Misc - What's New

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 I hadn't realised the airport had moved. Runway 09 is a lot shorter than I remember.

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 Ah... the right way up, the 60th commemoration (slightly devaluing the Victory one from the occupation at the other end of the square) unveiled by Prince Charles last week...

... as his ancestor looked on.

 The Market Fountain tarted up for the Royal Visit.

Talking of princes, what used to be Prince's Hotel many years ago has changed its name from "Wack's Bar" (with an Andy Capp picture on the sign) back to Prince's.

 Someone's had a smashing time on College Hill...

 I can't think of any good reason to open it up, so I can only imagine it was accidental.

 Caught the accredited media doing an interview :)

 Another catering outlet-on-wheels at the Five Mile Road - this time at the Square Fort...

 .. closer. There's a planning application for another at La Pulente too.

 Hooray for Summer!

 And finally, I caught a secret squirrel.

Parklife

West Park, Triangle Park, People's Park...

Two trees have been felled today because of an infestation of Oak Processionary caterpillars which are a tad injurious to our health. Shame they couldn't sort out the problem without total removal.






Just fresh soil marks the spots.







Thankfully it doesn't seem to have altered the appearance of the park too much...






.. the tree cover looks more or less the same to my untrained eye...







.. although the trees do look a bit thin here.







Those gulls.









An old fire engine passes by on an outing...








.. another snap.

Spot the new building going on behind the Grand... nice way to spoil the roofline here Mr.Planning :(





.. this new artwork is a Carl Danby affair... meant to be our answer to England's white horses, etc... but people because it's People's Park.





Good evening Your Maj...

.. no it's not cut out - that's the geniune background.







What would Her Majesty have made of this backdrop, I wonder... would We be amused?







.. and this is such a dignified regal setting isn't it?





The car park is more 'open' since the Pav.'s old wall was taken down.

Well, now we know just how far west you have to go before the castle can be seen in full.



And on an entirely unrelated note, here's a drive-by snap of demolition starting on a boarded up Ann Court. Well... it's sort of park related... but "let's not go there" :)









So I've just passed the 200 piccy sets mark, and I've used 20% of my piccy allowance. I wonder if I'll make it to 1000 posts? And then what? Give up? Or maybe they'll raise the allowance by then? :)

Island Site - Liberation Square etc

Will someone liberate us from over-development please?








Liberation Statue...







.. detail...







.. from behind...







.. what a difference evening sunshine makes.







Looking over the white hoarding in the first pic, between the old WC block and the old/new Tourism building...







.. and around to the left side of the old toilets.. another nosey look.






Another peek into the Redevelopment In Progress...








.. it's going to be our answer to Covent Garden dontcha know :)







Nameplate








Looking back.
Now, a quick stroll down foreboding alleyway between two new buildings...




.. and we emerge here by this strange squat little thing.








For now... until they move again... *rolls*eyes*






The photographer's luck : the bloke on the left was probably the only person all day to read the info plaque by the reconstructed WWII gun position - my timing was perfect as I had to stand there like a lemon waiting for him to get out of the way :)