Keep off

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Well, New Years Eve is here, and for Guisborough that means the cross is boarded up and fenced in to stop the revellers from climbing on it and damaging it.

Where did that year go? Hope you all have a happy new year.

Cow and calf

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Taken during our walk around Tow Law. I really like the look the calf seems to be giving me

Leaves

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Another shot from Stewarts Park. I spotted that these leaves had been blown against this fence and it was making an interesting composition. Shame there wasn't any sunlight giving backlighting though, or any sunlight for that matter

Barbed wire

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Yesterday we went up to visit our friends in Tow Law. After a good night out playing Pool and Dominos, the following day we went for our usual walk.

While wandering around the country roads around Tow Law, we saw three totally seperate trees that had barbed wire growing through them. Presumably the wire was hammered into the trees to hold it in place, and over time the trees have retailiated and grown to cover the barbed wire.

Totem pole

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I'm suffering with a bit of a cold so thought I'd get out and take a few shots and blow the cobwebs off. I decided to go to Stewarts park, on the way towards Middlesbrough, and as an added bonus the sun was shining as I set off. By the time I got to the park, the sun had gone and it was overcast and grey, as it has been for about the last week, typical.

This was one of the shots I managed to come back with. If I'm correct it is a traditionally carved Nootka totem pole from Canada guarding the entrance to the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. It is possible I've got it wrong though as there is a second totem pole alongside it, but unless there's an expert on totem poles looking in, I'm claiming this is the Nootka totem pole.

Crackers

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Still desperate to get out and take some shots. Here's a couple of crackers on a tree

After opening the presents

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Christmas morning, after opening the presents, you always end up with a big pile of wrapping paper. Some of my presents can be seen in the foreground.

A Happy Christmas to everybody.

Empire Teatro

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With a complete lack of planning I found myself having to go into Middlesbrough to get Christmas presents for my wife today. It was a totally miserable grey day, but as I walked back to the car after a few hours of tramping around, I managed to snatch a few shots. There were only two I liked and this was one of them. The guy who owns the Empire Theatre I think also owns this car, and it's a very eye catching motor.

Dove cottage

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I was hoping to get out taking some festive shots around Guisborough market today. But unfortunately it never happened. So I'm back to the archives again. This one was taken in Whitby, alongside the 199 steps. I walked up the steps, and coming down I walked down this alleyway. Towards the bottom it was very very steep. I assume it's only used for access into the houses that back onto it. Not sure what the refuse collectors do to empty the bins though.

Waiting

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I had a great night last night. Took my son up to Newcastle to the Fratellis and Kasabian. Brilliant stuff.

As a total contrast to last nights event I'm posting this shot, which is more on the calm side. It was taken in Shropshire at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. It's one of these museums where they've reconstructed buildings from the past, and when I went they had people in each of the buildings performing whatever tasks went on.

I'm not quite sure what this guy was waiting for, probably for 5:30pm to come around so he could go home.

Tree and cow

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Another shot taken just down the road from where I live, this was taken early in the morning once again

the last leaves

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This shot was taken when I was at Whitby, the last time I had the camera out in earnest. I was walking back to the car and saw the last remaining leaves ready to fall from this tree

The balloon seller

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I think this shot was also taken while walking around Covent Garden in London

Bottles and corks

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Another shot taken at the same time as the earlier corks shot, as you probably guessed.

Foxdale Farm

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Another early morning shot around Guisborough, before the sun came up

Beard

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This was taken a number of years back on a trip to London. If I remember correctly it was taken around Covent Garden and there was what appeared to be a Punch and Judy show convention. This guy seemed to be heavily invoved in proceedings

The red gate

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The title says it all really, spotted this gate while out for a walk just after I'd bought my latest camera earlier in the summer. It felt great to be using an SLR again, but the results from that first shooting session were by and large very disappointing. This was one of the better shots and I was attracted by the red/green complimentary colours.

Whitby harbour

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It was a bit grey when I took this, but there was some sunlight hitting the buildings. Not much else to say about it really

Corks

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Another shot taken at Whitby. I was walking back to the car when I spotted these corks in a shop window.

Give me a kiss

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This was taken on a trip to London a few years back. I spotted this guy while we were walking around Covent Garden. He was asking for money to get a drink and in exchange I asked if I could take a couple of photos. He agreed and this was one of the resultant shots

Sun on boats

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It's a really miserable morning today, so I thought I'd post this from earlier in the year. It was taken at Staithes on Good Friday. Although it was a bank holiday, the artist David Curtis was sat there painting, as he quite often is.

Town Hall

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While taking my son to his football match this afternoon, we did a detour into Middlesbrough to drop off my daughter. When we set off again we passed what used to be the North Riding Infirmary. I didn't even know it had been demolished! Too be honest I'm appalled, yet another unique building gone, no doubt to be replaced by some bland flats or another supermarket.

This wouldn't be allowed to happen in London, it's a disgrace in my opinion, the local council and Ray Mallon (mayor) should be ashamed. Anyway, here's Middlesbrough Town Hall, not enough glass and steel, so no doubt it'll be on the hit list some time in the future.

Reflected bottle

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This is my final shot of the bottle of notes for now, but this one's my favourite. Obviously I needed a straight shot of the bottle first, otherwise this probably wouldn't mean much. Anyway, also reflected in the windows of the new MIMA art gallery is the County Court building (the red brick one)

Acrobat

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This is a similar image to one that appeared earlier in my blog.

The reason I've included this one today is that last night I was watching the Glastonbury movie with my son. During one of the scenes at night, this balloon and girl appeared with the balloon illuminated from within, and hovered and swooped over the crowds below, just like she had done at Middlesbrough. Well, I'm assuming it was the same girl, it certainly looked like it.

Venus

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This is the shot that yesterdays reminded me of. Taken in the Louve, obviously it's the Venus di Milo.

It was sculpted by an unknown artist, and was found in it's present form, without arms, on the small Greek island of Melos, in the Agean Sea. It is believed that when the statue was intact, Venus held a bronze shield in one hand, and a mirror in the other in which she could admire her own beauty. Now commonly known as Venus di Milo, the sculpture is also known as "Venus of Melos" or "Aphrodite of Melos".

How big?

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Another shot of the bottle of notes. This one reminds me of a shot I took a few years ago, which I will put up tomorrow. The lad looking up at the bottle is my son

Bottle of notes

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This piece of art, found near the new MIMA art gallery, is called the bottle of notes, and was commissioned by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in 1988. It was finally installed September 14, 1993.

The dimensions for the bottle of notes is 30 x 16 x 10 ft, or for any of you modern guys 9.1 x 4.9 x 3.1 m

Statue

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this statue can be found outside the criminal court building in Middlesbrough. I assume it's a take on the scales of justice saying.

Creels

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Doing a little searching it would appear these boxes coverered with netting are called creels. They are used for catching crab and lobster. There are loads of them on the quayside at Whitby. I thought a close up of them would be quite nice.

Flags

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Another shot of Whitby

Archway

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I published a shot the other day just showing the top of this arch, so now I thought I would show the full arch to show it's location overlooking Whitby