Shepherd's Delight

Lovely sunset tonight. Such moody colours of red and orange. It's the sort of sky that Turner would have painted.

Eighteen Geese A Swimming

Whilst I was walking into town, I saw a few people leaning over the bridge looking at something.  Of course that stirred my interest. Has someone fallen in the water? Is there a yacht waiting to use the lock gates? Or was there some filming going on?

Sadly in a way it was none of those, but something just as interesting to see; a pair of Canada geese with their young were wanting to swim a bit further up the canal, but they were being prevented by the locked gates.

As I had some errands to run, I didn't stay to see how they managed to continue with their journey, or whether they went back the way they came.

Head Up Display

Being a clothes shop/tailors, One B.C had some quirky artefacts around the store.

I took a few photos of them whilst I was waiting for The Madeline Rust to start. I particularly like this stags head which is high up on one of the walls. I think that it looks very effective with the shadow and lights dancing around it.

Lucy And The Amazing Leather Dreamcoat

I went to see my favourite band The Madeline Rust last night, at a very unusual venue. Not a pub, restaurant or club, but a clothes shop, situated in Sneinton Market.

The shop is run by a husband & wife partnership and they design and make the clothes themselves, bespoke; hence the shop's name One B.C: bespoke clothing.

They had made a special leather outfit for Lucy, the singer and bassist in the band, and last night was the unveiling metaphorically speaking, when they played for about an hour and Lucy got to show off their creation, complete with skulls, guns and roses.

Comedy Cooks

Despite these two looking a bit like Laurel and Hardy, they are in fact local well known award winning butcher Johnny Pusztai and celebrity chef and broadcaster Richard Fox.

They were in Beeston today giving cookery demonstrations as part of Beeston's first food and drink festival.  Sadly it was really a bit of a washout as it has been raining all day. It actually started last night, and hasn't stopped since.

This didn't' stop the two foodies putting on a good show. I learnt how to make fritter using carrot, onion, cumin, double cream, coriander and flower. It was easy to make and very tasty. I will have to have a go myself. I also got to taste some flatbread, and a bit of Tandoori chicken.

There were quite a number of food stalls between the Square and Broadgate Park, selling different foods like pies, organic vegetables and halloumi wraps. Sadly due to the weather some events had to be cancelled on Broadgate Park.

It's a shame that the weather has been so poor, as a lot of work goes into organising these things, and it seems a waste of time if no one goes to support it, let alone buys anything. Still Johnny said that he had an enjoyable time conversing with passers by with their cookery questions.

Boxing Clever

It's now Oscar's turn to find a comfy spot in the garage.  He's gone for being on a box, unlike Marmalade, who likes sleeping in a box,  as I showed you recently.

The little rogue didm't want to come out this morning, as I was getting my bike out ready to go to work. So I put a bowl of food and water in the garage and left him to it.

I sent a text to Gail telling her about Oscar. Fortunately she was only working half a day today, so Gail was able to let him out when she got home.

Crowne Estate

Dusk setting of the Crown Plaza Hotel at the NEC in Birmingham.

One for the archive, as the cupboard is a bit bare at the moment.

I actually took it in March, when I went to the Photography Show. I was there that long, that I was one of the last people to leave the hall. Still it was with it to get this shot.

Happy Valley Sunday

As it was a lovely sunny afternoon on Sunday, so Gail and I went on a walk around Highfields park.

Instead of going along the usual route that I take when I'm cycling home, we went round the other way; the one closest to the university. It's quite a wooded area with a path to walk along. The path has lots of  twists and tuns, and you can see the lake for most of the time.

I like the way that the sun is just kissing the top of the plants and trees and inviting you to follow the path to see what's there.

The Fab Four

Here's a shot of local band The Madeline Rust that I took the other night at Oxjam's rock night at a pub in Beeston.

They were excellent as usual, and introduced a couple of new songs to the appreciative audience.

There were also another three bands playing on the night; I Am Jupiter, These Skies and Paradise Pill.

I don't know how much money was raised on the night, but it will go towards the final figure that will be raised during the Oxjam music festival in October.

The Voice Of God?

There seemed to be a bit of a commotion in the city centre today as I walked towards the Old Market Square, as I heard a very loud voice shouting, but couldn't quite make out what was being said.

As I got closer, I could make out a small crowd gathered close to the Sweeper sculpture, that I posted last week. I then noticed a couple of banners and a man with a microphone. A Bible basher as I call these sorts of religious fanatics. He was American too, and they are often the worst, as they take things out of the Bible so literally, and often have some dangerous ideas about personal issues like being gay.

I have no problem with people being religious, I just don't think they should force it upon others, and this man was particularly loud. So much so, that I wondered whether the police would ask him to stop, as he was disturbing the peace.

Siesta Time

What could be better than dozing in the summer sunshine?  Well that's exactly what this couple were doing at the Hemlock Happening yesterday.

They owned a old Morris 'Moggy' Minor and were showing it off, together with some other classic cars. Most of which, I think I saw last week at Wollaton Park.

They seemed quite content to sit there in chairs that aren't usually very comfortable. I didn't hang around too long to find out whether they snored or not.

In Parrot Fashion

I popped along to the annual Hemlock Happening this afternoon, which took place at Bramcote Park.

There were a lot of stalls and things to do, which were mainly aimed at children. But there was a few bands on, and I bumped into loads of people that I know.  But the important thing was that it stayed sunny and warm.

One of the stalls was being run by Parrotaid, a charity to raise money for to help unwanted and abandoned parrots. The people that look after the birds had bought some along to show the visitors.

These two seemed to be enjoying the sunshine and attention that they were receiving from the visitors to the show.

Rebel With A Heart

Another day, and another famous person visits Nottingham.

This time its been Huey Morgan, front man of the Fun Loving Criminals.

He was at Waterstones today signing copies of the book that he has written about rebels in music. Singers like Billie Holliday, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

It was fortuitous in a way that I had arrived at the bookstore later than I wanted, as I had missed all his adoring fans and more or less had him to myself. So I politely asked if he wouldn't mind posing for a photo or two, which he was more than happy to do.

The Human Dynamo

A touch of showbiz magic arrived in the Old Market Square today, in the form of illusionist Dynamo.

He was essentially in town to promote his show, which doesn't take place until later in the year.

Quite a crowd had gathered when I arrived in the Old Market Square, and I found it a little difficult to get into a good position to take some reasonably good photos. He performed a few small tricks, mainly with playing cards, but involving the astounded audience.

I'd not really seen any of his tricks before, so I didn't know what sort of things he could do. Somehow I was hoping he would do something really amazing, like making the Council House disappear.

Wrap Up Well When Driving

The city centre was rather quiet at lunchtime, especially in the Old Market Square, so it's back to the shots that I took on Sunday at the classic car show, and this rather enchanting bonnet mascot.

I can't remember which car this old fella came from, with his jaunty hat, handlebar moustache and warm scarf.

I'm sure it;s not a genuine car emblem, but it's a great little addition to what would have been a great looking car.

Given The Brush Off

A new sculpture appeared in the city centre yesterday in the shape of this woman and child cleaning their garden.

The sculpture is entitled "The Sweepers" and has been created by a company called Shipshape Arts. It is in recognition of Nottingham becoming the cleanest city in Britain.

It has attracted a lot of attention from passers by since it was placed there, with people having their photos taken whilst standing next to the two figures.  In fact a woman asked me to take her and her family's picture whilst I was shooting this.

Travelling In Style

Don't these Theme Days come around quickly. This month's topic is Style.

I saw lots of stylish vehicles yesterday at Wollaton Park. From the beginning of motoring to a sports car of today.

So which one to choose. Well it just had to be this Jaguar from the 1940s. Even the leaping mascot has style.

Magical Mystery Tour

Despite the town name on this coach, I'm not actually in Wales at the moment, but at Wollaton Park, and their annual classic vehicle show.

Barton is of course a local bus company and this is one of their coaches, A Bedford VAL from the early 1960s. It doesn't belong to Barton's any more, but resides at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre in Ruddington.

Saturday Shoppers

A typical scene along Beeston's High Road. Old ladies out with their shopping trollies to collect their bread, veggies and meat for the week. Customers enjoying their coffee whilst people watching at Rye, and people just walking from shop to shop, looking for a bargain or two.

Hopefully the two trees that have been pollarded will be sprouting green like the others very soon. Just hope the dark clouds don't turn to rain, as it doesn't look like anyone has an umbrella with them.

Haircut Sir?

A new barbers is set to open in the city centre which looks very trendy indeed.

Gone are the days of a quick short back and sides, and 'something for the weekend'. Back in the day, you could always tell a barber, by the red and white sign outside their shop. Now it is more like an experience, with TVs available, drinks on hand and optional massages.

The best barber joke I know is when a guy is sitting in the chair, and the barber asks how he would like it. He replies "In silence".

Robin The Storyteller

As it is the school holidays this week, Robin Hood was out today entertaining the kids with his stories of daring do.

When I caught u with him, he was telling a tale based around the Trojan Horse, only this time involved a magician and a dragon. Of course Robin and his men were inside the dragon and stole the Sheriff's money from the castle. Everyone appeared to enjoy it and Robin really got into his part.

Don't Be Blue On Your Birthday

Our local TV station Notts TV celebrates its first birthday today.

You may remember this time last year me telling you about how I found a little blue duck whilst walking in town, and how this was being used as a promotional tool to advertised the new channel -   http://beestonblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Notts%20TV

Well today the channel is one year old, and to celebrate this fact, the TV station personally and very kindly sent me a special celebratory Blue Duck the other day. So I thought I would make up a little scene featuring him and his unique golden beak.

Blue Moon

A quick shot of the Moon during the early evening.

A Blinding Success

One of my photographic concoctions taken from the inspiration of a bottle of beer that I bought the other day.

For those that don't know, a 'Peaky Blinder' was a member of a gang of violent criminals and thugs that lived in Birmingham  in the late 19th & early 20th century.

The BBC made a drama series a while ago that illustrated their violent exploits around the city.

I've not tried the beer yet, but I just hope it doesn't turn me into a monster!

Shapes

This abstract photo is of a hotel in the city centre called the Ibis. It is quite an odd shaped building and has a big box on the roof, which I think is the restaurant.

The clear blue sky certainly shows off the white of the building.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

I came across a part of Highfields that I don't think that I've seen before for some reason. I noticed that there were some stumps of some saplings had been cut down, so perhaps the area had been hidden by trees.

I do know that the park has received some funding for improvements, so it will be interesting to see what ideas that they have come up with.

Another Forty Winks

It's not just Oscar that's found a new place to sleep, Marmalade's got one too. Inside a cardboard box which we've stored in the garage.

Marmalade snuck into the garage when I was putting my bike away this evening. I knew he had gone in, but decided to leave him in there for a while, as he does like to have a bit of "me time" away from everything.

Some time later Gail called me, as she had opened the garage door and saw mim dozing in the box, that had some paper packing in it. Fortunately he was facing the garage window, so I could take a photo of him through the glass. Doesn't he look cute with using one of the box flaps as a pillow.

A Path To Somewhere

Another shot from Highfields, the way into the woods. A gentle stroll through the trees, then you arrive at the rhodendrums, full of colour and scent.

Lines

Walking through the Lace Market this evening I saw these three vapour trails across the sky, which look quite close together and heading the same way.

I wonder what sort of planes made them? I saw an AWACs plane flying overhead yesterday, as I was cycling home, so I wonder if there is some sort of military training going on at the moment?

Sleeping Beauty

Since rearranging the furniture a bit in the living room, Oscar has found himself a new spot to relax and watch the world go by.

He has really taken sitting on the top of the sofa and looking out of the window. And when he's had enough, he just lays down and has a good forty winks. And yes, I've even heard him storing!

Blue In The Sun

It was raining this morning as I cycled to work, so I thought it would be a fairly horrible day, but when I went out at lunchtime, the rain had almost stopped and the sun was slowly showing its face.  So by the time I got ready to come home, the sun was shining, but it was somewhat windy, which made cycling difficult, as it was blowing in the wrong direction.

So I thought I would take a detour through Highfields and see if anything was happening. It was fairly quiet except for the joggers, but I did spot these bluebells enjoying the early evening sun.

Badge Of Honour

The Madeline Rust really care about their fans as not only do they provide free earplugs, but also free badges at their gigs.

I have one on my camera bag. Which incidentally is the only one on there.

Tunes

Popped into a local record shop called Plates this afternoon, to see one of my favourite local rock bands called The Madeline Rust play as part of the shops' music day, interesting called Analogue Excursions.

There are usually seven members in the band, but as there was only enough space for the three main members, Lucy, Aly and Martin. They did most of their songs from their album, which was well received by the audience.

Besides a couple of photographers taking photos, Lucy was being filmed by her work, for a project that they are doing, regarding what their employees get up to when they are not in the office. I bet there can't be that many that play and sing in a band.

Saucy

A trip to Ikea tonight. Fortunately we didn't stay too long, as it's such a big store and it can get a bit overwhelming at times.

Gail suggested that we go for something to eat. It was a difficult choice, as there was plenty on offer at the restaurant menus that we looked at.

In the end we plumped for a pizza at Frankie & Benny's. Of course I could have taken a photo of the said food, but instead here's a saucy shot with some bokeh.

Fingers In The Earth

Besides rhodendrums in Highfields, there are also a lot of trees of different ages and varieties. I don't know what this one is, but it has been there a long time, the way the roots have spread out and exposed. Maybe it's one of the original ones that were planted in the 1930s when the park was opened.

Bursting Out

The rhodendrums are starting to burst out in colour and scent at Highfields park. It's one of the things that the park is well known for. That and the boating lake.

The Blue Period

A few days ago I popped a photo on on the building site that where the fire station in Beeston once stood. It showed the Star Inn in the background. This photo, taken from outside the Star and shows the opposite view.

A Fishy Business

There is presently a window display in the Tourist Information Office promoting an arts event at Patchings Farm with a metal animal sculptures.

There is a large dog and these fish. I took some photos of the dog, but they didn't come out very well, as there was too many reflections in the glass, but the fish came out quite well.

Orange Beauty

Passing through St Mary's churchyard, I same across this big orange tulip enjoying the lunchtime sunshine.

Building Sight

The tram works are still continuing in Beeston, even though the line was meant to be completed by December last year.

When it is finally up and running, this space will be cleared and available for building on.

The council have issued a consultation document asking what people would like the space used for.  Some ideas have included a cinema, a swimming pool and just an open space. There are rumours that a hotel will be built there, but I can't see it being a very big one, or one that would be owned by a famous name like Hilton, or Holiday Inn.

So we will just have to see what the land is turned into. But it is all down to money. How much it would cost and what income would it earn. So I can't see it being turned into a park, as it wouldn't generate any money for the council who own the land.

V For Victory

The general election shocks and surprises of today has somewhat overshadowed the 70th anniversary celebrations of VE Day, when the fighting stopped in World War 2.

Some celebrations have taken place across the country. I saw on Facebook some photos that a friend took in Birmingham of a street party and they actually had a real Spitfire parked outside their new library.

But sadly there has been nothing similar in Nottingham. Some schools have done projects on the subject or dressed up in period costumes. They have lit a beacon in the Old Market Square, which I don't think was advertised very well.

So I've looked through my archive and selected this photo of "Churchill" that I took last year at the annual May Day Knees Up at the Brewhouse Yard Museum.

'X' Marks The Spot

Today the UK goes to the polls to vote for who is going to be their next MP, and which party will be in charge of the country for the next five years. We've had loads of promotional bumf through the letterbox over the last few weeks from all the parties that have put up candidates, telling us how wonderful their party is and what amazing things they are going to do to make the country better and richer.

I popped down to my polling station after work which used a local church hall for it's base to use my vote. It was actually quite a difficult decision to make. I had six candidates to choose from. I instantly ignored three of them, but it took some thought of who to pick from the remaining three, as I consider one candidate to be a friend, another I've met a few times, and the other represents the party I feel closer too.  So after some consideration I put my X in the box. Just have to wait until tomorrow to find out how everyone did, and whether my choice made it through.

I also had to vote for councillors to represent me on our local council. This was much easier, as I was allowed to vote for two people, so didn't take so much brain power.

Whiskey And Rye

For the past few years Beeston has been home to a great little bistro called Belle & Jerome. But it closed a couple of weeks ago, while some renovations took place.  The bar has also been renamed as 'Rye', named after part of Beeston called the Rylands, which is near the river.

They have also rebranded it as a bar & restaurant, but will be open from 8am for breakfast. It officially opens to the public tomorrow, but there was a special opening event tonight, which I got an invitation to.

The owners looked like they have invested a lot of money into the refurb. I have been following their Tweets over the past couple of weeks, and have found out that the new wooden floor that's been laid comes from a four hundred year old mill in Yorkshire.

The place was buzzing tonight and people seems genuinely impressed with the decor, choice of food and drink and general ambience of the place. It should do well, especially as the previous version always had such a loyal customer base.

Spirited Away

It's not everyday that you come across an empty pub, but sadly I did today.

The Cock & Hoop pub in the Lace Market closed last year, when the hotel that it's attached to also shut its doors.  There have been announcements that the hotel and pub will be reopened. But obviously this hasn't happened yet.

Singer In A Spotlight

One of the backing singers at last night's Simple Minds gig.

Alas I didn't catch her name.

Don't You Forget About Me

Gail and I travelled back to the 1980s tonight as we went to a Simple Minds gig at the Royal Concert Hall.

I had won some tickets in a competition through our local newspaper, the Nottingham Post, so it was a cheap night out. The seats were up in the gods, so we were quite some distance from the stage. Of course I had my camera with me, and had chosen to go with a telephoto lens, rather than a prime lens, just in case were weren't near the front. In fact we were so far away from the stage, that we were sitting next to one of the lighting guys.

The concert was a sell out, and everyone was having a good time singing, cheering and dancing along to the various songs that the band performed. I recognised some of the tunes, but I didn't buy any of their albums when they were big during the 1980s. But after hearing them tonight, I might go and buy one of their greatest hits albums.

A Comical Day

My Saturday morning is usually spent in Beeston shopping and having a look around the many charity shops that my town now has. A new one only opened this week. So that makes nine in total to look round and see what goodies I can find.

Besides the many other shops there is one that sells comic books, models and role playing games. It is called Chimera and I think that I have only been inside once before, and that was to see a friend of mine called Tim, who loves playing role playing games. I just happen to walk past and see a poster in the window advertising free comics, as it is apparently Free Comic Book Day, which is news to me, as I didn't such a thing existed.

So I popped inside to see what it was all about. The owner told me that once a year companies that print comic books give copies away to promote their work, and this has been an annual event for some years now. He showed me to a couple of tables that had piles of comics on them. He said have a look and just take any that you fancy, read and enjoy them.

So I picked up some and had a browse. Some didn't really appeal to me, but being a Doctor Who fan, I had to have that one and I was intrigued by the Steampunk version of Goldilocks and the modern take of Alice in Wonderland.

I will give these comics a go, but I can't see them becoming part of my life, as that is shared with photography.

Spin Around The City

The theme for this month's theme day is 'revolution'.

Nottingham has had a few revolutionaries down the years; the Luddites, Robin Hood, and played a part in the English Civil War.

But i've gone for something a little different, in the giant Ferris Wheel that appeared in the Old Market Square earlier in the year.

I used a fish eye lens, to give it and even more round look. Incidentally, I didn't go on it, as I am scared of heights.