Queen Vic

Doors Open Day in Aberdeen today so I spent the day trailing around various buildings (and one boat) that were open. All g ood hunting grounds for blips.

This is what I've picked, a shot of the statue of Queen Victoria that stands inside the Town House, with the spiral staircase as a backdrop. Sculpted by Alexander Brodie in 1866 and originally sited on Union Street where it was a famous landmark ( it gets a name check in the bothy ballad Muckle Friday Fair ). It was moved into the Town House in 1884 - "to protect it from the weather" and replaced by a bronze statue of Queen Victoria (which was moved to Queens Cross in the sixties).

Apart from The Town House, I went to The RNLI Lifeboat Station, The Tollbooth, The Sheriff Court, Advocates Library, St. Mary's RC Cathedral, Trinity Hall, The Masonic Temple, St. John The Evangelist Church, The Mosque and Union Terrace Gardens ... before running out of time ...

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in Doors Open Day from those organising the event, to the various organisations that not only open their buildings but have enthusiastic folk on hand to show them to the visitors.

Next Saturday, its the turn of Aberdeenshire to throw open its doors :-)