An Early Morning Trip Town

Yesterday morning I had an early trip to town.  My mission was to join the queue outside a large stationers.  The reason for this being to obtain a 'Daily Newspaper' with a coupon for a free Lego Lord Of The Rings toy and collect the toy.  People buy multiple copies of the newspaper and sell the toys on ebay!  I can not be bothered with that and just collect the toy for Euan if he has been good.  It was also the 'early' morning meeting for the 'Niddy Nodders' spinning group at 'The Crafty Cafe' so I needed to be up early and in town.  We have a great indoor shopping centre and I like it early, all to myself.  I simply cannot tolerate it when it is busy and avoid avoid avoid.  Town has been Christmassyfied.  I am disappointed that this photograph is blurred!  Doh!

  These baubles are huge and about as big as my head!  I like the colour and texture of this photograph.

There are hundred of decorations all over the place.  I guess soon we will bombarded with the treat of 24hr Christmas Carols.  It serves to induce mild panic in me as I realise I am not ready for Christmas.  Mind you I never am. . . it just happens!

Sorry for another grotty photograph but I wanted to show you this jacket.  If only I were slimmer, much slimmer!  I really like the contrast of Woven and Leather.  I quite dig the pink glasses too.

Occasionally when Euan and I are in town together we like to stop here.  Euan likes the cakes and I love the Gingerbread Flavoured Coffee.  We also like to play Eye Spy with the 12 huge Mosaic Panels.  Eye Spy is a brilliant game to play with these as it really makes you look closely at each piece.  These mosaics are the largest piece of publicly commissioned art work in the UK and were designed by the famous Scottish Artist and Sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi .  They are valued at several million pounds.  I have not worked out a way to steal them!  Yet!

I didn't want to photograph all twelve of them but perhaps I should have done.  They are all fantastic.

When we play Eye Spy with all twelve panels...we can find all sorts of things and baffle each other.  Great fun while slurping Gingerbread Coffee.
               I always park in one of the towns multi storey car parks and today as it was so quiet I decided to drive all the way to the top to take photographs in the drizzle.  I drove up to level 12 and there were no other cars past level 4.  This particular car park is said to be haunted.  It was the site of an awful murder in the 1980s.  A construction worker also died here and it has had several suicides.  When I arrived at the top of the car park I think a security guard thought I was 'tired of life' as he was watching my every move with his 'walkie talkie' in his hand.  I think the poor man thought I was a jumper.  I took two photographs and put his mind at rest by getting back in my car.

Typical UK weather from the top of the car park.

Our Town Hall with the flag flopping in the wind!  Not sure these shots were worth worrying the security guard?

On to 'The Crafty Cafe' where I chose a lovely large mug to have my coffee in and sit for an hour nattering and spinning.

They regularly hold 'Sock Monkey Making Workshops' in the cafe.  I think this one is rather cute.  I really enjoyed my spin and natter and I managed to ply some yarn for my 'Solar System' project that needs to be completed by next week!  Eeeek!  I am starting to get a panic on!  I got asked  if I would be willing to appear in a charity Fashion Show at the Town Hall on Friday 30th of November.  I would need to walk the cat walk wearing something I have made!  Now you have really got to be having a giraffe!  (laugh). I may spin on the catwalk as a 'feature' for the knitwear section...I don't know yet...I do get myself into some strange scrapes!  Mental note to self:  Stop getting me into strange scrapes!
XXX