Buckingham Palace

Let's start the week with a tourist shot - there can be few views that scream "London" as loudly as this. What's more, it makes a pretty picture.

There's been increasing controversy recently about the bearskins (the hat) which are made out of real bear. Moves to replace them with synthetic versions have been unsuccessful thus far. PETA staged several naked demonstrations to highlight the cause.

Although they are best known as worn by the Guard's Regiments, it turns out that eight other countries also use them, including the USA.

Pump it Up

There are old Victorian waterpumps scattered beside roads throughout London, from the city to the suburbs. For some reason, they have been left in place, although little information is available for them. Unusually, this one has a plaque on it that tells us: "...(it was) rescued in 1962 when the 1771 bridge was being replaced". Hard to think that one time, this would have been a life giving source to man and animals. These days, they are more likely to be ornaments.



Go on, you know you want to see the video and hear the music.



See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Chapel Market

This week's TWWSI took me to Camden Passage, a place I have been before. So, I dusted down my trusty old OM1 to see what images I could make.



Just about all the film shots I post are shown full frame, as scaned without any post production.

A bespoke Tailor

Time was when you would find a tailor in most localities; having a first suit made was a rite of passage, Not many places like this now. It's hard to image going into Marks & Spencer and ordering a custom made suit as you could from Burton's. This tailor is hidden away from view in the alleys, behind Cornhill (see yesterday) - Castles in Castle Street.And todays useless fact is that "Bespoke" just means to order - to bespeak - the suit.

Step Back in Time

If you read Victorian novels about London, you will have built an image of a city of narrow, huddled, alleyways. You may have thought that they've been swept away, apart from the odd one here or there, but behind Cornhill there remains a maze of tiny streets and alleys, pedestrianised now, that you would miss if you weren't looking for them. Worth a meander if you haven't done so before, I felt this antique treatment gave the right feel to the picture.



In this shot is the Jamaica Wine House, which stands on the site of London's first coffee house (not the Dutch kind!!) opened by Pasqua Rosee in 1652 - twenty years before he opened the first one in Paris.



See where on the London Daily Photo Map

A New View on Lloyds

The iconic Lloyd's building has featured here before, but it is one of those buildings difficult to photograph any other way that to say "here's a load of pipes". Passing by the other day I was quite excited to discover this image in the parabolic building just next door, like a world in a looking glass..

The Supply of Information

Paul Julius Reuter, as much as any other single person, helped shape the world we live in today. Born this day 192 years ago (as I write this), his early life seems to have been built on shifting sands. It is an irony that his organisation went on to become a byword for reliability and speed. His early news gathering used carrier pigeons, moving rapidly to the telegraph: whatever it took to get the news first. If the mood takes you, you can read more about the man here (Wikipediaa), here or here.



This memorial to him stands behind the Royal Exchange. See where on the London Daily Photo Map.

London's Elephants - No 25 in a series

'Tis elephant time again! This time, not just one, but a herd of topiary elephants are in Regents Park. They are on walkabout as part of The Survival Tour, an event seeking to highlight the plight of the elephant as its habitat disappears worldwide. Not to be confused with the herd of elephants currently rampaging through Norwich. If you want to see what the elephants are like photographed on film using my old OM1, that's here.

They're in Regent's Park through the end of July, when they move to Selfriges (!!) - you may have seen them already in St James Park.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

London Community Life

I've mentioned in the past that I'm fortunate to live in an area with a great sense of community - something all too rare in London and most other modern cities. Saturday was one of the highlights of the year - Music in Wanstead Park - a day of fun and music for all the family. These ladies were helping out at one of the food stalls, supporting the local Primary School PTA. When Diamond Geezer walked through on his Redbridge foray, he commented "this fascinating park ought to be seen and enjoyed by far more than an audience of local dog walkers" - well, I'm pleased to say it is. Another photo here.

Is this a dagger I see before me?

Towards the end of last year, a statue popped up on Southbank to commemorate Sir Laurence Olivier, one of the finest actors of recent years. And of course, he was one of the founders of the National Theatre

Temporary Eyesore

This is a view of a Work Of Art outside the Tate Modern. I know it's a Work Of Art because it says so on a Bit Of Paper. For a change, most of the words - the text on the Bit Of Paper and my short commentary - are on My Other Stuff. And if you think these colours are a little bit too vibrant to be real, you are right. I tried to make this an eyesore, too. I thought that might be Art.

Summer in Bloomsbury Square

For this week's The Way We See It, I found myself in Bloomsbury Square. Alongside my digital, I was shooting with the Voigtlander Bessa, now sorted and ready to rock. The huge negative (6 x 9 cm) contains a huge amount of information, that is lost on the small digital image you can see, but I hope you like it all the same. The camera itself dates from 1932 - 1938, as far as I can tell.

Watch This Space

The National Theatre's "Watch This Space" Southbank summer series of free entertainment is here again - for the tenth year. As my office is right by here, normally I manage to see a few - so far this year, I haven't seen any. I hope to change this, and report back to you all.

Funeral Splendor

London's East End villains are notorious for their funeral cortège, always with a coach and horses like this. Ronnie & Reggie Kray were two such, but they had six horses. Well, they would, wouldn't they. The urban legend runs that Reggies's funeral cortège went over the Bow flyover, as one of his adversaries remains in the concrete foundations. It is certainly possible.



(And as I would have been uncomfortable photographing a funeral for your entertainment, I was pleased to come across the empty carriage)

The Buxton Memorial

The Buxton Memorial sits outside the Houses of Parliament to commemorate the emancipation of slaves, you can reas more here in Wikipedia (sorry for the brief text today).

I know it's round here somewhere....

I would say it is fairly tough to get lost in New York. Paris? well, it's small, lots of Metro stations. London has to be the capital of the world for confusing tourists. What makes it still better is how few Londoners know more than their immediate route. Scurrying like lab rats, from home to work most Londoners are probably the worst people to ask directions - we don't even have maps on us. So this little tableau appealed to me - look at the wife's face. I dare say this wasn't the first time he'd got them lost, and son is NOT expecting results soon.

Limehouse Basin

Just a photo today, from the Bronica. A full colour daytime shot here.

War on Waste

Not another modern green initiative but a recreation of life 60 years ago, during WWII. It was a time when Britons were all encouraged to grow food in allotments, the Imperial War Museum have recreated the time in the middle of St James Park. Worth a look if you are in the area, the Harvest Fair might be fun in September.

DN-Anyone know?

This DNA-like sculpture appeared recently in Paternoster Square, next to St Pauls Cathedral. There's no information plaque, and I haven't yet found out anything about it. Suggestions?

Thanks to JK: "This giant sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick in Bishops Court (by Paternoster Square, opposite Amen Corner) is actually a cooling vent for electrical transformers below."

But if you don't believe this, alternative suggestions still welcome.

Can I Have Some Moor, Please?

I love the fusion of cultures that thrives in London. This colourful water basin sits outside the restaurant el Cantara in Frith Street. I've not tried it,but from the look of the menu, I may well give it a try.

If I Sad Please Smile

This eclectic poetic selection is not a photograph of my fridge door, but instead a communal fridge door. Let me explain - if you go into Neal's Yard in Covent Garden to eat or shop, you can compose your own ode. A sort of adult play area, without any jumping around. See a view in context here.



See where on the London Daily Photo Map

The M(urder) 25

The M25 motorway girdles London, and is notorious for its accidents and jams. You would have thought, then, that the accident statistics for the M25 would be easy to find: they are not (that's a challenge for anyone who chooses). I came across this small tribute on a cycle ride today. Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Brother, Husband - that's what the faded cards say.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Newman Street

This Banksy takes pride of place on a blank wall in Newman Street, where The Way We See It had taken me. I always find what other people see at any location fascinating - but nobody went for this striking image, although it raises issues close to any photographer's heart. It's difficult to make out, I'm afraid, but the police/security is taking a photo of the child graffiti artist.

Staying Local

Don't we often take our own immediate environment for granted? Where I live is steeped in history, as is so much of London. The building you can see has been there for 300 years, and seen a lot of changes. For a while, it was the Conservatives local HQ, and hence the bust of Churchill who was the local MP. Diamond Geezeer walked the walk and talked the talk here, too. The stone plinth was made out of a bit of the old Waterloo Bridge.

But the real reason I took this photo was as part of a test reel to try out another £5 special from eBay, after fixing it. It's an Agilux Agifold, a late forties/early fifties camera made in London (Croydon). In case anyone is interested, it has a 90cm f4.5 lens, here stopped to f/8, shot on Fuji Acros processed in ID-11.

Fishy Business

In Greenwich, just off the tourist track are a small group of some of the most excellent food shops you could hope to find. This fish is as good as it gets and passes the ultimate test for a fish shop - can you imagine these fish swimming? I can. A nice touch is the laptop they provide with a pen and paper so you can find recipes, like on their website,. I bought some Turbot, and very nice it was too, but I was too late for the samphire, it was sold out. Have the benefit of the Greenwich Phantom's experience here.



See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Fork King, Lovely

Still on a wander through Greenwich, today I dip into the market.That's where I found this jewellery, made out of old forks. I thought they made for a cool image. And the best thing is, it turns out that no matter where in the world you might be, you can buy one

London's Vantage Points - Greenwich Point

You know I said on Monday I was too mean to pay £7 to go up in the wheel? This is why. At the top of Point Hill is one of the very best views of London, to rival Primrose Hill. On a day like this you can see clearly to Wembley, Battersea, the world is laid out infront of you. If you're driving, all you will see is tantalising glimpses - you need to be on foot or bike to get to this viewpoint. And, just to add to the interest of the place, the Greenwich Phantom has tales of wild goings on just there.

The Greenwich-fest week continues. Some higer res sections of this photo are here.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

July Theme Day - A "No ...." Sign

Can you read this sign? I'm not surprised, we've lost the hang of understanding this type of . What it says is "No Gluttony". It is the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, set up to mark the point where the Great Fire of London stopped in 1666. They believed that the cause of the fire was the sin of gluttony, so this statue was made "prodigious fat" as a warning to us all. Says a lot about the changing trends of obesity, that he was considered fat, doesn't it?

My alternative choice was shot in Greenwich, and shown here.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

This month, 172 blogs have said they will join in the theme day, some may forget, some are on other time zones, but click around to explore the world by its corners or Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by freefalling, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brantford (ON), Canada by Nancy, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chesapeake (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Cincinnati, USA by Erik Laursen, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Delta (CO), USA by Bill, Duluth (MN), USA by Sun Dog Press, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Folkestone, UK by Piskie, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gaia, Portugal by m+p, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Hanoi, Vietnam by Jérôme, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jerusalem, Israel by Esther, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Lynchburg (VA), USA by Timothy, Mainz, Germany by JB, Melbourne, Australia by John, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Misawa, Japan by misawa mama, Monroe (GA), USA by Tanya, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Munich, Germany by Troy, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by • Eliane •, Newcastle, Australia by Julia, Newport News (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norfolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Cheryl, Poplar Bluff (MO), USA by Tricia, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Pretoria, South Africa by Sam Ruth, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by atc, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Stratford, Canada by Barb, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Suffolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Tempe (AZ), USA by angie, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Trujillo, Peru by Giulianna, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Virginia Beach (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Williamsburg (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine,