Festive dereliction

I had my submission for Derelict Thursday all planned out. There is a shopping arcade off the High Street in Stratford called Bell Court, which has been sliding into dereliction for as long as we've lived here. No businesses ever seem to do well here; they come and go, and steadily progress down-market with each change of tenant. Now there is word that the owners have ambitious plans to redevelop it - though I seem to think that we've heard that before - and many of the units are standing empty.

It is, however, a useful cut-through, and as I was walking through with CH last Saturday we were arrested by the sight of a substantial carved Nativity group, complete with straw, in the window of what used to be Millets. Perfect, I thought. Yesterday it was still there. Today it was not - just the pile of straw in the empty shop. Luckily a large and rather unimpressively decorated Christmas tree had been put up in the concourse, so I was able to use the reflection of that in the window as the festive element of this lovely shot.

I eventually tracked the Holy Family down outside Poundland on Bridge Street - apparently they're something to do with the Thursday Christmas market. I took a quick shot as proof. I suppose I could have decided to go back very early next Thursday morning, to snap them before they get moved - but to be honest I consider that I already suffer enough for my Art.

Many thanks, as ever, to SarumStroller for hosting.