Granite City

I went to collect some Euro today. I might have got a better (or worse) rate by waiting until after the French election next weekend. As it was I got a slightly better rate than the last time I collected Euro, but only very slightly.

Like yesterday I managed to get wet as soon as I set foot outside, but by the time I had been to the bank the rain had passed over.

I thought I might see something of the "LookAgain" art festival. Well I did not see any open air exhibits, but while I was at the Castlegate a person came out of "pop up" gallery. She had seen I was taking photographs and so she thought I would like to see the photographic exhibition they had on. If she had not come out I would never have noticed it. It was a slide show of old photographs taken around the harbour area.

My photograph looks towards the former Clydesdale bank, now a pub, designed by Archibald Simpson, and looking down towards the Town House. Ironically as I was passing the former TSB bank building, now empty, I was asked if I knew where the TSB could be found. Unfortunately I was not able to help. Banks are becoming quite a scarce commodity, and in Aberdeen several are now pubs. Betting shops, pawn shops and cafes seem to be the most successful of the service industries at present, and there are many of all of three of these along the main street, as well as several charity shops.

The spire with the cockerel on top is part of the old Tolbooth Prison, none of the Tolbooth building itself is visible from the street as it has been hidden from view to give a more uniform frontage to Union Street.

The extra shows Marishal College. Two of the more successful granite buildings in the centre of the city.