Mission Accomplished!

This time last year I made a New Year resolution to take and post at least one image to this Blog every day throughout 2010. Like all New Year resolutions I didn't expect it to last and pondered how long I would be able to keep it up. I have to admit that it's been quite a challenge and caused many an extra mile to be walked simply because I HAD to go out to get a photo. But now the year is at an end and I've made another resolution for 2011 - I'm not going to do it again! Today's photo was easy though as four "living" statues stood on Bath Street this morning. They remained motionless until someone dropped an offering into the bowls in front of them when they would bow or curtsey to acknowledge the donation. Well that's it for 2010 - I'll be back in 2011 but not every day. Happy New Year.

Siege Mentality

Tesco's will be open tomorrow until 7pm and as the sign outside shows, also on New Year's Day but the car park was full and there were queues both to get into the store and to get away from it. The population seems to have adopted a siege mentality and appears to be stocking up for a long time. Maybe the impending VAT rise could be having an impact too but when the trading figures are released stores will have made ONLY umpteen millions and profits will be down. A profit is a profit so why all the talk of doom and gloom? David Cameron complains of the opposition talking the country down but that is precisely what he did when on the other side of the house. Pot? Kettle? Black?

Fog

Yesterday the danger was black ice but although it had disappeared today, the problem was that if any did remain we may not have seen it through the fog. It wasn't too bad on Bath Street but in other parts of town it was quite dense. More shops were open today even though it is traditionally half day closing on Wednesday and most of them had "Sale" signs plastered all over their windows. I suspect the picture being carried by this lady was a sale acquisition but the sunshine in her picture was the only brightness we saw all day.

Black Ice

A partial thaw and sleet and rain removed most of the snow that was still lying but in the town centre this caused streams of water to run from the Market Place and Lower Market Place towards Bath Street resulting in large swathes of black ice. One unfortunate lady whilst visiting the public conveniences became a victim and necessitated the calling of a paramedic closely followed by an ambulance to take her to hospital.

Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day. Yesterday couldn't be as Boxing Day falls on the first WORKING day after Christmas Day and is NEVER on a Sunday so the Boxing Day sales that started yesterday were jumping the gun. In Ilkeston today the sales were in full swing although you'd hardly know it as the charity shops, banks, mobile phone shops and banks were all closed and with all the empty premises on Bath Street there was not a great deal to turn out for. The usual suspects however turned the pedestrian area into a cross between car park and a race track and there was no one about to do a thing about it. It may be the season of good will to all men but inconsiderate drivers who ignore the traffic laws really test my patience.

White Christmas

So after all the speculation we did have a white Christmas even though it did not actually snow here on Christmas Day. There was still snow lying on the ground all around but we always have a white Christmas anyway courtesy of our grandsons and the village scene they create on a shelf in our wall unit. Using cake decorations, small model buildings and vehicles, the village is never the same from one year to the next but it is always on a cotton wool (or similar) base to resemble snow and creates a white Christmas scene every time.

Merry Christmas

Through the progress of Advent we've been watching the Wreath in St Mary's Church each Sunday as another candle gets lit. Even though today is Saturday, it felt very much like a Sunday with little traffic and the shops closed and an informal service in church this morning saw the final candle representing the birth of Christ lit. The flame on the candle reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. Merry Christmas everyone and may you always remain in the light.