Santa's Little Helpers

Here's a homage to all those great Christmas pop songs that we always start to hear about now. I think the most famous is probably the one by Slade. 'Merry Chrismas Everybody' has been played at every disco, party and on every radio station since 1973.

Here we go; "Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall..."

Down Memory Lane

This demonstration by the Alzheimer's Society is about the first in the Market Square for over a year, due to the ongoing construction work. It is in response to the Government's recent short sighted plan to withdraw funding for medicines for the unfortunate individuals who have this disease. Apparently it only costs £2.50 or 3.6 euros a day to keep someone's mind healthy, rather than hundreds to keep them in hospital, or worse, in a home.

And on the Other Channel

Just so that I am not accused of any televisual bias after yesterday's photo, here's the BBC's version of the outside broadcast van.

Broadcasting to the World

Here's one of the mobile TV vans that are sent out to cover news stories from around the Midlands region. With all the latest equipment, these vans have got smaller over the years. When TV got going properly in the 1950's, the size of the vans used to be as big as those for moving furniture in.

Saints or Sinners?

Following on from yesterday's photo, here is a close up of one of the figures I was telling you about. There are a number of them around the top edge of the building, both men and women & all in different poses. As a sub-project, I might try and take a photo of all of them. It would be great if they cleaned the building up though, then it would be a dazzling white.

Rooftop View

I took this photo from the top floor of the Cornerhouse, a small food & entertainment complex that has been open a few years now. The big white building is called the Elite building, and it was originally built as a cinema at the turn of the 20th century. During the 1980's it was a bingo hall & now it is used as a nightclub. There are a number of figures around the top of the building of both men & women & could be saints.

Mouse in the House

Here's something you don't often see. A whole shop dedicated to one character. In this case it's a mouse called Diddl. I know nothing much at all about the toy, as he doesn't seem to be that well known in this country. But I thought the window display looked quite colourful.

Sign of the Times

Here is another old factory that has been put to a new use. It was used for lace dyeing and belonged to Hicking Pentecost, but now it has been turned into an adult restaurant called Hooters. During the 1980's, I used to work in the building next door. It was empty for a few years, but has now been turned into luxury flats. A recent survey by our local paper, has found out that there are in the region of 600 empty flats in the city centre. But they keep building more. Why?

A Quiet Moment

This area is beside the Trip pub and next to the Castle. The museum of Nottinghamshire life is in front, with the famous caves to the left. The land used to belong to the local water board. I posted their wrought iron gate a few months back. As today is Rememberance Sunday, I thought this looked a good place to contemplate victims of war since 1914.

Underage Drinkers?

This is the sign for one of the many hostileries in the city. It's called the Royal Children after the offspring of James the Second's daugher Anne, who apparently used to play with the landlord's children, as the location of the pub isn't too far from the castle.

Flower Friday

What a better way of ending the working week, than buying a bunch of flowers for your home or loved one. This flower shop on King Street has quite a selection of types and colours to choose from.

Autumn Over the Battlements

Autum is now with us with cold mornings and the leaves on the trees turning brown and covering the ground. Although this photo of the Castle is taken in sunshine, you can clearly see the colours of the season.

Bondi Express

Well, not exactly. This is actually an advert on the back of a local bus for a new furniture store in one of Nottingham's suburbs. Due to the change of shape of the buses these days, full adverts like these are beginning to appear. I will certainly be looking out for some more examples. This one is for Sally and Nathalie, who produce blog sites of Sydney in Australia.

Hard and Soft

Passing a local antiques shop, I noticed these old stone flasks nestling neatly in between some fancy cushions. I think they make quite a nice little window display. I couldn't see how much any of them were though.

Branches of Life

Yesterday, as many people will know was fireworks night, so you will all be expecting me to put on a photo of a bonfire or some sparklers. But I thought I would show this very nice and well designed bonsi tree instead.

What a Waste

Here's something you don't see everyday, a designer litter bin. This is only the second one I've seen in the city. I have no idea why it has been painted in this way, as all the other ones around town are just black with gold lining. Perhaps it is an encouragement to keep the streets tidy.

Snap Happy

Walking down Derby Road, I spotted this giant poster in an art shop advertising a local photographic company: Lifephotographic. Naturally I had to stop and take a snap or two. The models in the photo look very relaxed and happy. They remind me of the group Girl's Aloud.

The Sun Always Shines

Although it was cold yesterday, the sun was really bright and hardly a cloud in the sky, making it perfect photography weather. Just to prove it, here's a snap of the Greek church near Canning Circus.

The Nightwatchman

Now that the dreaded dark nights are here until March, looking at suitable subjects for photographing is a bit more challenging, as you need a good eye and a steady camera. Here's a floodlit Robin Hood statue as my opening shot.

Something About To Disappear

Today is theme day in the world of the daily photo blogger, and as the title suggests, this month's theme is something that is about to be lost forever. My contribution is this house in the Park, which is about to be knocked down and replaced with even more luxury flats. Personally I couldn't live in a flat, as I enjoy having a garden and not having to put up with noisy and nosey neighbours.

Around 50 bloggers are participating, with the links below. Don't forget the time differences across the world.

1 (Porto ) -2 (Seattle WA USA (Kim) ) -3 (London, UK ) -4 (Greenville, SC ) -5 (Albuquerque, NM (USA) ) -6 (St Paul Kate ) -7 (ShangHai, China ) -8 (Phoenix, Az ) -9 (Twin Cities, MN ) -10 (Sequim, WA ) -11 (Stayton, OR, USA ) -12 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -13 (Dallas, USA ) -14 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -15 (Singapore (zannnie) ) -16 (Budapest (Hungary) ) -17 (Paris (France) ) -18 (Tuzla (BiH) ) -19 (Melbourne, (Aust.) ) -20 (Auckland, New Zealand ) -21 (Singapore (Raymond) ) -22 (Dubai UAE (DXBluey) ) -23 (Vantaa, Finland ) -24 (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada ) -25 (St. Paul MN Carol ) -26 (Singapore (Keropok) ) -27 (Delta Colorado, USA ) -28 (Rotterdam (Netherlands ) -29 (Queens, NY (USA) ) -30 (Tenerife (Spain) ) -31 (Santiago (Chile) ) -32 (Nelson, New Zealand ) -33 (( Japan ) ) -34 (Hyde (UK) ) -35 (Sydney (Sally) ) -36 (Manila, Philippines ) -37 (Aliso Viejo, CA (USA) ) -38 (Nottingham UK ) -39 (Brussels, Belgium ) -40 (Sharon, CT (USA) ) -41 (Sydney Australia (Nathalie) ) -42 (Edinburgh, Scotland ) -43 (Evry, France ) -44 (San Diego, CA (USA)) -

Hell's Kitchen

I'm not really a fan of Halloween & I certainly don't believe in the imported American custom that is Trick or Treat. So I was pondering over what to put on as today's photo. Then I saw the window display of our local Lakeland's, and thought what else does this evening mean to people; eating & drinking of course

They Keep Our Cities Clean - 2

Another vehicle used in the collection of rubbish is the good old dustbin lorry. Although they still perform the same task, their style and method of operation has changed down the years. Most people have 'Wheelie bins' now, instead of the old sytle dustbin, which dustbinmen had to lift over their shoulders to empty.

They Keep Our Cities Clean - 1

Rubbish is a common problem in most parts of the world these days. I'm not sure why, as you can normally find litter bins on most streets in all our towns and cities. Maybe people are just generally lazy and don't care for their enviroment. This means that council workers have to go out and clean up other people's rubbish every day. Here is one of the many vehicles that are used to sweep the streets clean. They are often seen trundling up and down the cities' streets sweeping up drinks cans, cigarette ends and all sorts of paper. The drivers do a fine job and we should all be proud of them.

Tunnel Vision

Today's photo shows one of Victoria Centre's car parks. Bit boring you might be thinking. But actually I believe it is an interesting photo, for what the car park has been built on. The hole was actually part of the old LMS railway line, with a tunnel at each end. The ground has been raised quite a bit, but you can see where the tunnel has been boarded up. For quite a number of years there used to be a painting of a train on the boards which advertised a local shop called Beatties, which sold model cars, plastic kits etc. That too has gone now.

The Spirit of Radio

Yesterday morning our local BBC radio station was doing an outside broadcast close to where I live. I went along to see what Karl Cooper (left) was doing. After he had finished broadcasting, I spoke to him about my blog site and the popularity of photo city blogs from around the world. He appeared to be interested, and so hopefully I may soon appear on the radio like Eric did earlier in the month.

Old and New

Yesterday was the sunniest it's been for a while now & so I was busy snapping away in my lunch hour. I'm quite fond of reflective photos & so here's one of the Victorian Guildhall mirrored by the modern Royal Centre.

Jingle Bells

Walking through the city centre yesterday, I was amazed to see that the council had put up the first of its Christmas decorations, even though we haven't put the clocks back or celebrated Halloween. Although it is a very nice decoration, and an improvement of previous years'ones, I do think it is much too early. There won't be a tree in the Square for the second year, as the building works are behind schedule.

Bye, Bye Butterfly

Yesterday it rained all day in Nottingham, clearly washing away the sunshine. So just to remind people what summer is all about, here's a photo of a Red Admiral getting a suntan on the side of my garage.

Forever Autumn

The season where all the leaves turn to gold and litter the ground is with us again. This photo taken of Tennis Drive in the Park, shows this event clearly underway. It also shows some of the different styles and types of houses that can be found here, from Victorian mansions to new luxury apartments.

It's a Tall Order

Yesterday saw the opening in the city centre of a new clothing store called Lime. Looking on Google, I found out that it is a subsidary of Next the popular high street retailer. These stores sell clothing at cheap prices, similar to Primark, which featured in an August photo. Don't worry, the shop caters for normal sized people too!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Out and about, I snapped this lily in the Arboretum after a short rain shower. I do like the pinstripe lines on the leaves.

Skip the Light Fantastic

The weather here has been very dull and overcast for several days now, and it is making the art of taking reasonable photos quite difficult, as the light is flat and the sky is just a plain grey. Here is an example of what I mean. This building used to be part of a railway station in Nottingham that was closed during the Beeching cuts of the 1960's. It is now used by the council. I've turned to photo into black and white, to try and make it a bit more appealing. But note the bland and empty sky.

University Challenge

To compliment Nathalie's recent run of tourist photos of Sydney, I thought I would pick one from Nottingham. Besides the castle & the Robin Hood statue, everyone that visits my city, or is studying at the university always takes a snap of Highfields' lake & the Portland Building. So for those of you who haven't been, here it is.

Back End of a Bus

Nottingham City Transport is our major bus company. Up until a couple of years ago, all the buses were pained in a two tone green livery, but now they are mainly all white except for the front which is painted a different colour, depending on the route. Being all white means that advertising is more clearer to read, and the designs more prominent, such as this one, which is promoting the Easyrider bus pass scheme.

Let's Dance

This building has been a place for dancing for ever. When it first opened, it was called the Place de Dance, and it was the place to go to find a future partner. Like many places of entertainment, it has gone through a few name changes down the years.

It Takes Two..

Next door to the building featured yesterday, is another one that is sadly disused since closing as a garage and taxi booking office. It is also in the Art Deco style. I reckon both buildings will be bought up, demolished, and the land used for flats. This will mean that Howard Street in between the two will disappear for good.

End of Play

Here is another empty and neglected Art Deco influenced building, that looks likely to be facing the bulldozer. It appears that it has been used for several purposes, including an electroplaters and something called Playland.

Touch Me and Buy

This sculpture shows some of the many things you can buy from Marks & Spencers. It is situated at the side of the store, so the only way you can see it is if you visit the small garden belonging to St Peter's Church.

A Bird in the Hand

So many former banks seemed to have been turned into pubs and wine bars these days. Nottingham has seen a few conversions over the past few years. The Goose on the Square is a typical example. It got it's name from the fair that appears every October, which has been running for the past 700 years. I don't know whether this pigeon is passing the time of day with his golden friend.

Architectual Chemist

This original art nouveau building began life as one of Boots' first shops in Nottingham. It ceased being a chemists in 1972 when the company moved to bigger premises, but has been used as a variety of shops ever since.

Designer Angels

You might think that these two cherubs are part of the facade of say a theatre. Well you'd be wrong. They are actually high up on the front of a department store called Debenhams. Before they took over, the shop belonged to another department store called Griffin & Spalding.
When I took the photo, I didn't realise that there was netting all over the building, which I guess is to keep pigeons away from the window sills.

Words From The Past

Here is another relic from the golden age of steam. It is an advert for something first class in London. It's difficult to make it all out, but it's open every evening and the managing director is a Robert Arch. This wall will shamefully be disappearing in the near future, to make way for a new arts centre, that has the appearance of a green garage.

Poet's Corner

Mary Howitt was a 19th century poet who was quite well known in her day & was friends with other writers like Wordsworth and Charles Dickens. William was also a writer, and between them they wrote 180 books. This statue is at Nottingham Castle.

Oh Yez, oh yez

Spotted this character yesterday promoting Specsavers' glasses case giveaway. I got one. I don't know if I was entitled to 2 though, as they always have this two for one offer on!

Will the Real Robin Hood Please Stand Up?

I took this yesterday morning on the way to work. It was early and rainy, so I take it was for some publicity, possibly in respect to the new series starting tomorrow, rather than by visitors to the city.

Poetry Path

At the side of the castle is a path that has some artwork placed into the ground. Here is an example. I think it's quite a cryptic message, but it must have taken a while to work out & complete the design made out of pebbles.

Rest in Peace

Situated at Canning Circus is this building, which serves as the entrance to the city's cemetary. There are also a number of small apartments, that have recently been done up.

Robin Hood Woz 'Ere

With the new updated series of Robin Hood starting on the TV at the weekend, I thought it might be apt to post a slightly different view of the Castle, which shows some actural brickwork. You can then compare it to the one featured in the series.

There is Nothing Like a Dome

If you've ever wondered what the inside of the dome on top of the Council House looks like, then here's your answer. As you can see it is glass, but the interesting things are the painting and wording around it. It is difficult to take the whole thing, as it's quite a large expanse, and I didn't like the idea of laying on the ground to try and photograph it, so this is about the best I could do.

Jeepers Creeper

I spotted this rampant vine that is inching its way across a Nottingham street by using the overhead telephone wire. Be good if the new owners of the house left the creeper to its own devices. They might even take bets on how long it will take!