Journey

I wanted to post a little bit about things I spot on my bus ride to work. It's a lot less weird in Leeds than back in Cottingham/Hull but there are still plenty of things to enthrall and fascinate.

The Lion

The first thing I like to spot is the best thing and sadly the only thing I have not photographed. When I first noticed The Lion I was very eager for my boyfriend to see it but feared that we would drive away before he had the chance; so I kinda screamed and grabbed at him. He saw The Lion and was impressed but I could tell he didn't think it warranted a scream-grab. It's a sculpture of a lion's face that gazes out at the street. It is proud and benevolent. The Lion knows it is better than you but would never be tacky about it. I think seeing The Lion brings me good fortune and if I forget to look at it as I pass I feel a kind of terror. That's weird, right? Here is an artist's impression:

I had planned a rather fancy photoshop collage as a more fitting tribute to The Lion but I don't have photoshop on this computer and it was too hard to do on paint so I basically pasted a picture of a lion's face onto a picture of someone's window. Effective!

The Sign

Behind these showhouses the development is very much a work-in-progress. You would not be this happy if you were going to live in a muddy bog with a crane in the middle.

It's not a great shot but the bus moves quite quickly and I can't get out of the bus in this area for fear of having my iPod and camera stolen then being beaten because my camera is old and my iPod doesn't have any dubstep or whatever on it.

After The Sign we enter a bit of a wasteland. Partially demolished rowhouses on one side of the road; semi-detatched houses sporting England flags on the other side. In one of the driveways there is a burnt-out caravan that seems to get meltier every time I see it. Maybe the residents of the house re-light it at night for warmth. One of the houses has bright green shamrocks (about the size of a large human face) worked into the curlicues of the fence. I didn't photograph it because the owners of the fence are probably deranged.

Bellbrooke Cafe

This cafe is noteable for being the purveyor of both hot and cold sandwiches.

If I have a travelling companion I turn to them at this stage, nod and say, "Hot and cold sandwiches."

Nowhere Bench

Usually a bench will be near a bus stop or outside a building but this one is just plonked in the middle of a field. I've never seen anyone use it but it's often surrounded by spent cans of Special Brew which would indicate that it is a late-night homeless drinking spot.


Gas

The last thing is this amusement arcade that closed down years ago. It used to boast a light-up LAS VEGAS sign and windows full of classy and expensive goods like pharaoh death masks and urns.

Now look. Nothing in the windows, the previously dazzling LAS VEGAS reduced to mere GAS. I don't think they could even try to restore it to its former glory because a goth shop has set up next door. Tragic.