Right ... here we are again. Having, apparently, neglected my blogs for a while (due to my attention being required elsewhere) I thought I had better add something meaningful to get back into the habit.

The redevelopment of Chatham town centre is still progressing and, at last, the old library 'shed' has been demolished. The Globe Lane car park is being extended near to the riverside and it seems that a clever game of combining private vehicle parking and heavy plant working in the same area could produce some large insurance claims at some point.

For those who remember the library building (see earlier photo), I have taken another one today from the same spot ... give or take a few miles!

OK! A funny thing happened to me in Chatham today. As you may remember, I am interested in 'over the shop-window' architecture. I am hoping to raise the awareness and eyes of the general public by publishing photographs of examples of 'extras' on the faces of buildings. I also want to provide a little bit of the history of the area and the buildings. I am concentrating on Chatham because the town (part of the city) is going through a 'renaissance' at present and there is always a chance that something important will disappear overnight. I have already missed some unique features in, or near, Gillingham High Street.
Next door to Woolworth in Chatham is a bookshop which has recently lost its own identity and become part of the Waterstone chain. I looked to see if they had any books in their local section which might help with my research, secretly suspecting that I really need to go to the historical archives in Strood. There were a couple of books that might have been useful but I considered £15.99-ish to possess two or three photographs was a bit exorbitant.
An assistant, for want of a better description, was standing quite close to me but behind a desk. I asked if there were any books on the subject of local shop buildings and decorations. I felt as though I had addressed him in Chinese-Arabic. I've always had a feeling that if someone worked in a book shop, they would have a passing interest in most subjects and would show a bit of interest if an unusual request came their way. How many people have asked about architectural detail and shop-history in one day? His reply was along the lines of "No, we don't have anything like that! I don't think we would carry it anyway!'
I explained that if people raised their eyes above the window-level they ... he interrupted my discourse with "I don't raise my eyes in Chatham ... it's so depressing!"
I asked if he knew where the art-deco elephants were in Chatham (about 100 metres from the shop). "No and I don't think I'm that interested!"
I left the shop with a determination to write an article or book on this very subject so all was not lost.
My thoughts as I left the shop were unprintable so I shall stop now.