Driffield Keld Pond

When I posted about this little spot before I somehow forgot to show the pond, well here it is.

Weekend reflections should be here.

A little late colour

And while I was on the Westwood I thought I may as well take some more Autumnal pictures. This Autumn has been a particularly colourful one in these parts with many trees holding their leaves still in the first week of November. I suspect that after the unsettled weather forecast for later today though most will be stripped. It's going to be a very soggy Bonfire Night.

I'm experimenting with slightly larger images, don't know if I like them.

Persistent parking problem

So, back to see that old tree again and, well, as you can see the roadside is still one big car park. These are not day-trippers enjoying the scenery or taking the dog for a walk but long-stay people working in town or on the redevelopment of the Westwood Hospital nearby. The problem is Beverley either lacks sufficient parking spaces or is charging too much (is £5.40 for all day too much? I don't know; I don't drive) and there is no such thing as a Park and Ride scheme (a what now?). So increasing numbers choose to leave their motors on the common for nowt causing damage to the verges and generally making place looking a lot like a car park. Well all that is about to change as the Pasture Masters, who run the Westwood (it's an ancient throwback thing), are putting up signs and expect the police to enforce parking restrictions. Now Humberside Police has recently been branded "inadequate" and as "failing to provide a quality service to the public" I wouldn't expect too much from them, but it's good to live in hope. If this doesn't work they could always try charging (£10 per day obviously); on the 'if you can beat them, join them' principle

It'll be all right on the night ...

These pictures, taken on Friday, show the intense effort to get things ready for today's grand opening of the Flemingate complex, shall we call it a complex or centre, well whatever. By intense I mean, of course, standing around talking in little groups, that always seems to get things done, I've found.

They've avoided going for the steel and glass architecture of so many new shopping malls and instead gone for the bricks everywhere approach in keeping with the style of the town. The resulting facades are just a tad dull, uninspiring and somewhat disappointing in my humble opinion, others may think it's wonderful.

Will this development bring in loads of customers flocking to the "under-retailed" town? Will the shops in the old town suffer as footfall flees to the wrong side of the tracks? Can these retail outlets survive in the era of ordering stuff from online warehouses? Don't look at me, what do you think I am psychic?

Clearly it's not all finished just yet.

Oh look! Somebody doing some work!

This hotel puts me in mind of a place of detention.

Flammengaria

From the 12th century wool was being exported from Beverley and in return traders from Flanders set up home and shop in  the area to the east of the Minster by the beck. The area became known as Flammengaria and later Flemingate. It is quite possibly the oldest street in Beverley. Fast forward a few hundred years and a narrow lane intended for horse drawn or, more likely ox-drawn wagons, is to be a main way-in to the new Flemingate development. There's big stores, a cinema, an hotel, 130 new houses, a brand new college and a 500 space car park. It opens tomorrow so not surprisingly there's a mad rush to get the roadworks finished on time, this picture taken on Friday. Will this old thoroughfare cope with all that extra traffic? I'm saying nothing ...

That is just so yesterday ...

"This year I invested in pumpkins. They've been going up the whole month of October and I got a feeling they're going to peak right around January" H Simpson

The City Daily Photo theme for this month is "ephemeral". Catch it here before it disappears.

Tour de wherever

Seems that sometime earlier this year (April or May, does it matter?) there was a cycle race held in these parts. Maybe it was a follow up to last year's Tour de France fandango. Well, whatever,  it totally passed by me without leaving a trace, somehow the sight of a group of sweaty lycra-clad steroid enhanced bicycle riders rushing past in the blink of an eye lacks a certain degree of appeal or anything really. But à chacun son goût, as they often say in these parts, and others (more discerning, I've no doubt) were inspired to mark this event. Bicycles were painted yellow and blue and hung in various places. Quite where the inspiration for this odd behaviour came from I know not but I suspect a certain Gallic influence. 

Above is Lairgate, Beverley and below Bridlington Station.