Unexpected Entertainment in Nelson, British Columbia

We arrived in Nelson on motorcycles, hot and dusty after a long day of riding. We could almost see our hotel, but couldn’t get to it because it was on a parade route. A police officer asked us to pull over and park. That is how we came to be spectators at  the Annual Gay Pride Parade.

That evening, after we had wined and dined at a local eatery, we realized that this was a perfect opportunity for people watching. There was a wedding reception in the hall near our hotel (downtown on Baker Street). Guests in fancy dress came and went from the venue, frequently upstaged by the eclectic garb of cross-dressers, marchers from the parade and bikers. The booze evidently flowed. It was an extremely entertaining evening.

Nelson has many heritage buildings, but the finest, and most photographed, is the Court House. It was designed by a British architect, Francis Mawson Rattenbury. It was completed in 1909 at a cost of $109,145.88. Francis was also the architect of the province’s Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel in Victoria. Though he was a popular designer of the day, his personal life was in disarray. It abruptly ended when he was murdered by his second wife’s 18 year old lover, who was also their chauffeur. The lover was convicted and sentenced to hang. Four days later, the  wife committed suicide. The British public then decided that justice had been served and the Home Secretary agreed. The young lover’s death sentence was changed to a life sentence – and he was out in seven years.

This is a photo of the Court House – as it appears to most people.

I used Topaz Studio filters to alter the photos that follow:

Cartoon Filter

Black and White filter

Light HDR filter

Textured Impressionist Filter

Which photo best captures the architect’s life, now that you know the rest of his story?