Tuam and High Streets

This is looking the opposite way to yesterday. A little more of the CBD (emphasis on little) opened today and I went to take a look. I'm standing on empty ground on Manchester St where Pararubber and carpark used to be.

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The squat building on the bottom left corner of the trolley in yesterday's blip is far left today. In case you're a disorientated Christchurch/NZ blipper, left - right:

- Alice in Videoland (open via a door off Tuam St)
- The palms corner of Tuam and High
- Through the palms we see the remnants of Poplar Lane. The mustard coloured building is The Twisted Hop, sadly now to come down according to this morning's Press.
- To the left of the Hop is the building that had the wine business. Don't know it's fate
- To the right is what remains of what were 2 and 3 story early brick warehouses, latterly bars, cafes and quirky shops.
- Empty middle ground space that was the buildings on High and Tuam Sts. In the distance you can see the remaining buildings on far side of Madras St.
- In the middle is the ruin of McKenzie and Willis. You can just see the steel support designed to save their facade (the only part of there buildings they can save).
- To the right of McKenzie and Willis is the backs of the brick buildings on High St
- Finally the new (as in last couple of years) building occupied by Buddle Fndlay.

This was my favourite part of town and there isn't much left. I'm glad Alice's old post office building has survived. All strength to them.

I felt sad seeing this. The usual brain games happened.

"Oh, what's happened here?!". "An earthquake...".
"What a huge film set". "It's not a film set, there was an earthquake ".
"It's so life like". "This is life, this is real".
"Where am I, what happened...?"

And so the brain processes, all this in a couple of blinks.

This is how it is. Tough stuff but there can and will be something new.