Juno: The Movie

Today, I would like to bring you inside the private screening room of Twentieth Century Fox in Soho Square, London where I was privileged to be invited to a private showing of the film, Juno. Due to Launch in the US today and in the UK sometime in February.

The film itself was very good - in turns amusing, poignant and laugh out loud funny to a great musical accompaniment. It's not just the Ellen Page, the lead, who turns in a great performance, but most of the supporting characters succeed in adding extra dimension. It seems to deserve all the accolades it's been getting. Go see when you get the chance. One review here, many more about if you look.

Well gosh. David Bailey one day, a private screening the next.... I wonder what could be coming up tomorrow, not a prizewinning artist, surely? (and don't call me Shirley)

Other bloggers who were there and reviewed include Jag of Route 79 and Annie Mole of Going Underground

Civilised Shopping

Established readers may well know of my long standing affection for the supermarket, Waitrose. Well, tonight was payback time. Late opening by invitation only, handed a glass of cava as I came in, I could not help but contemplate as I grazed my way through tastings of sushi, cheese, ham, mince pies.... this HAS to be the way to shop.

There is a strong London connection too - Waitrose traces its origin back to a small grocery shop opened in Acton, West London in 1904 by a Mr Waite, a Mr Rose and a Mr Taylor. For those that don't know, the business is owned by the staff, not shareholders. Nice article here.

The Largest Advent Calendar in the World

And who am I to argue? This weekend, I visited St Pancras International Station, on Saturday on my Snap'n'Cycle tour, but I came back on Sunday with Mrs Ham, because it seemed like a nice thing to do.

The Diamond Geezer has provided coverage yesterday and on two previous occasions, which content should satisfy the most demanding. I'll do the photos.

(For anyone that's wondering, a new window opens each day on the wall facing.)

Doing Christmas Shopping

London's Oxford Street was closed to traffic today and turned into a major party zone, basically to try to encourage people to shop.I'm not sure that I quite appreciate the commerciality of the whole enterprise, but overall this had to be a Good Thing. Everone seemed to enjoy themselves, like this marshall here.

December Theme Day - Bridges

Another month, another theme day. London's Royal Opera House posesses one of the most original bridges in the world. Fashioned from aluminium, wood and glass it twists its way from the Opera House to the Royal Ballet School high above the street, and it's called the "Bridge of Aspiration", but I prefer the student's alternatives - either the Bridge of Perspiration, or the Bridge of Thighs. It's in Floral Street and featured in The Way We See It, where you can see a couple of sideways on shots. I've gone for the more bridgelike view.

This month 124 blogs around the world have said they will join in, some may forget and time zones differ, but click about and see what they offer:


Boston (MA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Inverness (IL), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Stockholm, Sweden - Setúbal, Portugal - Brussels, Belgium - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Hyde, UK - Manila, Philippines - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - London, England - Austin (TX), USA - Toulouse, France - Weston (FL), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Selma (AL), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - North Bay (ON), Canada - Arradon, France - Paderborn, Germany - Durban, South Africa - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Portland (OR), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Wichita (Ks), USA - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Grenoble, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Arlington (VA), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Cheltenham, UK - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Saratoga Spgs. (NY), USA - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Nashville (TN), USA - Torun, Poland - New Orleans (LA), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Melbourne, Australia - Moscow, Russia - Trujillo, Peru - Château-Gontier, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Joplin (MO), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Baziège, France - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Detroit (MI), USA - Riga, Latvia - Nelson, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Cape Town, South Africa - Sydney, Australia - Dunedin (FL), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Radonvilliers, France - Turin, Italy - Montpellier, France - Kansas City (MO), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Wailea (HI), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Terrell (TX), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Budapest, Hungary - Montréal (QC), Canada - Sharon (CT), USA - Le Guilvinec, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - London, UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Orlando (FL), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Paris, France - Mainz, Germany - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Darmstadt, Germany - Naples (FL), USA - Torino, Italy - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - The Hague, Netherlands - Minneapolis (MN), USA

Underground Trivia

 

London trivia day today. When the London Underground was first built, a large proportion of the travelling public was illiterate. So, as well as the signs in writing, the paths through the stations were marked by lines of coloured tiles, you can see that here. I wonder what they would have made of this? I rather liked the "Abbey Road" feel to this.

For London Underground stuff, don't forget Going Underground.

The Art of Lee Miller

Today we come to the reason for the Olympus touch-me feel-me E3 frenzy being at the V&A, and also a way to get a FREE E3.

Olympus have sponsored the Lee Miller exhibition, at the V&A, and we were able to visit. I knew something about her reputation but little detail beforehand and I can honestly say the exhibition blew me away. Lee Miller was a stunningly beautiful model, who became a photographer after working for, and then collaborating with, Man Ray. Her images continually surprise, and the exhibition has been well curated to help you enjoy them. I may even go back and pay money to see it again.

How to get a free E3? Easy, win the competition..

The John Madejski Garden

On Monday night I was the guest of Olympus at their VIP evening in the Victoria & Albert Museum, to look, touch and try the new E3. Not only that, but there were all the super-dooper bits of Olympus glass to play with.

I adored the E3, which is aimed the professional market; I felt I could quickly get used to it given half a chance.

This shot is of the John Madejski Garden, a magical place in the moonlight and recently created as part of the V&A refurbishement. I'd say money well spent, do come and have a look if you haven't seen the V&A in a while. Here is another shot, and you can see someone else's impression of the evening here

Ordinary Londoners - No 10 in the series

Who do you think you are, David Bailey? (Recognise the line?) I conceived the Ordinary Londoners series to create portraits of the people that make London the place it is. This time I think I may have stretched the boundaries of "Ordinary" still further than I did with Daly Thomson. Yes, this is David Bailey, the photographic legend. If you are not familiar with his work here are some links to images 1 2 3 and to more background information 1 2 3.

I met him as part of the launch of the amazing new Olympus E3, more about that over hte next few days.

Oh gosh, I hope he likes this portrait.

The Ordinary Londoners series is here

The Old King's Head

This little passage near London bridge provides a home for one of the older London Pubs, the Old Kings Head, which has some interesting background. Look up and you will see Henry VIII gazing down from the sign - when it was built in 1530, it was called "The Pope's Head", but when Henry had his little falling out with the Catholic Chrch, the owners thought it politic to rename it to what you see today. The original building was destroyed by fire and this one dates from the end of the 17th Century.

Just a word on the photo. I was here on the regular The Way We See It Mission, and I really like this photo. As much as anything, I feel as if I have captured a "Decisive Moment", Cartier-Bresson style. I've left it in colour, because that's how I saw it. Here is the B&W version. What do you think?

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

The hot news from London

There was only one London story to report this weekend. That is, that Mr & Almost Mrs Ham have now turned into a real Mr & Mrs Ham, after quite a lot of years of being "almost". 'Twas a quiet family thing, followed by a superb meal at a fantastic location that I'd love to tell you about, but I'm hoping to get some money out of them for the fund - so I'll keep you in suspense. Excuse me for not taking too many photos, but I was busy enjoying myself getting married.

Let's raise a glass to absent friends. Salut!

DJ Santa and the Reindeer Crew

Everywhere around the world shopkeepers are rubbing their hands in glee getting into the festive spirit. Shop windows can be a delight this time of the year, such as in PAris but you can't tell me that this London offering doesn't deserve to get top spot. Shame in a way it's a Spanish outfit, Desigual in Regent Street.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Old and New

To mark the Tutankhamun Exhibition coming to London, Anubis the god of the dead has come visiting, by the Lonodn Eye. I'll visit the exhibition at some stage and report back.

See where on London Daily Photo Map

Electronic Paper

It appears that the London Evening Standard paper is getting a little desperate for readers with all the free sheets doing the rounds. They've started off an Eros Card - a card you can use to buy your paper. There was a big marketing push in Victoria Station yesterday. Me? I've always found it tough to read a paper on a bike. But when I looked through the list of benefits, in amongst the [cough cough] amazing and fascinating stuff, I saw "10% off in Foyles". Hmmm, I thought.

Beer Street and Gin Lane

Beer, happy Produce of our Isle
Can sinewy Strength impart,
And wearied with Fatigue and Toil
Can cheer each manly Heart

Hogarth was the man who chronicled London in the 18th Century - a proto blogger, if you will. His engravings often had a moral to them - this is the idyll of Beer Street, compared to the terror of Gin Lane. At the time, everyone drank beer, water wasn't safe, and gin was seen as evil.

This is in Hogarth's House, which you can visit and I recommend that you do. I don't need to tell you much more, because Diamond Geezer did so yesterday, so I'll just add a picture of the detail of Gin Lane here, so you can see Hogarth's astonishing talent and a picture of the house here. You can see bit of the 300 year old mulberry tree on the left, the berries are truly fantastic - expect to get in an awful mess.

Actually, there is one little bit I could add...it always amuses me when I hear the traffic announcement about the "jams at the Hogarth Roundabout" (this is a notorious black spot) .... how small a percentage of listeners will know why it is called that. You all do now, though.

See where on London Daily Photo Map

London's Elephants - No. 20 in a series

It's elephant time again, strange but although they aren't native to this country they seem to do well here - there are still more waiting in the wings. You'll find this one in Rasa, an Indian Restaurant in Derring Street, just opposite yesterday's building. I've not tried eating there, but it looks OK, as far as you can judge these from the outside. And of course, they have an elephant.


Click to see all the elephants in one place (that long list was getting a bit unwieldy)

Inside Out London

Building sites are always fascinating, so much so that I think it is only a matter of time before there is a TV channel devoted to building sites, all they'd have to do is leave a camera pointed through a hole. Maybe they could have a celebrity building site, with a line of Very Famous People by the side of the site trying not to get distracted from the business of watching. Still, I quite like it when you see the building going up around a preserved wall.Here it is from the outside - you can't see much with the girders.

Have you forgotten?

I'm going to end remembrance week with a mention of PC Yvonne Fletcher, whose claim to immortality is that she was murdered, and that sparked off a major diplomatic incident with Libiya. These day when police are regularly shot and killed on London streets, I wonder if it would have caused such a fuss. But then it was still shocking. This small plaque in St James Square commemorates her.

Just a pawtrait

Some other Lord Mayor's Show participants I got to meet were the RAF Dog Demonstration Team. These dogs have the reputation as the 'ardest dogs in the business, and I wasn't about to get too close and find out.

These also fell

In remembrance week, I'd like to bring this monument to your attention in Green Park. It's there to commemorate the 110,000 Canadians who died fighting for our freedom in the two wars, and so often overlooked. It is impossible to capture the monument in a single photograph, the shape it makes is elegant and calming, and then you realise that what you see under the water are so many fallen maple leaves....

I have a very soft spot for Canada for lots of reasons, like Robertson Davies is probably my all time favourite author, and so it's a real pleasure to thank Vancouver Daily Photo for being the first individual to contribute to my charity fund - and a brief mention must also go to what looks to be a great place to go to find a house in Vancouver. If you are considering donating to Breast Cancer Care, any amount - from as little as 1GBP - is welcome and will go straight to the charity and my rather challenging target.

OK, OK, if you insist: one of my favourite quotes from Robertson Davies - "Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion"


See where on London Daily Photo Map