THE DOG & DUCK - CHELTENHAM

 

Here is a pub that is no longer on the go under this name - The Dog & Duck in Cheltenham.
It's quite a size, and I remember going to see Tammy Payne perform here sometime in the early 1990's when Acid Jazz and the Bristol Sound were doing the biz on the underground dance music scene.
However, the premises has gone through a few name changes since I took this photo, with its most recent transformation being called the MooMoo Club.

JAMAICAN CLUB - GLOUCESTER

The Jamaican Club in Gloucester has hosted many excellent reggae events in the past. Some of the world's finest sound systems have played there - names such as - Jah Shaka, Saxon, Stone Love, Sir Coxsone, V Rocket, Jah Trinity, Rodigan, and tons of others. Plenty top reggae acts have stopped off for a session along the way too, with the likes of Maxi Priest, Pliers, Leroy Smart, Thriller U, Tippa Irie, Cocoa Tea, Barrington Levy, in fact far too many to mention here.
In the 80's and early 90's the Jamaican Club often put on All-Dayers which introduced other music styles - with house, hip hop, soul and funk blasting out to a full house.
The club was located in a fairly isolated spot which meant you'd hear the music from quite a distance away before you actually encountered the building - and when you got there, the music could go on till 6 in the morning!
Anyway, it just so happens I have a live recording from the early 90's capturing a typical reggae soundclash at this venue.
This particular night had 2 sound systems - Vinyl Star v Black Ice - with guests, Ninjaman, Nadine Culture, Ninja Youth and Nardo Ranks.
Just a short snippet (below) as an example of the kind of thing that went on at the Jamaican Club week after week back in the day.

IT'S GUINNESS TIME

Rosie O'Grady's in Oxford had this rather strange promotional design on the side of the pub.
It features creatures that Guinness have used in past advertising campaigns, assembled together to create the above, quite surreal, image.
Since this picture was taken, the quirky Irish themed pub has gone - as has the artwork!

GREEN GEORGE

As you can see, the ivy has taken over the entire area of this stretch of road and not just the main building in the picture. Looks all the better for it too in my opinion.
This was The George Inn in Cambridge at a time in the 90's when they were trying to recruit staff.
Not sure if the ivy was later judged as being a deterrent to applicants, but the last time I passed by the place, all the ivy had disappeared along with the "Staff Wanted" sign!

IMPERIAL IVY

I must admit to having a liking for buildings that are covered in ivy.
This one above is how the Imperial Hotel in Stroud looked back in the 1990's.
The last time I was there, however, all the ivy had been removed.

THE SMALL GIANT HAYSTACK

This large haystack is made to look as if it is part of a miniature model as a result of using the tilt-shift focus technique.
It was a real one though, and was snapped in a field near Hartpury.

HARESFIELD FROM HUDINKNOLL

It was starting to get rather dusky when I was cycling around Hudinknoll Hill one evening, and this scene caught my eye.
The sun beaming down on the Haresfield area, lighting up the nearby countryside.

COTTAGE ROSES

This is the more traditional kind of image people associate with the Cotswolds, the type of picture that crops up in things such as calendars and tourist brochures - a nice cosy stone cottage scene.
The photo was taken in Caudle Green.

FAIRY TALE COTTAGE

  

Photogenic cottages are not uncommon around this neck of the woods, but I reckoned this one in Redmarley D'Abitot stood out because it reminded me of the kind you'd see illustrated in books of fairy tales.
You could almost imagine Little Red Riding Hood paying a visit!

THE BIG CHIMNEY STACK

What caught my eye when I was cycling passed this home near Highnam, was the size of the chimney stack compared to the house. It seems to be needlessly far too big and out of proportion.
It could almost pass as a watchtower!

THE SPLIT PERSONALITY HOME

There is something about the design of this building that looks a bit strange to me.
I kinda like its offbeat appearance, but it gives the impression that the section with the lower roof has crashed into the side of the building with the chimneys, squeezing the central Tudor beams in the process - as if the stone section has been compressed by 4 feet!
This is in Forthampton though, which is flat, so it couldn't have been the result of a landslide, therefore I can only presume it was the architect who had a split personality!

EMPTY NEWENT

The reason I got the town centre of Newent all to myself on this particular visit, is because it was a Sunday!

EMPTY WINDOW

In contrast to yesterday's subject, this window frame and its glass are still intact, however, looking through it we see the same emptiness as yesterday's.
The location for these forthcoming non-events was Gloucester - the old leisure centre to be exact.

STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ARCHED WINDOW

Unlike yesterday's arched window which was specifically designed for ventilation reasons - this arched window in Gloucester has had its ventilation put in place by brute force!

THROUGH THE ARCHED WINDOW

On first glance, this looked as if it was another window that had been bricked up, like yesterdays item, however, on closer inspection you can see its design had a deliberate set pattern of spaces in the brick layout.
This was actually for ventilation purposes, to allow air into the barn it was part of.
The barn was in Redmarley D'Abitot.

THE SEPARATED SILL

When Alice was in Wonderland, she remarked - "I've often seen a cat without a grin...but a grin without a cat is the most curious thing".
When I was in Sandhurst, I remarked - "I've often seen a window without a windowsill...but a windowsill without a window is the most curious thing".

CLASSIC CAR AND CRICKET

I suppose this is a very typical Cotswolds scene - a classic car parked outside a game of cricket on a warm summer's evening.
The picture was taken in Gloucester.

RED HOUSE & RED CAR

I noticed that this house near Painswick, had a vivid red autumn colour that matched the car in the driveway!

RED SHED

This red shed caught my eye as I was cycling through the outskirts of Gloucester.
It belonged to basket maker, F. Cale.

HUT CLUTTER

Not sure if this hut was being used as a workshop or a storage shed, but there was a stone carving in amongst the clutter, so perhaps it might have been something like a sculptors studio.
I'm just as vague about it's exact location too, but I do know for sure it was somewhere around the Portway area.

SLAD VILLAGE VIEW

The top image is the village of Slad basking in the sunshine - and the photo below it is the village pub, The Woolpack, along with a hint of the view it gets looking across Slad Valley.
Around the time of the photos, the pub's owner was artist, Daniel Chadwick.

WAINLODE'S WATERING HOLE

The top image is the view you get when going down Wainlode Hill - notice that there is not much sign of there being any kind of community nearby.
Then when you reach the foot of the hill you discover there is a pub tucked away at the side of some trees, The Red Lion.
The 3rd picture is the view you get from the pub's beer garden.
It has the entire area all to itself!

HAY MAN, WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?

These characters were on display in a field near Apperley.
The top one was to inform passers-by of a fete that was taking place in the village hall - this was in 1996.
I'm guessing that because there is a couple in the other photo, along with ribbons & top hat, that this might have been the announcement of a wedding.
Either that, or there was a strange ventriloquist act to be performing!

STUMP AND SPIRE

This tree appeared to be on its last legs when I stumbled upon it, although obviously it must have been here for many generations judging by the size of its girth.
In fact, it looks as if it is suffering from elephantiasis!
I sighted the gnarly stump in a field near Haresfield church, whose spire it is you can see in the background.

THE SCULPTURE TRAIL

The Sculpture Trail in the middle of Forest of Dean, is a 4 mile walk through dense woods that incorporates numerous works of art placed around the route.
The first one you see is the one at the top of the 2 photos here - the huge stained glass window panel.
Not only are there lots of eye-catching sculptures on display, but the forest itself is just as interesting of course - but one feature I spotted got me wondering if it was one of the exhibits, or part of the forest.
I took a photo of it (above) - a perfect pillow of moss on top of a tree stump.
Is this the work of an environmental artist such as Andy Goldsworthy, or is it a masterpiece by mother nature?

ROBERT OPIE COLLECTION

The king of all things retro, Robert Opie, used to have a museum based at Gloucester docks, as shown in the above photos.
This stunning collection of old advertising & packaging, however, closed down in 2001 and was relocated to Notting Hill in London a couple of years later.

WALL SLATES!

This house near Newent has quite an unusual embellishment to its outer walls - roof slates!

WHAT SHAPE IS YOUR COTTAGE?

Here's a couple of cottages I passed that I noticed were unusually shaped.
Top one is an octagon designed cottage which was in Upleadon, and the rounded one below it was on the road to Great Witcombe.

SWAN LAKE

Probably more of a pond than a lake, but I spotted this swan going past close to where I was standing at the time so couldn't resist taking a snap.
The location was Walham.

BIKING BREAKS

Sometimes you've just got to stop cycling to give your legs a bit of a rest.
These walls above where I plonked my bike against to have a breather during various trips, were in the following locations...
The chunky plastered wall - Blakeney.
The Tudor beamed wall - Flaxley.
The stoney slotted wall - Aston Ingham.
The stairway wall - Syde.