Ilkeston - Man (& dog) About Town
w/e 12 August 2012
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
When we look back to years gone by, we always seem
to recall wonderful summer weather but we all know too that's
not always been the case. This last week though we've enjoyed
some of those idyllic summer days that stick in our memories
so easily.
Most days we're out dog-walking and there are several routes
we like to follow. On Thursday morning we set out for our daily
constitutional before the sun rose too high across 'Illy 'Oleys
- just the place for a run and a roll in the grass. That's for
the dog of course, not me!
|
From 'Illy 'Oleys we took the shady path to the Chalons Way underpass
and up towards the Market Place.
|
The Erewash Museum is now sporting a brand new banner across
its frontage. The old one that proclaimed "Derbyshire Museum
of the Year 2011" has been replaced with another that has
had "2012" added to the wording. Museum of the year
two years running and it's not so very long ago that it was threatened
with closure.
|
One of the joys of living in a hill top town at the southern
end of the Pennines is the fact that even though it's an urban
environment with the cities of Nottingham and Derby less than
ten miles away, there are views of open countryside all around.
From the end of High Street where it meets East Street, we are
within a couple of minutes of the town centre but can still see
the Grade II* listed Bennerley Viaduct crossing the Erewash Valley.
|
With Jewl back on the lead we followed the path from East Street
into the Albion Precinct where new signs have been erected while
work continues in one of the empty units showing that a Costa
Coffee shop will soon be opening. It's a start but all we need
now is for more of the empty premises in the town centre to follow
suit and re-open to regenerate the town.
|
Bath Street, one of the main shopping streets in the town, was
looking quite busy, but as if to prove a point, just look at
the number of "For Sale" or "To Let" signs
at this top end of the street.
|
The busyness of the town centre on a Thursday is on account of
the market that is held every week. There is a smaller market
on Fridays but the Saturday market has declined in recent years
and the Thursday event has risen to be almost on a par if not
in fact equal with Saturday's. Bread, eggs, flowers, fruit and
vegetables are just a few of the wares available along with clothing
and many other items that are no longer available in local shops.
Even if you are not buying, the chat and banter with the market
traders make a visit worthwhile on any of the three market days.
|
We left the market via Market Street and turned into Hallcroft
Road to climb over the footbridge back across Chalons Way. The
road, the bridge and the new build on the right have all contributed
greatly to change the view here from when I used to walk this
way regularly on my way to school in the 1950s and 60s.
|
Letting Jewl off the lead again we paused on the footbridge and
I zoomed the camera lens onto the island at the end of Chalons
Way where the Jubilee display on the five flower beds is still
looking exceptionally good.
|
We headed towards the island in the shade of the wall along the
side of Chalons Way and with the temperature rising quickly as
the sun rose higher in the clear sky, made our way home for a
refreshing drink. And would you believe that Jewl still wanted
to run around the house and play despite the warm weather!
|
