Leeds – Vermilion Sands

Lights Night

Tonight we saw some weird lights in the sky illuminating the clouds, perhaps over Roundhay Park.
A2 is reading Kill the Father* by Sandrone Dazieri which was also weird and illuminating.

Today was the warmest day this year so far: 29.5 °C and last night the fires of hell burned in Harehills and luckily Brave Dave was there to document it.
Just heatA burned-out double-decker bus
Firefighters attacking the embers
And a scene that could be lifted from Grand Theft Auto
Thanks for the photos Dave
A1 is reading The Last Word* by Elly Griffiths, a jolly tale of a murderous book club. A2 is rereading Tik-Tok, no not that TikTok, the 1983 novel by John Sladek about a shameless criminal robot, errr…

How Did We Cope…

…before nail bars? Chapel Allerton now has an extra two, one still being fitted out so just pipped to the post by this one. Which had its Grand Opening today, with a fire-dancer and a stilt-walker. They kept smiling, despite being ignored by most passers-by.
A1 is reading The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins by Antonia Hodgson. A2 is reading The Wild Swimmers by William Shaw.

What Lies Beneath

Surveyors were out and about today, annotating the pavements. So now we know where the gas, electricity, water, sewage, TV and phone services live.
A1 is reading Firefly by Henry Porter. A2 is reading The Vinyl Detective: Noise Floor by Andrew Cartmel.

The History Man

The splendid interior of the Local History section of Leeds Central Library, where A1 spent the day shadowing the staff.
A1 is rereading No One Home by Tim Weaver. A2 is reading The Last Goodbye, also by Tim Weaver.

Best Foot Forward

The legs in the town centre sculpture are mirrored in the confident stride of the bloke in the background.
A1 is reading Newton’s Wake by Ken MacLeod. A2 is reading The Singer’s Gun* by Emily St John Mandel.

Supporting the Monarchy

Bra-king news from the underwear shop.
Admin2 is reading The Shadow Murders* by Jussi Adler Olsen, the latest in a series with a very long story arc, with Department Q operating under covid restrictions.

Bus Stop

Admin2 went for a covid booster today, but the traditional view of Scott Hall Road is obscured by the bus which stopped for her and then refused to start. It took ages for another bus to arrive. Meanwhile here is the jab-berwock with upgraded graffiti.

Carnival

Admin2 took this unprocessed photo of the Chapeltown carnival with the camera accidentally on night setting. It could pass for an 18th century engraving if the distant sound stage and dancing pen were picturesque ruins, the white vans were livestock and the clothes were not quite so modern.
Admin2 is reading This Is the Night They Come for You* by Robert Goddard.
We scored a commendable 11 on the GSQ.

Shopped

Another fine window from the local underwear emporium.
Admin1 is rereading London Rules (oh no it doesn’t) by Mick Herron. Admin2 has been reading What Makes This Book so Great by Jo Walton; about rereading old sf books, sadly not many of our favourites, and is now going to find an old book to read again.
Happy Birthday Dave!

Wibbly Wobbly World

The horrible overpriced shops in the Victoria Quarter reflected in the horrible shiny floor.
Admin1 is rereading Mr Mercedes by Stephen King. Admin2 is reading Body Breaker by MW Craven.
January was marginally warmer than December but slightly less sunny than most years so far.

Reflect

Giant baubles in a shop window. Not sure what it has to do with F Scott Fitzgerald. Admin1 is reading Murder at the Grand Raj Palace by Vaseem Khan.

Thank You NHS

Here comes the rainbow and Admin2 is home again and ticker-tee-boo. Thank you.

Night and Day

On her first day in hospital, Admin2 had a window seat with a view of the backside of Leeds Beckett University. On the second day she was moved to another ward with a view of the backside of Leeds University.
In the course of that day she had x-rays, ultrasound and an angiogram and was finally taken to a grand stage-like room where people in different uniforms stood around like characters in an opera and she watched her arteries wriggling around like snakes on the x-ray while a balloon stent was inserted from a tube from her arm to her heart to stretch out the blocked artery, after which she felt hale and hearty again.
Admin1 is rereading Oranges and Lemons by Christopher Fowler.

Ghost Town

Leeds city centre, one year after Admin2 last visited. Spot the tumbleweed.
Admin1’s 1000th book is What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe (thanks, Admin2!). Admin2 is reading Seeking Whom He May Devour by Ms Fred Vargas.

A Tit (but Not a Great One)

More fun from the underwear shop. Luckily this one seems to be losing support [update: yup, the tits are out].
Admin2 is reading Baudolino by Umberto Eco; medieval malarky.

Bra Ha Ha

Window display in local underwear shop.
Admin1 is reading Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmyre.

Traffic Lights

Oh I am enjoying the night photo facility on my phone!
Admin1 is reading The Scent of Death and Admin2 is reading The Second Midnight, both by Andrew Taylor.

Hymn and er…

This monumental piece of manufactured plagiaristic trash has appeared in the city centre, and it looks like nobody cares.

Sight of the Night: Sikh Temple

When Admin2 crossed the road for a better look all the lights went out.
Admin2 is reading Washington Black by Esi Edugyan; OK it is probably not PC to be nasty about maltreated slaves, however fictional, but this imaginary brutalised illiterate child fieldworker somehow achieves top skills in art, engineering and marine biology while still in his teens. We don’t need no education. But we do need thought control because back in the 1830s some well-meaning people had old-fashioned attitudes and our slave boy rightly calls them out. Oh and it just grinds to a halt without a conclusion or even a cliffhanger. And it was a Booker nominee. I blame the literary establishment.

Category: Leeds