Good Looking Builder Seeks

This sign would be made for me if I were a builder! Ha! Nothing else to say apart from its good to see some people still have a sense of humour.

As I'm all behind today the answer and winner of Saturdays competition will be revealed tomorrow.

Neon Blue

I won't mention the 'C' word (Christmas!) yet but every shop in town is bedecked and ready for the present-buying masses. I suppose its the one time of the year that they can attempt to buck the recessional trend. Anyway. I like neon signs (and Cheltenham is hardly the neon sign capital of the world) so this one flashing away, in a shop window on the Prom, caught my eye. The flashing part caused quite a problem (lots of photos of an unlit sign!) but perseverance paid off and I got the timing right. Twice! Which is very unlike me and my camera.

As well as not mentioning the 'C' word, I won't mention that I've started my 'C' shopping. Talk about organised!

Short Road

This old fashioned sign is on the back of Martin's Jewellers on the Prom. The bit of road that is Imperial Circus is only a few meters long but must have the grandest sign in Cheltenham!

Hitting The Heights At 600

Today is my 600th post! I can't believe it, 600 ramblings about Cheltenham and nearly 700 photos. The time has flown by. Thanks to all the regular visitors and people that leave positive comments, it means a great deal to me knowing that people out there like my little blog and my photography.

This sign caught my eye as I was leaving the Regent Arcade car park the other day. Surely if you are driving a beast-of-a-car you've got an idea of the height of it and whether or not it can make it under a height barrier! Or are the people that drive them so rich they don't mind a seriously scratched roof as long as they get a parking place?!

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Marley In Rhodes

I'm back! First things first - once again many thanks to my fellow CDP bloggers who lent photos to appear here in my absence, and thanks to those who continued to visit and comment while I was away. Now, on to the holiday snaps!

We had a fantastic week in Rhodes, staying in the village of Pefkos. Lots of lazing by the pool, eating and, of course, drinking! Today and tomorrow I'll share with you a few photos.

The view from our balcony of the bay towards Lardos.

Colourful beach balls and buckets.

Night time view of Enigma restaurant. We ate here a couple of times and sat on the open roof terraces. Lovely.

Bell tower in the neighbouring village of Lindos.

The Greek sense of humour shines through everywhere, like on this sign outside a bar. Who could resist an offer like this?!

More snaps tomorrow.
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Born Free

At last, I've finished work for my holidays! Yesterday was my last day for 18 whole days and next Wednesday we are off to the Greek Island of Rhodes. I can't wait! What better way to illustrate the fact than this shop sign?!

As of next Monday I'm handing Cheltenham DP over to you, my dedicated visitors. If you'd like one of your photos to feature here then send me an email (details in my profile.) Thanks so much to those of you who have sent me some fantastic images so far. You know who you are. As I'm in holiday mode you can tell me what you want to see here tomorrow - either a bank in black and white or a shoppers starry sky. Let me know!

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Walking In The Air

The subject of today's post isn't the signpost with the pigeon sitting on the top (lovely as it is) but the skywalk in the background. I know many cities around the world have these, some to protect people from extreme cold winter weather others to link buildings together. That is what this one does. It links the Regent Arcade shopping centre with Cavendish House department store. The glass covered walkway bridges Regent Street below and is home to Cafe Roma, a nice place for a light bite or a refreshing drink, as long as you don't mind the passing shoppers and the traffic below!

Do you have a skywalk in your home town?
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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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Now And Then

Cheltenham is a town with lots of heritage, and lots of old buildings. Luckily for us most of them are protected, they have been enjoyed for hundreds of years and will be enjoyed for hundreds more. The old buildings in the heart of town are used as shops, bars and restaurants and their present occupiers have to work around the historic features. This Cult Clothing shop, on Clarence Street, is at the cutting edge of fashion and has a sign to match, but it fits in well with the iron railings of the balcony on the 18th century building. I really like the contrast.

Thanks to everyone who left a comment about my Sky Watch Friday photo, its greatly appreciated. I had a good few days in 'The North' but its cold up there!

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Theme Day - Sister Cities

Where Cheltenham is concerned it is Twin Towns. My post is a bit of a cheat but I thought it was a good chance to show this recently unveiled signpost. It stands in Imperial Gardens and shows all of the towns that Cheltenham UK is twinned with.

Cheltenham was one of the first towns to forge formal links to others in the 1950's. The town was awarded a European Flag of Honour in 1988 to rewarded its achievements in promoting international friendship. The idea of twinning is to promote friendship and understanding of cultural, recreational, educational and commercial activities between twinned towns. Cheltenham is twinned with the following towns around the world - Annecy (France), Cheltenham (USA), Gottingen (Germany), Sochi (Russia), Weihai (China) and has friendship links with Kisumu (Kenya) and Stampersgat (Holland).

There are over 140 other CDPB's taking part in this Theme Day, and I'm sure the rest haven't cheated like me. To see Sister Cities all over the world click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for an all new looking Cheltenham Daily Photo!

Bad Hair Day

Not only is this guy having a bad hair day but he is also known as Fat Face! This is the sign above the clothes shop Fat Face. The shop is on the Prom and is quite expensive but they do stock some nice things. All I own is one of their belts! Nothing more to say, I just liked this logo.

Go West

I've mentioned before about how Cheltenham's Lower High Street has been rebranded High Street West End, and here is the proof. This 'modern' sign can be found on the High Street at the point where it starts to become less attractive. That end of our town has somewhat of a reputation for being a bit dodgy, with independent shops, poor housing, and unemployment. The real problem is the Council. If they put as much money into this part of Cheltenham as they do with the more upmarket areas there wouldn't be such a perceived problem. The lower High Street isn't really that bad, although poverty in that part of town is very real. It will take more than a few signs to bring about meaningful improvement.

I Just Called To Say...

On my trip along the Lower High Street (sorry, High Street West End!) I discovered this little gem of a shop selling nothing but telephones. None of these modern digital phones though, it was filled with phones from the past. Retro phones from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Phones that look like Mickey Mouse and Kermit The Frog. Phones that belonged in country houses during the 1920's. Name a style and it was there! But, in true Marley style, I wasn't brave enough to ask the owner if I could take some photos. Pathetic, I know. So the shop sign will have to do. I can't quite believe the claim on the sign 'As used by Royalty and the Gentry'. I can't really imagine The Queen popping down Cheltenham's Lower High Street to buy an R2-D2 phone!

Yesterday I was given an award by D.C Confidential, which I am very grateful for. I'm going to use the weekend to ponder who to pass it on to. I'll post the winners on Monday.

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