Larger than life sized figures ...

...... at the rear entrance to Plymouth's Covered Market.

In Great Britain everything stops for tea.

Even swashbuckling has to stop for a little light refreshment.

The Vertical Garden

In the face of seemingly endless wind and rain this summer, these tiny plants appear to be thriving on the churchyard wall, in spite of their precarious foothold.

The Button Shop in Southside Street

This is the window of the FUNKY POPPY button shop.

It is a fascinating place, full of unexpected little treasures.

Come in and take a look for yourself

Storm Bound

On Friday morning the quay alongside the Fish Market in Sutton Harbour was unusually crowded. 

Just about the entire fleet was tied up because the weather was too bad for fishing.

  

Rosé et Bleu au Café Rouge

Pink, blue and red in St Andrew's Street.

Monochrome (2)

Even this beautiful cat is monochrome.

Monochrome (1)

We have had so few bright sunny days this summer, that the colour seems to have drained away.

Rock a bye Baby.

The rumble of the wheels on the cobblestones seems to have done the trick.

Shabby Chic?

A few of the shops in Southside Street, on the historic Barbican, at the heart of the Plymouth's waterfront.

Homelessness

An increasingly common situation, I fear,  in these difficult economic times.

Row, Row, Row your boat .....

Bedraggled

This tattered bird was blown in from the sea yesterday. 

I wonder how far it had battled to get to shore in one piece?

Mad dogs and Englishmen ....

 .......go out in the wind and rain.

Hunkered down behind the perspex wind break it wasn't too bad, 

but I'm not surprised he was the only customer.

Dressed for a summer stroll?

You needed every layer of clothing yesterday.

After another night very heavy rainfall, the wind along the waterfront during the morning was gusting

 at about 50 mph, and it was decidedly chilly. 

In less than a week it will Mid Summer's Day, (21st June), and the evenings will start drawing in. 

Perhaps we will miss summer altogether this year.

It is not surprising that there were no customers at the Tinside Lido.

Stretch Limmo

What I really need is a Bendy Limmo!

The shop where time stood still. (2)

Since the shelves in Mr Elliott's shop, (see yesterday's post), have been virtually undisturbed forty forty one years, it is not surprising to find that a number brands that have vanished from the shelves of 

modern super markets, such as the extensive selection of "British Wines".

But what I hadn't expected was that a number number of items are still common today and, with only minor changes, many of the pack designs are virtually indistinguishable from today's version.

The shop where time stood still. (1)

In 1971 the UK currency was decimalised, out went 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound, also around that time a new business rate of local taxation was introduced. Frank Elliott, by then the owner of Elliott's Store in Saltash, profoundly disagreed with both these measures so he closed the doors, and began the long legal battle to turn the designation of the property from a shop to a museum. Eventually he won the day.

Funding from many sources, both public and private, have enabled the restoration of the building and work on the collection continues all the time. A team of knowledgeable and welcoming volunteers make sure that visitors have an interesting time.

The calendar shows the time when time stood still.

Come back tomorrow for a look around some more of the shelves.

The Saltash "Fisherfolk" Mural

About 15 metres from yesterday's post about the "Secret Garden", is this evocative mural in Silver Street

These life sized ceramic figures are the work the artist Rosie Fierek, and they depict an age gone by.

Take a look and some of Rosie Fierek's other public works here.

 and listen to her playing at the Sidmouth Folk Festival.

A "Secret" Garden

Across the River Tamar from Plymouth, beneath the Cornish end of the Royal Albert Railway Bridge, a very attractive, small, public garden has been created at the feet the arches which support Brunel's 1859 structure.


























Although this would seem to be an unlikely spot for a tranquil garden it has turned out to be an inspired location, with imaginative planting and good views .

The Barbican Prawn

Its official name is "The Plymouth Sea Monster", but it is now only referred to by its nickname, 

"The Barbican Prawn".

Erected in 1996, it was designed by Brian Fell of Glossop, Derbyshire.

It stands 33 feet above the West Pier, near the Mayflower Steps and it represents the variety fish and shell fish landed on the Barbican.

It is was roundly criticised by many when it first appeared but most people seem to like it now.

A quiet corner of Sutton Harbour

They are becoming fewer and farther between, but there are still a few quiet corners of Sutton Harbour that are not yet dominated by pontoons full of very expensive 'Gin Palaces', where you can do running repairs.

One man and his dog.

For the last four nor five days the rain  has been relentless. There is no way anyone could sit on the quayside to watch the pleasure boats, full of half term tourists, coming and going. The wind is forecast to continue gusting at 70 mph during today, as it has been during the night.