I Talk To The Trees

Well on this instance, they talk to us. Each of these 'trees' gives off a different musical sound when you go near them, through some in built sensors. They are just the thing to keep the children amused during half term.

Books on Wheels

Here is a snap of Nottingham Council's latest vehicle; a mobile library. It's a good idea having these, as not everyone has access to a library, or can travel to one, and reading books is one of the most important things you can do. Not only for pleasure, but for learning about the world around you and what's going on in it.

I wonder if there's any books about blogging!

The Music Man

This marble plaque commemorates the spot where a musician locally known as 'the Xylophone Man' sat and entertained the passing shoppers, with his unique musical style. It was unique, as he just tapped the bars of his children's toy xylophone at random and stamped his foot. He did make the trip to the Broad Marsh Centre a bit brighter.

Shadow On The Wall

In the same darkened corner as yesterday's portrait, stands this artistic effort. I'm not sure what the artist is trying to tell me with this one. Do the blacked out shapes represent the unknown people in the world, and are they the feet of the artist?

You decide.

There's Always Someone Looking At You

Here's some hidden art. I say hidden, because you'd only see it if you made a point of going there, as it's a bit out of the way and not part of the main thoroughfare. A shame really, as it's quite a striking picture.

And They Call It Puppy Love

Couldn't resist taking a snap of these cuddly toy dogs in a shop window. Who cares if Valentine's Day is over. All you need is love!

Maneating Bird

Last night Nelly Furtado played at the Nottingham Arena. I'm not really a fan of her music, even though there is a marked difference in style between her first song and her last, but there have been some local comments about the distracting nature of this giant poster.

Happy New Year

The year of the pig in the Chinese calendar begins today. Beeston has developed quite a large Chinese community now with many attending the nearby university. There were celebrations in the Square today, with various demonstrations of dancing and singing, followed by the obligatory firework display. I caught these young girls doing a sort of fan dance. They added a much needed splash of colour to a rather grey day.

Good Use Of The Church Fund?

I know this is a sign for a local printers, which are based opposite the Castle; but my imagination thinks it could be a specialist company that makes clones of people for churches with falling congregations. You can just see a local vicar going in and asking for "about twenty men and women of ordinary, but good personalities and ages between twenty five and sixty".

Roses Are Red...

As I am having to go away on business tomorrow, I thought I would put on my contribution to Valentine's Day 24 hours early. I spotted these two characters promoting an Internet video Valentine's service called; Loveoke.com.. Enjoy tomorrow & don't eat too many chocolates.

The Taxman Commeth

Last April I published a photo of the Inland Revenue building, which I took from the Castle. Today's shot is of the same building. This time it was taken from the railway line, that runs at the back of the offices.

Just Another Day

Yesterday Nottingham missed the snow again, except for a small flurry around 5pm, which didn't settle due to the ground being wet. So I still can't bring you a snowy scene of my home town. Instead here's a rather wet and drab shot of a part of the city centre that is going to redeveloped sometime in the near future. I thought I'd take it before it disappears for ever.

Snow Can Do

There was fun and chaos across the UK yesterday, when heavy falls of snow hit the country for the second time this year. Nottingham seemed to escape again, as we only had a light dusting & it had all but disappeared by about 10am. So alas no photos of a white Robin Hood. Instead here's a photo of an art nouveau gate in the Lace Market. A shame the top of the gate has been boarded up. But I suppose it was done to deter vandals and thieves.

Writer's Block

A shame that this plaque is quite high on the side of a building on High Street, as it informs us that JM Barrie, the author of the great children's classic, Peter Pan used to work as a staff member of the Nottingham Journal; a local newspaper which is now defunct.

The Eyes Have It

Here's the poster which is advertising one of the world's best musicals; Cats, which is playing this month at one of my local theatres. The musical is based around the poems of TS Elliott & is about the adventures of several different felines, such as Bustepher Jones the very fat cat and Scrimbleshanks, who catches mice on the railway. The musical contains the very famous song "Memory", which was originally sung by Elaine Paige.

Tele-vision

I think this is about the biggest TV that I've ever seen. It was on display in the nearly completed Market Square. There was nobody around to explain why it was there and what it was all about. So I am completely in the dark as to what the film was publicising.

Sky Scene

As I was unlocking the driveway gates the other morning, I kooked up into the sky and thought it looked really unusual and colourful, with a slight Turneresque quality. So naturally I had to take a couple of shots of it. Here's the result.

Smoke and the Water

Whilst out at lunch yesterday, I came across some action which needed the fire brigade. A small building was on fire. It was being dampened down by the time I got there, so all I saw was a load of smoke, but I took a lot of photos. In fact several people were standing around taking pictures, either with digital cameras or mobile phones. The local newspaper reporter had got there before me, so I couldn't get a scoop. I'm putting on two photos today to show the action at the front and rear of the building. I don't think anyone was hurt, but a good traffic jam had developed.

Building Blocks

Following on from yesterdays theme day, another thing that annoys me in the city is modern architecture. It's either so bland and boring or looks ridiculous. Nottingham seems to have almost as many cranes as Dubai at the moment, with various things being built or going to be built. But what is being erected is so out of character for Nottingham, that they are going to stick out like a sore thumb. As you've seen from previous photos, Nottingham's buildings are mainly Victorian or earlier and quite decorative and have character. And to stick a basic brick & glass box next to them, is a crime.

Sign of the Times

Today is the first of the month & is blogger theme day. Today's topic is entitled 'What annoys you about your city'. Mine is posts. Be it lamp, telegraph or traffic lights. Every time I try and take a photo of a building or scene, there is at least one pole in the way. This photo of a Watson Fothergill designed pub on Mansfield Road has 6 posts distracting you from the building. I try standing in a different position, but it does no good. A global problem I know & the only way out is to keep employing Photoshop, which alas I don't know how to use.




52 sites are participating in today's theme day. Here are the links. Please try to visit them all, but remember about time differences. We are global.

1 (Porto (Portugal) ) -2 (Stayton, OR (USA) ) -3 (Albuquerque, NM (USA) ) -4 (Tenerife (Spain) ) -5 (Greenville, SC (USA) ) -6 (Dubai (U.A.E.) ) -7 (Evry (France) ) -8 (Jakarta (Indonesia) ) -9 (London (UK) ) -10 (Sequim, WA (USA) ) -11 (Buenos Aires, (Argentina) ) -12 (Seattle, WA (USA) ) -13 (Minneapolis, MN (USA) ) -14 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -15 (Joplin , MO (USA) ) -16 (Nelson, New Zealand ) -17 (Milano, Italy ) -18 (Singapore (KeropokMan) ) -19 (La Antigua Guatemala (Guatemala) ) -20 (Nottingham UK ) -21 (Singapore by Zannnie (Singapore) ) -22 (Budapest (Hungary) ) -23 (Not Strictly Seattle, ) -24 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -25 (Vantaa (Finland) ) -26 (Hyde (UK) ) -27 (Madrid by Dsole (Spain) ) -28 (Oulu (Finland) ) -29 (Saarbr?cken (Germany) ) -30 (St. Paul [Carol] ) -31 (Sydney (Australia) ) -32 (Tokyo (Japan) ) -33 (Kyoto (Japan) ) -34 (Trujillo (Peru) ) -35 (Shanghai (China) ) -36 (Rotterdam (NL) ) -37 (Chicago, IL (USA) ) -38 (Nice, (France) ) -39 (Naples, Florida (USA) ) -40 (Hong Kong ) -41 (Santa Clara, CA (USA) ) -42 (Quito, Ecuador (South America) ) -43 (Cottage Grove, MN (USA) ) -44 (Paris, (France) ) -45 (Manila (Philippines) ) -46 (Brussels (Belgium) ) -47 (Auckland (New Zealand) ) -48 (Newcastle upon Tyne(England) ) -49 (Houston, TX (USA) ) -50 (Sydney by Nathalie (Australia) ) -51 (Mumbai (India) ) -52 (Anderson, SC (USA)) -

Heaven's Above

Another religious theme today in the shape of of the city's St Barnabas' Cathedral. It is situated opposite the Playhouse. So once you've seen a show, you can go across to the church and give thanks for an enjoyable time.

Green Marks The Spot

London is famous for many things, and one of them is the blue plaque tradition, which highlights where famous people lived, worked or died. Nottingham appears to be starting one of it's own, as I saw this along Maid Marian Way. I had not spotted it before, so it could only have been up a few weeks. I'm not really that knowledgable about William Carey, so I've linked his name to a site which gives you some background to this preacher.

Can Dogs Read?

Here's a sign I've not seen before. It's one that some children from a local school have designed about making the world a better place by dog owners taking away their pets' poo. Quite right too, as getting some stuck on your shoe is one of the worst expreiences going. Not forgetting the possibility of spreading diseases. So there's another use for all those old supermarket carrier bags.

The Yellow Peril

The other day I placed a photo of a Watson Fothergil building with a row of shops underneath, that advertised themselves in a way that was in keeping with the style of the building. That cannot really be said about how this company promotes itself. Canary Yellow everywhere! I bet helicopter pilots can see this building as they fly across the city at night.

Thai Land

As you can see this restaurant is called the Pretty Orchid, but it doesn't look that inviting from the outside. One reason for this is its location. It is situated down a small lane called Pepper Street, which is basically a paved area that leads to a loading bay for some of the shops. At the side of it is a new retail development. I have no idea what the food is like, but from all accounts it's supposed to be one of the best in the city centre.

G'day

Today is Australia Day, which celebrates the founding of the great country that has bought us amongst other things Rolf Harris, Kylie, Skippy and Foster's lager. Not forgetting the most wonderful and amazing natural harbour in the world, made even more spectacular by the iconic bridge and the Opera House.
Nottingham doesn't have that many Oz references, but here's a local bar on Friar Lane with an Down Under feel. Cheers!

Another Day, Another Pub

A few weeks ago I posted the sign from the Royal Children public house on Spaniel Row. Today I'm showing you what the whole building looks like. As you can see it is quite olde worlde and full of character.

The Shopping Experience

Here's another of Watson Fothergill's creations on King Street this time. Fortunately the shop signs are not too big and loud like some are, as it would spoil the character of the facades.

Through Rose Coloured Glasses

The antiques dealer on Derby Road has changed his window display & is now promoting red glassware in all these different shapes and styles. Old glass is quite collectable, but I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay these sorts of prices for any.

Sign Your Name

Tagging is the name given to the act of marking property, such as this door with strange symbols or words to show that it is in a particular gangs' patch. There must be lots of fights over this particular door as it's been covered in the things. Do you notice the little spyhole near the top?
I couldn't take a better photo, as I was standing in a narrow lane, due to the fact that there was a building site behind me.

Reflections of a Bygone Age

It's been a relatively sunny, dry and quiet weekend weatherwise, although the meterologists have predicted a very cold spell this week and the possibility of snow! So before all the puddles turn to ice, I thought I would share this quiet picture of an old street light. The quiet after the storm you might say.

10 Green Bottles...

Here's an interesting window display of wine bottles from around the world. Personally I love a crisp white wine, preferably from Australia. Red is ok, but white doesn't feel as heady. Cheers!

Raindancing

Yesterday, the UK experienced high winds and torrents of rain. Some parts suffered more than others. Fortunately here in Nottingham we got off quite lightly, with only a few incidents of trees falling down & loss of electricity. It was quite sunny at lunchtime and I took this shot of a big puddle outside the Playhouse being blown in the wind.

Singing in the Rain

As we welcome in another cold, wet and windy day, I'm supplying you all with umbrellas. You have a choice of 5 colours. Personally I'd pick the blue one, just to remind myself that better days are hopefully on the way.

Spring Fever

Here's another highly decorated Nottingham buses, this time advertising a local business, a local garden centre called Floralands.
Home improvements and DIY are big business in the UK, with millions being spent every week on making ones home better. There are numerous programs on TV showing you how to do it and what sort of things can be achieved on a small or large budget.

Trainspotting

Looking at trains isn't really a hobby of mine, but I couldn't resist taking a snap of this Central Trains loco trundling along the tracks to probably Derby or Birmingham. We have another local train company called Midland Mainline which takes passengers to London and Leeds.

Skyline

Nottingham has some very interesting and stylish old buildings, but alas they are being either replaced or surrounded by newer and rather bland creations. I don't think architects have much imagination these days, as the buildings they design have no real interesting features, just plain brick, concrete and glass. Perhaps it's time they started to look at the past, rather than the future.

Take a Seat

You can tell it's winter, as no one was sitting having their lunch in the grounds of the Castle, even though it wasn't too cold or wet. A lot of the seats had names or plaques on them in memory of people that had passed on, but had enjoyed visiting the Castle and the views.

Thrills and Spills

Whilst going out at lunch time yesterday, I noticed a traffic jam and lots of flashing lights at the top of Maid Marion Way. So naturally I got my camera out and went to investigate. I found several police cars and fire engines, plus a few other vehicles and the police directing the traffic. Looking at the action, I've deduced that the white lorry's petrol tank had leaked and diesel had spilled out onto the road.

Anyway, I think it makes a good scene, with all the rescue people in action.

The Devil Rides A Volvo

I guess the driver of this car, probably called Hal, isn't that superstitious, otherwise he wouldn't have 666 as part of his number plate, which as most people know is the number of the beast.
I wonder if he calls his car Christine?

Cheers!

Castle Rock brewery is about the last remaining beer maker in Nottingham now. We used to have several big well known names; including Shipstones and Home Ales. Hardy & Hansons were taken over last year and the creation of the amber nectar has being moved to East Anglia.

Spot The Difference

As promised, here is an up to date photo of Nottingham railway station, for you to compare with Friday's offering. Not a lot has changed except the design of the train and the posters missing from the station's wall. I tried to stand in about the same place as the original photographer, but a building was in the way.

Global, Local

Although this isn't a Nottingham based photo; it was actually taken in Dubai. There is a local connection with my home town, as Paul Smith was born here. He started with a small shop in the city centre in the late 1960's, and now has branches throughout the world. Last year he opened a new flagship store in the city centre, but I haven't been inside yet, as I would feel like a fish out of water.

Train Of Thought

Nottingham Railway Station, circa 1969. As you can probably guess wasn't taken by me, but I wanted to show you what the area looked like, as I hope to take a photo of the same area very shortly, to show you the differences. I did publish a photo of the station's decorative gates a few months ago.

Protest To Survive

Here's another recent photo (December) from my archive. Another protest in front of the Council House. As you can see this one's about education cuts, but I have no idea who orchestrated it. But it's full of action and various slogans.

Sunshine On A Rainy Day

I've been on holiday this week, and every day so far has been dull, cold and wet. The perfect conditions for not taking photos. So in the absence of any new pictures, I've been searching my archives and found a pleasant autumn scene from the end of November. It's inside the castle grounds and shows the last remaining leaves to fall from the trees.

You Can Bank On It

We all know that change is happening at a very rapid rate these days. Not just with technology and lifestyles, but also with little things that we often miss, and then one day we'll say "where's that gone?".
Today's photo is such an example. On October 12, I posted a shot of a city centre pub sign with a pigeon on it. A couple of weeks ago they started refurbishing the pub, even though it wasn't that old. And now, not only has the pub had a new lick of paint, but also a new name! They chose the title after the building, which was originally a branch of the Nat West.

World Photoblog Theme Day

A new year, a new theme day. Today's picture is what I consider portrays the essence of Nottingham from the 195 I have taken this year. It's from October 6, and shows the outlaw Robin Hood; the main emblem of the city.


A number of daily photo sites from across the world are participating in this theme day, so if you have the time, please visit them all. Don't forget to leave a comment, as we all welcome feedback about our work.

1 (Porto (Portugal) ) -2 (Albuquerque, NM (USA) ) -3 (St. Paul, (USA) Kate ) -4 (Greenville,SC (USA) ) -5 (Stayton, OR (USA) ) -6 (Szentes (Hungary) ) -7 (Hyde (UK) ) -8 (London (UK) ) -9 (Dubai (UAE) ) -10 (Buenos Aires (Argentina) ) -11 (Shanghai (China) ) -12 (Nelson (New Zealand) ) -13 (Twin Cities, MN (USA) ) -14 (Joplin MO (USA) ) -15 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -16 (Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) ) -17 (Not Strictly Seattle, WA (USA) ) -18 (Jakarta (Indonesia) ) -19 (Auckland (New Zealand) ) -20 (Sharon, CT (USA) ) -21 (Evry (France) ) -22 ((Aust) John ) -23 (Newcastle upon Tyne (England) ) -24 (Paris (France) ) -25 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -26 (Brussels (Belgium) ) -27 (Minneapolis MN (USA) ) -28 (Aliso Viejo, CA (USA) ) -29 (Seattle, WA (USA) ) -30 (Budapest (Hungary) ) -31 (Singapore by Zannnie (Singapore) ) -32 (Tenerife (Spain) ) -33 (Santa Clara, CA (USA) ) -34 (Houston, TX (USA) ) -35 (Sydney by Nathalie (Aust) ) -36 (San Diego, CA (USA) ) -37 (Vancouver, BC (Canada) ) -38 (Singapore by KeropokMan (Singapore) ) -39 (East Lansing, MI (USA) ) -40 (Sydney by Sally (Australia) ) -41 (Tucson, AZ (USA) ) -42 (Nottingham (UK) ) -43 (Sequim, by Norma ) -44 (Hong Kong ) -45 (Vantaa, Finland ) -46 (Kyoto (Japan) ) -47 (Tokyo (Japan) ) -48 (Chattanooga ) -49 (Santiago (Chile) ) -50 (erlin (Germany) ) -51 (Trondheim (Norway) ) -52 (Delta, CO (USA)) -