Category: Building

Off to Embra – 29 April 2023

Posted on by Zogman

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.

A day in the Toon – 30 March 2023

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Meeting my brother for a walk, some photos, a spot of lunch and a blether.

His choice was Glasgow and my choice was Glasgow too today. However, his idea was a walk round what we could call the City Centre, while I wanted to head out to the west in search of interesting architecture. We combined the two with a walk round the city centre photographing interesting architecture. First though we had the traditional coffee in Nero and caught up on what was happening in both families.

With the updates done we headed off down Buchanan Street to get some photos of the subway entrance on Buchanan Street itself. It has a lovely green glass cover over the entrance, although you don’t really see the green tinge unless the sun is shining like it was today. From there we ignored all the retail opportunities on either side and Alex took some shots of the other, completely different, entrance to St Enoch’s subway station. It’s a futuristic domed glass cover, not at all like Buchanan Street’s green glass box.

Two in the bag for Alex. Next we walked east along Argyle Street which used to be a fashionable street for clothes, but is now a bit down at heel with more and more shops with closed signs on the windows and doors. A sign of the times perhaps. We were looking for cranes. Big, gigantic tower cranes. They were right at the end of Argyle Street. I could see what I wanted to photograph, but if I stood on one side, signs and traffic lights were obstructing my view and if I stood on the other side it was the old sandstone buildings that were in my way. The only way to solve it was to wait until the green man appeared and stand halfway across the road. Bingo, three shots taken before the lights changed! Of course, we both took a lot more than that, but they were only fillers. The ones from the middle of the road were the money shots.

We walked round and had a cursory glance at Merchant City Cameras which will forever be Quiggs. It’s not been the same since Mr Quigg’s son sold the shop. I think the present owners are struggling to keep it afloat. Not surprising as it’s only enthusiasts who are buying cameras when mobile phones do such a good job of capturing the moment.

We walked back to Miller Street to Paesano. The real reason Alex wanted to come to Glasgow. Best pizzas in town. Only bettered occasionally by the West End shop of the same name. We must try that one the next time we’re out west.

Next target was the GOMA in Queen Street. That’s where today’s PoD came from. I just liked the relaxed way that bloke was sitting there.

Our final jaunt was down the Clyde Walkway to admire the graffiti. I also grabbed some shots of the mirror glass frontage of the Archdiocese of Glasgow building which stands next to the much older St Andrew’s Cathedral.

From there it was the long plod up to Buchanan Street bus station, a quick hug and then off home on our respective buses.

Back home Scamp had retained the last of the Just Soup and that became dinner. We had a first run through of the new Quickstep routine and, as Scamp had told me, it wasn’t nearly as fearsome as I’d imagined. Another practise tomorrow if all goes well and we should be fit for Saturday.

No great plans for tomorrow, although Scamp fancies going to her FitSteps class. Having just completed over 16,500 steps today, I’ll pass on that class.

Nae Dancin’ – 4 February 2023

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It wasn’t us who called off today it was the teachers.

We were up, showered, dressed and ready to go when a WhatsApp message alerted us that the already depleted class had suffered another call off and that the teachers had decided the class wouldn’t go ahead today. A bit of a disappointment for me but a much greater one for Scamp. So we changed back into ordinary clothes from our spandex and lycra ’Strictly Suits’ and discussed what to do with the day.

Eventually we made the decision to go to Stirling for lunch. That meant Indian Cottage. For us it’s the only place to go for food in Stirling. We’d intended parking in the ‘council’ car park, but it’s now run from an app and I didn’t have the app. Also I’d heard bad things about ‘RingGo’ so we parked at Waitrose because we’d be shopping there later.

Indian Cottage was busy but there wasn’t a queue. We recognised most of the staff from the last time we’d been there. Later Scamp reminded me that we’d been less than complimentary about the food the last time we’d visited. This time it was all good. Good food, good servers and the naan bread we had was ‘well done’ as requested. Hopefully we’ll be back again soon.

We took a walk around the Thistle Centre. I was looking for a book, any book that interested me as I’m still eking out my last few pages of Project Hail Mary. Scamp was looking for tops and skirts in M&S. Both of us met again later empty-handed. However Scamp did manage to find something that suited her as we walked back to the car. I’m not saying what, but all will be revealed later in the month DV.

We did go to Waitrose to pay for our parking by buying some lamb for me and a couple of bottles of wine for Scamp, well, for both of us really. It’s just that she’s a much better chooser of wine than me. With that done we donated our parking space to a worthy driver who was tired of waiting and waiting for a space, and drove home.

I’d taken a couple of shots of a building in Stirling that I’ve meant to photograph for ages. When I go it home and added a better sky than nature provided today, it looked good and became PoD.

Today’s prompt was ‘A Good Year’. Just for fun, I found it on Prime Videos and we watched it tonight. I’d already planned to use a picture of a wine bottle for the prompt because the story is based in a vineyard, but then I saw the car Russell Crowe drives and knew it was a better subject for today. So a yellow Smart Car made the sketch of the day.

Tomorrow I must decide whether I’m having a lamb shoulder shank or a lamb rolled shoulder, or maybe neither and they’ll go in the freezer and Scamp will come up with something different. I’ll let you know!

 

Out on the town – 8 December 2022

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We were both out to lunch today, but in different place and with different people.

Scamp has a lunch date with her pal Mags and I had a photo walk booked with Alex. We caught the same bus, but I hopped off early at Greenfaulds, crossed the road at the underpass and caught the fast bus in to Glasgow.

I got there half an hour before we’d agreed to meet and as there was no sign I decided that either Alex was still travelling or else, more likely, he too had come in early and had gone to get some photos. Either way, I probably had time to get my hair cut. Just walked in and got a chair right away. Fifteen minutes later I was back out with a number four all over, plus ears and eye brows done for less than a tenner. Walked back to the bus station and met Alex. He had been off on his own taking photos.

He wanted to take some photos of the old Pavilion theatre and once we walked over to it, I could see why. Even although it was midday, the sun had a distinct warmth to its colour. We took a few photos and it wasn’t until I was processing one tonight I noticed just how steep the hill it was built on was. We walk past these buildings all the time and don’t notice these things. With a few photos in the bag we went for coffee in Nero because photogs run on coffee.

During the coffee break we set out a plan for the day. This was Alex’s choice of venue and he had an outline plan of what he wanted to take. I added in a few ideas of my own and we started out down the hill to Buchanan Street Subway entrance which always draws us when the light is strong and it was very strong today. A few photos there and then on to George Square where we took some photos of the carnival rides.

A stop in Paesano for a pizza lunch and a glass of red wine for me because I wasn’t driving today and then on toe Princes Square for more photos. From there we walked on through St Enoch’s Square to the Clyde and walked down the walkway to the Squiggly Bridge whose proper name is the Tradeston Bridge, but nobody calls it that, taking photos all the way. Then it was back to Nero in St Enoch’s for more coffee before our final photo destination for the day which was George Square for some early evening ‘blue hour’ shots of the attractions. When SD cards were full we walked back and got our buses home. This time I chose to take the X3, the slow bus because I’d already completed 13,000 odd steps and the X3, while slow, stops nearly at our door.

264 photos taken and after the first cull 114 of them were on the cutting room floor, leaving an acceptable 150 deemed worthy of a place in today’s shoot. PoD went to a monochrome shot of Buchanan Street Subway entrance/exit, but another two shots are in Flickr.

Tomorrow Scamp is probably going to FitSteps, but I’m hoping to have a relaxing morning.

Checking out the Humans – 25 November 2022

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Not an early start today, but I got a fair bit of work done once I was up.

Scamp was out at 11am for her FitSteps class and I began my cleanup of the back bedroom, my painting room. I managed to clear most of the chest of drawers. Some of the things I wanted to keep went into a drawer, most of it went into the bin. I even dusted the two bookcases in the room. It’s not nearly finished, but it’s started and that’s the main thing.

After lunch we drove over to The Fort and while Scamp went shopping, I went looking for photos of Provan Hall which I remember sketching about fifty years ago. I’ve still got that wee sketch somewhere. Drawn with a dipper pen in blue shellac based ink. Unfortunately once I’d battled through a rainstorm, I found that the 15th century building was getting a facelift and seemed to be in the middle of a building site. I did get a few photos, but they were more record shots than anything creative.

I walked back to the car in the gathering gloom looking for a last minute photo, then I remembered the three deer who are always ready for a photo opportunity. Instead of the usual face on view or the profile shot, I chose to shoot over their bronze heads as they checked out the Humans, and wondered what the glitz and jingle bells nonsense was all about. I used a wide aperture, meaning that the background of the shops in their festive splendour would be just a warm blur.

We drove home and Scamp wisely used the Hive app to turn the heating on for a half hour ‘boost’ when we were halfway home, ensuring we had a warm welcome when we arrived. It had been a cold, wet day and the house was indeed toasty when we got back.

Dinner tonight was Scamp’s veggie chilli and a baked potato. Like soup, the chilli tastes better the second day, or as was the case here, the third day.

Tonight we had a practise run through of the Cameron Quickstep and ironed out a few problems, then we did the same with the Gershwin Foxtrot, a lot of which had slipped my memory.

Both of these dances will be contenders for further changes and additions tomorrow at Brookfield.

Glasgow on the bus – 19 November 2022

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After struggling through Wordle and Spelling Bee (still working at it), we got dressed for the cold, because it was a lovely clear, dry day, but chilly, and headed out to Condorrat to get the bus to Glasgow.

When we got there we found that the the X37 was running late and was full with passengers, standing room only, when it arrived. We did both get seats, but others were still standing. Neither of us had experienced that before for the 20min trip to Glasgow. I don’t think the driver or the bus had experienced it either, because both were doing a fair bit of grumbling.

We’d forgotten that Glasgow would be busy, because it’s Christmas, or more accurately Xmas. There is a difference. The place was mobbed. People everywhere. We’re not used to shopping on a Saturday, or Sunday. We’re the lucky ones who can go shopping mid-week, so this was a bit of a culture shock.

We decided, after a quick browse in JL, that it would be best to visit Paesano for an early lunch before the rest of the hordes descended. We got a table right away! That doesn’t mean Paesano wasn’t busy. It was, but there were a few tables-for-two available. Scamp had a Number 1 (No garlic – Yes I know there is no cheese) and a side of rocket and parmesan. I had a Number 3 and a side of burrata and tomato. Washed down with a glass each of red wine. It’s such an ‘Italian’ place. Lots of folk sitting talking and eating. It’s not until you stop and listen that you hear all the different accents and languages overlaying each other. So strange in Glasgow. I don’t think it would be so strange in London!

Fed and watered, we went down to Argyle Street and wandered along for a while, then back along Queen Street where I got a photo I’d been thinking about. Then on to Buchanan Street where I knew the photo’s alter ego was waiting. They didn’t make PoD. That accolade went to a photo of the GOMA (Gallery Of Modern Art – Glasgow). However you should look for the pictures comparing the Roof Decorations on Flickr.

With nothing much else to do and because the crowds were so thick on the ground, we got the bus home. Not nearly so busy on the way back, thankfully.

Watched the Qualifying for tomorrow’s final F1 GP of the season and then Strictly. We both agreed that there’s not all that much dancing in Strictly. Scamp has been saying for weeks now that the whole program needs revamping. I’d agree. It need a complete re-shuffle. If it’s good enough for Rishi Sunak, it’s good enough for Strictly.

Tomorrow looks wet. We’ll make the best of it, maybe with some soup!

 

‘A’ listed ruin – 3 November 2022

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I was off this afternoon with my brother to see a ruin.

In the morning I thought we’d made a bit mistake. There was sunshine early in the morning, but that didn’t last and the clouds started rolling in. Were we even going to any light on the building? Maybe not. Then, just after lunchtime the clouds began to thin and the sun was trying to get out. It might just work after all.

I picked up my brother just before 2pm and we drove to Wishaw. We had both checked when the light was in the best position for photographs of this ruin using The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE) and Photopills both confirmed that the sun would be in the best position between 3pm and 4pm and we were heading directly at that time.

We parked at a burger van car park and walked down a private road. We couldn’t drive along it, but it was a sunny day and we had agreed that we’d go for a photoWALK today, so we walked. We walked for half a mile downhill and found Cambusnethan Priory sitting there. No barricades, no chain link fence, nothing to stop us wandering around this 19th century ruin. Halfway up one wall of the entrance there is a small sign warning you not to enter the building. That is the preventative measure. We wandered round taking pictures all the time. Of course, neither of us went into the building itself, because we’d read that small notice. The good light had gone behind a cloud now, it might have seen us coming down that long hill. It didn’t stop us taking photos. I don’t know how many my brother took, but my total was 54 photos taken of which 6 were rejected, so 48 keepers. The PoD turned out to be a view of the front of the building reflected in a very dirty, very big puddle. A ‘Puddle Pic’ my brother called it.

Now, what goes down must go up again. We packed our bags and climbed that big hill, and it was a big hill. We stopped once to look at a hole in a telegraph pole or maybe it was a power cable it was carrying. It was a wooden pole with a neat oval hole about three or four metres up from the ground. The hole was about 10cm high by about 5cm at its widest. It was neatly chiselled out probably by a beak. I’m glad I saw it, because it gave me an excuse for a rest. When we turned around the sun was shining brightly again and we both wanted to go back down and have another chance of some better lit photos, but we knew that wily sun was watching us and it would hide behind a cloud as we reached the building. We walked on and were on the longer, straighter part of the walk. This time I made it a request that we stop to get my breath back. That’s what’s wrong with St Mo’s. It’s a great place to wander round, but there’s not nearly enough hard climbing. I might go out every day, but I’m just doing easy climbs. Must try harder (climbs!). We walked on after watching the colours change on the trees.

I was glad when we were back on the level, potholed, puddled path again and even happier when we were on our way back into Motherwell. Dropped my brother off and we agreed we needed another day at Cambusnethan Priory.

Drove home to find that Scamp was making Prawn & Pea Risotto for dinner. All the chopping had been done and she was waiting for me to arrive so the cooking could begin. That was lovely risotto. Best I’ve tasted for ages.

Tomorrow were on the road again.

Roses and lunch – 15 October 2022

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We’d intended going in to Glasgow today, but …

We really had intended going in to Glasgow on the bus today, but half way to Condorrat I realised my watch was still charging in the house. By the time we went back, we’d missed the bus, the only bus for an hour. The best thing to do was to have lunch, but then I mentioned to Scamp that I’d seen one of the roses she loves in Torwood the other day. That changed the whole complexion of the day. We would drive to Torwood for a rose and grab a spot of lunch while we were there.

There were a host of roses in the garden centre and thankfully they had her rose too, Sheila’s Perfume. She’s had one for a few years now, but she transplanted it last year and it never made any decent growth this year. Just to insure against the original rose being lost in the winter, a second one wouldn’t go amiss. That was the theory, anyway. The fact that another rose in the garden would never go amiss wasn’t in her head at all …! For the new rose we needed a pot, but we had enough compost at home to give it a good start. With plant and pot bought, I put them in the boot of the car and we had that spot of lunch.

First I had to drag Scamp away from the knitwear that attracts ladies of all ages like moths to a flame (some of them do get burned!) Lunch for both of us was a Tuna Toastie and half a Tipsy Cake each. Nothing very tipsy tasting in the cake. More rum essence than real rum in the cakes. Strangely, for a little tea room in a garden centre, their coffee is made with real coffee and tastes like real coffee too. Impressed. On the way out, that flame was still attracting the lady moths, but Scamp resolutely passed it by and we drove home.

Back home, Scamp was set up with another coffee and a good book, but I needed a PoD which turned out to be a picture of a bunch of rosehips framed in branches with wicked looking thorns. Pretty to look at but you’ll rip yourself to shreds if you try to pick them. That was the only decent photo of the day.

Dinner tonight was going to be a fish pie from M&S, but that has been postponed until tomorrow. We had a pizza instead. Then it was time to watch Strictly. I did watch a bit, but concentrated more on getting a decent score in Angry Birds. Matt Goss really needs to go and seek some medical help. I don’t think his head is securely fixed to his body. One of these time it will come clean off. I hope I’m there to see it. There seemed to be a dichotomy in the acts I did watch. Half were wonderful and clever. Half were dangerously bad.

Found out today that Isobel has Covid. She’s had it for about a week and is still positive. She sounds terrible on the phone according to Scamp. Hope she gets rid of it soon.

Today’s prompt was “Armadillo”. I chose The Armadillo in Glasgow. Originally it was called the Clyde Auditorium but as with so many structures in Glasgow it was becoming better know by its nickname “The Armadillo”. Now it’s officially the SEC Armadillo. It was completed in 1997 and is meant to represent a series of ships hulls.

Tomorrow we’re off to a tea dance in the Lantern House in the new Cumbernauld Academy. I won’t like it. It’s not my school.

No Games of Thrones – 6 August 2022

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Today was Dubrovnik whose ‘Old Town’ is famous as being the setting for Game of Thrones. I know it’s still really popular, but we watched the first episode and thought “Nah! Not for us”, and never returned.

After another late breakfast we walked off the ship and out into the more modern part of Dubrovnik. I had one task to complete and that was to buy a Dubrovnik tee shirt. Dubrovnik town is quite a pretty place in its own right. On our walk we found a Catholic(?) church with an old courtyard. Neither of us went in to the church. Across the busy road was a park that had been turned into an art display. All the seats had been painted in bright patterns and it looked like local children had painted posters and pinned them on trees. Next, at the end of the park was an interactive Science Park. All children centred and all interesting. Further along the road, Scamp found a fruit market and a smelly fish market she remembered from one of our first visits to Dubrovnik.

By then we’d reached the end of the road and turned right to keep the water on our right side. We found a park and in it was a naval gunboat the St Blaise. Allegedly “The first battleship of the Croatian Navy task force Dubrovnik. The symbol of resistance during the aggression of Serbia and Montengro on our town.” So say the Croatian Navy Veterans of Dubrovnik. Next an armoured vehicle, the Majsan used for the heroic defence of the City of Dubrovnik and its surrounding area during the homeland war. It’s an impressive lump of camouflaged steel and has what might or might not be the impressions made by enemy artillery on its side. Quite a strange collection of relics from a war that only happened about twenty years ago. It would seem that feelings are still a bit raw here. On a softer note, it seems the rear carrier of the vehicle is now home to a couple of stray cats!

We walked round the marina beside the park, then headed back to a cafe we’d passed earlier and had a beer there. From there it was an easy walk beside the harbour to the ship with the usual collections of catamarans, for-hire cabin cruisers and the now obligatory ‘pirate ship’, but nobody was hiring today. Scamp wanted to photograph some Agapanthus she’d seen earlier. She knew exactly where they were and the photos were taken along with some of Bougainvillea.

After lunch, Scamp went for a swim and I went for a walk down to the port under the high bridge where folk had been bungee jumping the last time we were here back in 2019 when the world was a totally different place. The bungee ropes were still in place and so was the jumping platform, but there were no jumpers today. I found a wee cottage with a lovely garden down by the port. I’m sure Scamp would have approved of the careful pruning of the flowers and bushes. I also found some scary looking cacti with big sharp looking spines, growing wild. I didn’t test their sharpness!

On the way back I stopped at the seamen’s bar (you have to be careful how you spell that!), had a beer and got the password for the wifi on the receipt. Managed to send a few messages back home and the beer was good too.

We found we’d a double booking for restaurants for tomorrow and chose to go with Sindhu, the Indian one. Managed to get the Glasshouse changed to Tuesday. Meant to go to a show, but cancelled and went dancing instead to more rapturous applause.

The PoD was a grab shot of Scamp walking past a chapel. The statue looked like a creepy lurker, I thought.

Another late night. Koper tomorrow.

Cool! – 20 July 2022

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A much cooler day.

We probably sat around too long this morning. We should have been out enjoying the sun and the breeze on a much more pleasant day. Eventually when Wordle had been completed by us both, we got our act together and drove in to Glasgow, me to get my hair cut and maybe look at trainers and Scamp to possibly look at shoes and maybe collect some foreign money.

First stop John Lewis, top storey for the money. After that we split up. I went to the barbers and Scamp went to Buchanan Street to look for comfortable walking shoes. I did get my hair cut (No4 on top and No3 on the sides and back). In and out in less than 20 minutes. That’s good going. We walked down to Tiso where I eventually settled on a pair of Columbia trainers. It was the same bloke who served me last week. The one who explained the good and bad things about every shoe in the shop. He was explaining to a new-start that the mountain in one of the pictures was the Quiraing, and that he used to live in a little village called Staffin at the bottom of that mountain. To break the ice I said “So you lived in Staffin?” He replied that he lived there until he was 5, and then left to go to the big city, Portree. We told him about our connection to Staffin and then got down to business. He gave us a discount on the shoes and Scamp thinks it’s because we’d been to Staffin. I think he was just glad to see the back of me after my fruitless search last time.

Back home and it was getting warm again. I’d saved some pennies on the trainers, so I felt I could splash out on some petrol. Just enough to take us over half a tank. Prices are coming down. Today’s price was 189.99 for petrol and 195.99 for diesel. Not brilliant, but a step in the right direction.

We read in the garden for a while when I came back but then Angela’s wee grandson was wandering about shouting and having a laugh in his sandpit, so I came in to peruse today’s photos. My favourite and eventual PoD was 110 Queen Street. It’s taken about two hours to get it from what I saw in the viewfinder to what I’d like to see on the screen. Nothing is ‘real’ in photography.

It’s now down to a two horse race in London. Liz Truss v Rishi Sunak. I think they should dispense with formality and make it “Strip to the waist and fight to the death”, except that would mean Truss would win!

I ordered some coffee and tea from the Bean Shop in Perth and it’s coming tomorrow. Have a look on their website, Jamie. Their selection of coffees is drastically reduced! I think they may be in trouble.

No other plans for tomorrow. We may go out and use some of that expensive fuel.