Love locks...

I had another day in Otley library, working on my book: so engrossed that when the librarian came round and said they were closing, she made me jump. I emerged into warm summer sunshine (the library is air-conditioned), wandered down to the river, and sat on a bench, to watch the couples and dog-walkers strolling by. A fat pigeon propositioned a skinny pigeon and was rebuffed. Just as I was getting up, a kingfisher flew by, hugging the opposite bank of the river: a flash of metallic blue, green and orange.

As I recrossed the river bridge I read some of the names on the love locks attached to the metal barriers: some written in felt-tip on tiny padlocks, some professionally engraved on heart-shaped locks. There were a few combination locks too (which slightly miss the point of the exercise… which is for a couple to lock the padlock and then throw the key into the water, so it can never be opened again). There must have been about 500 locks altogether. I wonder what has since happened to these 500 protestations of undying love.

Another banal picture sale this morning: a Sainsbury's supermarket...