Category Archives: Art and architecture

Oct 24 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

“Controlled demolition”

Friday 23rd October 2026, 9.25am (day 5,538)

Kenyon Hall scaffolding, 23/10/26

Any former students of the University of Manchester who may feel nostalgic for their digs in George Kenyon Hall of residence, wave it goodbye, because apparently it’s never emerging from beneath the scaffolding that has swathed it for some weeks now. Underneath, the building is apparently undergoing ‘controlled demolition’. Meanwhile, somewhere to the left, a big new hall of residence or two is being erected. It gives people something to do, I suppose. The shot is an abstract collage: this was about the day’s only burst of anything resembling sunlight.

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Oct 17 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

The turf roof goes autumnal

Thursday 15th October 2026, 2.15pm (day 5,530)

Turf roof, 15/10/26

The turf roof atop the extension to the Nutclough Mill is a very familiar part of the view from the house — so much so that it’s surprising to realise it’s younger than this blog. It was only completed in 2014, as attested by this photo, amongst others. Looking at all the posts tagged ‘Nutclough Mill‘ I see I pretty much did the same shot last year, but on a day working at home it was this or a shot of my laptop screen again, and this is more interesting.

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Oct 04 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

Castell Conwy

Saturday 3rd October 2026, 4.30pm (day 5,518)

Castell Conwy, 3/10/26

This magnificent building has featured before, just over 10 years ago in August 2016, when I made my first visit to the town of Conwy and was rather taken with the place. Returning today with Clare for a day out gave me no reason to change my opinion.

The castle really is something, particularly as it’s been officially ruined and unoccupied for half its existence (completed in 1287, it was slighted after the Civil Wars, so has been unused since about 1650). This was no rustic little fortress, but a seat of kings: at the time, one of the most significant construction projects in Europe. Anyone who thinks history is irrelevant is an idiot, as how Edward I treated the conquered Welsh at that time still impacts on British politics today.

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Sep 15 2026
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Daily Post, Art and architecture

The Back to Work feeling

Tuesday 15th September 2026, 8.55am (day 5,500)

Facepalm statuette, 15/9/26

Well, that’s the end of my trilogy of summer holidays (Tromsø, Bristol, Luxembourg): nicely indulgent but it’s back to work tomorrow. These little statuettes were a feature of our apartment and seem to sum up the feelings, though I accept that it is unreasonable to complain, as such.

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Sep 09 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

The Lloyds building, Halifax

Monday 7th September 2026, 9.30am (day 5,492)

Lloyds building, 7/8/26

This used to be the HQ of the Halifax, a building society that sold out to corporate capital a few years ago and is now owned by Lloyds. This office building dominates the town centre (of Halifax, in case you hadn’t grasped that point) and is a real 1970s architectural relic, a kind of mix between the Parallax View and Logan’s Run if you ask me. The reflected tree seems to be taking over, and no one actually seems to work there, particularly — people cannot be seen.

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Sep 04 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post, Urban scene

On Grosvenor Street

Thursday 3rd September 2026, 3.35pm (day 5,488)

Grosvenor Street, 3/9/26

She looks mildly disapproving, I think. But is the look for the pedestrian, or the photographer? Another one of the blue-themed pictures that have appeared over the last few days.

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Aug 14 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

Battered but still brilliant

Thursday 13th August 2026, 3.15pm (day 5,467)

Shogun, 13/8/26

I am not saying that I think James Clavell’s Shōgun is the greatest piece of literature ever written, but I will happily, and, I believe, consistently claim that it is my favourite novel. It’s a rollicking good story and despite 1,243 pages there’s not a dull moment in it. It singlehandedly turned me into a Japanophile and I’ve read it at least ten times down the years. However, as you can see, I think it’s time I picked up a new copy. If anyone’s got a first edition…. let me know and suggest a price.

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Aug 11 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

“The future belongs to…”

Sunday 9th August 2026, 2.00pm (day 5,463)

The future belongs, 9/8/26

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today”, says the text on this latest bit of street art. Well, I’m saving for retirement — or trying to. Will that do, do you think? I guess I’ll find out at some point, for sure.

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Aug 09 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

The Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Wells

Saturday 8th August 2026, 12.45pm (day 5,462)

Wells Cathedral, 8/8/26

Wells, in Somerset, advertises itself as “England’s Smallest City” thanks to the presence of this big lump of medieval architecture, which, other than a lot of shops devoted to servicing the thousands of tourists that were there today, seems to be all it has — though that doesn’t mean it was an unpleasant place. But when it comes to finding a picture to epitomise the day then the cathedral has to be it, really. With a bit of a football reference thrown in.

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Aug 07 2026
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Art and architecture, Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Bear Hug

Thursday 6th August 2026, 4.10pm (day 5,460)

Bear hug, 6/8/26

In Bristol’s Arnolfini art gallery currently resides an exhibition by Jonathan Baldock, called Held, which, according to the Guardian anyway, is “a tense world of folkloric psychedelia and pagan aesthetics that is weird, threatening and utterly compelling”. Well, OK, maybe I didn’t quite get it myself but Clare was not the only visitor who took the chance to get up close and personal with the exhibition’s centrepiece, entitled Bear Hug and which one was specifically allowed to engage with in this way — as long as shoes were removed. Apparently it has a heartbeat, so is a multi-sensory huggy experience.

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