Grantown-on-Spey is a town in the former county of Moray in the Highland region of Scotland.

Its War Memorial is a stone column on a square plinth and sits beside the town square. The names of killed and missing are on bronze plaques on the plinth where can also be found a frieze depicting a kilted soldier. When we visited the memorial was decorated with flags making some of the inscriptions unreadable. (Unobstructed photos can be found here.)

Dedication and names of men from Grantown-on-Spey. (The dedication is highlighted here.)

The next plaque bears names from Abernathy (obscured,) Duthil, Rothiemurchus and Aviemore.

The top named town below (Inverallan) is obscured but Cromdale and Advie are discernible:-

The Royal British Legion building in Grantown has minor Art Deco styling and was also decorated for remembrance (even though it was April.)

In March we dropped into the V&A, Dundee for something to do.

We came across a small exhibition of postcards by Valentine’s, once a Dundee institution.

According to the V&A site this exhibition was supposed to end in January 2023!

I have many Valentine’s postcards in my collection especially those of the 1938 Empire Exhibition.

I had not realised, though, that Valentine’s themselves had constructed for them an Art Deco building on Dundee’s Kingsway, as these two postcards from the V&A Exhibition attest. The building is now long gone:-

Also on display was this postcard of Portobello Bathing Pool:-

Images of Portobello Bathing Pool in its heyday are here.

The Odeon Cinema is the finest but not the only Art Deco building in Harrogate.

The Harrogate Chocolate Factory Café is right beside the Odeon Cinema. Flat roof, rule of three in upper windows, which have retained the air of Critall Windows though obviously replacements:-

Elsewhere there is Primark. It was formerly a Marks & Spencer then a BhS.

Then there is Barclay’s Bank:-

And Boots, which once housed a Woolworths:-

Wow! Just wow!

My jaw dropped when I turned a corner in Harrogate and found this:-

This must be one of the most stunning examples of Art Deco cinema architecture in the UK.  Most 1930s Odeon cinemas were fine illustrations of Art Deco but this has just about everything. Thin stepped tower with deco fonted lettering on the word ‘Cinema’, the canopy, the cream and green curve above it leading into the curved cream tower with thin line of windows and green streamlining at top, rule of three in the windows on the brick portion.

Side view. Look at those windows and green detailing below roofline:-

The curved tower is beautiful:-

By the door on the cinema’s wall is this plaque outlining its history. It’s even been featured on a stamp:-

As a contrast to Knaresborough Castle I thought I’d post poictures of the two Art Deco style buildings I found in Knaresborough.

Former Woolworths, now a Tesco Express. Very typical Woolworths detailing:-

Cosmetic Dental:-

Galbraith’s, on the corner of Burns Statue Square and Miller Road, Ayr.  Curved corner, detailing to top, flagstaff, rule of three in windows to right. (Lower windows completely ruined):-

Art Deco detail:-

Miller Road aspect:-

Curved gable end to Galbraith’s Miller Road facade. Ruined windows, though:-

The Smokehouse, Alloway Place. Curved windows with rule of three, white rendering, flat roof. The upper windows may be original Critall ones. (Or perhaps not, what with their black surround.):-

The windows in the one below are Deco, as are the rooftop projections. The middle portion has an eastern feel though. Overall it’s an odd one. It’s situated on the A 719 where it merges with Main Street.

Frontage:-

On corner of Fort Street and Barns Street:-

On corner of Garden Street and River Street:-

Art Deco detailing on the Kyle Shopping Centre in Ayr, now closed. Carrick Street frontage:-

High Street frontage:-

Art Deco cinema in Ayr. Statue of Robert Burns to right. Memorial to Colonial Wars to left.

Apparently this is the first true Odeon to be built in Scotland. Sadly as the following two photos show it is now somewhat in need of care and attention.

Odeon Cinema, upper portion:-

On our trip to Ayrshire in October we stayed overnight in Ayr. I found plenty to photograph including the Art Deco Gaiety Theatre.  The attached building (Stagedoor) is also Deco in style:-

Photo of Gaiety showing stepped roofline, streamlining, canopy:-

Gaiety’s entrance column:-

Stagedoor from side:-