Blue Violet

What else can an aspiring university do with a football pitch that was only used on Wednesdays and as a short cut to the exit other than build a set of halls of residence? There'll soon be 560 students living in accommodation that will be "among the best in the country". When you've spent £30 million you might expect it to a bit classy. I'm disappointed that the stunning pale violet colour is to be covered up with boring cladding and the whole thing will eventually look like this. Dull, almost boring

Any colour you like as long as it's orange

A veritable fleet of gas platform supply vessels was filling up the usually empty Albert Dock the other day. These belong to a company called Sealion Shipping and clearly they have a favourite colour and they're sticking to it. It's like a hi-vis jacket for boats.

Sydney House

I rather liked the look of Sydney House which sits along Adelaide Street and Cogan Street, two tree lined and seemingly pleasant avenues. As council flats go I've seen far uglier ways of housing a lot of people in a small area. Ah but would I want to live there? I'm afraid I am not worthy to share in the delights of having Castle Street on one side, Ferensway on another, the Salvation Army hostel just across the road and a neighbourhood (I think 'community' is the current must-use word these days) that is somewhat high on unemployment, social deprivation and crime. I feel I must leave these pleasures to others more fortunate than myself.

Dante woz 'ere

Being the city of culture has obviously brought out the more literary minded graffiti types. This apt warning is on the site of the Department for Work and Pensions medical centre on Stanley Street.

Vestige

Last time I posted about the Clarence Mill it was half pulled down and well on its way to being a fully cleared site. Well you won't be at all surprised that nothing is ever so straight forward in this wonderful town. I'd already mentioned how slow the demolition was, well 'slow' turned into 'stopped altogether'. Shortly after I posted the contractors, who apparently hadn't been paid for some time, walked off the site and nothing happened for several months. A few weeks ago work started again and so we are down now to this stump and a huge pile of bricks. So what do you reckon? Another year before this place is finally cleared? Or maybe two?

The weekend in black and white is here.

Proof ...

...or at least good evidence that fish do not need bicycles.

Wave goodbye to the purple pig

The oddly named Purple Pig restaurant on Trinity Square went  belly up last October when the company that owned it put itself into liquidation. A nearby planning sign indicates that it is to reopen as a pub and further research tells me that the pub will be called "The Head of Steam" (*sigh* Pubs used to have such quaint names as the King's Head, the Red Lion or even the Drunken Duck; now all pubs in a chain have the same name). The new owners are Cameron's Brewery from my old home town, Hartlepool, so it's bound to be a great place. I just hope access is restored to these premises as, at the moment, it's just a bit tricky ....