Bubbles

Imac (Stewart) has chosen this week's theme of "soap". A very easy word, but for some reason I have struggled to find an exceptional photo for the challenge. I thought about going down the easy route of showing a bowlful of bubbles, or a car being cleaned. But nothing came into view of my camera. I also thought about soap operas too. But Nottingham's theatres are empty of actors from Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Eastenders and the like at the moment. So another dead end. I then wondered whether I could snap a person talking to passers by in the street. Someone who was on their "soap box". But no one was about. So my header this week is of a certain little boy poking his little nose into his mum's cleaning cupboard.

Bubbles of another kind are featured in today's blog picture. That of a bubble car. This one is German and was built in the late 1950s. According to Wikipedia, the car took nearly 30 seconds to reach 60mph. To be honest, I'd be rather scared of going more than 20mph in it, as it doesn't look that safe.

Don't forget to see how the rest of the gang's photos. I wonder who will clean up this week? Enjoy this week's song, which cleverly merges the two themes

MODern Motoring

I just had to take a photo of this 1960s scooter. I've never seen so many, lights, mirrors and horns on one bike. It really is a work of art, and must turn heads when it's racing along the Queen's highway. You can just hear strains of the Who and the Small Faces in the distance.

Everybody's Crazy 'bout A Sharp Dressed Man

No, this isn't a member of ZZ Top, although he does look like he belongs in the Southern boogie band. But he is a guy with a truck. And a very large truck at that. The top of his head I think was in line with the door handle. I bet you get a very good view from the cab, and a very big fuel bill when you stop off at a petrol station.

Motor Maina

I spent most of Sunday in Wollaton Park, walking round the motor show that was on. Besides the usual classics, were some brand new buses, new models from current manufacturers, and an auto jumble. A fancy title for stalls selling car parts. I browsed around and was taken by a cardboard box of old spanners, as I thought it would make an unusual still life.

Monking About

Well Saturday saw the first night of The Cries of Silent Men at Nottingham Castle. According to the director, around 185 people were in the audience, and I think they enjoyed it and gained a little knowledge about what happened to the monasteries 500 years ago when Henry the Eighth was king. Gail took this photo, as I was performing in the show. I do appear in this picture. So as they didn't have cameras then, having a Nikon round my neck would look a bit out of place!

Coloured Coded

There was some children's entertainment in the Old Market Square today, as it is last day of the holidays. Back to school for them on Monday.
I just had to take a photo or two of these colourful girls on stilts. I'm not sure if they were meant to be anything particular, but they certainly brought a touch of colour to the city centre.

Taking A Trip

This afternoon Gail and I went to see Luminarium: Levity III which has arrived in Highfields for the week. The Luminarium is a very large art installation that people can walk round. It's like an inflatable tent, but full of multi-coloured connecting tunnels. It's like walking through someone's LSD trip or some late 1960's psychedelic artwork. Very disorientating really, as there are no windows and you can soon get lost walking down, red, blue, green tunnels.

I took a shot of this completely chilled out guy reading a book. Which seems very surreal, but certainly adds to the spaced out feel of the place. He had certainly turned on, tuned in and dropped out. Yea man!

Quote, Unquote

Somehow I managed to gazump iMac into choosing this week's Headbanger Challenge. Sorry matey. Anyway I've gone for 'Give me the Night". A good challenge for anyone. The right exposure, so you don't get any camera shake, unless it is intentional, enough light so you can see the subject and of course an interesting subject.

For my choice I've gone for this shot of a food stall in the Old Market Square, that I took last year. I like the way that the mysterious arm is reaching out from the blackness. The steam rising into the air. If you couldn't see any names on the jars etc, you might think it was some mad scientist undertaking their latest experiment.

Don't forget to have a look at the selections that my headbanging clan have come up with.

Going past the Robin Hood statue this morning, I couldn't help but notice this writing that someone had chalked onto the path. A quote from the famous man in green no less. A great sentiment, but I don't think it will ever happen, unless there is a major revolution across the world. Even the Russian one in 1917 didn't really change a thing. The people at the top changed, but they were still greedy and wanted riches for themselves. Still it's a great Utopian idea.

Waterfall

I took another trundle through Highfields on my way home today as it was bright and sunny. The weathermen had predicted heavy showers, so I was expecting the worst. Many a time I have cycled in the wet and looked like a drowned rat by the time I got home, even with wearing a jacket, hat, gloves etc. So it made a pleasant change. I saw some baby Canada geese being guarded by their parents while they were eating. Alas I had the wrong lens on my camera, so they haven't come out particularly well.
This waterfall has been restarted recently, after being switched off for several years. The surrounding water was beginning to look like a murky swamp, but now the it is lovely and clear. Hope you like the treatment that I have given the photo. Just playing around a bit in iPhoto.

Green Day

The UK enjoyed a Bank Holiday today. It also enjoyed very wet weather. This is of course part and parcel of an English holiday. So I had to stay in, as probably most, if not all events would have been cancelled. So I just pottered around. A wasted day really. And the UK doesn't get that many bank holidays, so a bit annoying.
Anyway, I popped out into the garden in between showers and took some shots of the plants with raindrops on them. I took the photos with my Panasonic G1, and an old legacy 50mm lens, which has given them very soft look.

Monaco Grand Prix Number 69

Gail and I watched the Monaco Grand Prix today together for the first time. We have a special interest now, as we visited the principality back in March. And so it was interesting to see shots of the places that we walked by, or went past on the bus on in Jilly's car.
The race itself wasn't that interesting until near the end when they all had to stop due to an accident that may have been caused by Lewis Hamilton. This gave the mechanics time to service the vehicles and replace parts that were either worn or damaged.
There's an awful lot of effort that goes into putting on the race, as you can see from Jilly's blogsite, but the actual event only lasts a short time. One of the commentators mentioned that perhaps the cars have now outgrown Monte Carlo, in being too fast for the narrow roads. Maybe he was right in one way, but perhaps the answer is in reducing the power and speed of the cars and make them more of a driver's car like this statue of Juan Manuel Fangio and his 1950s Mercedes. The race has been going since 1929 and Monaco wouldn't be the same without it.

Can Dogs Read?

Here's another decaying sign in Highfields. This one is about dogs. I've given it a 1970s Kodak colour treatment, to make it look a little different. If you're wondering what the missing words are; "this area of" is the answer.

Walk, Don't Ride

Coming home tonight I decided to go through Highfields. Just to see if there was anything new to photograph. It was a bit cloudy and overcast, so not ideal. Looking around I decided to take a shot of this sign that is slowly decaying. I like the way the paint is peeling away. Although the letters are still recognisable.

I of course completely disregarded the sign and rode though the park. It wasn't very busy, a few jogging students from the nearby university, and some people either walking home or their dogs. I nearly managed to snap a crane that was standing by the boating lake, but he took flight as I was getting my camera out of my saddlebag.

Lines

After so many events and places that we've been to over the past few weeks, I thought I would slow the mood down a touch with a little bit of street photography.

I haven't really done that much photography on the streets of Nottingham recently, even though I go out walking around the city centre every lunchtime. It's just that I don't really see anything that's worth taking. Or I'm just not quick enough.

But I did spot this girl propped up against the wall of the Contemporary arts centre, and thought it would make an interesting shot, with the various vertical and horizontal lines, with the mirrored effect of the girls' legs.

In The Pink

Sandy has chosen this week's headbanger challenge. She's gone for a very girly theme; namely pink. I was considering putting a flower on, and went through Highfields park today looking for something suitable. I found this Rhododendron. I think it looks great and the bee certainly adds to the picture, but I wondered if some of the other headbangers would be putting on flowers too. So I decided to put this cute pink camel key fob. I bought it as a present for Gail the last time that we went to Dubai. She has it in her MINI, together with some other cuddly toys that I have given her down the years.

Don't forget to visit the gang's sites, to see how they have interpreted the theme. Links above. And enjoy the music from the best 'pink' band in the world. The Floyd.

Flower power

I've had to prune our pyracantha in the front garden on Sunday, as it had got a bit out of hand. I made sure that I had my gardening gloves on as those thorns are mighty sharp. Fortunately I was only stabbed the once. The recent good weather had really brought the delicate white flowers out, so I just had to take a shot or two, before they turn into red berries, and a snack for the passing birds.

Bargain Bus

A converted bus was in the Old Market Square. A new electrical store is opening in Nottingham soon, and people were handing out catalogues of some of the special offers available. Apparently singer and dancer Alesha Dixon is to cut the ribbon next Saturday.
I've had a quick look at their website, and it seems that their prices are around the same as any other high street retailer. So I won't be camping out for a bargain. It might have been worth trying to snap Alesha for the blog, but unfortunately I will be rehearsing again, so will not be able to pay her a visit.

Mirror

Here's a shot of the Sky Mirror, with the reflections of the people you saw yesterday.

Cafe Culture

I attended another rehearsal today at the Playhouse. The show I'm in goes on in two weeks at the castle, and should hopefully be well attended. When we finished our rehearsal, Julian the director said that he was going to show us where in the castle grounds that we would be performing.
Whilst I was waiting to go, I took this shot of some people enjoying sitting in the sun and passing the time, eating, reading, chatting or using their mobiles. I've sat there myself on a few occasions when I've had lunch with some friends from work.

Hard Body

I passed the film memorabilia shop on Derby Road the other day and they had this life size model of Lara Croft in the window. Unfortunately the face seems to have very little resemblance to Angelina Jolie. I've noticed that in the poster for Sucker Punch, that the woman holding the pistol looks more like her, even though it's an actress called Jamie Chung.