Sunscreen

The Casino, Sainte Maxime, France 2014

I've only been in one casino, well only one where gambling takes place. I've been in hundreds of the little Casino supermarkets scattered across France. The casino I've been in where the roulette wheels spin is the one in Monte Carlo. It was thirty years ago. I left my jacket, my money in its pockets, in the cloakroom and strolled around taking in the atmosphere. It's a great building but really nothing more than a glorified betting shop for the rich to visibly pour their money away in.

And here on the front at Sainte Maxime is the dilapidated but still in its own way impressive casino. A building that for all the world could, inside, be full of vegetables, tobacco and frozen fish. I don't go in but wander on, sit on the promenade wall and watch people for a while.

sunscreen

a child trying to bury

a beach ball

Paul Connealy

Sainte Maxime

July 2014

Tequila Sunrise

tequila sunrise

the dancing girls

of Sainte Maxime

Paul Conneally

Sainte Maxime

2014

After Their Swim

Sainte Maxime beach yes 2014 but looks like it could be the sixties .. these two bathers could have been coming here since then...

after their swim

he washes the sea 

from her body

Paul Conneally

Sainte Maxime

2014

Sortie Véhicules

'Sortie Véhicules'

Paul Conneally

Les Arcs Sur Argens

2014

Raw Chicken

'Chicken' Paul Conneally 2014

There is nothing pre-packaged about the chicken on sale in the local street market in Les Arcs Sur Argen in the South of France. Here you buy it direct from the farmer, head and all.

In the UK the big supermarkets are now investigating the sources of their chicken after a report in the Guardian newspaper revealed atrocious conditions in the major chicken processing plants.

If you must eat meat know where it comes from.

summer vacation 

the farmer scares the kids with 

a headless chicken

Paul Conneally

July 2014

10 Lorries - Chalons en Champagne

'Ten Lorries'

Paul Conneally

Chalons en Champagne

2014

Restaurant Chinetoile

Restaurant Chinetoile

Paul Conneally

Bourg Les Valence

2014

Hotel Seyvet

Hotel Seyvet

Paul Conneally

Bourg les Valence

2014

Push Bike

Push Bike - Paul Conneally 2014

New Parks, Leicester

Community Barbecue

Community Barbecue

Paul Conneally Loughborough 2014

Hot Dog!

Eating competitions. 

We love to see people indulge themselves, gorge themselves on food as a sport. It reminds us that the extra portion we had beyond the norm is nothing when compared to these excesses of gluttony, and so we feel a little better despite the extra calories we've eaten.

There  has been a huge upset in the Coney Island annual 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Competition. 

Sonya Thomas, last year's winner, an out and out favourite is beaten by fellow competitive eater, Miki Sudo, for this year's title.

Miki ate 34 hot dogs and buns. 

It's not only the quantity eaten at one sitting that is mind boggling but the time taken to do so, just 10 minutes.

after the main course

I let out my belt a notch

Black Forest gateaux 

Paul Conneally

July 2014

Proposed Site for Leicester City Community Orchard - New Walk Centre

New Walk Centre - Paul Conneally 2014

The Leicester City Council Headquarters, New Walk Centre, has now been fully emptied of staff and preparations are underway to demolish the two buildings that make it up.

I propose that planning permission be given to turn the site, which sits at the bottom of Leicester's wonderful New Walk pedestrian route, into a City Centre Community Orchard.

It would be the first of its size and kind in the country.

Leicester - the World's First Edible City 

The fruit would be of the people for the people of this multicultural beacon of a City.

Running out from the orchard, along the highways and byways of the streets of Leicester would be planted even more fruit trees to make Leicester into the worlds first large Orchard City.

The idea of Orchard Cities is one that I first engaged with through my long time friend and artistic collaborator, Anne-Marie Culhane. The proposal includes bringing Anne-Marie to Leicester to work on taking the project forward with myself to engage as many individuals and communities from across the Leicester.

The City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has indicated that the site will be sold for redevelopment, probably to some corporate entity. This said the City Orchard proposal would fit very nicely with Leicester's Food Plan currently overseen by Deputy Mayor Councillor Rory Palmer.

Paul Conneally

Leicester, June 2014

Paul Conneally