Feed The Birds...

This is a familiar sight to many Cheltonians - the pigeon lady. Every day she appears on her bike and feeds the pigeons. She puts down bread and seed in several different places and all the birds know her, and are there waiting for their lunch. I took the top photo but have cropped it (see below) but couldn't decided which one to post so you get the wide shot, the cropped shot and the close up shot. Which do you prefer?

And yes, that is a pigeon she is holding!

Envious?

I'm not. This, as I've said before, is a common sight in not just my town but towns up and down the country, and the world. The economic climate has brought about the closure of dozens of businesses in Cheltenham. I think the Letting agent will have this retail unit on the books for a while to come yet. Green shoots anyone?

Sorry for the lack of comments, as I've said before, I've got loads on this week. I'm sure all your photos are fantastic!

Two Things Challenge - Early / Late

Basically they were early and I was late (as always!) My friends A & S, who I was meeting in town the other day, got there before me and as I rushed to get there I saw them chatting on this bench. I was late anyway so stopping for a photo wasn't going to make much difference!

To join in with this Two Things Challenge and to see who is in this week head here.

Camping It Up

There is a saying about camping and pink tents but I think I'll leave that one alone! What to say? This pink tent was pitched outside Millets on the High Street. Millets provide all the essentials for those who like the great outdoors, even pink tents. There is a lot in the local media at the moment about businesses putting 'A' boards up in the street and the Council not liking it. This is one way around it while still getting the message out there!

I think we've all had a bad camping experience. Mine was a very wet week in Woolacombe, so wet we came home after three nights! The only dry day was when we put the tent up. We sat outside into the small hours drinking and talking and drinking (in fact drinking all the adult pop we'd brought with us!) From then on it was downhill. It rained none stop. The only dry place left were the cars, we ended up napping in them, and the only place to get warm was the shower block! Needless to say on the third day of getting soaked we had had more than enough! What's your worst camping tale?

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Encouraging All

"Encouraging all people to become fully committed followers of Jesus Christ" is the slogan of Cambray Baptist Church. Best of luck with that one! Can you tell I'm not religious?! I'm not against people believing in whatever they want or finding strength and comfort in a higher being, but its a tall order trying to convert all people. I bet lots of people are happy not to be encouraged.

Whatever you think about religion and the people there-in they know/knew how to build impressive churches. This one is a bit plainer than the normal heavy stone and spire-topped ones that are common right across the UK, but it is none-the-less a fantastic building. It looms large and stands proud on Cambray Place, right next to the High Street. The building dates back to 1855, although the first Cheltenham Baptists were formed in 1690 and used to worship in a disused malt house. The congregation that became Cambray Baptist Church was formed in 1843 and the then churchgoers raised the money to build this building.

What are your thoughts on religion and church buildings?
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Gold Ring

Just a quickie for Saturday. A little something that caught my eye - a gold ring. Sort of! I actually wanted a pun filled title but couldn't think of one. Any ideas?

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Mellow Yellow

Vinyl Vault and Browsers is something of a hidden retro gem in Cheltenham. Those in the know rate it highly and those that don't know about it soon realise they do when you tell them "its that place in that basement that smells a bit musty and sells old music and clothes"! Situated in the basement of a Regency town house that is now offices, it is crammed floor to ceiling with records (remember them?!), tapes and vintage clothes. I've been there in the past on the hunt for flares to wear to a 70's party. They had dozens of pairs, and the best bit is you can buy them, take them back and they buy them back from you. Talk about recycling!

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Twit Twoo

These magnificent birds were on show in the High Street, helping raise money for The Barn Owl Centre. The charity, based on the edge of Gloucester, has the following aim - "To advance public education in Owl & Raptor welfare & husbandry."

The first owl is a Long Eared Owl, the second photo shows a Little Owl (original!) and the last owl is the most common in the UK, the Barn Owl.


The owl is a magnificently handsome bird of prey. Below are some interesting Owl Facts to impressive your friends and family with -

• Owls belong to the Order Strigiformes, which contains over 200 different species.
• Owls are nocturnal and hunt small mammals, small birds and some hunt fish.
• Their eyes are fixed in the sockets. They rotate their head 270 degrees to see back over there shoulders.
• Many breeds have special flight feathers for silent flying.
• They are long sighted and use feathers similar to whiskers to sense the prey in their beaks.
• The largest owl has a wing span of 2 meters.
• The Twit Twoo sound they make is actually Ke-wick Hoo-hoo-oooo.
  

Banking On Black And White

I asked yesterday what you wanted to see today and the consensus of opinion was a bank in black and white. I always give you what you want, so here it is! I'm glad that was the choice, as these photos are the result of my first attempt at playing around with the manual settings on my camera. And I took them in black and white. I'm quite pleased with them.

This is Lloyds bank on the High Street.

It has some wonderful architectural details.

To read about the buildings history see my past post.

As I've mentioned several times this week I'm off on holiday next week and I'm handing Cheltenham DP over to you. If you'd like one of your photos to appear here then email me (address in my profile.) You'll get full credit and a link.
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St Michael Memories

Marks & Sparks, M & S, St Michael or Marks & Spencer. Whatever you call it this retail institution has been a feature on British High Streets for decades. The store started out life as a penny market stall in a Leeds market hall 125 years ago and over the years has grown into one of the most recognisable brands in the UK. To celebrate their birthday M & S held a Penny Bazaar in their stores, with twenty items costing just a penny. Peopled queued on the High Street, waiting for the doors to open, hoping to grab a bargain. The stock was limited (unsurprisingly) and many shoppers left empty handed, but it was a good publicity stunt! Anyway, today's photos show their retrospective window displays. Bright, colourful and full of memories.

As I mentioned yesterday I'm off on holiday next week and I'm planning to do a series of other peoples photos. If you'd like to loan a photo to appear on Cheltenham DP send me an email (address in my profile.) You'll get full credit and a link.

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Undercover

What can I say about this guy? Not a very subtle outfit for undercover operations, but at least he's got his camouflage trousers on!

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Sax Appeal

We're enjoying some really great weather here at the moment and yesterday was no exception. We headed into town in the afternoon, not something we usually do on a Saturday due to the crowds, but it was lovely. We strolled around, went in a few shops and had an ice cream (the most important thing when enjoying the sun!) There were buskers around and about. This guy was going for it with his saxophone, helping to spread a bit of early summer cheer.

Tomorrow is Theme Day across the CDPB community and the theme for June is 'Feet'. Put your best foot forward and join in. Remember there is no need to sign up, just copy the code, so no excuses!

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Egg-cellent Window

Hope you are enjoying the Easter Weekend. This Easter themed window display is in the Orange store (mobile phones, not fruit!) on the High Street. Its very colourful and captures the main (non-religious) features - eggs, chicks and bunny rabbits!

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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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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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When Will I Be Famous

Fancy a new suit? Want to be treated like an extra from Are You Being Served? Then The Famous is the place for you. Well known for being the best specialist menswear shop in Gloucestershire, they boast knowledgeable and experienced staff. The Famous was established in 1886 and its still in its original premises on the High Street, still being run by the same family. They also do formal hire and school uniforms. I remember my mum taking me here to get my first school blazer, ready to start senior school. As you'd expect the blazer was too big but I was told "you'll grow into it!"

"Always look after the man who wants to buy a collar stud; he may want a shirt some day"

Mr. A.N. Cole (founder)

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Organ Grinder

Another "spotted on the High Street" post. The chap in the hat was hard at work turning the wheel of his musical organ. He wasn't drawing a big crowd but it was creating a nice atmosphere in the centre of town. Although the organ looks a bit home-made, what with the pram wheels, it did sound quite tuneful. And even though the organ grinder was deep in conversation with the passer by, he kept on turning that wheel.

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To Infinity And Beyond!

Well, what else could I have titled today's post?! These guys, dressed as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the Pixar animated film Toy Story, were on the High Street doing their bit for Comic Relief. They were selling Red Nose Day balloons to kids and adults alike.

For those that don't know Comic Relief is a charity started by Richard Curtis (writer of Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill etc), and other comedians, in the 80's. Every other year Comic Relief organises Red Nose Day (this years is on Friday 13th March) which see celebrities and the public doing all sorts of mad and courageous things to raise money (like a group of celebs climbing Kilimanjaro this year - they have raised over one and a half million pounds!) and wearing red noses! To read more about the charity, that is working to end poverty, head here and find out more about Red Nose Day here. But, most importantly, Do Something Funny For Money!
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Another One Bites The Dust

Another day, another closure. This was Barratts shoe shop on the High Street, and it has gone the same way as other national brands, like Woolworths and MFI. As I've said before its a sad sign of the times, and behind this now defunct brand are people who have been made redundant, debts that add to the financial crisis and another empty shop in town.

My intention has always been to use this blog as a way of recording the changes that take place in Cheltenham, to capture history as it happens, so alongside amusing window displays, macros of flowers, art and architecture I'll feature these sorry sights. A view that is being played out the world over.

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Recession

Well, its official. The UK is in recession. We've had two quarters of negative economic growth. Its been said on the news today that it could continue well into 2010. Empty shops like these will be soon be common place.

I'm working all weekend, so think of me as you all enjoy yourselves. Actually I suppose I should be pleased I've still got a job!
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