Going, Going...

Spotted this old villa being cut up for removal on the way home tonight.

Building by building our area's character is being moved away or demolished. This is the 3rd character building within a 2 km radius to be removed or demolished this year.

The building is making way for a multi storey tilt-slab construction. The owner was quoted as saying about the old house "When you see it hard up against the adjoining building, I don't think it has any architectural merit," - kind of ironic when you discover that he is responsible for the monstrosity next door.

Farmers Santa Parade

It seems way, way, to early for Christmas but the annual Santa Parade took place in Auckland yesterday. We jostled with our 3 for position amongst thousands of others in the baking afternoon sun.

Many will wake up today with sunburned shoulders, fathers across the city will wake up with sore shoulders from carrying their children, and also with a distinct twitching feeling in their back pockets for the shopping carnage that is to come.

All the usual suspects on show, the Santa float of course, reindeer, snow men etc (never looking out of place at all in the NZ summer), highland pipe bands, clowns, acrobats and some distinctly NZ content, such as kapa haka and a very large inflatable kiwi...

Cowan Street, Ponsonby

Sketching some funky old villas in Ponsonby yesterday - at the top of Cowan Street.

St Benedicts Presbytery

Really enjoying drawing just the upper part of buildings - no people or modern cars to spoil the view!


St Benedicts Presbytery, a photo by Mr Dewhurst on Flickr.

Leys Institute Gymnasium