Abandoned Asphalt Plant

This plant once made asphalt products, including flooring blocks and roofing sheets making use of locally quarried limestone. It closed around 2009. It is in deepest rural Derbyshire and we were lucky to visit on a sunny Autumnal day. It was easy access and we encountered plenty of people walking past with their dogs.

Despite being abandoned for several years, there was plenty to see.

Quite a few pieces by Coloquix, whom we had the pleasure of meeting as we left the site (he was in the process of working on another piece)

       A budding Van Gogh had created a "Starry Night" mural in one of the rooms.

An Archimedes screw.

Despite being nowhere near any water, there was an abandoned boat.

                                                                 More work by Coloquix.

It was a rather good little mooch - thanks to Judderman for driving!

San Francisco Street art

A morning in San Francisco spent checking out the street art. First up was The Women's Building, which is a women-led non-profit arts and education community center located in San Francisco, California, United States, which advocates self-determination, gender equality and social justice. 

It is located on 3543 18th Street, San Francisco and was opened in 1979. It is completely covered in murals depicting women in a positive way.

Next up was Balmy Alley,  in the Mission District. This back alley is the best place to see the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco. The murals began in the mid-80's as an expression of artists' outrage over human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today the alley contains murals in a variety of styles and subjects.