Pride & Glory

Greene King, a Suffolk brewery are moving into the London Branded brew market, currently and for the recent past occupied by London Pride, a genuine London Brew. I have to report it is quite a pleasant drop, too.

The View From The Wild West

This view is from the A40 (the Westway) headed into London, taken by me on the way home from work. Fairly drab, but a little exciting to me, anyway, as today is the first time I have cycled into work for months. My various bits that are sub-par did mention that they weren't too enamoured with the 17 miles each way (my journey is now 8 miles shorter!), but I didn't take much notice.

Chelsea Harbour

With more than a hint of a hat-tip to Venice about it, Chelsea Harbour is a little bywater near Chelsea Bridge.

The Other Side of the Fields

Sometimes, looking at things from the side not usually seen or shown gives a new perspective. In this case, this is the church of St Martin in the Fields, by Trafalgar Square.

Back off holiday, but haven't quite caught up with myself yet.

Happy Easter

For Easter how about a cute duckling from Hackney City Farm? If all goes according to plan I may well be out with my camera again very soon.


Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

I am cheetah

You can find this cat in the city, near St Paul's Cathedral.

Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Docklands

Time for a view of docklands, not much to say

Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Dragon Tales

George and the Dragon are closely tied into English culture (for an obscure reason I don't fully understand). Mostly, you will find George dispatching the dragon, but this one on top of Smithfield meat market appears to be hiding, and have escaped.

Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Remembering

There's something quintessentially East London about this memorial. A loved one - father, son - clearly died here in what was most likely a motor accident. And those left behind felt that car number plates was the right way to remember him.

Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Chinese Walls

In Samuel Johnson's house in Gough Square, there is a lump of rock, presented to him by the Chinese, from the Great Wall of China. Having seen the Wall, I wonder if it is in fact true, as the scale is just too small, but the adventure of the travel that many years ago still catches my imagination.

Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Stable Environment

Lancaster Gate also has one of the most central stables and riding schools, possibly of any major city. I rather like it that the mews houses here are still being used for the purpose for which they were intended.


Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Thunder Road

Today, thousands of people are going to be thundering around the streets for the London Marathon. Some are motivated by a desire to excel, some to raise funds for causes they hold dear. Whichever, it is still 26 miles to run and I take my hat off to them all. (even to the guy crawling around in a snail costume, 1 mile a day.


Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

Lancaster Gate

Lancaster Gate is one of those areas often overshadowed by its neighbours, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Queensway, and has suffered of recent years from an influx of lettings, as few individuals can these days afford to live in the style that the houses were built for.

Off gallivanting in France for a week, hope you all have a good holiday

What's your angle?

It is surprising how often you just need to go that little bit further to get the best angle on a tourist view. A little bit more westerly at Westminster and a little bit more easterly at Tower and you get more of London in the background.

Royal Courts of Justice

They say it's the Royal Courts of Justice, but they really mean they are courts of law. Still, an independent judiciary uphold an ancient tradition, and so probably deserve a fantastic building.

Helllooooooo

I'm on the phone, dontcha know. That was a state of the art phone in its day, you know. And it's only 14 years old (in Wallbrook by Canon Street Staion

Ham on the Hoof

The Hackney City Farm is a wonderful place for kids who would otherwise not ever come into contact with animals to get some understanding and respect for what animals are. Conveniently, I am also happy to report that I am now back on the hoof, but it may be a couple of weeks before I can get out with my camera again. I'm looking forward to that.

Holborn Viaduct

The figures on the Holborn Viaduct are worth a closer look if you have a moment. They represent commerce, agriculture, fine art and this, science. I can't work out why they chose a steam governor for her to hold in her hand, and there is a mini statue just behind, showing a globe plugged into a battery.

Paul Butt, Danielle Carter, Tom Casey

As you look at the delightful reflection from the glass sides of the Gherkin, spend a moment to think about Paul Butt, 29, Danielle Carter, 15, and Tom Casey 49. They were the three who lost their lives today in 1992, when the IRSA blew up the Baltic Exchange where the Gherkin now stands.

Why was Eleanor Cross?

The Eleanor Crosses were erected by King Edward I at the end of the thirteenth century, in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. There were twelve, marking the journey of her body from Lincoln to London. The most famous - this one at Charing Cross - was the most grand. Reproduced faithfully by the Victorians, this spot has marked the point distances to London are measured from for 700 years.

pBooks

In an age of eBooks (and I am an enthusiastic advocate) it does well to remember the paper kind, by walking down Charing Cross Road. Less Fewer bookshops than there used to be, far less of the fewer quirky bookshops, but they are still there. The odd elements of this photo made me smile.

AL-- BERT!!!

Somehow, I can't imagine Queen Victoria screaming "Albert" to call him in to dinner, from mucking around with his scientific friends. Which is a shame, because I feel Albert is a name that lends itself well to being screamed. This is detail from the Albert Memorial, recently restored.

Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris

As was alluded to in comments, Bomber Harris is just around the corner from Samuel Johnson. The man credited with carpet bombing whole swathes of Germany in WWII is often reviled and even cast as a war criminal these days. Now I know that the indiscriminate bombing of Dresden, for example, is different but even know we seem able to countenance bombing our enemies, just as long as we think they are bad enough, and there is some PR puff about the accuracy of the targeting. I'm just glad I didn't have to make any decisions back then. Oh yes, and the anniversary of his death was yesterday.

Samuel Johnson

Critic, Essayist, Philologist, Biographer, Wit, Poet, Moralist, Dramatist, Political Writer, Talker. So says the inscription. It doesn't say he was nice to his cat and he loved London, but he was and he did. The statue is in St Clement Danes, by Aldwych, around the corner from his house - "The gift and handiwork of Percy Fitzgerald". So now you know.

London at the Centre of the World

This frieze above the entrance to the Express Building in Fleet Street speaks of a time when England and London were the centre of the known world. At least, that's what it must have felt like in the twenties.

Things you only see in a photograph

Sometimes, a photograph shows more than you expect. Looking at Southwark Cathedral, I noticed that high on a cross was some writing (the one just below the clock in this picture). As I had a telephoto shot of just that, I was able to decipher most of what it said (which appears to be only part of an inscription):

Towards the ??? of the and of cast
and the choir of the church
was laid in the presence of the
wardens and gentlemen commoners
the committee of church repairs
by George Sadler Esq
Warden of the great account

September 17, AD 1574

??? ?wilt(?)
Architect

Makes you think, eh? (A zoomed and over-sharpened version is here)

Odd Shops

This unique, rather special vintage (and new) clothes shop and hire is tucked into London's Colombia Row flower market. What makes it more odd, is that it's opening hours are the same as the market:Sundays, 8:30 - 3:30. And - shock horror - they appear not to have a website!

April City Daily Photo Theme Day - 'Edges

It's the first of the month, which is another in the worldwide City Daily Photo theme days, and the theme this week is 'edges, and this is my favourite 'edge in the 'ole of London. Click here to see how others around the world interpret the theme.