The end of the Lang Mile

 Continued....the end of the Lang Scots Mile is by the Citadels... Oliver Cromwell's construction...and the sports centre with swimming pool built by it on the site of the old fishmarket on the southern quayside of the river Ayr.

Ayr is still a working port and harbour, to boats. Not all commercial

Then looking at towers from there into the town centre..

Topped by the obligatory gull!

Wandering

 We had a short wander around the centre of Ayr today. 

It is rather depressing..all those lovely buildings, neglected, closed and boarded up shops...but many towns are going the same way.

The oldest house at the corner of the Sandgate and Cathcart Street 

I'm  not sure about the chair...but it looks like someone had fun making it!

Brother bought me a present...and now I can use the TV as a monitor screen...so we have been watching informative things on U tube.....and Simon's Cat...😎

We have been thinking of how to break the Log Jam of stuff and work here...where to begin.

Remember the small game with 9 spaces and 8 tiles that you shuffled around to make a picture? Just imagine it with 9 tiles.....

Toilets

 

With Pirate's IBS, often the first place we visit anywhere....but in Aotearoa NZ they are worth visiting! From the long drop at a DoC car park, to the fanciest swankiest loo in a department store...they are well looked after, even the simple 24 hours accessible ones in a small community...and often well worth taking the camera when you visit!!

This one is in Westport 

Women/Wahine.....and then Men/Tane...

And on the other side outside, with a small garden

In Hokitika we found what looked like an old toilet , now closed ..

A beautiful building in Blacks Point 

Echoing the architecture of a Wharenui (meeting house) on a Marae?

Then in Hanmer Springs...

And even the simplest, in Upokongaro...

To quote the rego seen in the camp at Carter's Beach....

Art visit

 After helping to unload a large trailer of dry firewood, this afternoon we had a short visit to a gallery in Hamilton, which is in the old post office building.

A beautiful experience, with the first exhibition talked through by the clay maker, Mike O'Donnell.

Then one of New Zealand potters with woodfired kilns, and their work..also inspiring.

The work for sale in the shop was first class as well.

Walking up from the car park.

And next to it the Waikatō museum...but that would have been too much for one afternoon! There is a brilliant sculpture outside on the pavement though....

And just along the road, the facade of the theatre is being kept for the new building and community arts focus centre.

Back to base as the traffic was building up for rush hour..good thing we didn't stay any longer for the museum!

Manchester, more architecture

 

Central Manchester...more tall blocks going up, but even those buildings left that are centuries older, are still tall.