Wisteria

The local wisteria is blossoming now!

Here's two photos to enjoy!

One from Pretoria parade and another from that park down near Normanhurst station.

My Sophie's Fire Report

Photographs of the aftermath of the My Sophie's fire at Hornsby

copyright J. Vaux 2012 

copyright J. Vaux 2012 

I managed to take a couple of photos on the weekend before the hoardings went up!

A lot of the damage was smoke and water related and roofs!

It looks to me as if possibly the fire started in the old workshops around the back and spread along the rooftops and then maybe a gas canister or cooking oil exploded when the heat reached Sophies. I wonder if someone was storing chemicals in the old workshops around the back?

The smoke stains come down from the roofs!

What's gone!

Allof My Sophies!

Richardson and Wrench next door have a damaged roof over their back rooms.

The computer shop at the end of the row may be okay?

On the other side well we've lost the Guitar center and I hope all those instruments were insured! The windows of the cafe and the store were black but not broken but  judging from the roofline everythings gone inside.

Don't expect a fire damage sale folks. I doubt there will be much salvage.

On the positive side no lives were lost and the fire brigade got there in time so that it didnt spread further down the street.

Twosome

These flowers are quite common and often seed outside gardens.
There's a planting near the rail and more in front of Tafe too!
Walk up and take a look!

Autumn Leaf

Photocopy Julie Vaux 2012

The leaves have all fallen now.
This shot was taken in a back lane behind the shops on the west side of Hornsby.

One of the great things about living in Hornsby is the wide variety of vegetation native and other!

A Federation Style House in Hornsby. Whoever is renovating this seems to be doing it at snail's pace.

A pity for this is a house with an excellent frontage ... note the decorative woodwork on the verandah that's going to look quite if the repairs are ever finished!

Western Clouds

Western Clouds Close to Sunset

I love it when the temperatures not too hot or cold or too windy to enjoy a walk along Pretoria Parade  JUST before or after the sun comes down. Something about the rising ground shadows seems to make the last colors of the sky and clouds not just deeper but richer too.

Somehow those slender lines of cables crossing the street make the vastness of the sky more striking as parrot sand other birds fly back to their nests.

But perhapsyou prefer a different time of the day?

Another Mystery House in Hornsby

Will someone please buy or rent this house and restore it to something closer to its original style?

I don't know who the current landlord or owner but you should be ashamed of yourself.

Judging from the newer homes and townhouses around it this building is the last remnant of an once larger property that's been subdivided. It seems to have once had a Federation style veranda that was ripped up and replaced by concrete. The larger house seems to be divided into three uninhabited sections or flats.

A garage or side veranda seems to have been converted into the third flat and the original brick washed with a different color. There's a side lane leading to what looks like it was once a summer house?

I confess to peering thru the fence from the side lane. The back yard once had a garden and there is a garage  a paved area and outbuildings.

Cleaned up repainted and with the front garden either paved over competely or restored and maybe rezoned  this building  given its proximity to Reddy Park and a bus stop on Pretoria Parade could become a house again or a community centre or art centre or bed and breakfast boutique hotel or child care for the west side of Hornsby.

I rather dread its been neglected cos the owner hopes to tear it down and make town houses or units maybe?

Personally I'ld love to see this building restored as a community centre for  the West side?


Oh wait the CWA needs a new building?! Any chance the owner is civic minded?

What happens to it will some one with a sense of style restore it to a better state than it's currently in please?
It's a long walk to Wallarobba!