Dull Start - Then Gorgeous - 12C

I've decided to love The Old Market Square after all. Although now I suppose we should call it The New Market Square. Or even its other name Slab Square because it now really is a slab square and great with it. A veritable 'plaza' or even a 'piazza'. Although it doesn't quite match Tiananman Square for size, neither does it have the unfortunate connotations.

It is now almost 100% open; good job seeing that they have had the opening ceremony, at least one of them, but there remain a few barriers still up. The odd water feature not fully working etc. but at least people can now use it again and, when one can appreciate it in its entirety, it is really really good. It will be great for publc events. If you can see in the background on the Council House Steps today was a Brass Band and jolly good they were too.

I happened to be there because I decided to drop Y of at the Station; she is Palmers Green bound again, and I 'needed' some filters for my lenses. 'Needed' is in quotes for obvious reasons. Tomorrow is my camera club jaunt to The Royal Airforce Aviation Museum at RAF Cosford so I want to be prepared. Really looking forward and I only hope the weather is like today. David once told me that if asked what the weather will be like tomorrow you answer "Much the same as today" you are right 2 times out of three which bears good comparison to the official weather-forecasts. Must'nt be too critical though because I reckon they have improved muchly over the last few years.

This is the band in full swing and taken on my 50mm lens. It's quite like old-fashioned photograhy i.e. zoom-in means walk a bit closer zoom-out involves walking a few paces further away. Easy.

I got my filters anyway. More expensive than I had hoped but there-you-go etc..

There were two lovely pretty girls in their band uniforms circulating among the crowd selling CDs. I asked their permission to take a photograph and they were delighted! I will publish it eventually but I'm in the process of tracking the band down so I can send them a copy first.

Re yesterday's 'comments', and 'Yes' to Anon 1. Part of the fun in finding books is the browsing charity shops and second-hand book and remaindered book shops. And if possible I like a slightly-foxed and well thumbed copy. It's comforting to know that a book has been well used. My first book of quotations was a Penguin edition and cost me 10/6d. It is so well used and annotated it has fallen apart and needs holding together with a stout rubber-band. But please no-one think of buying me a replacement. Also I still use my Aunty Tot's 1922 edition of The Concise Oxford - and it is just as good as the current version.

One of my new Google Homepage add-ons is this 'phases of the moon' slot.

It might not appeal to some, almost certainly not, - but I like it. Sort of half knowing what a Gibbous Moon looked like I'm looking forwad to finding out what the other phases are called. Wow ! Waxing Gibbous 66% of Full.

You learn something every day. Or should do! This quote appeals :- "Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid". Anonymous. Not, I hasten to add, our own Anonymous 1.

Don't know when, or even if, my blog will appear tomorrow. It depends what time we return from RAF Cosford and whatever time that is I shall be 'tatered'.

Bit of tea, and then Telegraph, Crossword, Radio and Magazines...............