Nottingham day 2

Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror outside the Nottingham Playhouse. It was set up in 2000.  It’s 35 ft in diameter - or 10 metres. The stainless steel is still absolutely perfect, as you see. I love it. 
Another lovely day, sunny. 
We explored the castle - which is actually the museum and art gallery. Fantastic history displays, the sort that really bring the past to life, concentrating on the English civil war - Nottingham supported the Parliamentarians; the Luddites - lace machines were broken up by the protesters. And then the riots associated with the reform act in 1831(to give more people - men of course - the vote and to make it secret so your landlord or boss could no longer tell you how to vote) when the castle was burned down in the protests.The castle also has an good display of lace, and about lace-making. And an excellent art gallery, a really broad and lovely collection. 
Then we explored the huge Old Market Square, and surrounding areas. The shop that was until recently Debenhams, now closed down, was previously a huge department store, where my friend’s mum worked before the war,  then called Griffin and Spalding. There’s a LOT more fantastic old buildings here than in Bristol- I imagine it was bombed less. Masses of Victorian red brick - formerly factories - now colleges, offices, accommodation. We saw a video in the castle taken in 1900 of workers leaving a lace factory - 100, 000 were employed at the peak of the trade. That is still there, just round the corner from where we’re staying. Now Nottingham College. 
In the evening we saw the musical Chicago at the Theatre Royal - great songs, excellent choreography, well performed, we enjoyed it very much. Came out to see an almost full moon, and the top of the Council House, a dome very like St Paul’s in London, lit up in lavender.  One of those beautiful moments. Though my photo of it is rubbish.
I’ve got to like Nottingham very much in my short visit. It’s often spoken of as the being in the Midlands, but I saw a description I liked much better today - the Heart of England.