Are You Lucky Enough To Be In The 1%?

A strange collection of tents appeared in the Old Market Square over the weekend. They are part of a worldwide peaceful demonstration against how things are presently in the financial world. How the one percent of rich people control the lives of the rest of us.

Apparently there are nearly 1000 such demonstrations taking place across the world at the present time. So far I do not think there has been any trouble between demonstrators and police. I actually saw them last night as I was meeting my Flickr buddies, and nearly took a photo of a guy delivering about 20 pizzas.

I will pop down tomorrow to see if they are still there or have been moved on. I hope their tents have been held down well as there has been a terrific storm tonight, with strong gusts of wind and driving rain.

Are there any camps set up where you live?

After Dark

I met up with a number of Flickr buddies tonight and we went for a stroll around the city centre with tripods in one hand and camera in the other. It wasn't a bad night, fairly warmish with a cloudy sky. There was about nine of us in total, and we had a good chinwag whilst lining up our shots.

When we had had enough, we rested in a local hostelry, where we had further discussions over a pint or two. One of our number is leaving next month to live in Arizona with his girlfriend. Good luck Guy. I hope it all goes to plan

Easy Rider

I popped into to the opening day of an exhibition today in Beeston which went by the rather unusual title of Carnival of Monsters. It is a two week arts festival being held at the former Barton's bus garage. There were quite a number of exhibits on show, including sculpture, painting and a little bit of photography. Something for almost everyone in fact. And nothing too outrageous.

I thought this motorbike made out of scrap metal and junk was very clever and well thought out. Gavin Darby the artist responsible has done a good job. It is the sort of artwork that would look good in a very large garden, where it can be appreciated and ages a little bit over time.

MINI Olympics

Next year London hosts the 2012 olympic games. It's not something I have any interest in whatsoever, but I was rather intrigued by the sight of two MINIs in the Old Market Square yesterday, together with some workmen who were building some sort of staging area. I popped along today and it was finished and a third MINI had appeared. A white one. There was of course lots of people milling about. They are special editions in red, white and blue with a Union Jack viper stripe on the bonnet and roof and the 2012 logo on the indicator light. There are some other special features and only 2012 will be built. There was some sort of competition to win tickets for London, which I didn't bother with. I did however pick up a window sticker for Gail's Cooper D.

Autumn Leaves

Well, 2011 is rapidly coming to an end. Although it is still strangely warm and sunny for this time of year, the trees are starting to shed their leaves and covering the ground in various shades of brown.
I took this abstract shot close to the statue of Robin Hood. There was quite a good blanket of them, glowing in the morning sun.

Light And Shade

Today is the second anniversary of the Headbanger Challenge. The weekly battle between three UK bloggers (Dave, iMac and me) and three from the States (Lanny, Sandy and Tom). But for personal reasons Sandy has now left, so one of Lanny's daughters is joining in this week. There is no voting this week either. It's just for fun.

If you like what you see, maybe you would care to consider joining? You just need a camera and a good imagination. A sense of humour helps as well! Why not dip your toes in and see what the water is like? We look forward to hearing from you.

Enjoy the photos, although iMac & Tom, Lanny & Ebet and Dave and I are sharing photos for one week only. Normal battle resumes next week. Pop over and see what they have come up with. And enjoy this headbanging track from the rocktastic AC/DC.

As I looked out of my office window tonight, I noticed that there was a terrific ( if that's the right word) black cloud over the city centre. The sun was shining as well, and it really highlighted the skyline, especially across the Victoria Centre flats. Grabbing my camera, I managed to take a shot before the cloud obliterated the sun's rays.

Pretty In Pink

Here's an unusual sight, a former London Transport Routemaster bus sprayed pink. No more being driven down Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and the Old Kent Road, as it now belongs to Superdrug; the discount store for all your health and beauty products and being used as a mobile promotions tool.
I think this poor old chap thought he was getting on a proper bus, but soon realised his mistake.

Rock Hard

About the only thing we bought yesterday at the show was this crazy cement mixer. It's not a real one of course, but it does have a special feature. The headlights glow in the dark through a solar panel in the cab roof.
I put it in the garden last night and when I came home tonight both headlights were aglow. Now I just have to find somewhere suitable to put it. Not sure whether it would look right, next to the fishpond.

A Grand Day Out

Another day out for Gail and I, as today we went to the Grand Designs Live show at the NEC. We got some free tickets, so it seemed silly to waste them, and Birmingham is only an hours drive away.
For those that don't know, Grand Designs is a TV series which shows people designing and building their own houses, either from scratch or converting something that has already been built. Some of the finished houses look amazing, while others look somewhat odd and not something I would ever consider living in.
There was around 500 different traders and companies there, selling anything from American diner furniture to zebra print rugs and everything in between. Lots of people milling about looking, touching and buying things to make their homes look and feel better. My shot shows the last of the visitors leaving with their hands full of goodies.

All The Fun of The Fair

I did something today which I haven't done since about 1975. I went to Goose Fair. It's an annual event in Nottingham and has taken place for the last 717 years. It used to be held in the Old Market Square, but moved to the Forest recreational ground in the 1920s when they rebuilt the Council House and redesigned the area.
I didn't go on any of the rides. For one thing I don't like being spun round quickly or tossed about. And another thing is they are quite expensive to go on. So I just walked around looking for something interesting to shoot. It was very noisy. With music blearing out all over the place. One tradition is eating a cup full of mushy peas. I resisted the temptation. But had some later, as Gail and I had fish and chips for dinner.
My photo shows another tradition of fairgrounds, and that is the dodgem cars. The only form of driving, albeit in a circle, where you are allowed to smash into one another. No points on your licence and loss of No Claims Discount.

In An Arabian Market

Alas Gail and I haven't popped over to Dubai for a holiday and this is a shot from a souk. It is actually in Nottingham and in the Old Market Square. It looks quite authentic, but I'm not sure how many of the traders actually originate from the Middle East. There are many different items on sale, from textiles and handbags to food and pottery, such as these in today's photo. Shukran.

Red On Black

Who is this little red man then. His he a dancer in a nightclub, a model for some new army camouflage gear, or does he work in a nuclear reactor?
Of course not. He is actually the 'don't walk' sign which you see every day at traffic lights and zebra crossings.

Is there anyone out there in Bloggerland fancy joining our weekly Headbanger Challenge? Imagination and sense of humour a bonus. If so just leave me a message and I'll get back to you.

Memorable Moments

This weeks Headbanger theme, picked by Stewart (iMac) is 'memorable moment'. I've had quite a number of memorable moments through the years; meeting certain people, going to different places. There are of course sad memorable moments too. The funerals of my dear mum and dad for one. But there are gladly more happy memories than sad ones. One of the happiest is when I married my darling Gail in Australia back in 2006. As a wedding present, my family over there clubbed together and paid for us to go on a helicopter flight over Sydney and surrounding areas. It was the first time that we had both been in a whirly-bird. It was exciting and a new experience for the both of us. We have since been in one over Dubai and another in Monte Carlo. And then there was the balloon flight last week. So my header photo this week is an aerial view of Sydney Harbour. One memory I will remember for ever.

Today's blog post of one of the Nottingham Trent University's buildings taken on Sunday night during a Flickrmeet around the city centre. It reminds me of those old black and white films that they used to show on Saturday afternoons on BBC2. Films like Roman Holiday, The Third Man and Carry On Cabby. It was a good alternative to the sport that was shown on BBC1 and ITV. This was of course the days before satellite, cable and Freeview. Now there are a hundred channels pumping out repeats of old films and programmes that I remember from my childhood. Some with fondness, some with disappointment, as they are not as good as I thought they were.

Don't forget to see what the other gang members have come up with and enjoy this classic memorable song from Cats

I Love Lomo

Lomo cameras were once thought of as cheap and cheerful plastic toy cameras from Eastern Europe. They weren't made very well, had poor lenses and gaps in the camera that used to let in light. This meant that any photos that were taken with such a camera, had a unique look to them. Which is one way of saying that they weren't very good. But a cult has grown up around them, and now a company has started remaking them. But alas they are no longer pocket money prices, with one particular model being about the same price of a beginner's DSLR. You can buy a simple model for about £39.

You can of course create a similar effect in any number of software packages. I don't know if the owner of this bag who was walking through the Old Market Square yesterday evening is a Lomo photographer, but it sure makes for an eye-catching item. Now I wonder if you can get the same in Panasonic or Nikon?

Black Marks

There are around a dozen of these information boards dotted across the city centre. They tell the story of Robin Hood in words and pictures. From his beginnings to his final days. This first one is close to the statue of Robin, which is near the castle. Passing it this morning on the way in to work, I noticed that it had been vandalised. Knowing how keen the council is on keeping the city tidy, I thought that I had better take a photo of it, before a workman comes along with some cleaner and removes the graffiti. And sure enough, passing it tonight, it had all been rubbed away, as though it never existed.

MINI Marvel

As you may know Gail drives a MINI. She loves driving it and being in it. So she was quite excited at receiving an invitation from our local MINI dealership to see the new MINI Coupe that has just been launched. So we popped down to Sytner's on Lenton Lane yesterday afternoon to see what the new variation looked like.
We were both quite impressed with the design and styling. Gail was quite surprised at the size of the boot. She asked if a soft-top version was going to be made. The sales assistant said one was coming out in March next year. So guess where we will be going in six months time!

Musical Youth

Walking along Beeston High Road this morning, I was surprised to see one of my neighbours busking with another chap outside a bistro where Gail and I had a delicious meal last week. Dave (sans guitar) explained that they were doing it to raise money for charity. Macmillian's are a voluntary organisation that help people and families that are struggling with cancer. Yesterday was the annual coffee morning fundraising event that happens across the country. Someone at work bought in some cakes they had made and was selling them for 20p each. A bargain, and very tasty too.
Anyway I listened to their concert, had a chat with Dave, took a couple of photos, chucked some coins into their collecting bucket and continued with my shopping, all in glorious sunshine again. The first of October, and anyone would think it was the first of July.

A Touch Of The Trent

Here's a shot of a section of the River Trent that crosses Nottingham close to West Bridgford. From the foreground you can see the Lady Bay Bridge, Nottingham Forest's stadium, Trent Bridge and the Victoria Embankment park in the background, where they stage such events as the Riverside Festival. This was about the only familiar view we got, before we drifted off into unknown territory.

Up, Up And Away

Gail and I went for another balloon ride this evening. This is the second one that we have been on, as we went on our first a couple of years ago. A special deal came on Groupon recently, and as we both enjoyed the original experience, we decided to book another.
Although we took off near the city centre, the racecourse to be exact, the wind took us in the opposite direction. Gail and I were a tad disappointed at this, as we were both looking forward to flying over the Old Market Square, the Theatre Royal etc. It would have been quite exciting to see these landmarks from the air. Still, you can never predict the way that the wind will be blowing.

Moving Pictures

Sandy has thought up this week's Headbanger Challenge and has gone for 'moving pictures'. My little brain mulled this over for a while and came up with four possible solutions:

1, a photo of someone literally carrying one or more pictures
2, a photo of something connected with the cinema
3, a photo of something or someone being on the move
4, a photo of something that moves ones heart

I was planning on going for the first option, but unfortunately I have not managed to spot anyone carrying a framed print around the streets of Nottingham, so I went for option 3, a vintage car at Wollaton Park given a bit of speed by panning the camera whilst pressing the shutter.

My blog post today follows option 4, this cute little doggie called Molly, that belonged to one of the performers at Beauvale Priory. There's an extra 'Ahh' factor, as the poor little mite was recovering from a broken leg.

For further pictures which contain movement, please pop along to the gang's blogs though the tabs above and enjoy this piece of moving music

Going Mobile

A change in style today with a little bit of street photography. It's something I keep trying to do with varying success. I wish I was better, stronger and not keep failing to raise the camera when I see an interesting person. I have two friends who are very good at it, and seem to attract interesting people. I on the other hand, seem to find it very difficult. But I'll keep on trying.

I quite like this shot of two people, possibly man and wife comparing phones or numbers. The woman walking past carrying her iPhone, was purely serendipitous, but certainly adds to the scene.

Tools Of The Trade

Here's a still life shot of the weapons, armour and protection that a knight needs to defend his king, his land or his lady.

It's certainly an unusual hobby and one that the group obviously like doing and get a lot of pleasure from.

For further details of Team Falchion, the group that put on the show can be found on their quite informative website

Knights In Silver Steel

There has been a medieval re-enactment this weekend at Beauvale Priory near Eastwood. I popped over this morning for a couple of hours. It was strange going there again and not dressing up as a monk, as I have done previously. Instead I was going to watch other people dressed up and pretending to be people from a lost age. It was good fun watching them fighting each other with real swords and wearing real armour. Colourful too, with the different coats of arms, banners and costumes. One of the knights fighting here in red is Nicholas de Cantlupe, who actually existed and gave the monks some land at Greasley in 1343, where they could build the priory for a dozen monks and an abbot.

Moody

Several guest musicians appeared with MuHa at the concert last night. There was a Oriental lady that played some strange shaped stringed instrument similar to a violin, but played on the lap rather than under one's chin. Some Indian dancers and this French clarinettist, who unfortunately I've forgotten the name of.

A Little Night Music

I went to see the band MuHa tonight as they were playing again at the Contemporary. This is about the fourth time that I have seen them. I had to use my old G1, as my D90 is still at the repairers. I've had a note through the post today to say that it is being looked at, but no date given for its return, or how much it is going to cost. Although I am hoping they will do it under the terms of the guarantee, even though it is slightly out of date by a few days. Just my luck!

Anyway I took quite a number of photos, but most didn't come out well due to the lens I had. I would have used my 50mm F1.8 on my d90, which would have been good in low light. So I've worked a bit of iPhoto magic on this photo of Iyrana.

Raising The Spirits

I was considering using this photo for my header this week as the Union Jack makes for an excellent backdrop to this RAF pilot who is entertaining his fellow airmen with a few rousing songs to help them prepare for their next sortie.

Flagtastic

'Flags' is this week's Headbanger Challenge theme and comes way across the pond, from Tom. Now flags have nearly always been colourful to look at and the history of them can be quite interesting. Take the Jolly Roger for instance. The traditional flag of pirates. Who was Roger and why was he jolly? Obviously not so jolly for the ships crew that have been murdered and robbed by the likes of Bluebeard etc. Nowadays the 'skull and crossbones' is used to warn people of poisons and dangerous chemicals.

New flags have to be created when new countries begin, such as all those former states of the USSR. Nottingham itself now has its own flag, as seen on my title header background. This began earlier this year with a discussion on a local radio programme. Many buildings across the county now fly it from their poles.

My header photo this week commemorates those American soldiers from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment who were based at Wollaton Park during WW2 and lost their lives during the D Day landings. In a way it could also symbolise the friendly 'battle' that we have each Wednesday between the three of us headbangers here in the Midlands and Lanny, Sandy and Tom in the States.

Today's photo is another from the archives, as I am off work this week and haven't really had the opportunity of taking any new shots. I took this last year also in Wollaton Park, where they held some battle re-enactments. Here you can see two cavalry officers holding the English flag and the Union Jack.

Finally don't forget to have a look at the team's interpretations of the theme and enjoy this great song by Pink Floyd and which features some pretty big flags and lots of symbolism.

Say Cheese

I was going through my shots of the car show at the Barton's garage today which I wanted to upload to Flickr. Whilst doing so I came across this photo of an old camera that I had forgotten I had taken. I've just had a look on Wikipedia for some information about this Lady Carefree camera. Which incidentally is a very strange name for a camera. I think it's more suited to some personal feminine hygiene product than for a piece of photographic equipment.
Anyway the camera dates from 1967, was made by a company called Argus, constructed of plastic and uses 126 film. I don't know what sort of photograph this toy camera produced, but I bet it was something similar to what Lomo cameras take; strange colours, light leaks and out of focus subjects.

Put A Tiger In Your Tank

I know it is the advertising slogan for another petroleum company (Esso) so perhaps I should have entitled today's blog 'Keep Going Shell', but I don't think it is so catchy. For some reason I hardly ever see photos of petrol tankers in the blogging universe, so I thought I would equalise things a little bit with this shot of a Shell tanker parked at a local petrol station. It was built on the site of a former Co-op supermarket that I used to go to with my mum when I was a child. Remember sweet cigarettes and the divi? And a bookies that was owned by my best mate from school, Kenneth Bailey.

Cave Dwellers

I went on a small Flickr meet tonight in town. We started off down near the river, but there wasn't really anything worth taking, so we drove up the the Park Estate and had a wander around. Two of the guys did not know anything about the tunnel that exists there. We stayed quite a while and various shots were taken at different angles and shutter speeds. I didn't take that many, as I have passed through there many times, but took one or two, as I have no night shots of it. I've turned it to monochrome to make it appear a bit more eerie than it actually is.

And They Came Two By Two

Here's a rare shot of Marmalade and Oscar sitting together. Oscar looks more interested in being photographed, as he isn't so used to it as Marmalade is. They have little scraps every so often, but I think Marmalade is getting used to seeing Oscar hanging around and waiting to be fed.
I'm not sure whether Marmalade will ever accept Oscar as being part of our family, but we'll give it a go.

100 Days And Counting...

I heard something alarming on the radio the other day; today marks the 100 day point until Christmas Day. Yes I know, scary isn't it. Only two more pay days to buy those presents with. Although the shops have had cards, decorations and chocolates in for quite some time now. Personally I don't think that there should be any mention of the 'C' word until the First of December. But since the festival is so commercialised these days, I may as well get on the bandwagon and show this clockwork Santa which I bought today from a local charity shop for 10 pence.

Black Knight

We return to the vintage car display today and a rather dusty, rusty and worn out Ford. I'm not too sure of the model, but hopefully it will receive a proper restoration one day.

Meal Deal

Lanny's turn this week to pick the subject for the Headbanger Challenge. And she's gone for 'delicious'. Delicious to me obviously means food. I've had a trawl through the archives to find something suitable, as I've not really come across any delicious food this week. Gail and I had a pizza each last night, but they are not very photogenic. So I've gone for this shot of these young ladies polishing of their plates of Irish stew that I took at the St Patrick's Day celebrations in the Old Market Square.

Don't forget to visit the rest of the team to see what delicious shots they have taken this week and enjoy the theme inspired music. Although I'm not sure whether you'd want to eat green onions on their own!

Today's shot is also theme inspired. A 1950's Dodge, all set up to watch a drive-in movie with burger and fries.

Old Crock

Here's a very, very old car. An American Stanley steam car from 1910. Amazing to see it at a little vintage car show in Beeston. It was getting quite an audience, as some people couldn't believe that cars used to have motors like railway engines. Only the car ran on kerosene, rather than coal.
This old boy is taking a keen interest in the vehicle. Perhaps he can remember seeing something similar when he was a lad.

Funny Running

As promised yesterday, here's a montage of some of the marathon runners from yesterday. There were a few that had dressed up for the occasion. Some were difficult to take with all the runners around. But here's four of the best, who were unfortunately some of the slower ones.

MaraFun

The Robin Hood Marathon took place this morning. I've never bothered taking photos of it before as I have no interest in sport at all. But today I thought I would go and see what was happening. especially as it wasn't raining and they were running close to where I live. Thousands of people were taking part. I was hoping to see some in fancy dress, or doing something peculiar, like they do in the London marathon. There were a few people dressed up and I will probably show you one or two tomorrow. But here's a general shot giving you some idea of the amount taking part.

Have You Seen My Chopper?

It's time for the annual Heritage Weekend again. The time when various places across the country open their doors to the public for free. Although I've been before, I popped down to the former Barton bus depot in Chilwell. I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of classic cars on show. Although many of them I have seen before at Wollaton Park. But what was new is that a former kitchen design shop next door has been turned into a motor and bicycle museum, featuring Ford cars and Raleigh (what else) bikes.
Today's photo features a Chopper bike from the early 1970s. Like every other boy or girl at that time, I wanted one. But my mum and dad refused to buy me one, as they didn't think it was safe for two reasons: 1, the back wheel being bigger than the front one, and 2, the unfortunate position of the gearstick. They therefore bought me a Raleigh Shopper in lime green instead!

On Guard

Of course now I've shown you Oscar, I just have to put up a photo of little Marmalade. Here she is sitting on top of the neighbours wall and watching the world go by, which she can do now that Gail and I have pruned back the bush that was there.

Paws For Thought

We appear to be in the process of being adopted as parents by another cat that has started visiting us. Oscar, as I have christened him has been hanging around for a few weeks now. Quite a timid cat, he will run away to hide when we put some food out, and slowly creep to the bowl when we are not looking. We've been doing it secretly so Marmalade doesn't get jealous. They have little shouting matches every so often, but Marmalade appears to be tolerant of Oscar's visits and still knows where home is.

Keeping Warm

The Headbanger Challenge is with us once again, and this week's theme has been dreamt up by Tom the fisherman. He's gone for 'big bird'. Now I've resisted the temptation of putting up a photo of a very large woman, you'll be pleased to know, as I'm not that naughty. Even though there's no shortage of them in Nottingham!

Instead I've though outside the box a bit and gone for a shot of a cafe that sells ostrich burgers and sausages. The ostrich being the biggest bird on the planet. Even though it can't fly, but can run at speeds approaching 45mph. The meat has become very popular these days, as it is leaner in fat and very tasty. Do pop along and see the rest of the gang's interpretation of the theme and enjoy this lovely song from Christine McVie from the great Fleetwood Mac, rather than their classic Albatross.

Today's photo is of a juggler who I saw performing on Bridalsmithgate. He was very daring juggling with fire on such a windy day and with so many people walking about. I watched him for a little while and could smell the paraffin he was using. I don't think too many people were interested in watching the stunt. I think they were more bothered about getting their shopping done.

Exterminate!

I'm not entirely sure why this Dalek is part of a shop window display, but it makes you look in the window, which is the point I suppose. It is quite harmless too, as its 'sink plunger' and 'whisk' have been removed and its blind too, with its eye stalk missing.

Yellow Peril

This is another piece of graffiti in the city centre. This one recently appeared at the bottom of Hockley. It has replaced a rather plain 'Stop Wars' logo that had been there for a few years and in the style of the Star Wars logo. This one looks more dramatic and eye catching, even in the dark.

Pictures From The Gallery

Besides models, fashion and cupcakes, music also played a part in last nights fundraiser. This is Jack Peachey, aka Gallery 47, who is a singer songwriter, as well as studying English at the university. He was very good, although appeared a little nervous at playing in front of everyone. He needn't have been, as the audience seemed to enjoy his music. He has his own My Space page, so pop along and have a listen.

Fashionistas

Gail and I went to a charity fashion show called Pins and Needles tonight at the Broadway Arts Centre. A group of people had got together to help raise money for a local homeless charity called Framework. I heard about it from a Nottingham based blog that I follow, together with further info on Facebook. I took quite a few photos, but disappointingly very few of them have come out successfully for one reason or another. This one is one of the more useable images of an outfit created by Boo Boo Kitty Couture, a Nottingham based designer who loves the vintage image. There was also some wonderful cupcakes on offer, which were delicious and too good to eat.

Stamp of Approval

Sarah Davenport's Shop of Originality is as the name suggests a shop which sells original pieces of art work from local artists. The shop has been open nearly a year now in the Flying Horse Walk, but is moving to the place down near the railway station where we held our Flickr exhibition last year. They often put on shows, music, book signings and fashion shows. Unfortunately always on a Saturday, so I miss them. I popped in the other day to say hello and have a look round, as Sarah has recently become a friend on Facebook. So I thought I would give her a bit of free publicity.

A Bird Named Harris

A real bird today, rather than a silver one that I talked about yesterday as part of the Headbanger Challenge. This is a Harris hawk and was on show at Tutbury Castle. I took some photos of when it was sitting on its perch, and being shown off to the public. But passing the same spot later, it was all alone and happily tucking into a chunk of meat. So I held my camera close to the ground and tried to get a close up action shot. Ideally I should have had my Panasonic G1 with me as it has a tilting screen, but I think this shot isn't too bad from my Nikon D90.

Space Race

I have chosen this week's Headbanger Challenge, and I have gone for 'Space Race'. I'm not sure why I thought of this, after all The UK isn't renowned for visiting the stars, unless you count producing satellites. The nearest that we have got to is with jet fighters; and one of the fastest and best is the English Electric Lightening. A fantastic aircraft designed in the 1950s, but looks so futuristic, with its silver body. And fast too, with speeds approaching mach 2 (1500 mph). They could climb to high altitudes, almost to the top of the sky. Pilots said it was like sitting in a rocket. My header photo is of a Lightening. Sadly a museum piece now at RAF Cosford in Shropshire. But it is the nearest that anyone will get to one now since they went out of service during the 1980s. My film show from YouTube this week is of a Lightening in action in South Africa, where you could fly in one if you had the money. Today's photo is also silver in colour. It is a knight's helmet from Tutbury Castle, but for those people with any imagination, it might look like a helmet, belonging to some brave space traveller like Dan Dare, or Buck Rogers. Please make time to see how the other gang members have interpreted my theme this week, links on their names above and enjoy the film. Alas no popcorn.

Tower Hamlet

Following on from yesterday's photo, I just had to climb the tower and see what the little town of Tutbury looked like from all the way up. There must have been 100 steps in a spiral to get to the top. There were spaces where you could stop to catch your breath, or let someone go past. The view when I reached the top was good, if somewhat breezy.

No Sand In This Castle

For a Bank Holiday treat, Gail and I went to Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire for the day. I got a special deal for some tickets on Groupon and it seemed too good an offer to miss. There isn't much left of the castle itself. But there are a couple of towers that you can go up, which if the weather was fine, you would see for miles. But today was cloudy and overcast, so didn't see a great deal of the surrounding counties.

The highlight of the day was a re-enactment group that dressed up as 17th century soldiers and highwaymen. The costumes were very colourful and brightened up for what was a very dull day. Took loads of pictures, so a few may pop up during the course of the week. I have meanwhile put several on Flickr. Link below.