Some christmas spirit

Christmas is forcing itself upon Carlisle

I helped run a stall/shed/shack/shop thingy in the town centre over the weekend

freeZINg weather, snow and no chill factor thank god

it was a pr event for the Museum

and we had some fun and kept warmer than expected

I tried to capture our surroundings

Capturing the Castle - Photostory Friday

 click any image to enlarge

I haven't been taking photographs lately, like  a lot of things, it just hasn't been on my radar. When l left work yesterday evening the light was brighter as with each day our evening get longer, and l looked behind me at the Castle and noticed the dazzlingly tulips along the kerb. I knelt down to try and capture them in the foreground with the Castle peeking through.

As l walked the short way home through the town centre 

with my camera still in my palm I started noticing so many arched doorways

and in the 7 years working in the Museum l had never noticed

 the Museum's name in sandstone up on high.....

often we don't see for looking,

 on many levels.

Miscellaneous Monday #6

I was faffing around with my camera

in the gardens at my work

during a tea break in the summer

and I thrust the camera down into the foliage

pointing the lens skywards

and this was the result

a tad abstract

My Sky

3pm winter skies

view from the Rotunda

Tullie House

over western Carlisle skies

(I just noticed this is my 301st post,

I wouldn't have thought l had enough waffle inside me.

I was very wrong!)

For more skies, visit hosts/hostesses

Sandy Carlson, Louise, Sylvia, Klaus, Wren, & Fishing Guy

at the Sky Command Center!

On my way to work - Monochrome Monday

Monochrome Monday hosted by Aileni

As it is very frosty and cold I am driving to work, shameful, yes,

as its only 1.75 miles uphill down hill in nose to tail traffic.

I park in the nearest car park, courtesy of the City Council, a perk of the job.

Thank you very much.

And this is what l see on my short walk from car park to work!

silhouette of castle gate

looking back over my shoulder where l have walked from

the very ineffectual Millennium Bridge

this is the entrance to the underpass,

which takes us under the dual carriageway that separates

the Castle from the city, the Museum and Cathedral

this is the underpass decorated with old local industrial machinery

and the Cursing Stone produced for the Millennium

and inscribed with a centuries old curse

it receives the wrath of locals as it is considered the cause of all our recent ills,

Foot & mouth and the Floods

the marble floor containing prominent local and Reiver's name

the Whispering Wall, solid glass brick, come alive with audio,

locals relive memories of times gone by, war stories, family histories and more...

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery

this is where FFF works

A Cathedral Walk

During my lunch (half) hour one day last week. 

I walked through the neighbouring Cathedral precincts. 

 luckily I had my phone with me. 

I shall have to try and take my camera next time!

Carlisle Cathedral- East elevation

West view

The Fratery

East Elevation

Cathedral Entrance

THEN today I wondered through with my camera proper!

Did it make any differences?

Elvis is in the garden!

A Photostory Friday - West Walls

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

walking back to the car from the church

 where my daughter 

had been performing in the senior choir

the sun was shining

in blue skies and I was

remembering how Merisi seems to 

find such great shots upon her walks

I thought I would try and look with her eye

for interesting buildings, views and reflections

these are the results of my 15 minute walk along West Walls

 the oldest street in the city which nestles along the city wall

view through leaded church window

shadow of a naked tree on old leaded window in sandstone building

West Walls

an old street lantern on West Walls

shadow of the street light

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

(Don't assume all of Carlisle is like this, I also have pics of grafitti walls and boarded up buildings. These are pics of the older parts in Carlisle, my adopted home town)

ABC WEDNESDAY - Y is for....

YESTERDAYS SNOW!!

We don't often get snow here in Carlisle, Cumbria

because we live in a basin which is a renowned flood plain

in the mouth of the Solway Firth

when it does snow it's usually here and gone in a matter of hours

so last night about 8pm it started and it settled

the kids got excited

at 11.30pm I took my camera out

and tried to capture the moment

-not very well I might add-

what with the light, the wet flakes attacking my camera and the flash going crazy

I hardly managed unfuzzled image

I hope it captures something of the moment

For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to Mrs Nesbitt's Place.

PHOTOSTORY FRIDAY - SKYLINE

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I was fiddling with my mobile phone and exploring the options I didn't know I had, 

when I noticed a panorama mode,  so I played some more...

the first  was of the extended view of the Castle opposite my work. 

I have posted a view of the Castle from the museum before, 

but never quite like this...

... and this is the view from behind the picture above.

On driving home, well l know it appears lazy and unecofriendly but it was pouring today!!

Anyway this is the skyline view in panorama mode!

from left The Cathedral then the Castle and then Dixons Chimney

 (which is l believe the tallest mill chimney still standing in Europe, can that be right?)

this is normal mode and you can just make out the green of the cricket ground through the trees,

Not bad for a mobile phone eh?

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

btw. my phone is  Sony Ericsson K770i