Painting The Town Red

A number of Government ministers, including Gordon Brown himself were in Nottingham today, to try and improve their party's popularity. I of course went to the Albert Hall at lunchtime to see what was happening. I was just in time to see G.B arrive & go in. I took a number of shots, but it was difficult, due to the road being sealed off, Police and secret service types swarming all over the place and journalists blocking my view. This was about the best one I could get. I was disappointed that there wasn't a demonstration taking place with yells of "Gordon is a Moron" or similar, as that would have been quite amusing.

On The Move

This set of statues used to be in the Market Square. But they were removed when the tram lines went down. So now they stand at the top of Chapel Bar, a small pedestrian area that houses a number of eating houses and a Holiday Inn Express.

It's Christmas...

So yelled Noddy Holder at the end of Slade's most famous song that has been trotted out at this time every year for the past 30 odd years. The connection; well Nottingham's lights were officially switched on tonight. There were so many people in the market square that I didn't manage to get close enough to take a decent photo of Carl Froch & Sven Goran Eriksson as they pressed the button. So unfortunately you'll just have to make do with this arty shot of the shadow of the tree on the Council House

Oi You Two!

Whilst at work this morning, Nicky who sits opposite me glanced out of the window which looks out onto a multi-storey car park, and wondered who these two people were and what they were staring at. So I got out my camera and trusty 45-200mm lens and took some shots. The two lads then started waving at us. we of course waved back. Later in the afternoon, they came back to their car, and before they left, gave us another wave.

You may have noticed that I have put on a new header picture. It's dedicated to my friend Imac, who with some other bloggers have set themselves a little competition. Follow the link and vote.

Sign Of The Times

Nottingham's newest cultural centre and tourist attraction has now opened. Ironically when I went today, I found that the gallery was closed. So I'll have to go tomorrow to look at the David Hockney exhibition and see what the building looks like in the inside, as the outside still looks like a something that was built in the Eastern Bloc during the 1950s. This sign on the otherhand, reminds me of 1950s America, advertising a diner or motel.

Not That Long Ago

Besides doing some decorating, I have been scanning some of old negatives to put on my Flickr page. Having not taken any photos today. I didn't want cream paint on my lovely black G1, I am showing you one of these negatives. It's of the Trent University building that I took sometime in the 1980s. I can't exactly tell you when. But what I can say is that if you were to take the same shot today, the area would look just about the same. The only big difference is the road layout.

Water Result

Well, the storm over Nottingham didn't appear to be as bad as the weathermen predicted. Maybe they like to hype things up to make them more dramatic. Today has been cool, but fairly dry. Didn't manage to take any photos today, so here's a weather related picture. I did buy a new tripod today though, as I'm getting into taking photos at night. There are some on Flickr, if you fancy taking a look.

Skywatch Friday

I've missed the last few SWF's, so to make up for it, here's a photo I took a few days ago. Great sunset, unlike yesterday and today, when it just rained and rained. Apparently the UK is going to be hit by a giant storm tomorrow. So batten down those hatches and take cover; the wind's a blowin!

For 300+ other skies from around the world, click here.

Think Yourself British

As I promised yesterday, here's the photo of Al Murray signing his latest book at Waterstones today. By the length of the queue waiting to meet him, he is more popular than yesterday's Simon King. Although they both follow different entertainment paths and attract different age groups. For those that don't know his work and style, here's a clip from Youtube. Please be warned that you may not appreciate his style of comedy or what he is saying, but his 'pub landlord' character is what he is known for.

King For The Day

The BBC's wildlife presenter and cameraman Simon King was in town today signing books at Waterstones. A small peaceful line of people had formed when I got there in readiness for his arrival. His most well known TV work is the Big Cat Diary. More recently he has done Autumnwatch; a daily update on the lives of woodland creatures.

I'm expecting to see a more rowdy crowd tomorrow, as the comedian Al Murray will be signing copies of his latest Pub Landlord book.