We Love London

This piece of very Banksy-like graffiti appeared in Chiswell Street a little while back. As it seems to allude to the "war" between Banksy and Robbo, I don't think we can be certain who was responsible, can't even be certain if it says "I Love London, Robbo" or "I Love London Robbo", but that doesn't change much.

Sloane Square

Of course, if you don't feel like shopping in Chelsea (as in yesterday's photo) you can always take the weight off your feet in Sloane Square. That is free.

Hurry for a bargain!!

After all, they are half price.

This is Chelsea, after all.

Flowers in the street

It may be my imagination, but I think that the English habit of lining our towns and cities with flowers is echoed but never equalled around the world. I'm not laying claim to the idea, but I do think London looks exceptional at the moment, these flowers are just an ordinary lamp post in Westminster. Somehow adds a small connection between the city and the seasons in the real world.

The Alternative Apple Store

Unfortunately, I don't know the whole story, but I was passing through Soho Square and came across this picture of mountains and a Buddhist temple made out of apples. I don't know why, and don't know who was responsible (although I suspect the Hare Krishna whose excellent Govinda restaurant is just nearby).

Getting Ready

Unusually, I was travelling by tube today, and I thought this advert - getting ready for the Notting Hill Carnival this weekend - was quite clever. It was also good to see that Brian is spreading his wings and branching out into modelling.

A Person of Colour

This new piece of graffiti, just off Brick Lane, has some of the most complex use of colour I have ever seen in street art, it would be good to see more of this person's art - I wonder who it is.

Owzat?

OK, maybe it's just me, but I can't pass by this building without thinking of a game of cricket, "Well caught, old chap". It is, however, the site of the ancient well that gave Clerkenwell its name. If you peer through the windows you can just about see it, it was rediscovered during building works in the 20's.

Spaced Out

Across London and the UK there are hundreds of reasonably elegant buildings like this to let. The reason? These buildings used to be needed to house the millions of clacking relays used to drive the telephone exchanges. Now, all the equipment that used to take up this whole building can be housed in a single computer cabinet.

The Devil is in the Detail

Well, maybe not the devil, but certainly the Green Man, and quite a lot of him too. More than you might expect from a respectable house in Harley Street.

Mosaic

Eduardo Paolozzi has featured here before, in fact I think he is probably the single most significant modern sculptor in London. These mosaics are truly fantastic, but most people take no notice and just rush past, as they form part of the wall decoration in Tottenham Court Road underground station. If you haven't noticed them before, next time you pass through, take the time stop and look at them properly - they are worth it.

Sir might enjoy the oysters?

Astonishing though it is now, at the beginning of the 19th century oysters were cheap and very much a working class food. I suppose the change must have been well underway when Sheeky's oyster bar opened at the end of the 19th century. Joseph Sheekey was the market stall-holder who in 1893 was graciously allowed by Lord Salisbury to sell fish and shellfish on his new manor of St Martin's Court, provided he served meals to Salisbury's theatre-going pals. These days its reputation seems a little variable.

Red Carpet Treatment

Passing through Leicester Square on Wednesday evening, there was a scrummage over the red carpet. Turned out that it was the premiere of The Inbetweeners (which I had to find out was a TV sit-com) and that I managed to capture James Buckley signing stuff.

Barking Creek

One hundred and sixty years ago, Barking Creek was home to London and England's largest fishing fleet. It is a little quieter these days.

Elvis has left the building

Thirty four years ago on the 16th of August, Elvis Presley died. I heard that the theatre showing Million Dollar Quartet was holding a contest with free tickets to the show for anyone who turned up dressed as Elvis. As I was in the area, I thought I'd capture the moment for you all, but ..... nobody turned up. Not even the East End Elvises. Where has our spirit gone?

Holiday Snap #1 - The Monastry at Petra

I always share a photo or two, so here is the monastery at Petra, Jordan. Dating from the 1st century BC, it is not built but hewn out the rock, as are all the buildings in Petra (including the Treasury, the most famous of the Petra sights and known to all from the Indiana Jones movie). To get up here, you have to climb around 800 steps but it is worth it. You can read more about Petra on the Wikipedia page.

The Aftermath

Hi all, I'm back! Wasn't that some fuss while I was away? Everyone I met was fascinated to talk to someone who came from where the troubles were. Now that is ironic. Take note US readers ;-)

My locality, Ilford, was amongst the areas reported as having disturbances so I had to go to see what there was to see. And what was there to see? precious nothing, one shop with a window boarded up. Turns out that most of the action was around the back doors where people were breaking in to steal. And they are looking for social reasons for rioting? Do me a favour. Lowlife thieves, the lot of them.

Danger of Death

That notice on the left, showing a person being struck down is not, regrettably, the architect that designed this power station. Did we not learn anything from the Victorians? Ugly things don't have to look ugly.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir

A little bit of detail from the stonework of the temple, but it does nothing to convey the magnificence. Do go an d look, it is open to all, all week long. (I haven't been inside yet, but I shall - no photos allowed inside though)

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

All Inclusive Temple

I had heard about the Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir when it opened last year, it made the news, but has taken me till now to go past. I was left speechless, it is a true work of art, and should be on every Londoner's itinerary to visit. A photo of some detail tomorrow.


Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium is one of those building that is quite pleasing to look at, but quite difficult to photograph as it is very large, and stuck in an industrial wasteland. Still you get the idea of the vast roof arch, anyway. Trivia of the day, that arch has to have warning beacons for low flying aircraft.


Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you want to say goobye to Golders Green?

This sums up Golders Green today. A once grand shop turned into a coffee house with a small sad dog sat outside. Probably deeply meaningful.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you hear a trumpet?

Golders Green is also known as one of London's main neighbourhoods for orthodox Jews, which makes it an excellent place if you want to pick up a ram's horn or shofar

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you want the large size?

Along Golders Green High Road, and everything has changed over the years. This ugly sixties shop still manages to raise some degree of affection, as you really don't find many independent shops like this any more. There may be a reason for that....

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you like quality?

Into Golders Green proper, and the quality of the architecture when it was designed is quite astonishingly good. Unfortunately that didn't last through the sixties.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you pray?

The Golders Green Hippodrome was for years one of the more interesting off-west end venues. For many years run by the BBC ("...Friday Night is MUSIC night"), they left it empty and deteriorating. At least this church seems to be looking after it well.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you remember?

The war memorial at Golders Green tells the same story - there are not that many in London that commemorate only the dead of the Second World War.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you feel like confessing?

Moving up Finchley Road, we find the church of St Edward the Confessor, built in 1915, the castle like aspect may have been to defend themselves from the hordes of builders that must have been around at the time.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you feel fortunate?

We're off to North West London for a few days, now. It's an interesting area dating as it does from the thirties and forties. Temple Fortune was the gateway to Hampstead Garden suburb, but has always seemed to me to be the poor relation.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Do you give a flying buttress?

This space is at the bottom of one of the City's new skyscrapers, the Broadgate Tower. I think this modern interpretation of flying buttresses is rather good, and I'd like to think they help hold it up as well.

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.

Postcard From London

It's the monthly worldwide City Daily Photo theme day again, and this month the theme is "Postcardworthy". Well, a chicken and banana fighting outside Oxford Circus Underground would be worth sending, wouldn't it?

To see how others around the world have treated this theme, click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Holiday time again, so blog is set to autopilot, see you all in August sometime.