The Under Glass

Today's post has been inspired by Petrea at Pasadena Daily Photo. Actually I just copied here but imitation is the highest form of flattery, or something like that! Anyway, when I saw her photos I remembered we had the same glass skylights in the pavement in Cheltenham too, and thought they were worth sharing with you. Basically they let some natural light into the basements below. These examples are on the Prom by the HSBC bank. Most of them have been filled in with tarmac but two still survive. I think they are a really ingenious design feature.

Fancy Bank

I've shown you parts of the fancy HSBC building before (here and here) but here it is in all its glory. Standing at the corner of the Promenade and the High Street it is one of the town centres oldest and most ornate buildings. The higher up the building you look the more detail you see. I wonder why that is? Maybe its to do with presenting to Heaven. Who knows.

Don't forget its CDPB Theme Day tomorrow. The theme is Yellow and you don't have to sign up to join in, just copy the code into your post, so there are no excuses!

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Elegant Fanfare

It always pays to look up. I'm getting better at it but I'm sure I miss out on some great potential photos by only taking shots at eye level. This bugle playing lady is high up on the front of Que Pasa bar. Before that the building was a pub called Toad At The Olde Bank, I guess that name comes from the building once being a bank. I'm not really sure how old the building is, I'm guessing old though! This lady, and her equal on the opposite end, look Art Deco to me. Any ideas?

I really like the shadows and curved lines in this photo. Remember, look up and you could be pleasantly surprised.

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Looking Up

Ornate features like this one are just waiting to be seen. The problem is that most of the detail on buildings is above eye level, and my problem is I never look up. Until now. Taking my lead from other CDPB, I looked skywards and saw all sorts of interesting things. This narrow bay window is up on the side of the building used by HSBC bank. The building dates from 1890 and is on the Colonnade, at the top of the Promenade. The building is awash with relief carvings and balustrades, its a fine example of the architecture of the time.

For those that are interested the motto underneath the window, Cum Prudentia Sedulus, means Diligent With Prudence.

(I know I've shown pigeons several times before, but the ones in this photo are an added bonus!)

Marley In Stratford-Upon-Avon - Day 2

Here are some more photos of my family outing to Stratford-Upon-Avon to celebrate my mums birthday.

I don't know if Shakespeare kept his money here but now its a branch of HSBC.

Statue of Stratfords world famous son by the marina.

Shakespeare's house, now a museum and part of a visitors centre. Too expensive for us to visit!

People enjoying a glass of wine in the afternoon sun on a barge. What a life.

A native American pan pipe player! These guys are often seen in towns up and down the country, trying to sell a CD or two.

I hope you've enjoyed the photos of Stratford-Upon-Avon I've shown over the last few days. Back to Cheltenham tomorrow.

The Colour Of Money

No, this isn't two different branches of the Alliance & Leicester building society, its the same one. The coloured lights change every few minutes! Yes, it's a bank! They don't just change at night, it happens all day long too. And its not just the outdoor lights, its the lights inside as well! I go into this branch now and again and it makes my eyes hurt. The staff must have a permanent headache!

Victorian Style

Cheltenham doesn't have many red brick Victorian buildings, most of the towns buildings were built in the early 1800's or at the turn of the last Century, but the ones we do have are impressive. This one sits near the end of the High Street, at the pedestrianised junction of Cambray Place. As you can see the ground floor is occupied by the Bradford & Bingley Building Society but the top three floors are home to Wedding Days bridal shop. From the coloured brick inlays to the clock and weathervane this is a stylish looking building.

If you click on the photo for a larger image you should be able to see the netting that covers the roof and most of the front of the building to protect it from pigeons and their mess!

How Much Is That Kitty In The Window

Continuing yesterdays theme of banking, I spotted this chap in the window of the HSBC bank, at the junction of the Promenade and the High Street. He is there to promote the banks latest advertising campaign of "greener banking". The T.V adverts show the banks teaming with animals and birds, with employees fighting their way through dense undergrowth while sweating due to tropical conditions. All I found were queues for the ATM's and only two tills open!

A Rock And A Hard Place

At the moment this is the position the British Government find themselves between. I am by no way an expert on financial matters, and find this all a bit confusing, but basically the Government must decide whether or not to nationalise the Northern Rock bank, who are the UK's fifth largest mortgage provider.

Back in September last year the bank was forced to ask the Bank of England for emergency financial support (£25 billion) due to loaning money beyond its means, because of the global credit crunch. This caused savers with Northern Rock to start drawing out there savings, leading to queues outside branches and the companies website crashing. The words "don't panic" by those in charge brought about the first run on a British bank in more than one hundred years.

At present every tax payer in Britain has provided over £2,000 to help the Government keep the bank from declaring itself bankrupt and causing a serious recession. The money lent is now to be repaid in bonds by the bank and its hoped that a private group will buy the bank, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is in the running. If this didn't happen and the Government nationalise Northern Rock they would be responsible for some of the mortgages in the country, which is not a position any Government wants to find themselves in.

There's something to be said for keeping your money under your mattress!

For a more detailed timeline of the Northern Rock crisis check out http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7007076.stm