The extension, to the left of this shot, is now clad and glazed and presumably will start being decorated inside sometime soon. At this time in the morning the sun shines rather well down the narrow channel that has been left between it and the main, Victorian mill building to the right. (Notice also the red van that has snuck into the top of the shot, an indication of the sometimes surreal configuration of the streets and buildings in this town.)
This is the ruined West Pier’s second appearance on the blog, the first — accompanied by a huge flock of starlings — being way back on Day 72. Earlier this year it lost another chunk of ironwork to the winter storms, although that damage is not really visible on this shot. The photo also proves that it was a glorious morning on the south coast today — rather nicer than the foul wind and rain back in the north when I got home tonight, I can tell you (grumble).
Call it toilet humour if you like but it made me laugh – even if the author lost it while trying (presumably) to spell ‘disembowelled’. And the wallpaper’s something to look at as well.
Sometimes it is still possible to spend the working day sat in a comfy chair in a wood-paneled (well, sort of) study, reviewing the manuscript of a book. Counts as work for me anyway — it’s my book — but doesn’t lend itself to very exciting photography.
I had a range of pictures to choose from today but rejected the St. Patrick’s Day theme (no decent pub pics and I did that one last year in Brisbane) and more ‘signs of spring’ options, in favour of this shot. I doubt Reyner Street is depicted on prominent type on even the largest-scale maps of Manchester city centre, and is half-choked by scaffolding, but you have to therefore admire the conscientiousness of the road sweeper for doing its duty on a grey and fairly chilly Monday morning.
The mill pond upstream from us, from where the flash flood claim on July 9th 2012, has now mostly silted up, but there is still life in it.
Built in 1997, this is the home of Bolton Wanderers FC, who today lost 2-0 at home to the mighty Brighton & Hove Albion (blog followers have seen prior evidence of my interest in the victors). This picture was taken long before kick-off. I like the sense it gives, of waiting for things to start. The gate could be more symmetrical — but never mind.
The signboard puts me in mind that these two are Withnail and I on their 40-year reunion trip, returning to where they demanded cake, and fine wine, the finest wines available to humanity.
OK, I am repeating a theme from three days ago, but there you go. I spend a lot of time on trains and railway platforms. This may be the right time to catch platform 1, anyway. As the renovations proceed, over the last couple of weeks it has lost its roof, allowing the continuing pleasant sunshine to fall on those waiting for their trains home. And the roof leaked anyway.
It was actually another beautiful day today but I saw nothing of this; due to my wanderings yesterday I really needed to get down to do some work today so never left home. So here is that old staple, the view from my house, over Hebden Bridge. The sun did not burn through this mist until well into the morning.
Being 42 