4
The City.
Continued from the previous page. The camera view has moved further round to point almost directly across the river.
St Columbs Park dominates the view at this point and passing over is an Army helicopter which has just taken off from Ebrington Barracks. A common sight in the city skies for many years. They hovered over the city with powerfull cameras which I am told are monitored by an army intelligence team on the ground. Nasty noisy things, especially when on night watch! Their activities became greatly reduced in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement and now are only occasional visitors at times of possible tension.
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Lest I be accused of showing all the nice bits and doing the Tourist Boards work for them I offer this as a contrast. The camera moves on further to the right.
Prince Charles once famously described a new building in London as a 'monstrous carbuncle'. Here is our contribution to the 'architectural heritage best demolished' list. 'The Quayside Centre'. A new building in a prime location overlooking the river and the park, it would be difficult to find a better spot in any town or city in these islands. So what do they build? A brick block with a non-descript frontage on to the very ordinary street away from the river. And facing the river? A brick wall with opaqued windows, the shop unloading bays and a concrete multi-story carpark!!!!!! Unbelievable. What on earth the architects, developers and local planners were thinking of when they put up this truly awful building is beyond comprehension. A classic example of the 'Stalin school' of architecture.
The boat moored to the quayside is a small cruiser which does tours down the river. I have been on the river many times though I have never paid for the privelege. Generally I was, quite literally, paddling my own canoe! Its a very nice cruise, much recommended. If you are not too interested in the view I believe they do booze cruises in the evenings.