Category: Architecture

Great naan and average curry – 3 August 2024

Posted on by Zogman

Today was forecast with rain, but the weather was warm and dry for most of the day. After discussion we decided on a trip to Hamilton, to Bombay Cottage for a curry.

We got seated right away and although I had very little to look at in the conservatory, Scamp had a great view of some wedding guests being piped in to the Town House which used to be the Town Hall. It seemed to be a grand event with a piper and colourful bridesmaids, and of course a beautiful bride. Thankfully I was facing the wrong way and missed the show. What a shame. However I did see the lady photographer with her two cameras slung at hip height. I’m not sure I agreed with her handling of the cameras, in fact I’ve rarely seen any professional photog shooting one handed with her shooting list held in the other hand. I wonder how they turned out, and how many hours poring over Photoshop made them worth seeing.

Food was good, but not great, the naan was a bit underdone, but that was more our fault for not specifying ‘well done naan’. It’s saving grace was that it was there in one naan shaped piece and not the chopped up atrocity that ’s sometimes served. My Rogan Josh was a bit mild for my liking and Scamp’s Shimla Bhaji was similarly lacking in heat. All in all, ‘could do better’, but it was saved by the Ice Cream with Raspberry and ‘Scooshy Cream’. A house speciality. I just knew we wouldn’t need anything else to eat after we got home … and I was right.

It was still a lovely day, so we parked at Hamilton Palace Retail Park and walked down so I could take some photos of the Hamilton Mausoleum. Originally the burial place of the Dukes of Hamilton, but subsidence in the 1960s and 1970s mean they were re-interred in a cemetery in Hamilton. It is still an impressive building.

We extended the walk by taking in the underpass that goes under the M74 and allows access to Strathclyde Park, locally known as Straffie. On the way I managed a few shots of folk walking through the blacked out underpass into the light on the other side. Out of Hamilton and into Motherwell, or maybe into another world. It wasn’t clear!!! One of those shots got PoD

Once we were safely through the Stargate without entering another dimension, we walked back again, retracing our steps before driving home.

There was washing to be hung up and it did get a gentle blow for the wind for an hour or so, but then the weather looked like it was taking a turn for the worse, so we brought them in again. Just in time to miss the rain that had been promised by the weather fairies.

Watched two more episodes of the Turkish Detective and that about wrapped up tonight’s exciting viewing.

Tomorrow we may go out for a walk if the weather holds.

Out for a walk – 26 June 2024

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Today I was meeting Alex for a walk around Glasgow.

For once I was early at Buchanan Bus station, so early that I had a chance to go for a walk down Buchanan Street and grab some street shots there. When I returned to the bus station Alex was waiting for me and we went for a coffee as usual. He wanted to visit Princes Square to get some photos and I didn’t mind going there too. I chose different subjects though. He was interested in the criss crossing escalators at the far end. I was photographing the little coloured glass plates attached to the wrought iron railings. Each to his own.

From Princes Square we walked down Queen Street and turned left into Argyle Street, then Alex decided it was time for lunch so we went to Paesano for a very filling pizza each, ad as I had bussed it in to the town, I could have a glass or wine with my lunch. Alex is TT, so he had Coke. From there we went to the GOMA the second of Alex’s choice of places to go today. He wanted to go up to the gallery and take a shot looking down to the ground floor, taking in the elliptical handrails round the edge of the gallery … except, when we got there we found someone had hung a long banner from the middle of the roof light right down to the ground. There would be no photos of the elliptical galleries today. I felt sorry for him, because he’d brought a special fisheye lens for exactly that shot. As we were leaving the GOMA I got the PoD which was a line of folk sitting on the steps of the building with only the front two in sharp focus. Just one shot that worked really well.

I’d ordered a lens from WEX to check out on Sunday and it was due to arrive today, so we walked up to Blythswood Square and down to Bath Street, then left to take us to WEX and the lens. We both had a play with it with the bloke holding my 24-105mm as surety. Then we tried it’s new younger brother, the more expensive G2 model. Without any prompting, Alex said what I was thinking. “Wow! That’s solid as a rock.” What he meant was there was no shake in the lens the electronics in the camera and the lens were working together to hold the camera sensor steady on the target. We went back in and I told the salesman I’d take the G2 model. Unfortunately they didn’t have one in stock, but he’s ordered one to be sent up from Norwich and it should be with me by the weekend. It’s not been paid for, yet. Not even a deposit was asked for. Looking forward to trying it out properly.

We walked back through the barricades on Sauchiehall Street, had another coffee in Waterstones and a long natter about lenses and Buyers Remorse, then walked down to the bus station where I just missed the X3. It didn’t matter, I had my phone with Spotify and a pair of good earbuds. I listened to a varied and mostly interesting selection on the way home.

Scamp hadn’t had as successful day as far as food was concerned. Her lunch with the Witches wasn’t all that great. I get the feeling that Mac ’n’ Cheese in Brodens would have fitted the bill better. However, like me, she was there to exchange gossip, although, if asked, Alex and I would say we were sharing photographic information.

We watched the Sewing Bee and saw another contestant’s hopes of glory dashed on the cutting room floor.

Tomorrow Scamp has dentist in the afternoon, so I have to come up with something to keep her mind off it and she has to keep my mind of a Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 that just might arrive tomorrow.

A day in the Town – 6 June 2024

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I met Alex in Glasgow as usual at midday.

After a coffee we agreed that Kelvingrove Art Galleries would be the best place to go as the weather was far from settled. Sunny one minute and raining the next. Just short, sharp showers. We arrived just after 12:30 as the organist was getting things in order for the daily recital. After a few shots inside, Alex suggested we go for lunch.

We got a seat in the conservatory, and both of us settled for sandwiches for lunch. The building was quite crowded today, mainly due to a number of school trips being bussed in, and also a few sightseeing trip buses arriving. I suppose we have to accept that at this time of year. We usually visit in the winter or the early spring when it’s quieter.

We went back to the main building to get some more photos. Lots of opportunities to people-watch. Alex was off looking for new angles on the “Hanging Heids” in one hall, while I was looking for perspective shots down the long corridors. I found a model of an ancient glider hanging above the Spitfire in one of the halls. I had never seen that glider before in all the times I’ve been in the building. PoD went to one of the long corridor shots.

We did consider taking a walk up to Glasgow Uni to get some photos in the cloisters, but something was said or we turned a different way and both of us forgot to go back. Maybe another day. Instead, we got the bus back in to Glasgow, got off at the top of Sauchiehall Street and I manage to coerce Alex into walking to the WEX camera shop where I wanted to take a look at a couple of lenses. Both more expensive than I wanted, but worth a look. Came away without a front runner. One looked quality, but didn’t quite deliver. The other looked a bit cheap but produced better images. Both are on the back burner for now.

Walked down the shambles that is Sauchiehall Street now. Roads being dug up all the way down almost to Buchanan Street. What must visitors think when they see this level of disruption in what was once the second best street in Glasgow, now a building site?

A coffee in Waterstones cafe and then we were on our way to the bus station. We agreed the next photo walk will be in about 2 weeks, all being well. I got an email from Alex later to say he’d taken about 250 photos. I’d taken 55! Of those 55, 19 were test shots with the lenses in WEX. So, in reality, 36 photos taken!!

Scamp and I watched another Rebus episode an I agree with what you both said about it Hazy. That’s not Rebus. His voice isn’t born and bred Edinburgh. He doesn’t have the east coast lilt, and the Siobhan in the books was nothing like the poor wee girl in the series. Maybe she’ll toughen up in later episodes. I do like Cafferty, though!

I think we may be going out for lunch for the second time this week, tomorrow. Out with June and Ian.

 

 

The 29th day of February – 29 February 2024

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It only happens once in every four years and today was it.

Scamp was out to lunch (again) with Isobel and I was out taking photos with Alex. She drove to the Village and I took the bus in to Glasgow. Maybe we were celebrating ‘family’ because of this special day. Or may be we were just out having lunch.

Alex and I met at the bus station and went for a coffee while we discussed our outline plan for the day. I suggested taking the subway to Kelvinbridge, taking some photos, having a Paesano pizza for lunch and taking in some architecture and graffiti. I was fairly sure this would suit Alex as well as me, and I was right.

There were a few places around Kelvinbridge that met both our requirements. I always find the way the Kelvin rushes over the rapids and down under the bridge a bit strange and unnerving. I can’t explain that, I just find it a bit nightmarish and it always draws me in to watch it again. It’s something to do with a bridge above me with the water of the River Kelvin running under me.

We left the Kelvin to do it’s stuff and walk up the hill to Paesano (West End). Fed and watered we walked down the steps that took us to the walkway above the Kelvin and over it to photograph both Mrs McChicken and also the Caledonian Mansions a restored sandstone building above us on the corner of Gt Western Road. Alex loves architecture and so do I to a certain extent. From there we returned to Gt Western Road and walked west to Byres Road.

While I was buying two books with a book token I got from Scamp at Christmas, Alex was off photographing a wee lane near the Spanish restaurant Scamp and I had visited on Monday. We met up again outside the book shop and headed towards the subway to go back to the city centre. It was there we found some lovely light on Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church and spent another twenty minutes or more photographing it from all angles. Alex demonstrating his ability to photograph the reflections of it on car bonnets and roofs. He is one of the most inventive photogs I know.

Finally we walked into the subway and as the train came in, Alex was asked by a lady who seemed three sheets to the wind whether that train went to Glasgow. It’s a strange question, because the trains follow two concentric routes round the city. All trains go to Glasgow! He tried to explain that to them and they got on anyway. It was all part of a big adventure to them. Unfortunately we were in the same carriage as them and were caught up in their conversations which revolved around Fascinators and Hats. I sense a wedding was in the offing. When they got off at Buchanan Street I distinctly heard one ask if the train went any further. To which the answer was probably YES and NO. It’s all to do with the concentricity.

We went on to St Enoch and found some more subjects to photograph. Centered around the Metropolitan Church of St Andrew and the reflection of it on the mirror glass of its next door neighbour.

Another coffee to prepare us for the bus home and we went our separate ways. I had 105 photos with three of them rejected. Alex had a lot more. It was a really good day. Good conversation and interesting photos. I look forward to sharing them soon.

Today’s PoD was the Caledonian Mansions building.
Today’s prompt was for Gold. I’m not a seeker of wealth, so generally don’t have much gold about my person. Neither do I have any fish, although I did used to have a few Goldfish and a lovely Shubunkan until the cat found it, but I digress. I chose a goldfish as my final sketch for EDiF 2024. Such a placid fish it only needed some air bubbled through the water in its tank and the occasional flake food. This was an official 15 minute sketch with about half an hour of paint splashing later.

Scamp seemed to have a good day with Isobel who is considering whether to have another knee op. Strangely, so is Alex’s wife thinking the same thing. She has an appointment with the doc tomorrow to discuss the likelihood of it getting done. Who knows, they may end up in the same ward!

No plans for tomorrow, but I’m hoping I won’t be doing any sketching for a wee while.

 

Going out! – 4 January 2024

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Today we were going in to Glasgow on the bus.

We weren’t going for anything in particular, although Scamp had a free offer of a cup of tea and a cake for two at JL. So that must come first.

Because Scamp was the owner of the golden ticket, she got to collect the tea and a scone each while I was tasked with finding an empty table for two. I got one with a view up Sausage Roll Street, one of my favourite views in Glasgow. JL’s offer was for tea or coffee with a cake or scone with butter, but we had to pay extra for jam. I thought that was a bit mean of JL. Giving you something free, then asking you to pay for part of it. Penny pinching.

The rain had been torrential when we were heading to Glasgow, but when we stepped out of Buchanan Galleries the sun was shining and it remained shining all day long. We walked down Buchanan Street and along Argyle Street then down to Clyde Street, along the Clyde Walkway, then over the suspension bridge before turning right and along past the new Business Centre, turned right there and crossed The Squiggly Bridge to the other half of the Business Centre then back into the city centre with a stop at Nero for a coffee. Not a bad walk, that gave me nearly today’s 10,000 steps.

We hadn’t anything else to do, so we walked back through JL and just managed to catch the X3 for a run home, but not just home, because we stayed on and got off at the shops, a new experience for us, getting the bus to the shops! Scamp got flowers because it was Thursday and we chose some veg, prawns, noodles and sauce to make a stir-fry for dinner.

Scamp had intended taking the tree and decorations down today and I had intended having a practise of the Quickstep, but instead I sourced some pictures of the Kelpies to send to Simonne to add to a Memory Book for her dad. Then I wrote a message to Hazy and finally I updated the OS of my blog. It was only about two years out of date! If I get this blog posted, that will be most of my To-Do’s, To-Done! Yes, I know the apostrophe shouldn’t be there!

PoD was a photo of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Andrew down by the Clyde in Glasgow.

A good day out, just walking. No plans for tomorrow, but some things still on the To-Do list.

A walk around Glasgow – 26 July 2023

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Today I was meeting Alex for a walk around Glasgow and Scamp was off meeting the rest of the Witches for coffee.

I took the bus in to Glasgow today. Scamp had suggested I drive to the station and get the train, but a leisurely trip on the bus with a lady telling me the story of the Sinister Booksellers of Bath via my headphones was ideal for today. I was brave and only took the new A6500 with a couple of spare lenses. No big heavy A7iii with its collection of heavyweight glass today.

We started a long rambling walk by going down to Cathedral Street to see the new murals that had appeared and the College of Building & Printing which is currently being demolished. On the way back in the general direction of the bus station we passed the metalwork that guards the Buchanan Galleries carpark. The shapes in the artwork always intrigue me and one shot of it made PoD. We walked up Sauchiehall Street to Charing Cross without seeing much worth photographing, but a visit to the Mitchell Library just over the M8 motorway gave us some interesting views up and down the staircase. It also gave us a new place for lunch in the airy ground floor. From there we walked on to take a look at the Sikh Gurdwara where I ran out of space on my card. Something that hasn’t happened to me for ages. Luckily I’d packed a spare.

We walked further on, but the light just wasn’t there today, so instead we turned and walked back into the city centre. A cup of coffee later and we were heading for the bus home. Our long rambling walk had taken about four hours and accrued just over 14,000 steps.

Back home Scamp and after dinner I started the preparations for tomorrows meal. I was in charge of cooking the 600g of stew. Browned in the Le Creuset and then transferred to the Instant Pot to slow cook for three hours. I’ll let it cool overnight and do the rest of the cooking tomorrow.

We’re expecting our visitor to arrive tomorrow afternoon, so the morning will probably be busy.

Dunfermline Toon – 6 July 2023

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Off to meet my brother and drive to Dunfermline today.

The weather wasn’t as good as was predicted earlier in the week, but we’ve never let that stop us before and it wouldn’t today. After our traditional coffee we discussed our plans for the day. We were in the Peacock cafe which was chock full of screaming toddlers but a peacock, a real one, was parading around outside the cafe seemingly unaffected by the mayhem inside. I suggested we might start by going to visit the rest of the peacocks that roam free around the park. We saw a white peacock among the other ‘normal’ ones. Apparently only one in 30,000 peacocks is white. There you are, I bet you didn’t know that.

We walked back to find the path that would take us over the burn and up to the Abbey Church. On the way we stopped to watch a boy and his father (?) flying a small electric powered radio controlled Messerschmitt Bf109. The tiny little plane had a wingspan not much more than 400mm, but flew well. I think we both though “I want one!”, but we walked on and found the path.

The Abbey Church is a beautiful building and much better lit than Glasgow Cathedral, Alex commented, and I had to agree. We took a lot of photos and my favourite was the shot of the main part of the church, the ‘modern’ church. It’s a combination of two shots that allowed me to ‘paint out’ visitors who spoiled the view of the alter. That became PoD. As we were walking through the Nave on our way out of the church the rain that had been threatening all day came down in torrents and we waited until it had moved on before we left.

Lunch was in Wetherspoons in Dunfermline and again, just as we were leaving the rain became heavier, so we waited until the rainclouds had passed before we went for a walk up the Main Street, than back down to the park for the drive home.

I dropped Alex at the station and about ten minutes later got a text to say he was on the train. Dinner was Fish Fingers, Egg and Spaghetti. A family favourite.

Watched Andy Murray battering a ball about for a while and managing to start making inroads on his younger opponent’s initial lead. Poor Andy looked as if he’d done himself a mischief just before clinching the set. The umpire actually called “New Balls Please” just after it happened! Let’s hope they weren’t needed.

No plans for tomorrow, but the rain is lashing down again tonight as I write.

Corfu – 13 June 2023

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A bit run down now and a long walk from the port to the old town. Bit the bullet and got the bus back.

Things to remember:

  • That long walk in the hot sun.
  • Been there before, but couldn’t remember any of it.
  • New building built onto ancient ruins.
  • Camera bag for €40 after a bit of haggling, but no sale.
  • €44 tee shirt. Nice shirt but 40 quid(??), no thanks.
  • Narrow streets.
  • Congested.
  • It rained!
  • Beer next to a naval base.
  • German Torpedos on display at naval base.
  • The Holocaust statue.

Glasgow – 31 May 2023

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Met Alex today for a walk around Glasgow.

We should have been going to Dunfermline, but he called off from that yesterday and suggested Glasgow instead.

It was a rambling walk up Sauchiehall Street and on to Charing Cross, then further on to Park Circus. Lots of photos taken by both of us. I don’t know how many Alex took, but I took 69 shots and rejected a fair amount of them. PoD was a perspective shot of The Beresford which is now divided into private flats after a chequered history of casino, student accommodation, and billet for servicemen during the Second World War.

Lunch was on Alex and in what used to be called the Willow Tearooms. Very posh. I had an open sandwich with smoked salmon. Alex had an Ayrshire Ham and cheese toastie. The american girl who served us couldn’t understand me when I asked for a pot of Ceylon tea. Alex had to repeat it quite slowly as you would for a child. A … pot … of … Ceylon … Orange … Pekoe … Tea. Lovely food, terrible service.

We walked back down to the the Glasgow Concert Hall to find the steps thronging with posh frocks and tight suits. We still haven’t worked out what was going on, but there was a power outage at the time and maybe the fire alarms had sounded, but a lot of kids seemed to be clutching diplomas of some sort. Scamp thinks it might have been a graduation ceremony for one of the posh schools. Maybe she’s right. She usually is.

We said our goodbyes and he walked back to the bus station while I walked down to find the doors to Buchanan Galleries locked with guards only allowing people out, but not in. Possibly something to do with the power outage. I did manage to get in to the Galleries by another route, but the lifts were off in the multistorey carpark and I was on level 6!!

Drove home through chaotic traffic and posh frocks and suits crossing the road without thinking that the cars have right of way sometimes. Glad to get home to fish fingers and spaghetti for dinner.

Today’s final prompt asked for A Coin.
I decided three was better than one and that’s why there are three coins here. All are UK currency. A 10p on the right, a 20p coin in the middle and a little copper 1p on the left. Add them up:
10p + 20p + 1p = 31p on the 31st.
The end of this EDiM.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. Some difficult prompts and some easier ones, but no downright EASY ones. That would be no fun at all.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to dance the afternoon away at Glenburn.

Off to Embra – 29 April 2023

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It was not a very nice day today, so we got the train to Edinburgh to see if it was any better there.

It wasn’t. It was just the same smirr falling from the same sky on different buildings. So we put our hoods up and walked Morrison Street then through the canyon at the Conference Centre and on to Lothian Road where we stopped for coffee at Nero. Thankfully the coffee was better than the watered stuff we seem to get in Glasgow nowadays. I must try the Black Sheep coffee shop in Glasgow to see if it’s an improvement. After coffee and a pastry each, we walked through the Farmers Market (which does seem to have its fair share of farmers and fishers) and I got myself a shoulder slice of hoggit which is a beast that’s older than a lamb and younger than a sheep. Murdo rears hoggits. I always try to get meat from Annanwater Farm in the farmers markets, because it is consistently good quality.

We walked on to the Grassmarket with its collection of stalls selling what is really just tourist tat. While we were there we had a look at the menu for Petit Paris, but decided it would be too busy on a weekend. Better to go on a weekday. The crowds were thickening now. Some of the individual in the crowds were very thick, standing in the middle of the road taking a photo of the castle on their phones, oblivious to the horns of cars blaring right at their backsides. They thought this was Scotland. Land of tartan and kilts and castles, but no cars!

As we climbed up the curving hill of Victoria Street the crowds and the queues got thicker. Thick enough to stand in a queue, in the rain, to walk round a Harry Potter shop. Needless to say, there weren’t many Scottish voices in that queue. We walked on. Eventually we got to JL Edinburgh. This was what JL looked like in Glasgow before it became a clearing house for all the second hand stuff that folk found they could live without. Scamp found stuff there that were on her shopping list for today. I walked round the “Toyshop” on the 5th floor and just looked at stuff that I couldn’t, or wouldn’t afford.

When we left JL we went looking for somewhere to eat, eventually settling on Wagamama. We had to wait for a table, but in out of the rain, thankfully as the rain was getting heavier as the day wore on. We were served by a Japanese lady who was careful to point out that my Grilled Chicken Ramen would be a bit ‘bland’ and when I asked for her suggestion she chose Shirodashi Pork Belly Ramen and she was right! Scamp had Chicken Raisukaree curry which looked very pretty and apparently tasted great apart from the ‘squeaky’ sugar snap peas!

Suitably fed we walked to the station just as the train was pulling in. We were entertained by two Edinburgh intelligentsia. The lady was the ‘numbers’ person and the gentleman was the investor, preparing to make his first million just as soon as he was old enough to buy a scratch card. It was an education, especially because they were both deadly serious.

Well, the rain hadn’t stopped all day, but by the time we got home it had dried up and at about 6pm a watery sun shone for a while.

PoD turned out to be two workers on the top of a multi storey block. I’m guessing they’d a current Working At Height certificate.

No plans for tomorrow.