Sky Watch Friday

All Saints Roof

Another All Saints Church photo. I liked the pattern of the roof tiles and the contrast between the red and blue sky. And the white bird is a bonus!

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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.

Hoarding Art

As I mentioned yesterday the hoardings surrounding the construction site that is Hotel Kandinsky have been brightened up with art. The paintings have been created by local school children and some, like this one, are really good. I like how they've been 'framed'.

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Theme Day - Yellow

Click on the photo for more detail

Its the first of April and its that Theme Day time of the month. As you can see from my photo collage I liked this theme (and that's not an April Fool!) For once I've been prepared and have been taking lots of yellow photos for the last three weeks. I had so many to choose from that I couldn't decide (a first for me on Theme Day) so I got creative.

Here's a run down of the photos - New gas pipes on the High Street, litter poster and bin, macro of a yellow blossom, more gas pipes and a yellow rubbish sack, CCTV sign, fire hydrant marker, a little yellow birdie, Forsythia bush in full flower, divide on the ramp of the Regent Arcade car park, and, finally, Snappy Snaps photo shop on the Lower High Street.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
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Peacock

Just a random peacock photo from the old archive today. Aren't they an amazing bird? Just look at all those colours, no wonder they are well known for being show-offs. Wouldn't you be if you looked like that?!
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Bird Box Bling

Is this the next version of MTV Cribs? Bird Box Bling?! I think its a catchy title for a TV programme, probably only suitable for bird brains though (groan). Anyway, this caught my eye in the window of Accessorize on the Prom. I know I post quite a few photos of shop windows but I like them, hopefully you do too!

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Seeing Double

One of the swans on Pitville Lake. As you can see from another park photo, Christmas and life have got in the way of new photographs.

Although I love the festive season I'll be glad when things get back to normal. One good thing - I've nearly finished my Christmas shopping. Only a few things left to get, to then give to Santa, for him to put into Phoebe's stocking! I have still got Christmas cards to write and post, but I'll do that at the weekend. Best thing about Christmas? The works party! And that's tonight! Ours is at a hotel close by, so I can walk home and no need for a taxi - more money for drink! The downside is going to work tomorrow with a hangover, but we'll all be in the same boat. I guess Friday will be a-go-slow day!
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Swan Song

I'm not that brave as to get that close to a swan, they can be quite feisty, I used the zoom! On Tuesday I went for a walk round Pitville Park. It was a bright, crisp afternoon and my camera was working overtime. There was so much to take in - joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, kids playing, a music video being filmed (more on that another day!) and plenty of wildlife. Back in July I told you about the swans on the lake and how the female of the breeding pair had been killed by a fishing hook, and that the male had been left to raise the nine cygnets. Well I can report that dad is doing a great job. The cygnets are as big as their father now and they have almost all of their adult feathers. An extra bonus for the swan population of Pitville Lake is that this is the male of another breeding pair. The lake now has twelve swans and counting!
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Big Bird

I've got a guessing game for you this Saturday, to help pass the time. This stuffed bird was in a glass case in the window of a (your answer here). I'll give you a clue. It has nothing to do with the place or the service they provide. The person who gets it right wins a free link in tomorrows post! Ooooo! What more could you want?!

Swans A Swimming

The lake in Pitville Park has had swans on it for ever, well it seems it, but sadly the female of the last breeding pair died back in June. She had swallowed a fishing hook and this caused her death. It is now left to the male swan to raise the nine cygnets that they successfully hatched this year. It is a real shame that this swan died like this, especially as fishing is banned on the lake at the moment. Here's hoping the young swans thrive and over time help to increase numbers on the lake.

Bird In The Bush

Well, its actually 'Wood Pigeon In The Ornamental Cherry Tree' but it doesn't have quite the same ring! Back in the spring I posted a photo of the white blossom on this cherry tree, that stands in front of my window. This is it yesterday evening, covered in red cherries and attracting the local wildlife. This Wood Pigeon had been eating his dinner but the moment I pointed my camera at him he stopped, then a moment after I took this shot he flew off. Typical!

Mr & Mrs Walter Pigeon

While in town on Monday I sat on one of the benches on the Prom to have a rest in the shade of the trees. As I sat there these two came pecking around my feet. I managed to get my camera out and take a couple of shots before they wandered off. Nothing more to say really, I just like these photos. Have a good weekend everyone.

St Patricks Day

The 17th March is the day that the world celebrates St Patricks Day. I was hoping for a 'green' themed photo to mark the day but it didn't happen so today's picture is from an advert outside the Midland Hotel (Betfair Arms) by the train station. The Toucan was used in the advertising of Guinness in the 1940's, a jingle from the time went "Toucans in their nests agree/Guinness is good for you/Try some today and see/What one or toucan do." The Toucan was reinstated in 2000 to promote the fact that Guinness was brought to the British mainland direct from Ireland. Guinness is the drink most associated with St Patricks Day and the Irish, but Ireland is not the biggest consumer of the Stout in the world. That accolade goes to Africa, who drinking their way through 40% of the worldwide production of Guinness. Canada is the fastest growing market and on St Patricks Day in 2006 more Guinness was sold in Canada than in Ireland! I hope you enjoy St Patricks Day, have a couple of pints of Guinness and see what one or Toucan do for you!

Come back tomorrow for some photos of my trip to The North!

Pigeon Spa

Cheltenham owes it Spa town status to the humble Pigeon. According to tradition, Cheltenham's spa water was discovered in 1716 because local people noticed pigeons pecking at the salty deposits left around a spring in a field on the south of the town.

William Mason, the owner of the field, started to charge for the medicinal water and created the towns first Spa. In 1739 Masons son-in-law, Henry Skillicorne, created a deeper well on the site, installed a pump and built a brick canopy to shelter the drinkers of the water. As the site developed he constructed a Spa building and linked the well to the town with a walk way of trees, later known as Well Walk. The popularity of the Spa grew and the water was bottled and sold in Cities around the country. In 1788 King George and his family visited the Spa and this secured Cheltenhams popularity and its Spa status.

After the regal visit the Spa became known as the Royal Well (now the area occupied by the Ladies College). By the turn of the 1800's the Royal Well was supplying water to about two thousand visitors a year, and this success lead to nearly a dozen other Spas opening in and around Cheltenham by the 1850's. As the century moved on the water tasting and bathing continued but in the early 1900's the Spas began to close and the buildings were used for other businesses. Today you can still try the spa water at the Town Hall and the Pitville Pump Room, having tried it myself I can tell you it is salty and not very pleasant!

Without the pigeon, the bird that some people call 'rats with wings', who knows how different Cheltenham's history might have been.

Who's A Pretty Boy!

I've recently downloaded Picasa and, although I don't tend to mess with my photos, I've added some effects to this one. This parrot is resident at my local pet shop. She is called Mac, is over 40 years old and seems to have a happy life. She talks, laughs and swears like a trooper, which is very funny! Hope you like what I've done. If not, don't worry it won't be a regular occurrence!

Update...

Following on from some of the comments today, here is the original photo. Using Picasa I cropped the photo, added highlight to the background, put a soft focus round the edges, creating a focus on Macs face and played with the intensity of the colour, making it brighter.

Eagle Eyed

At the foot of Cheltenhams only skyscraper sits this Golden Eagle. Well I say skyscraper, its only 13 storeys high, but it is the towns tallest building at 161 feet! The building is Eagle Tower (former headquaters of insurance company Eagle Star) and has been visible from all over town since its completion in October 1968. When Eagle Star moved to the outskirts of town several years ago the building was renamed Eagle Tower, the office space rented to different companies and the shiny bird of prey kept in place, keeping an eagle eye on a host of new employees.