I could only see them through the window.

A lot of work has already taken place to make the area look attractive, with bright colours and murals. And as you can see, another of the buildings is currently being renovated.

Be Seeing You

This time last year, Gail & I were wandering around an empty Portmeirion. We had booked a couple of days away there for a treat, as it was my 50th birthday and our 7th wedding anniversary.

Sadly we are not there this year, but tomorrow we will be spending the day in Lincoln, just to have a look round and take some photographs. Hope the weather is going to behave itself. It was very cold in North Wales last year, but it was really sunny, and we spent a lovely day in the Village.

Smokestack On The Horizon

Cycling home from work tonight, I stopped on the bridge over the canal for a little while and took a couple of shots of the reflections in the water.

Incidentally the smoke you can see in the background, isn't from a ship, but the local council incinerator.

Run For The Sun

As Nottingham has such a big student population, every night is student night at pubs and clubs across the city centre.

Walking through town last night we came across these two students dressed like they were on their summer holiday in Spain, rather than a very cold, wet East Midlands city.

A Road Of Two Halves

This is the castle end of Castlegate. The other part is across the way there, but the road was sliced in two when they built the Maid Marian Way in the late 1960s. A couple of other roads; namely Houndsgate & Friar Lane also suffered the same fate.

For many years Maid Marian Way was dubbed the ugliest road in Nottingham, but some planting took place a few years ago and so it doesn't look so harsh now. Although of course Castlegate and the other roads will always be apart.