It's a leap year!

Well, 2008 is almost upon us and it's going to be a leap year. As tomorrow is a Daily Photo Theme Day, there was no way I was going to wait another four years to use this photo. So, taking advantage of the worldwide spread of Daily Photo sites, let me be the very first to wish you a Happy New Year.

The sculpture commemorates the bicentennial of the Duke of York's Royal Military School, and you can read about it here. The sculptor was Allister Bowtell, who died in 2006 and apparently lived life to the full.

Other views of this are here and here.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Every picture tells a story

And the story this one tells, apart from asking the question "How convenient is London?" is that I'm back off holiday, but absolutely whacked after driving for 12 hours. I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow and fill in the detail in the commnents.

Time ticks away........

Time ticks away, and I'll be ho,e soon. This clock is in Stratford, East London. What? What makes you think I'm rushing to get all these posts done before I go away?


I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Vandalism or Art?

You can decide. This is just off Great Eastern Street in the City. I don't know why they put the carriages up there, but I'm glad they did.



I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Old and New

Yesterday, we had the modern buildings, today, the old. This is Spitalfields as it has probably looked for hundreds of years.



I'm away skiing for a week, soh unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Boxing Day

Today, I'm mgoing to take you to Canary Wharf, as it always seems to me like a pile of boxes - perfect for boxing day.



I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Ho Ho Ho

Happy Christmas, Everyone!

I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

The time is drawing near

Before the day, let me take the opportunity to wish all my readers the very happiest Christmas and health and joy in the New Year.

I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Clubbin' it

London used to be known for its clubs, and although (almost) all the old ones have closed down, there are new ones springing up. The Union Club in Greek Street is typical - 9 out of 10 mooses who expressed a preference said they preferred it.

I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Last minute gift issue?

Time's running out for present buying, but here's a thought from the heart of London -Design and decorate your own footwear. I'm not normally a fan of multinationals like Nike and to be honest, I won't be buying any. But it's a cool idea, and I'm glad its in London.

I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Life in the Goldfish Bowl

This very-open-plan office is part of Sea Container House on the Southbank, where Sainsbury create their in-house magazine. I'm not sure I'd enjoy being so exposed.

However, I'm leaving cubicle land for a week to go skiing, so I'm not going to be able to respond, but daily posts will continue.

I'm away skiing for a week, so unable to respond. Daily posts will continue.

Devotion to Duty

Do you think she's slightly overdresed for 9 a.m.on the Southbank? Riding along on my way to work one morning, I passed by a TV outside broadcast team who were shooting a breakfast show live. This elegant, stalwart model was braving the cold for the show - and still smiling. Now that's professionalism. Here are the two of them, waiting to go on, and here is a general view of the set.

London's Best Toyshop

I defy any Londoner not to have fond memories of Hamleys - no relation ;-). It doesn't matter that I never got anything much from there (except for a tube of blow-your-own baloons), it was enough that it existed - ok, almost enough. Some place where you would go when you grew up and had lots of money.

This is their Chrismas display which has been arranged on two levels. I waited as long as I could for some kids to start peering through the bottom bit, but it wasn't to be.

Still looking for that gift?

In an age where the shops in Regent Street are almost all anonymous multinationals, it's quite a pleasure to find a small independent. This is Pole Position who bill themselves as "London's Only Dedicated Motorsport Shop" - I can't recall seeing anything like this anywhere.

So, if you are stuck looking for a present for that person who has everything, why not get them Jensen Button's race suit. A bargain at a mere £2,850.

A photo with punch

Welcome to London's Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park until 6th January, which boasts a range of attractions including the largest outdoor ice rink, a wheel and much, much more. In contrast to the attractions which are expensive, this shot is of the Pimm's tent, where they were giving (rather nice) stuff away.

Rattle a tin!!

While you're out spending for the Christmas season, don't forget those who need help. The Salvation Army are one of the better organisations that supply that sort of help - they always get my spare change.

LED by technology

Not as special as yesterday, I just wanted to show you how the L.E.Ds are beginning to be used to good effect. This is probably the best that Oxford Street itself has to offer.

(I forgot to mention - I'm away for a couple of days without full Internet access so cannot respond to comments)

The Angels of South Moulton Street

Two days ago, I brought you the Angel, Islington. today, I present you the Angels of South Moulton Street, for my money some of the nicest Christmas illuminations I've seen.

See where on the LOndon Daily Photo Map

A stock photo - the Oxo Tower

What goes on at the Oxo Tower has featured here before, but today it's the building itself in the spotlight. There is a brilliant bit of London Trivia concerning it (I can just hear some of you jumping up and down shouting "I know!") because when it was built, they wanted to put the name of their product - Oxo - on a huge illuminated sign, but planing permission for that was refused. So instead, they designed it with three windows, vertically. And then put in red panes in the shape of an O, X and O. Ingenious, eh?

(Oh, and for people that don't recognise it, Oxo is a type of stock cube)

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

The Angel Islington

For many years, the Angel Islington was only either one of the deepest tube stations or a grubby pub. Fortunately, when a shopping centre was created recently they introduced this soaring sculpture. Sometimes, things do get better.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Change your life

November the 9th, it was eighteen years since the wall came down. Have you changed your life?

This fragment of the wall is now in the War Museum. Personally, I think they should change the name to the "Warfare Museum" that would sound less provocative than the current name. Whatever your views on war and warfare, you should take the time to visit. Right now they have an interesting exhibition on war propaganda posters, as seen from all sides. Onionbagblog was there

Up a lazy river

Another reminder of London's past are the canals that lace their way unseen through the maze of streets. Time was when they kept the life of the city going - most heavy goods would be transported by barge. Of course, what goes around comes around, and the canals are going to be getting a new sense of importance, as they will be used to transport a lot of the construction materials to the 2012 games site.

I've brought you to the Regent's Canal today, ten minues by foot from the city, to show another life and to ease you gently into a new week. Have a good Monday.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Fournier Street

It's been a busy week, so I haven't had time to talk about Fournier Street in London's East End. It's just off Brick Lane, and one of those streets that time seems to have left alone in so many ways - it's not hard to imagine yourself here two hundred and fifty years ago. Well, OK, this building, now for Bereft Bangladeshis would have been for Hapless Hugenots, but you know what I mean. If you want to be pedantic I'll have to admit that this would have been the house of a grand member of the community, or a church, but that's nitpicking.

The Way We See It is what brought me here this time, but I've walked the area often. Don't forget, if you ever visit the East End markets, to go for a walk in the surrounding streets - you will surprise yourself.

Bricking it

I hope you have found out that a boring photo often means a curious story.

One of my favorite daydreams is imagining what London might have been like in the last half of the nineteenth Century. As far as I can see it was a building site. When you look at the explosion in building that took place then, London was growing like mushrooms on acid. Imagine all those bricks delivered by horse and cart - the sheer manpower that was deployed. I'm sure there were many cowboy builders back then, but what they had were legions of craftsmen, and we no longer do. Oh yes, the picture.....

In the newly restored St Pancras Station, if you look closely high up on the side windows, you'll see that the brickwork patterns vary, almost from arch to arch. It appears that in areas that couldn't be seen, bricklayers would compete against each other to show off their bricklaying prowess. I understand from some brick fanciers that this side of the station contains almost every variation possible for laying bricks.

The Crack at the Tate Modern

Welcome to the crack in the floor. This is the latest artwork to grace the Turbine Hall in the Tate Modern. Shibboleth by Doris Salcedo is meant to signify the racial divide that exists, the title was a biblical story of ethnic cleansing - kill everyone that lisps.

The work itself is suprisingly fun, which is why I've decided on the slideshow, so you can see the many different ways people react to it (click any image for a larger version) Onionbagblog's report is here, has anyone fallen in yet? Why, yes.

Bear with me while I explain...

Two days ago, this year's Turner Prize was awarded to Mark Wallinger, for a reproduction of Brian Haw's one man protest against the war in Iraq. One of his previous works was Sleeper, where he was filmed in an empty Berlin gallery - in a bear suit. So he decided to put in an appearance at the Tate Modern, I happened to be passing by at just the right moment.

I had difficulty selecting the picture to show you, this was the winner but this could have been the best had it been sharper and this is the funniest.