Contrasts - St Mary Magdalen

You begin to see why this is a journey of contrasts. St Mary Magdalen lays claim to being the oldest Normal Norman church in regular use in London, it certainly dates from the 12th century, probably earlier. This is still in East Ham, and the grounds around it have been turned into a nature reserve.

Contrasts - All in one photo

Back to the East Ham jaunt. This corner has all the contrast in one shot. On the ghost advert: "John Morris, Hovis, Dainty Bread" now the home to a Halal Butcher and Grocery, next door to Browns (home made curry). It all changes, doesn't it?

Seven Years

It's been seven years, or 2,555 days - each day with its own photograph rain or shine. It's not important, but it mine, and you are all welcome visitors.

It's an awful lot of photos, though.

Contrasts - East Ham 2012

Turn away from the Town Hall and you see this, the gateway to East Ham town centre. From the confidence and hope of 1900, 1990 brought you this: a shabby arch, Costcutter, Pound City.

Contrasts - East Ham Town Hall

This week marks the seventh anniversary of the start of this blog, and I thought to myself that it might be an idea to do something I haven't really done before; so I headed out to take photographs in my local area.

It struck me that one of the most fascinating aspects of any London suburb is how it changes over time, the contrasts as the years go by. So, here I am heading off through East Ham, and this is East Ham Town Hall, built at the turn of the 20th century when hope and affluence walked these streets.

Nothing Seedy Here

Shepherd's Market sits on the site of the old May Fair - that gave its name to Mayfair - and was closed in the early 18th Century because of rioutous behaviour. So, a bloke named Shepherd came along and built this, nothing to do with sheep or farming. It always used to have a fabulously seedy atmosphere, but over the last 20 years it has been gentrified. There may be one or two signs for "models" still, but they are easy to pass by without noticing.

Coffee and Scooters

The Scooter Cafe in Lower Marsh by Waterloo is not just a hangover from the 60's Mods'n'Rockers but they make damn fine coffee, too. Do pay a visit if you are in the area, there aren't many places around with as much genuine character.

Farringdon Road

This view up the Farringdon Road shows clearly its ancestry as a river, the River Fleet. It is a fascinating street in its own right, to quote wikipedia:

Its construction, which took almost 20 years between the 1840s and the 1860s, is considered one of the greatest urban engineering achievements of the 19th century. Not only was it one of the first engineered multi-lane roads, but it also buried the River Fleet in a system of underground tunnels, solving one of London's most daunting sanitary problems. Its construction also included the building of the world's first stretch of underground railway, a branch of the Metropolitan Railway that later became part of the London Underground

Ragged School Museum

Today we're inside what used to be London's largest Ragged School - free schools for the poor in Victorian London. A lot of the work of the Ragged School Museum is with local schools, helping the children understand what life would have been like in Victorian London.

Wine is bottled poetry

Or so said Robert Louis Stevenson. Normally, I end up telling you about good stuff after the event, for once I can give you notice! Coming up soon are the Three Wine Men, Oz Clark (above), Olly Smith and Tim Atkin. Checkout the video on this page. I was there last year - if you like wine, or you want an amazing gift for someone who likes wine drag yourself along, you will have a good time.

Watch the Birdie!

Rainham Marshes is the home of the RSPB Nature Reserve, a fantastic, wild place where you can walk, cycle and watch the wildlife for which it is famous. I have to add, the Centre and cafe has another very endearing quality - some of the best cake you will ever eat.

The Hulks

In the most godforsaken spot of the Rainham Marshes, just east of the Ferry Lane Industrial Eastate, lie these hulks of concrete barges. Probably used as tank transporters for the D-Day landings, they are still visible here, at high tide.

London from the Edge

On Saturday I cycled from London to Southend on Sea and back, alond a cirucular route that took in quite a few places people don't often visit. This included Purfleet, just inside the M25. Here's the view looking back into town.

Tiberius

This isn't a museum but one of the objects inside Westland, one of the most impressive antiques joints you will ever find. Do you fancy the Roman Emperor Tiberius on your mantelpiece? Sorry, you can't it's >sold, but there are many others.

A Smoker's Life....

....can be lonely and cold. I'm rather pleased that I have to dredge back in my memory to remember the times when there were smoking coaches on the underground (the penultimate at each end) and the top of buses. Trendy Curtain Road is the location here.

10 Trinity Square

This magnificent, brooding, building dates from the 20's, and was the appropriate home of the Port of London Authority at a time when London was the most important port in the world. The map was painted pink and Britain ruled the waves. Ninety years on, times have changed.... a bit and this massive building has been looking for a purpose for a while. Recently it has been bought to be turned into Hotel, Residences and a Private Club.

Inside St Paul's

While we are here, I must show you the interior - it is CofE, but you could be forgiven for thinking the architecture inside is somewhat catholic.

The Dome of St Paul's Cathedral

It is useful to know that on the day of the Lord Mayor's Show, St Paul's Cathedral throws open its doors and lets people in without charge. If you can't make it then, here's a picture of the dome from the inside.

The Lord Mayor's Show

Saturday was the Lord Mayor's show, and while I was not able to visit this year (this photo was taken in a past year) I do know that the Guild of Basketmaker's Gog & Magog were on the streets again. I do confess I can never see them without thinking of the Wicker Man.....

Remembrance Sunday

This Sunday is when the 11th day of the 11th month coincides. It is fitting that today, whatever our personal views of the rights and wrongs of war, we stop for a minute to consider the sacrifices of those who have died in conflict. Lets try to make our world better so that they will not have died in vain.

Canal Life

I'm not sure where I would want to live in London, if money was no object. Right by a canal (in this case, the Regent's Canal) would be quite high on the list. What I like though, is the way this very des. res. has been squashed onto the end of a row of houses

Camden Market

Must be time for some more Camden Town shopfronts....

An Egyptian Face

The discovery of Tutenkhamun's tomb in 1922 coincided with the Art Deco boom in building design and inspired many buildings, none more so than this one in old Broad Street. It still looks like a face to me, though.

Westminster

When all else fails (and the picture store is low) it never hurts to realise I don't often show these classic tourist shots.

Sitting by the Shore

This photo is (rather obviously from the summer) and demonstrates that you can sit on a sandy beach in London. This is the Thames at low tide, by the Oxo Tower. Kindly, someone has even written "London" in the sand to confirm where we are.

Holiday Snap in the Dordogne

I've just been away for a week to the northern Dordogne/Haute Vienne and had a truly splendid time. As is my wont, I thought I'd share a photo from this short break from London, which also gives me the opportunity to join in TARATS. This entry doesn't stand a chance up against the competition, but it's the taking part that counts (with any luck, the photo should be geotagged)

Victoria Station

Alongside Waterloo, Victoria was built at a time when the railways were the gateway to the world, and the buildings proclaimed that. Thankfully, the fascia is still largely intact.

Heavenly Gates

The gates to Green Park, nearby Buckingham Palace are truly magnificent; her maj seems to get the decorators in quite frequently, too.

Do you take poetry with your graffiti?

This area in Wheler Street in Shoreditch has an extended mural including pieces of writing, it's quiet nice to have something to read sometimes.

Not everything is What is Seems

The Old Axe might seem like an appealing Victorian pub in the Bethnal Green Road, but those darkened windows might give you a hint. Don't enter unless you want to frequent a stripper pub. Many years ago, there were a lot of "normal" pubs that had strippers as entertainment, I think its a better thing that they are confined to pubs devoted to it now.