Poor old Leicester...

I took a walk around the city centre of Leicester today and I have to say I found the whole experience depressing. There has been a lot of government money spent trying to make the place look better but it hasn't worked. I know the city council are trying their hardest but it just has the feel of some place slowly dying.

Take for example the new flag ship of the 'cultural quarter' the Curve. A magnificent building shoe horned into the city centre. From whichever angle you approach the building you get a favourable impression. It sits on Orton Square, which was named after Joe Orton, a nicely proportioned space. However directly opposite the building on the other side of the square is a club called 'G Spot' . The website leaves you with little doubt what this club is. This does nothing for the up market atmosphere that is trying to be engendered.

The rest of the cutural quarter is a mixture of empty premisies waiting to be redeveloped and expensivly renovated shops and offices, many appear to be vacant. I really, really hope that this impression is wrong but I just felt that for something that is supposed to be a vibrant creative place there was no life at all. This is so sad.

Herons, Coots and Flickr

Another busy morning.  Was up at dawn with a plan in my head.  I wanted to try and capture the Heron's I had seen the day before.   By 5am I was on the roads around Leicester in search of the Grey Heron.  Three hours later mission accomplished.  I then spent the rest of the day selecting and processing the images into photographs.   I'm happy with them, well as pleased as I ever am on the day of creation.

I have started to reactivate my Flickr account - I havn't used for a while.  I am now going to post the blog photographs as a set on Flickr.  Today is the first day and I am not sure whether I have got all the finer points sorted out.   So if you want to see these photographs on Flicr then click here.

I will be doing this from now on so my photographs will be able to other people than the readers of this blog.  I wonder how this is all going to work out?  Only time will tell.

Mallad mother and ducklings

Grey Heron - Abbey meadows, Leicester

Grey Heron - Abbey Meadows, Leicester

Grey Heron - Abbey Meadows, Leicester

Coots, Abbey Park, Leicester

Canadian Goose and Gosling - Abbey Park, Leicester

Coot on nest, Abbey Park, Leicester

Coot, Abbey Park, Leicester

Messing about with Landscapes

I thought I should do so more work on the Landscape project - after all they have to be submitted by mid July so I think I should come up with some new work.   So what to capture?   I decided to visit Abbey Meadows, a part of Leicester I used to know well but is no longer too successful - well it is mainly derelict awaiting redevelopment which is unlikely in the short term.  One thing it does mean is that there are some great photographic opportunities.

So I spent a couple of hours walking down by the canal and through Abbey Park and these photographs are the result.   I am not sure whether they are any good or not, I never am when I have just produced the work - usually I am more satisfied a few days on.  

Another bonus was the number of Herons I found by the canal - well worth a visit with the long lens to see what I can capture.

On a completely different tack I have just installed Google Chrome, well it installed itself when I down loaded Google earth.  I have to say I am really impressed.   It is a speed machine when searching the web, not a surprise I suppose but it does knock the spots of any other browser I have used.   So far this is really good.  I will never use it as the default browser as this must always be the Internet explorer (this is the lowest common denominator as all web sites will work with this even if not very well).   However, my day to day browser will be Chrome until I find something better.   Well done Google.