Theme Day - Contrast

Its the first day of the month and here in CDPB world its Theme Day. The theme for October is Contrast. Its safe to say I didn't really feel this months theme. I didn't just want to show a colour contrast (although I'm sure there are some fantastic examples out there), instead I went down the slightly off-beat and slightly desperate-for-a-photo route! This is a mobile phone mast with a bird box attached to it, quite a contrast. Good old BTcellnet thinking about how to make money, increase their coverage, put up a huge aerial and care for the birds!

To see other (probably better) photos for this Theme Day head here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Unearthly Flowers

Over the last few Saturdays I've shown a few flower photos and today is no different. Well it is, these are giant alien looking blooms and seed heads. I love the colour contrast in the above photo.

These giant (ten foot tall!) poppy seed heads look like perfect replicas.

And here is a colourful close up.

I'm away until the middle of next week but posts will appear by magic.
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Invasion!

As I said yesterday I couldn't take any photos inside Nature In Art but there was no stopping me in the grounds surrounding the building! There were all sorts of different nature-inspired sculptures outside, and over the next few days I'll show you a few of them.

I love this oversized bug made from all sorts of scrap metal. I couldn't see the name of the artist anywhere, and there is no reference on Nature In Art's website, so for now he or she will remain nameless. What I do know is that this is a very creative way to recycle!

I'm away until the middle of next week but post will appear by magic.
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Sit On The Line

The nuts, bolts and iron from yesterdays post all make up this rather unusual bench. There are several of them alongside the Honeybourne cycle path. This path, away from the main roads, links one side of town to the other, and follows the route of a former railway line. I doubt if the benches are made from the material of the Honeybourne line, as it ceased to exist many years ago and the seats are a recent addition, but it is an effective nod to the paths former life. I like them, though they're not that comfortable to sit on!

Any Old Iron

Just a little something to keep you interested. Two macro shots of something to be revealed in full tomorrow.

Rusty Post

This rusty old metal gate post looked like it was about to collapse. It is all that's left of what must have once been an ornate wrought iron gate. The building at the end of the drive is a typical Cheltenham Regency one that is being renovated, probably into apartments. Although it won't fit in with the new look I hope they keep this post from the past.

There was no outright winner of Saturdays guessing game. The stuffed bird was in the window of a Barbers Shop. I've no idea why! So I'll give a link to Babooshka for her answer - a car dealership! It was as strange as the real answer!

Theme Day - Metal and Sky Watch Friday!

It's Theme Day time again and its also the ever popular Sky Watch Friday today. I wasn't feeling inspired about this months theme but I wanted to try to post a photo that would cover both events. Up until 11pm last night I had a metal themed photo but it meant I couldn't join in with Sky Watch. I was talking over my useless ability to be organised with Phoebe, she said it would have been good if I had a weather vane to show. A little light bulb went on in my mind! I had one! And here it is.

This is the weather vane on top of Cheltenham Ladies College. It is made from cast iron and lead (I think!) and the sky in the background really was that grey, its not a black and white photo!

If you want to join in with Sky Watch Friday, and to see the other Sky Watchers offerings, head over to the Sky Watch Friday blog.

And click here to view thumbnails for all participants of this months City Daily Photo Theme Day. There are 182 blogs taking part, so take some time to pay them a visit.

Seeing all of those metal and/or sky photos should help pass the time on a Friday afternoon! Have a good weekend everybody and thanks for the inspiration Phoebe!

Child Labour

One of the things I like about blogging is that I am always looking at things in a new way. This relief panel is on the corner of a small row of houses, on a brick wall, behind some gardens. Its not far from where I live and I pass it all the time but I've never looked at it, until now. It shows some angelic styled children hard at work. I won't tell you what they are creating, I'll let you work it out (you might need to enlarge the photo for a better look). I just wonder why is it there and what is it all about? I've looked on the Internet, but nothing. Its just one of those blogging mysteries.

The Weathered Man

Have you ever seen a drain cover like this before?! Well, it is a big drain! This huge underground pipe is topped off with this large concrete cap and, to make it look less ugly, it has some art on the top. This is The Weathered Man by artist James Gould. The installation was commissioned by the Environment Agency. It has been in Sandford Park for as long as I can remember, although I can't find anything about it or the artist on the web. This part of the park is a large open space and backs onto Cheltenham General Hospital and the Lido open air swimming pool. In the photo you can just see the formal park on the other side of the road. This part of the park has fountains, flower beds and another piece of art. In last summers floods this area of Cheltenham was flooded quite badly. You would have thought this drain would have swallowed up all that water!

Arty Entrance

The sign above the entrance to the Art Gallery & Museum is quite funky for Cheltenham. I like the lettering (I think it lights up neon blue at night) and the metal work above the door is a sculpture in itself. The gallery isn't the biggest in the world but you'll have to check back tomorrow to see it in all its glory and find out more about the place. I'm short on time today!

Birds Of A Feather...

...and a scorpion! While finishing off my Christmas shopping I came across this stall in the middle of Regent Arcade selling metal wildlife. The sculpted animals and birds are made from scrap metal and produce in Africa by local crafts people. The stall was surrounded by a crowd of shoppers barging each other out of the way to get a better look (hence the blurred photo!). Any creature you could imagine was represented in scrap, even an eight foot tall giraffe!