Protest, what protest?

Bit of a strange day off today. I wandered into town to do a few jobs, plucking up the courage to get my hair cut at a Bristol barber's for the first time.

He did a decent job, but also subjected me to highly dubious views about New Zealand Maoris and then plucked a price out of the air that didn't bear much relation to the advertised one. I think he took full advantage of the word 'from' on the tariff.

I also discovered a decent supermarket in the city centre for the first time - decent in terms of the quantity and range of items stocked. Unfortunately, it's name begins with a 'T' and ends with an 'O' and it doesn't sell Ready Brek, which I need every morning in order to survive.

And I went to take a book back to the library and was scratching my head in puzzlement at the two huge trucks labelled 'POLICE HORSES' in large red capital letters, parked on the Triangle - a large green space in front of the council offices and cathedral.

Resisting the temptation to imagine a horse race around the Triangle, I wandered on with the mystery unsolved.

It was only after I had had to return home to meet my lettings agent that I discovered the answer. There were big protests in the city planned for this afternoon about student tuition fees.

As I sat in my flat, I realised there was a police helicopter hovering over the city centre and the noise of sirens filled the air. A website said there were 'thousands' of students causing 'chaos', with the whole city centre gridlocked.

So I grabbed my camera and went to find the chaos. And... nothing. Well, not completely nothing. The place was bristling with police, but apart from a middle aged woman carrying a placard, I didn't see signs of protest anywhere.

I'm sure there had been at some stage, but I can't help feeling Her Majesty's Constabularly in these parts takes a delight in making a show of force.

Anyway, the picture is the least aesthetically unappealing shot I took today. I thought a photo of two horse boxes was just too boring.

Incidentally, I've backblipped.