The black hole

...at the centre of this shot is where the town's off licence used to be. When did it close, and how did I not notice? It has one or two memories for me: I once had the honour of being the support act for poet Adrian Mitchell, when he came to Stroud. Before the gig, he asked me to take him to the offy so he could buy a half bottle of brandy. His wife would not approve, he said. Quite right! I was amazed that a poet of his calibre could get nervous before a performance in a provincial town. But then again, I heard that Henry Fonda used to throw up every night before his live performances. Adrian and Celia were both charming people, and I was pleased to have met them. Recently Celia, who runs Ripping Yarns bookshop in London's Highgate, returned to give a talk in Stroud. Adrian died in 2008, and is missed.

I was far too tired to go anywhere by bus to blip a street in a distant galaxy or town. Waking at 5 and wondering whether I needed to go to a 'twilight' INSET training was part of the problem. It turned out I wasn't required to go, so I didn't, because it would have meant leaving work at 1.30 and going back at 4.30 for the session. I went home and had a sleep instead. Now I am getting up to do the supper.

This image of George Street has been fiddled with to the nth degree. Posterised in the Photogene app for the iPad, then used the HDR filter in the Distressed FX app, with the lade overlay. Hey, if you like to play with your photos, this app's only 69 pence...

So, another shop has gone. The letting agent's is next door, which is handy. Note the little window above Sawyer's, and the very leaning bollard beside the cafe people. These strange items of street furniture were installed in 2001. This street is not pedestrianised, but around here it has a bumpy surface to make it harder for cars to speed through town. Not that we have many car chases in Stroud town centre, it's like driving around a postage stamp compared to the larger towns! The weather at 10.20 am was fine enough for street cafe drinking, but by 12 30, my school's break time, it had clouded over. No skittles in the yard...