Maps, water and vandalism

12 January

Running a bit late today; no real reason seeing I was up and about at 8.45 this morning. Our foot butcher is due here in around 15 minutes, another £45 spent; and we were short of cash so I had to go out the local PO to get some more. We’re pleased it isn’t very often that we have it done.

Here’s a really nice building … 

It’s the old ABC cinema and to my mind it’s one of the best buildings in town. I had thought that it was safe from development but a similar photo to that one appeared on the front page of today’s News, in connection with the redevelopment of upper Abbey Street. Talks are on-going with Primark and M&S Simply Foods as major players in the plans. My worry now is that this building will go the same way as the Co-op Hall a few years ago … 

That one was demolished to make way for Lidle store. Having lost one major art deco building was bad enough, but to lose another one, would be criminal. The only one left in town then is the Queens Road entrance to the central co-op …

I’m told that one has been grade 2 listed so should be safe – we all hope!   

I’ve lost something again. This time it’s a Samyang 500mm mirror lens. Currently it has a Sony T2 adaptor on it, but I want to get a Nikon adaptor and try on my D5200. I’ve found the adaptors in various places on-line so now I just need to find my lens; I’m not buying the bit I need until I know I have lens. My mother used to say to me that I’d lose my head if I didn’t have it screwed on. Thing is, I keep losing those screws too ;-)))

Mind you, I did find two A-Z maps I had been looking for while I was hunting for the lens; just a shame they are not the main one I was looking for, the Leicestershire one. Maps are an object of fascination for me, I’ve got loads of them here, although I have whittled them down a wee bit. I had several geological maps of various areas including the whole of Ireland. Another one I used to have is one of Britain’s waterways that was published by British Waterways. It’s surprising just how much of the Britain can be accessed by waterways.

Dorktown’s real name is Nuneaton, but right up to around the start of the WW1 local farmers used to say that they were going to Eaton for the market. The name Eaton is supposed to be Saxon for ‘Watertown’ or ‘Town by the water’. That names comes from the River Anker which flows through the town. The river is joined by a number of other streams and brooks. Wembrook rises from in the fields off over Caldwell way and joins the Anker close to the park. Washbrook runs from the Camphill area and used to run down Queens Road. It the 19^th century was diverted underground and joins the Anker by Mill Walk. There are a number of other small streams that run through Weddington and joins the Anker the other side of the A444. So if Eaton does come from Watertown, then it was appropriately named.

Today’s photo then is of the River Anker by the bus station …

          

Today’s funny …

So these two roaches, Tom and Oscar, are hanging out next to a dumpster enjoying a snack. “Hey Tom” said Oscar to his friend, “You know that restaurant down the block? I went there yesterday to pick up some scraps, and I couldn’t believe how clean it was, I could practically see my reflection through the shiny waxed floor.” “Oscar” hollered Tom spitting the food out of his mouth, “please not while I am eating!!”