X is Xmas Shopping

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 24.

Christmas shopping is the last thing you want to think about in spring but here are some random sightings from last year.

W is for Water

A-Z Challenge.

 Random Sightings No 23.


Slowly but surely the end of the challenge approaches. I shall be overrunning into May but at least I intend to finish although I'm not sure if that entitles me to a survivors certificate.

Today some watery pictures.

V is for Vacant

A-Z Challenge.

 Random Sightings No 22.


Some random pictures loosely based on the theme 'vacant'.

This building, the remains of a Victorian factory on Leicester's Frog Island, has been vacant
for as long as I can remember.

Dominoes, a much loved toy shop which has provided generations of Leicester's children
with happy memories, is now shut. Although it continues on the internet, you can't help
feeling a pang of loss.

Some vacant seats in the Theatre of Dionysus below the Acropolis in Athens.
They don't look very comfy.

U is for Up

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 21.

Some random pictures loosely based on the theme 'up'.

T is for Traffic

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 20.

A belated letter T. Hopefully I'm back on the straight and narrow though I will try and blog tomorrow to help make up for lost time.

Traffic. It's so ubiquitous that we rarely notice it. It annoys us when drive in it or try to cross the road but as often as not we go to great lengths to edit it out of our lives especially when taking photographs. So going against the flow I'm posting some traffic related pictures.

View of a road from a footbridge in summer.

The same road in winter.

Traffic passing under Leicester's Belgrave flyover.

No traffic passing under the flyover because they've decided to demolish it
(it didn't really go any where as it was part of a bigger traffic scheme that never materialised)

Buses. For a time I became slightly obsessed with the reflections
on the fronts of buses. I liked this one because so many things
 where going on – the driver waiting to pull away, the traffic
lights on red, the woman on the top deck checking her phone.
Sadly no one else seemed to share my enthusiasm.

And for good measure – another bus.

Apologies

Due to a series of unforeseen circumstances I've been unable to blog for the past few days. I'm hoping to resume normal service tomorrow and catch up with A-Z challenge. Having got this far it would be a shame not to finish.

S is for Sing a Song

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 19.

Here in Leicester we like a good pork pie. Although traditionally associated with the Leicestershire market town of Melton Mowbray, where they have Protected Geographical Indication status*, similar pies are produced elsewhere in the county. The giant specimen pictured below with it's distinctive fluted pastry (Melton pies have a different style of pastry) was on display over Easter in Walkers Pie Shop in Leicester.

The old children's nursery rhyme begins:

    Sing a song of sixpence,
    A pocket full of rye.
    Four and twenty blackbirds,
    Baked in a pie.

    When the pie was opened,
    The birds began to sing.
    Wasn't that a dainty dish,
    To set before the king?

Walkers Pie Shop and below some normal sized pork pies.

*Protected Geographical Indication status, means that only pies made within a designated zone around Melton, and using uncured pork, are allowed to carry the Melton Mowbray name on their packaging.

R is for Reflections

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 18.

Random reflections for a Monday.

Q is for Quaffing

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 17.

Beer quaffing that is. Some pictures taken at the National Winter Ales Festival in Derby this February. The festival was held in the Derby Roundhouse, a former Victorian railway locomotive works and is conveniently close to Derby train station so no drink driving back to Leicester I'm glad to say. These pictures were taken on the final day and, as you see from the sold out signs, some serious quaffing had been going on. First up though, a picture of the amazing roof.

P is for Pharmacist

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 16.

Slight cheat today – apologies for that – as I've posted a picture of this before. It was a long time ago though. The sun is out and I should have been out with my camera taking pictures for the challenge but prior commitments have kept me indoors I'm afraid. Very frustrating.

So here's one from my travels round Leicester last year. It consists of a glazed tiled advertisement for 'headache drink Sea Breeze' with a depiction of a medieval alchemist above. It was part of a shop premises built for TE Butler, Son and Co., Chemists; dating from 1903 (although the business was established in 1840). The shop is situated on the corner of High Street and Cart's Lane. The building is Grade II listed.

I've a brief explanation of the listing of buildings here:

http://breaking-cover.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/listed.html

O is for Overhead

A-Z Challenge.

Random Sightings No 15.

Today I'm posting some random pictures taken of the skies above.