May 6, 2013

Having a very merry little Christmas: 2012 in pictures: December

The new Library to go mobile vans are launched at New Brighton.

An automaton in New Brighton.

Put your face in it.

Cussies having a ride.

Partay time.

Went up on the C1 Espresso roof.

Talking to Santa.

Cardboard Cathedral gets Christmassy.

ZM’s shipping crate Advent calendar.

YOLO on Colombo Street.

A lovely visitor.

On the carousel at Northlands.

My ideal bookshelf.

Christchurch’s most beautiful breasts.

Santa pic 2012.

Christmas.

See also:

May 5, 2013

Michael Palin, Horses don knickers, shit happens in New Brighton, and heaps of art: 2012 in pictures: November

Gettin’ ready for Cup Week. Hot Damn Lingerie in the Re:START did it best.

We loved Michael Palin.

Flower girl in training.

A visit to QEII at New Brighton proved disturbing but also kind of amazing. There were layers of ads making a beautiful paper sculpture.

And a charming chap teaching wee girl to do ball tricks, as well as this awesome impromptu handstand.

Shit happens in New Brighton.

A beautiful RIP.

A steampunk Christmas tree went up in the Re:START Mall.

New SCAPE art goes up – Joanna Langford’s High Country. On the corner of Montreal Street by Chateau Blanc.

Kaikoura wedding.

Holiday Out.

Concrete Propositions by Ash Keating.

Farmers carpark, on the wire.

More art starts: Rachael Dewhirst’s Kaleidoscopic Nights SCAPE mural in the Re:START

And Wongi and Ikarus’s Pinocchio:

Partial solar eclipse on 14 November.

Victoria Square re-opens.

The Pallet Pavilion takes shape on the old Crowne Plaza site.

Japan: Kingdom of characters exhibition.

Yay for bee bam bap at Mum’s 24.

Art Box on St Asaph.

A weekend demo for URS House.

A beautiful sunset on the way home from Hanmer Springs.

Another neat piece of art – Re-MED-y by Justin Kerr

Free shoes in St Albans Park.

Last looks at the Clarendon are kind of idyllic.

A bird on a wire.

The awesome Wongi and Ikarus, as Pinocchio goes up on the side of the Lichfield St carpark.

See also:

April 24, 2013

Earthquake muppets, The Strip comes down, and some art goes up: 2012 in pictures: October

I don’t remember Real Groovy moving here – I used to visit the one by SOL Square a bit, but it obviously moved after the September 2010 earthquake. But in October 2012 its new former bikeshop location on Manchester/Tuam Street was being demolished.

Wongi’s mural on Tradestaff building on the corner of Colombo and St Asaph Street was taking shape. Part of enjoying the new art around town is the pleasure of watching it grow.

The back of the Odeon theatre, as viewed from St Asaph Street.

The demolition of the beautiful Cranmer Courts was underway, with protest accompaniment.

Gloucester Street demolition, near Latimer Square.

Tjalling is innocent, Christchurch Art Gallery takes art to the streets again.

Adios Coyotes. Another demolition on The Strip.

Farmers carpark on Gloucester Street was stark viewing.

Clash boutique in the Re:START. A cool bit of art by Smeagol. Not sure where it is now as the shop has gone and is now Breads of Europe.

Lux City!

A pleasing piece of decorative circuitry.

QEII demolition.

We love the beach.

Muppets EQC sign.

Citizens war memorial in Cathedral Square, with bracing.

The busy Strip.

Lovely cuzzies.

See also:

April 16, 2013

Madchester

When I think of Manchester Street, I think of speed. Whenever I was there, I was in a hurry. Squeezing the maximum into a lunch hour, dashing down to Les Mills, or a night on the town. It reopened over the weekend. We drove down first, getting lost in the lostness. Yesterday I walked down it for the first time. A solar halo cast an unnecessary weirdness over what was already strange.

I remember these things:

Getting gurnard or prawns at the City Seafood Market. The nearby fish and chip shop did great lunchtime trade with workers. Plus they had proper condiments like lemon pepper.

The shoe repair guy who capped the tips of many of my kitten heels.

Dad’s work (it is gone now).

Fossicking at Smith’s Bookshop.

Verkerks. Carnivores. Meat. Necessary.

My sister’s boyfriend sing “I want a girl with a short skirt, and a looooooong jacket” at the Tree House.

Dancing at Shooters and Loaded Hog. Cheap weekend breakfasts of bacon and eggs at Loaded Hog.

Megawatt. Team breakfasts, Spanish frittata. One time getting a hearty smack on the bum from a chap on my way to said breakfast. Lunches with Dad. Lunches with Kathryn (always meringues). Lunches with baby daughter, chatting to Kate.

Running down Manchester Street to Les Mills. Not running at Les Mills though, only dancing, yoga-ing, boxing, stepping …

Battenburg cake at Loef’s bakery. Potato top pies.

Jimmy outside Sullivans, enticing people in for a bit of Oirish craic.

A stunning Destiny’s Child duet “I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly” at Christchurch Idol.

Comics compulsion comic sifting.

Checking out ballet shoes at Dance shop, kids’ sizes but all so colourful and pretty.

The mighty Excelsior – family connections, a place of conception. Dad was outside it on 22 February 2011, doing one of his big lunchtime walks.

The Majestic – home of several union meetings.

Many many meals with friends at Topkapi and Two Fat Indians.

The flying Odeon roof, Elvis has not left the building, & Christchurch sunsets: 2012 in pictures: September

The Press Christchurch Writers Festival.

Biblia Abiblia

A Ron Mueck eye.

40 flavours of heaven.

Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Christchurch sunset.

When you work in the CBD of Christchurch, you are never short on things to see. On 10 September, I looked down Tuam Street and saw the roof of the Odeon sailing away.

And it landed on Manchester Street.

The colours of the ECAN building on Kilmore Street, unmasked.

A visit to Woodend.

Democracy rally.

A vacant space on Colombo Street made kind of beautiful by the setting sun.

Christchurch danglers, high above the Holiday Inn.

Parklife: a radiocontrolled helicopter gets stuck in a tree in St Albans Park.

Craig Smith in concert, at Central Library Tuam.

Demolition on the strip.

Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Elvis in Shand’s Emporium – one of those iconographic Christchurch sights.

See also:

March 16, 2013

Mannequins face the future, things implode, and new art busts in: 2012 in pictures: August

A discarded sign of protest. TC3 land.

I go for the jewellery pileup.

Fabulous book bargains from Just Incredible in South City Mall.

Morning implosion of Newstalk ZB.

After the implosion, a trampoline on Kilmore Street.

Margaret Mahy storytime at Central Library Peterborough.

The BMX track, not just for bikes.

Loved the Youth Market on Barbadoes Street.