Manchester Town Hall

I try to find an image that depicts the content of each of my albums on Flickr and process them as a square image purely for presentational purposes. My current offering is a misty Beetham tower shot that doesn't really sum up Manchester. I've been aware of the bee symbol for many years and always thought that's the one for me but never seemed to get around to finding a good example so last Saturday I went out of my way to find it.

Just to fill you in on why I've picked this image for my album cover - the worker bee was adopted as a motif for Manchester during the Industrial Revolution, at a time when Manchester was taking a leading role in new forms of mass production. Seven bees are included in the crest of the city's arms which were granted to the Borough of Manchester in 1842. The bee denotes Mancunians' hard work during this era and Manchester being a hive of activity in the 19th century.

If you look hard enough you will see it in many forms around the city, most noticeable on the city bins. Alas, I didn't find an example that floated my boat but I did know of a mosaic version in the Town Hall so off I wandered in the hope of rescuing a disappointing, unmotivated photo shoot.

In the main foyer of the town hall is a beautiful mosaic floor but not one single bee symbol was to be found. At one end of the foyer was an information desk manned by several staff and a security guard. The staff were dealing with a queue of people so I asked the guard if he knew the whereabouts of a mosaic bee. They're on the upper floor leading into the great hall but that floor is closed today for a private function he said.
"Is it open any other time?" I enquired. "Yes, but why do you want to see a bee?" So I explained I'd been all over town looking for a symbol for my Flickr album but not to worry I could come back another day.
I was just about to turn around and head out when he said "just wait a minute, let these function photographers pass - just nip up these stairs, turn right and they're in the middle".

It won't mean anything to anyone who just peruses my stream, especially without reading this, but I'm made up with this. Not because it's a great image, but because someone went out of their way to make it happen for me and I left feeling upbeat and happy about my morning's shoot and photography in general, which I've not done for several months. So thank you to the gentleman on security for not being a "jobsworth" and taking an interest in my request. A simple gesture goes a very long way.

Tags:   Manchester Town Hall mosaic floor bee symbol Industrial Revolution hard work image album square happy faith humanity Andy Rouse Canon EOS 5D MkIII

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Lightwaves 2016, Salford Quays

Voyage by Aether & Hemera features a total of 198 origami boats which float on the water in Dock 9. The fleet composes an organic matrix of interactive lights which visitors can control using their mobile phones, transforming the pattern and colour in real-time. There’s an array of colour options, including rainbow and nigh-sky effects.

Tags:   Lightwaves 2016 art Voyage 198 origami boats rows Dock 9 float installation lights neon Salford Quays Lowry Theatre MediaCityUK Andy Rouse Canon EOS 5D MkIII

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Venice, Italy

A shop window somewhere between Piazza San Marco and our hotel. They almost seem like a bargain compared to the price of a coffee in the square, and they'll last a bit longer as well.
Apologies for the title, I couldn't think of anything witty!

Tags:   Gloves leather shops shopping colours pricey Venice Andy Rouse Canon EOS 5D MkIII

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Venice, Italy

There's a good reason why there are so many empty tables in this image.... it's St Mark's Square and the café in question is Caffé Florian. Anyone that's been will know that its extortionate to have a coffee here, let alone lunch or afternoon tea but it's one of the experiences of Venice along with the gondolas. So order your cappuccino and savour the atmosphere... a good two hours sat there should make it cost effective!

PS: for someone with OCD tendencies, those tables and chairs really annoy me with not being lined up and equally spaced in line with the pavement. Mrs R refused point blankly to go down the campanile and straighten them before I took the picture so this is as taken!

Tags:   Venice San Marco St Mark's square Caffé Florian café coffee seats tables empty expensive tourist campanile viewpoint Andy Rouse Canon EOS 5D MkIII

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Venice, Italy

I've posted quite a few images from our Venice holiday but haven't found one for my album cover. The obvious shot I thought was Santa Maria della Salute and the Grand Canal as an iconic scene but scrolling through my hard drive I realised every one I'd taken was either light trials or early morning traffic on the canal. This just happens to be the very first frame taken during my early morning at the Accademia bridge. I like the shadows cast by the mooring posts and its traffic free so for the time being this is my album cover.

Tags:   Venice Italy Santa Maria della Salute basilica minor church Roman Catholic architecture Grand Canal lamps mooring posts shadows boats blue hour early morning Accademia bridge Andy Rouse Canon EOS 5D MkIII

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