Category: Uncategorized

Since Hazel wanted some Peruvian decaf and my own stocks of Sumatran Manderling were running low, I took the bus to Perth today to sort us both out.  Not a bad trip really if you ignore the 20 min wait at Cumbernauld Town Centre.  It gave me a chance to take some shots of the dilapidated concrete crap we have to put up with as a town centre.  Two old ladies were bemused at me taking photos of the monstrosity.  It’s people like me that give photogs a bad name.

Clockwise from the top (bottom two link to larger images – you wouldn’t want a larger image of the TC, believe me, you wouldn’t)

1. This is the first sight drivers have of Cumbernauld Town Centre. It’s not the most welcoming sight, is it. It’s what happens when architecture goes bad.
   Cumbernauld Town Centre – The only place in the world where they had to halt demolition when part of it fell down voluntarily.
   Cumbernauld – The town they wanted to twin with Beirut and Beirut rejected the offer. Honestly, you can see why.365/300
2. By comparison, Perth lives up to it’s description of the fair city. The River Tay was quite high, but the view through the bridge was really nice.
3. Walking through Perth, I chanced upon this lamp post, yarn-bombed! The only one I could see in the street, but I’m sure there will be more from these urban guerrillas.

From Cumbernauld which should be bombed to yarn bombing in Perth. Quite a round trip, and I got the coffee @

The Bean Shop
67 George Street
Perth
PH1 5LB

Winter, it seems has begun.  The clocks went back this morning and, as is often the case, the weather was typically wintry.  Not excessively low temperatures, but dull, dull, dull with rain and wind too.  A taste of what’s to come, no doubt.

Clockwise from the top:

1. Little larch needles ready to drop. Click to enlarge
2. I managed a few shots of Mr Grey heron standing in the pond and was waiting for him to take flight. I thought I was ready with the camera set to Continuous (High), but when he did make his escape, the Nikon refused to focus 😐 Sometimes things just don’t work out. Click to enlarge
3. My wife’s favourite and after a bit of tuning in Lightroom, I have to agree, it’s probably the best one of the day. I’d have liked it to be a bit sharper, but given the conditions and the lack of light up here in the north, it’s the best I was going to get.
   365/299

Larch needles ready to drop.  Over the back of St Mo’s.

365/297

The victim of another windy day. In fact a dreich, windy day with nothing much to commend it.

Spent almost all day waiting in for the new bed to come.  It arrived at 5.00pm.  Building it was easy peasy – and they wanted £20 for that!  Anyway it’s built now and it seems really high.  May get nosebleeds tonight.

365/296

An afternoon off the leash in Glasgow with the “Old Guys”.  Spent the afternoon in the Horseshoe bar.  Managed to get this shot before we went in.  Not my best shot, but it covers my tail for picture 295 of 365.

Reflections of the GOMA (middle) and a couple of other buildings in the new goldfish bowl currently being constructed on Queen Street.

365/295

Our undercover reporter and photographer Dennis has the first photographs of the Peppers Peter Piper picked. According to reliable sources, the pepper container has been sealed and will be stored in an underground bunker deep in Carbrain. It is expected the peppers will remain active until at least 2525 if man is still alive (anyone remember those lyrics) and in that time they will be a natural source of heat sufficient to generate electricity for the whole of Scotland.

Bah! Who needs wind farms now, Alex?

365/294

I had to wait for quite some time for the sun to light the scene the way I wanted it.  I’d have liked to have been closer, but when I walked down the road to get that view the sun disappeared behind a very large, very black cloud, so the show was over.

365/293

Just take away the wheely bins and this could have been taken any time in the last two hundred years. The setts, the narrow alleyway, the dirty puddles and drab buildings drag the mind back into the 1800s. The toning and the overall softness help.
Taken today, just along from the Kings Theatre Glasgow.

365/292

We decided on a trip to Embra today. Now before we go any further, it’s Embra – right! It’s always been Embra and it always will be Embra. Right, now that we’ve got that sorted out, here is a taste of our day. We started off in Cafe Nero on Lothian Road as usual. Then up the Grassmarket where I heard this comment:

“… and this is the Grassmarket. I don’t know why they call it that.”

Ahem, the clue is in the name sir. It’s the Market where they used to sell the Grass. Geddit? They walk among us.
To continue the journey we went through the aforementioned Grassmarket and on through to The Meadows. Wonder why they called them that? Was it because of all the grass here? Back through the old town, past the uni and across the bridges before falling into the grasping arms of John Lewis Then lunch at Chaophraya in the glass box before going home.
Remember:

1. It’s Embra, It’s always been Embra and it will always be Embra
2. Think about the name.  There’s sometimes a clue there if you THINK.

Arches

Looking through towards Edinburgh University.  I just wonder why the ramp covers the first two steps only.  Do we expect the wheelchair users to fly up the rest?

Peter’s Yard

Saw this perspective shot walking towards The Meadows – Embra.

365/291

It was a very good year

Saw this at the door of a bookshop in Embra.  I thought it could be the motto for Blipfoto, which strangely enough originates from Embra.

We went out for a light lunch today to a local plant nursery, but it was completely full of grannies. Friday lunchtime must be granny time. I couldn’t decide were to go and eventually followed my nose to Klondike at Grangemouth. On the way home we had to drop in to see the Kelpies. Well, they were almost on the way. Strangely, given that this week is a school holiday here, we got parked and joined the throng threading their way around these beautiful statues again.

I presume the poppies are for Armistice Day, but they made a great colour contrast with the grass round the Kelpies.

365/290

The dark sky behind Harry the Happy Kelpie seemed to make him more serious today.

I don’t know what purpose these little sheds serve. However, they do look very cheery. At Helix Park, Falkirk

Pansy Potter was looking a bit wet and bedraggled this morning.