Working Party

As I haven't visited the site of the former Odeon cinema for sometime, I thought I would pay a visit this lunchtime and see if there had been any developments.

So I popped up to my usual spot and fired off a few shots.

I like this one the most, as it shows quite a few of the construction workers busy doing what they know best.

There are a couple of tall cranes on the site, but I was at the wrong height to capture them.

A Touch Of Summer

The start of another week, and a cold, dull one at that. I don't know what it is with the poor weather at the moment, but it just seems to be going on for ever.

So I've haven't really got any new shots to show you. I certainly didn't take anything today. So here's a photograph that I took at Portmeirion, late last month.

I love the muted colours of this building, which incidentally was Number Two's house in the Prisoner, but in real life is an art gallery. Although closed when we were there.

Looking at this picture, you would think that you were in southern Europe, rather than north west Wales.

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

This is a close up of the replica of the Rosetta Stone, which is on show in the British Museum.

According to Wikipedia "the Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences between them), it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

All good stuff, and it was getting a lot of attention from the visitors to the museum.  So it took me a little while to take this photo. I deliberately wanted to show just a section of the text, rather than the whole thing, as I think it makes for a better photo, especially with the shallow depth of field that I used.

Lion's Made

I'll try and make this my last 'fisheye' photo for a while, but it's just a great lens to use. And what fun too. So much so, that I can't stop taking it out with me!

This one is of the 'right lion' which stands in the Old Market Square. Unfortunately he isn't as popular as the 'left lion'; who is traditionally used as the place where people meet.

Apparently he does have a name.though.  Oscar Agamemnon, and he is on Twitter, if you fancy following him. Although he has been a little quiet recently. So go and wake him up.

Stairway By Heaven

This are the escalators into the Broad Marsh shopping centre. Yes, it's another fisheye picture. And yes, they are my feet.

The entrance is off Middle Pavement, and before the shopping centre was built, there was a narrow hilly lane called Drury Hill, that from the old photos that I've seen had shops on it and it was very photogenic; a bit like The Shambles in York.

But it all disappeared in the late 1960s when they started constructing Broad Marsh. The shopping centre is meant to be having a multimillion pound facelift, as it is looking rather tired, and several of the empty shops are boarded up. Plans keep being announced, but nothing has really started yet.

Bridge Of Size

Yep, here's another fisheye photo. Have you had enough yet?

I took this whilst cycling home from work, as I was drawn to the late afternoon sun shining and reflecting off a building. So I thought I would stop and take a photo or two. Especially as the path makes for a good leading line to the bridge.

You may notice a little dusting of snow near the grass and trees.  Yes we did have another little session. I wonder if it will ever come to an end and we get some decent warm and dry weather.

Horse Power

Besides going to the British Museum yesterday, I also had a stroll along some of the nearby streets. Just to see what and who I could find.

Alas I didn't bump into anyone famous, but I did come across the rather splendid Lamborghini. There was of course several envious glances and a lot of interest in it from the passers by, so it took me a little while to get the shot I wanted.

Hope you like it.

Down South, London Town

A special day today, as I and several of my friends set off for London in a coach to perform a edited version of the Raleigh play that we performed last summer.

The organisation that provided the funding for it, the Arts and Communities Research Council, wanted to know how their money was spent. So instead of Andy and Julian the writer and director explaining what they did, they decided to show them instead. As this was the better way of doing it.

We all had to meet at the Jubilee Campus by 7.30am, to catch the coach. Usually I am not even up at this time, so it was a real shock for me. It was light, so that was something. The journey down went OK, and we were in central London by 11am.

We performed at about 1pm, and the show was very well received. We then had to dismantle the set ready for the next group. It didn't take too long.  Julian then asked us all what we wanted to do before the drinks reception at six. Some of the ladies wanted to go shopping (surprise, surprise) while the others (me included) wanted to go to the British Museum.

I had never been before, so I was quite excited at seeing all the artefacts and the building itself, which has had a new glass roof installed. I had seen a few photos on Flickr, but of course, I wanted to take some myself.

As you can see it's quite something. The old library used to be separate from the museum, but with the roof and the creation of the Great Court, it has become a brilliant, light space, complete with the obligatory shop and cafe.

Talking of cafes, I couldn't resist taking a shot of this replica van that had been kitted out as a mobile coffee shop.

Day One

Well the first day in my new job passed fairly well. I cycled in with a slightly heavy heart, as I wasn't going to my old job and to see all my friends anymore.

The day didn't start that good either, as it had been snowing during the night, and it was very, very cold. It took me ages to get to town as the wind was blowing against me all the way. There were a couple of heavy blizzards during the morning, but it had melted by the time I took this photo of the place where I am now employed.

I have to look to the future now and my new life in a different job. I am hoping that it works out well for me and I have as just an enjoyable time as I had before.

Who Two

Another very dull, cold and generally horrible day. In fact we've had a sprinkling of snow. Hardly the beginnings of spring.

So I have been wondering what to put on today. Another photo from Portmeirion maybe, or one of my glamour models perhaps?

Well here's a model of a different kind. A model of a Porsche Boxster, that I thought would make some ideal new wheels for Matt Smith's incarnation of the Doctor, as I think he would look a bit out of place driving Bessie; the Doctor's souped up veteran car.

He definitely needs something a little more sporty these days as he chases the baddies around the country. Although I'm not sure whether the sports car could outrun a flying Dalek though.

A Helpful Bus Ride

Beeston this morning, and I saw this bus parked in The Square. The inside had been converted into a sort of office where people could find out about what help is available for those that look after other people.

I wonder what bus company used to own and operate this vehicle? Presumably it would be a local one. Shame that it's been painted white, otherwise there might be a clue somewhere on the body.

A Folding Classic

I had a surprise in the post today. A small package arrived with my name on it. It was quite heavy too.  Strange thing was, I wasn't expecting anything. I had not ordered anything, or bid for anything off Ebay. So I was a bit mystified as to what it could be. A late birthday gift perhaps?

Mind you, Gail had mentioned something earlier in the week, that she had got me something that she didn't know whether I would like it or not. So could this be it?

It was well sealed up, so it took me a little while to undo the box. Gail was watching me whilst I opened it. I felt inside. Something metallic. I put my hand in and pulled out a black box.  What Is it I asked. Gail just smiled.

I then realised that it was an old fashioned camera, as the bellowed lens popped out. Gail said that it did work, but she thought it could be used as a prop on a photoshoot.

At the moment, I have a book from the library all about old cameras. So I had a look to see if I could find it. Yes, it was there. Page 26, a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 from 1937.  It takes 120 film. So I will have to see if I can buy some and see if it works or not. I'll post some if it does.

Bookworm

Today is World Book Day. A global celebration of literature and reading.

As I am not reading a book or novel at the moment; it's script learning time again, I'm showing the cover of a novel that I used to love as a child. Probably everybody since the 1950s I think has read one of the Moomin books.

If you're one of the few that haven't, the Moomin's could be vaguely described as white hippopotamuses.  They were the creation of Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson. The hero is called Moomintroll and he has a best friend called Sniff.

They had many adventures and met a lot of strange creatures. To give you an idea of what some of the characters look like, here's a clip from YOU TUBE, of an animated series from the 1970s, that I used to watch.

It Just Clicked

As Gail and I are still off work, we decided to return to the NEC in Birmingham for the last day of Focus on Imaging; the annual photography trade show, where you could see and try all the latest cameras, lenses and other photographical gadgets.

We thought we would sit in on a few of the seminars, talks and demonstrations today, instead of trying not to spend any money.

Firstly we listened to professional photographer Damian Lovegrove who demonstrated some lighting techniques and what difference just moving a light a little bit can make.

We then went to see another 'top tog' called Stuart Wood, who has shot a lot of TV personalities for magazine covers. He gave a very inspirational talk about his photos and how he achieved them. He is well known for only taking a couple of minutes to shoot a star, which is sometimes all the time he is allowed.

We of course had to look in on the Olympus stand, as we both have an OMD. We noticed that they had some different lenses to try out. So of course we had to test them. I took this one of the OMD promotions girl with a 75mm f1.8.  The lighting conditions weren't perfect, but it was a lovely lens to use. So much so, that we just had to order one.

Like A Circle Within A Spiral

I had to pop down to the Jubilee Campus of the university tonight, as we had a drama rehearsal.

You may remember last summer I was involved in a community play about Raleigh bikes, well we have been invited to London to do it in front of some people that were involved in providing the money so it could go on.

So we all have a trip to London next Tuesday for the day. It will be a long day, as it's a 3 hour journey to central London, as we will be based very close to the British Museum. And as a treat, Julian our director, says that we can have a look round after the performance. This will be good, as I have never been. A real photographic outing.

Anyway, after the rehearsal, I had a wander round the campus with my camera and fisheye lens, looking for some scenes to snap. I thought that one of the spiral staircases might make a suitable subject. It was difficult to get the camera in the best position, and to be honest, I'm not sure whether I've succeeded here or not. But it does show you the sort of photo that the 7.5mm lens can take.

Sleeping Beauty

Oscar asleep. Something he really likes to do; when he's not eating of course.

But who can blame him. When you don't have to go to work, cook dinner, dig the garden or all the other jobs that people have to do, what's better than taking a nap.

It's certainly something that both Oscar and Marmalade are good at. And it least they are quiet and you know that they are safe.                                                                                                                                

Goodies, And More Goodies

Gail and I popped over to the NEC in Birmingham for the annual photographic extravaganza that is Focus on Imaging.

This is the third year that we have been. Last year my brother from Australia came with us, as he was over here on holiday at the time, so he was fortunate with the timing, as he enjoys photography himself.

As we are mainly using our Olympus OMD's at the moment, I had a couple of lenses on my shopping list that I wanted to try out.

The first was the Sigma 30mm f2.8. I am after a general purpose everyday lens, and this one just about matches the 'nifty fifty' prime lens that every photographer should own. And a bargain too at £95.

The other is a bit more exotic and fun; the Samyang 7.5mm f3.5 fish eye.  I was keen to try it, as another photographer that I am in contact with on Facebook, and is also an OMD user, has one and has been putting up some very nice examples of what it can do without the photos looking too silly.

There was a Samyang stand at the show, where you could try the lenses out. So of course I popped the one made for Micro Four Thirds cameras and gave it a quick go. As you can see it gives a slightly distorted view of the world.

I was quite impressed with it, so decided to spend my birthday money on one. So you can expect to see some weird and wonderful views of Nottingham in the near future.

Anticipation

As it was warm and sunny this afternoon, I went out to the front garden and started to tidy it up and begin a job that I meaning to start for a while now.

At the moment, it has an open front, but I have been wanting to build a low wall, but have never motivated myself enough to start it. I have acquired what I think will be enough stone to do it with; I just needed that first push to get going. And so I guess the sunshine was the spurt I required.

So I got to work removing dead plants, pruning and clearing away the general rubbish that builds up in a garden. I then dug out a shallow trench, as I haven't worked out yet how I am going to put this wall together yet. But do know that I do need to give it a solid base of some kind.

I stayed out as long as possible before the light began to fade and it got quite chilly. I did manage to last till gone half six, which is good, as this means that the light nights are getting closer and closer. I think there's only another two weeks before the clocks go on, and we can all enjoy coming home in the light.

Feeling my back hurting a little bit from the exercise, I sat down, switched on the TV and found that an episode of Dad's Army was on. I had also treated myself to a real ale this morning, and so I decided to have it whilst watching one of my favourite comedy shows.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi

Today is St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales. And to celebrate that fact, here is a shot of Portmeirion and flying the Welsh national flag; the Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, which translated becomes 'The Red Dragon'. Incidentally the name given to many an English pub!

I hope everyone who is Welsh has had a good day, even though, like in England, it is not classed as a public holiday.  Personally I think all saint's days should be given a bank holiday status, as we don't get enough public holidays compared to other European countries.

Seaside Ride

Whilst staying at Portmeirion, we took a little trip to Porthmadog, and ended up at the little seaside town of Criccieth.

We saw a castle on a hill, but drove round trying to find out how to get to it. We couldn't work it out, so parked opposite the lifeboat station and had a stroll on the very stoney beach, and took some photos from there.

While wandering about I came across this very rusty and decomposing child's bike. A great subject for a photograph I said to Gail. Something that Derek Jarman collected at Dungeness. So I took several, at various different angles. But I like this one the best.

Also on the beach were three girls. Probably friends, rather than sisters. They all wished me a 'Happy Birthday' as I was wearing a very large "I am 50" badge, which Gail gave me at breakfast. They were very cold, as they didn't seem to be dressed very well for the cold & windy weather.

We chatted to them for a while, and Gail took some photos of them jumping off some old rowing boats. We then watched them stroll off onto the pier for some very strong sea breezes.

Seeing The Sea

Well we did something that Patrick McGoohan's character didn't manage to do, and that was to leave the Village.

We were sad to leave Portmeirion, as it is a magical place, and the sun was shining again too. We wondered which bit of North Wales to visit. I suggested seeing the waterfalls at Betws-y-coed. So we checked out and popped the details in the sat-nav.

Unfortunately when we got there, we found that the gates to the attraction were closed. Possibly because it was early closing or they weren't open for the tourist season yet.  So we did what most people do, we went to the local pub for lunch and a drink.

Gail set the sat-nav with our home address and we set off. I was expecting to drive down the A5, instead it decided to send us up the A470 towards Llandudno. We then found ourselves on the A55; a major road that follows the coast. Gail was looking out the window and surprised to see how close we were to the coastline. She wondered if we could stop off somewhere.

I noticed a turning coming up ahead for a place called Llanddulas, so I turned off and headed for the seafront. It was a little disappointing, as there wasn't that much there. Only a stoney car park and a pebbled beach. Not even an ice cream van.

Here's a couple of shots from our short stay there. Whilst I was taking some photos, Gail got talking to a husband and wife who were there birdwatching. They had set up a spotting scope, and the husband had a camera with a big lens, with which he was trying to photograph the various species that were there.

They said that they came from Northampton and were on the lookout for a couple of particular birds. I said that we lived close to the Attenborough Nature Reserve, and that hundreds of 'twitchers' sometime go there if there is an unusual visitor. They said that they've been a few times. So we left them to look for some lesser spotted thingy, and went on our way.

A Home From Home

When we woke up, we noticed the sun shining through the curtains. Gail got out of bed and pulled back the drapes; and we saw the sea.

It was magical. Sunshine and the sea. What more could anyone want when they are on holiday?

As it was my birthday, Gail had bought some cards and a couple of presents with her for me to open. Which I did. In Gail's card was a big badge with '50' on it. Which I then pinned to my coat.

After breakfast we went for another walk around the village.  It had only just opened to the public, so there weren't that many people around.  I was wished a "happy birthday" from the people who saw my badge.

This shot shows the village hotel. It partly burnt down many years ago, but has been restored. The open air heated swimming pool was used in the original Brideshead Revisited, when the village stood in for Italy.

I Am Not A Number

It's my birthday & seventh wedding anniversary tomorrow. I'll be 50 by the way. Gail asked me what I wanted to do as something special. Go on holiday somewhere perhaps. Yes I replied, Portmeirion in North Wales.

I had been before on a day trip some years ago, but have never actually stayed there as a guest. It's a very special place, as it was designed and built over a number of years by one man, a Clough William-Ellis.

Portmeirion is of course more well know as the place where Patrick McGoohan's character tried to escape from in the TV series The Prisoner in 1967. A very unusual series of 17 episodes in which a spy resigns from his job, is kidnapped and finds himself trapped in 'the village'. He is called 'Number Six' and various psychological methods are used to try and find out why he resigned.

So I found a deal for two nights bed & breakfast. Fantastic. When I rang up to book, they told me which cottage that we would be staying in. I then looked it up on their website and found out that it was that the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein used to rent during the 1960s.

When we arrived it was dark, so we didn't know where in the village we were located. After we had unloaded the car we went to have dinner in the main hotel, which looks a bit like a castle.  We then went for a walk around the village. We had it to ourselves, as there was nobody else around.  And boy was it quiet.

Ava Maria

Another bit of luck with a Twitter competition. This time it was to win two tickets to see international musical superstar Maria Friedman, who was appearing tonight at the Nottingham Playhouse.

I was fortunate enough to win a couple of tickets through a competition on Twitter. So it made another pre-birthday treat. Or should that be tweet!

It's been a good day in all, as Gail's ex husband came over to see us and wish me a Happy Birthday, and to congratulate us on seven years of marriage. We all went for a very tasty lunch at the Victoria Hotel, a lovely old pub near Beeston railway station.

Maria sang a number of songs by Stephen Sondheim, just accompanied by a pianist by the name of Jason Carr. Although the only one I knew was "Send in the Clowns' and I didn't even know that it was one of his! I guess it's because Andrew Lloyd Webber's songs are more well known. I think most people have heard "Memory" from Cats, "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera and of course "Joseph and his Technicolor Dreamcoat".

After the show, Maria went into the foyer to meet her fans and sign autographs. In front of me in the queue was a mum and her daughter, who I understood from their conversation that she was studying to be a singer too.

She was telling her mum how to take a photo using her mobile. Poor mum looked a bit worried and said that she hoped it came out OK.  Of course I had my OMD already pried for action and took a couple of shots. I said that if it didn't come out, they may like one of mine. So I gave the mum one of my cards; so hopefully she will be sending me an e-mail, so I can send them a copy. But if anyone does know this delightful young lady, please point her in my direction.

The Point Of No Return

I had a bit of good news via Twitter the other day. The Galleries of Justice contacted me to say that I had won one of their mugs for following them on Twitter, as they were running a competition for the next 3 people to follow them would get a mug. And fortunately, I was one of them.

They asked for my address, so they could send it out to me. I suggested that I could collect it in person. They also said that my photography was amazing and invited me to have a look round and see what I could find to photograph.

So here's a couple of the results. The first is a board listing the rules of the prison, with the reminder of what might happen to them if they were not going to be transported to Australia.

Below is the typical of the conditions that the prisoners found themselves in once behind bars. I think the rats had a better life. At least they found themselves a way out.

It is a very good attraction, and the actor led tours are amusing and informative. Apparently it is the only one of its kind in Europe, and so should be on the 'to do' list of every visitor to our fair city.  It has been suggested that the site is the most haunted in England. This is not surprising, considering the number of people that must have died there. Not including all those that were hanged.

For more details about all the things you can see and witness, here's a LINK to their website.

Grub's Up

Walking through the Old Market Square today, I noticed several large yellow gazebos all neatly placed in one area.

Of course I had to go and investigate and found that it was promoting exercise and healthy eating.

The Government's 'Change 4 Life' scheme is to attempt to make people fitter and healthier, as we appear to be going down the same route as Americans in being obese and unhealthy.

It could be argued that they are at the root cause of the problem with the introduction of fast food restaurants like McDonalds in the 1970s, and other companies following suit. Don't get me wrong, as the UK had fast food before then; think of fish and chip shops and Wimpy Bars. But there seems to be such a glut these days, that it's no wonder people are getting fatter. Pizza anyone?

I had a look round the various stalls, and of course stopped by the food tent. Here, a chef was cooking some pasta and chunks of lamb. He gave me some in a small bowl, sans lamb, as I don't eat red meat.  It was very nice. He said that he didn't put any salt in, but used dry seaweed instead.

I asked where I could get one of the recipe books which you can see in the middle there. The chef pointed me in the direction of one of the other tents. I ambled over and filled a form in exchange for one. So I will be studying it in the near future, to see if there are any dishes that cry out to be made.

Life In Monochrome

Another shot from Sunday's shoot with Kirin and Michael Lau.

Michael was looking for this narrow street, but couldn't remember where it was. Fortunately we stumbled upon it, almost by accident. I had a rough idea where it was, but recognised it, as soon as I saw it.

There was some lovely light available, which was being reflected off the cobbles. Kirin stood in various  poses for us, while we took our photos.

I like this shot, as there is a certain amount of mystery to it. What is she looking at, and where is the light source coming from?

It's All Over Now

Well it's a bit of a sad day today as I say goodbye to the friends that I have made during the time that I have worked for Ofsted; practically the past 11 and a half years.

As with every other part of the Civil Service, there has been many changes going on within the organisation to save money and streamline procedures, and so have recently found myself without a permanent position within the office, and have therefore been encouraged to look for another job elsewhere.

Fortunately the HMRC (the taxman) came across my CV and have offered me a job with them, which I take up next month. So I have two weeks off to rest and to enjoy myself, before starting my new job.

So I have spent the day deleting emails and sorting out my desk. It's surprising how much junk and paperwork one can accumulate, even though I tend to have regular sort outs.

The picture above shows some of the stuff that I have on my desk to make it a little more friendly and a bit like home. One of my co-workers has a lot more than this. In fact she has to have a crate when she moves desks!

Stone Age Fashion

I popped over to the Contemporary today as they have a new exhibition on now and I've not been to see it yet.

This costume is by Italian artist Piero Gilardi who was involved in an art movement of 'poor art' or Arte Povera, as they say in Italian.

I'm not sure whether anyone would want to wear this outfit, even though the stones aren't real; tI think hey are made of some sort of sponge.

Bridging The Gap

The construction works for the new tram lines is moving along slowly. Unfortunately this has meant the chopping down of even more mature trees. And they say that it's an environmentally friendly form of transport!

One big development has been the installation of a new bridge over Queens Road. It also runs over the railway station, and will eventually join up with the existing terminus.

I can't say that it looks particularly attractive, and I'm not sure that it is in keeping with the area. It will certainly stick out against the Edwardian majestic splendour of the station, with it's ornate brickwork and art nouveau motifs.

But things are designed these days to be as cheap and as easily built as possible, with hardly any thought into the aesthetics, or how it will look in relation to the other buildings around it.

Street Life

Gail and I went on a little adventure this morning in Nottingham city centre. We participated on a street photography workshop, arranged by Michael Lau with a model and five other photographers.

The idea behind using a model was for those photographers that had not done street photography to become used to shooting on the street.

It's something I do all the time, to varying degrees of success, so I went along for the fun and to shoot Keiron our model for the day.

We went to various places across the city centre; especially the Lace Market and the Old Market Square.

Gail had no problem in going up to strangers and asking if she could take their photo. She seemed to spend more time doing this, than shooting the model.  Some people, including myself were a little bit more reserved about doing this. I actually prefer to shoot strangers in a way that they don't know that they are being photographed, which I think is the essence of street photography.

All Fingers And Toes

On Wednesday Gail and I went to do a boudoir shoot at Michael Lau's studio with the lovely and exotically named SINderella Rockafella.

We were meant to be there for 5.30, but it took us two hours to get there, even though the city centre is only some five miles away.  All the roads were gridlocked. It couldn't have been all down to the snow that had been falling since the afternoon.  There must have been some accidents or breakdowns in several places, as the traffic just wasn't going anywhere.

Eventually we got there and got sorted out. On these sorts of shoots, I usually take my Nikon D3s, but for a change, I thought I would see what sort of photos I could produce using just my Olympus OMD.

I think Michael is a little envious of my camera, as he said that he would like one himself, but wouldn't be able to justify the expense.

Anyway, here's one of the results, with just a little tweaking in Lightroom. SINderella was great to work with and very adaptable, even though she has been modelling for less than a year. She clearly has a successful career ahead of her and presently has over 10,000 likes on her Facebook page.

Crane And Able

I've got a day off from work today, as I have a few days holiday to take before I move jobs next month.

One of my goals today was to mend the loo, as it wasn't flushing properly. This meant a trip to a local DIY store. Whilst driving down a road that I always use,  I found out that the road had been closed and came across this scene, which explained.

Two houses were being redeveloped, and as neither has a driveway, it clearly was impossible to deliver the building materials to the back of the house. So it seems that using this big crane was the only method.

It was certainly very easy for the builders, but a tad inconvenient for residents and motorists, as they had to do a long detour around some other streets, to get where they wanted to go.

Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Not a very encouraging newspaper headline on today of all days; St Valentine's Day.

But no, the council are not considering banning lovemaking or encouraging celebacy in Nottingham, but the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner is deciding on whether to close all sex shops and lap dancing clubs in the area, as they are seen to degrade and endanger women.

There is some debate as to whether this is true or not. As if it is stamped out and goes underground, then it might become more dangerous to the women who work in them. Maybe it should go the other way and the industry is properly regulated and checked like it is in Holland and some states in America.

Still the poster for Nandos behind takes the subject of St Valentine's Day the other way, with the idea that you can become Rudolph Valentino or Casanova after eating a plate of their spicy chicken legs.

Snow Joke

Well it happened again. Snow was predicted, and indeed fell during the afternoon.

I was on half a days leave, and was cycling home when the real flakes began to fall. The wind was blowing strongly too, so my face was being stung by the flakes.

The ground was becoming white quite quickly, and so by the time that I had reached Highfields, it was beginning to look a bit like Switzerland.

As it was all fresh snow, there weren't that many footprints about, so I stopped off and took a few photos of the different scenes.

I don't know whether it was just the snow, or some knock-on effects, but it took Gail and I the best part of two hours to drive into the city centre for a photoshoot, whereas, it normally only takes about 15-20 minutes.

All the roads were gridlocked. Nothing was moving. In fact it took us the best part of half an hour to drive along the road next to Highfields. Something we can usually do in about five minutes.

I Can See Clearly Now

A quick update as to the progress of the demolition of the old Odeon cinema.

The demolition workers have had a final push and have removed the front of the building over the past few days.

They put fencing up to stop any debris falling onto the pavement. But there are gaps, and so I popped my camera through and took a few shots.

You can now see all the way through to Maid Marian Way. Something that no one has been able to do since the 1930s. So this is could be quite an historic documentary photograph in a few years time. And you saw it here first.

The Writing's On The Wall

A return to the delights of Light Night, as it was a bit of a slow day in town today, and could find nothing worth shooting during my lunch time walkabout.

Gail and I missed this, when we arrived at the castle, but I noticed that some writing had appeared on the wall of the castle entranceway. A chap with a laptop or iPad was standing near the Robin Hood statue and he was using some gizmo to beam writing and shapes on the building.

Sometimes the software itself would find itself shown to everyone. I don't know what the software they were using was called, but it looked fun to use.

Geisha Look

Another shot from the Chinese New Year celebrations in Beeston Square.

The giant Geisha was walking around and waving at people. The person on the stilts must have had a very good sense of balance, as they didn't wobble once.

The Year Of The Snake

The local Chinese community got together today to celebrate their new year. This time it is the snake's turn.

According to the Chinese, the snake is meant to represent steady progress and attention to detail. Which I think everyone needs at the moment with the economy being in such a poor state that it is.

There was quite a bit on offer, including the classic dragon dance, a martial arts demonstration, some music and some dancing from this young lady, who twirled around with her long sleeves flapping in the air.

The weather wasn't very good, but still the large audience enjoyed it and enthusiastically clapped at the end of each performance.

There is some more celebrations tomorrow over at Highfields, including some dragon boat racing. So I think Gail and I will be popping over to see what else is on offer there.

Lighting Up Time

Tonight saw Nottingham city centre lit up once again, as it was the annual Light Night festival. The yearly event where buildings are used as cinema screens, strange things pop up in all sorts of places and it is generally very cold.

Well this year was no different. The castle was tonight's backdrop, where a group calling themselves 'Elemental Force' projected a show containing animation, photos and pyrotechnics. It seemed to relay the history of Nottingham, and included of course Robin Hood, lace making and Raleigh bikes.

I was pleased to see that the Daleks and the Tardis were making a return visit. They looked very good last year standing next to the Robin Hood statue, where they were trying to terrify the fabled outlaw. This year they were placed outside the Theatre Royal. I must admit it didn't look so good. Possibly because where they were was quite bright, and so they lost some of their impact, as where they were before was quite atmospheric and darker, so they all stood out more.

Still I suppose I shouldn't complain, as we were lucky to get anything with the continuing cuts in finances and relative poor state of the economy, as it is funding for the arts that always seemed to get trimmed first, rather than say sport.

Feeling Old

A slightly alternative view of Wollaton Hall for a change. A bit different from the usual full frontal shot that you usually see in books, postcards etc.

It certainly has become very well known now through last year's Batman film. And it is indeed a striking building with all sorts of architecturally interesting nooks and crannies on both the inside and the outside.