Lancaster

Here’s me latest meander, courtesy of a quick drive up the M6 to deliver Wombette Major back to University. Lancaster’s a lovely city, and when there are stalls out on the streets selling all sorts of knick-knacks, bric-a-brac, oojamaflips and wossnames, the place hums with a happy babble. Here, people gather outside… well, can you guess what the building is?

   

Little Mavis bought herself Chinese food from a street-vendor, while I moved along a couple of stalls and had the tastiest biriani.

 

 

 

 

This lass was something else – nice powerful thighs there….. sorry, drifted off for a moment. To preview her ‘Strongwoman’ act, she hoicked a bystander off his feet and carried him off. Much to the distress of his child (on the right), and the amusement of his OH (upper right).

 

Up the hill is the castle, but it costs a fair whack to be toured around, and as regular readers will know I am a Yorkshireman, and if it’s not free, it can bloody well bugger off. Here’s the outside of the castle with a pretty tree.

In the castle grounds, ‘jolly re-enactors’ were teaching children to fight with swords, maces and other weapons. Cos that’s ALWAYS a good idea.

From the castle grounds you get a lovely view. NOTE: Tom Wigam, apparently, is a dirty emo and a tramp.

Next photos – gargoyles on the church, and Little Mavis nomming her Chinese. I make no comparison. No comparison at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s the very pretty church interior.

Another view from the castle, this time of the monument in Williamson Park. You can see Wombette Major’s house from here as well (not pictured).

Lovely curves, both on the street and on the photographer (Little Mavis took this one).

And here’s Wombette Major resting on the castle steps.

A red door, cos Thom likes doors, and then WTF are these hooks for by the lamp? I can’t imagine, personally. (well, I can, but I doubt my weird ideas are anywhere near the actual truth)

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the prominence of the signpost, I have absolutely no idea of the name of this square. Pretty though, int it?

 

Houses looming like vultures over the corpses of two garages (poetic, eh?)

   

Beehive!

On the old Co-op building. Something about co-operative insects or something, probably.

 

 

 

And especially for Captain Doodle, here’s this post’s obligatory sweet shop.

Interestingly, the streets of Lancaster are paved with old pennies and stuff, all glued into the pavement. Look closely, and you’ll see quite a few fpreign coins as well (well, not in the photo you won’t, but if you were actually THERE)

Finally, the sexy Queen Victoria towers greenly above us as we take our leave.

Wollaton Wander

Given the choice of a visit to Wollaton Park, or putting up an Ikea wardrobe - I will always pick the park.

Saturday was predicted to be a sunny day, but Sunday, not so much - so I decided that it was better to go to the park in the sunshine, and spend the rainy day swearing inside a wardrobe.


The Boy was keen; wearing sunglasses because it was sunny, and not wearing a hat because we are idiots.





The stables are nice, but don't look especially grand - they do however, contain toilets, and a coffee shop.

From the outside however, the stables are rather grand.

Inside the hall there is a display of muskets.

I

We waited for friends outside the Hall.

It is probably worth noting that the sky in all these pictures was completely empty - not only of clouds, but of contrails too - there were no jet planes flying because of the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland.

Here's a hastily stitched panorama as illustration.

A Nice Day Wander

It was Friday, and it was a nice day. I'd have to be some sort of animal not to do a #wander.

I started, as always, in the Lace Market. I wanted to take a picture of an interesting looking building on St Mary's Gate - but there were smokers outside, so I walked on.

This building, on a terrace opposite the Galleries of Justice is odd, like it is being viewed out of context. The gap at ground level conceals stairs which go down to an unremarkable door.

On to the Nottingham Contemporary - a modern art museum/gallery that is almost impossible to photograph in all it's green-and-gold design-by-committee goodness.

This place is a restaurant - at the moment, but what a beautiful ornate building. Not sure of its history though.

Towards Nottingham Castle there is a little Georgian street. The houses are very old, very beautiful, and shamefully neglected.

This doorway, near the castle seems to be orphaned from the buildings around it. The consensus of opinion suggests that this is either the back door to Narnia, or opens upon a squalid estate agent's office.

The Flying Horse Hotel claims to be 15th Century, but is widely felt to be much later. It is quaint, and layered by time...and was completely gutted in the 80's - only the shell retains any character - the interior is just a bland shopping mall. A shame, perhaps.

Perhaps one of

Nottingham's best hidden secrets, the arcade under the town hall is grand, cool and a little bit posh.

I always feel like an oik when I walk through it. It is pretty though.