Graf-floory

Mostly, anything written on the floor get worn away quickly, but these anti-car designs just off Brick Lane have been executed in road paint - the stuff they use for white and yellow lines. You can see more of them here.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Do you need coaching?

In these cash-strapped days, the coach is enjoying a renaissance as a mode of transport. Victoria Coach Station has been serving the London community since the 30's, and the building is landmark Art Deco (external shot here). They are really well organised, and passengers are kept behind doors until it is time to board. It is certainly an economical way to travel, but if London doesn't form part of your journey, you probably don't have the choice.

I thought it was a joke

What I thought was a joke turns out on closer examination not only to be real, but also of potential use in the gift department.

London firm Suck UK have a range of idiosyncratic gifts and novelties a cut above the "USB Missile" level. Anyone who smokes might well be grateful to receive one of these in their Christmas stocking. And it would be very uncharitable to say I don't care if smokers freeze - if they read this blog, I do care - I don't want to lose readers.

Churchill & London

I couldn't leave the Guildhall (yes, still there, sorry!) without including some of their fine statues. This one of Churchill appealed to me particularly, especially because of the London connection.

Think of London's spirit, and you think of the Blitz, and Churchill was always there, always seen as part of the indomitable spirit that carried us through that war. Here he is in the ruins of the bit of the Guildhall that was bombed.

Building on the past

If you are wondering why the Guildhall is featuring so strongly these last few days, it's because I got to explore it for free on the London Maze.

The London centred Art Gallery and museum is small, but perfectly formed. Not only are there odd bits of London History - like this trowel with magnificent ivory (!!) handle, but also fascinating information. I particularly enjoyed finding out how bit of old buildings get reused in other places. I would say it is worth the modest entrance fee, or it appears you can see a lot more for free on Fridays.

The Guildhall

I've always felt that is London had a heart, the Guildhall is where it beats. The word itself is probably Saxon in origin, and excavation has uncovered a Roman amphitheatre, showing this has been an important site for at least two thousand years.

This shot is of the vaulted arches around the Great Hall that probably date from the 15th Century - the Guildhall was the only non-church stone building to survive the great fire in 1666.

Gog & Magog

Neatly tying together recent events and commemorations, here is the statue of Magog in the Guildhall. Gog & Magog were two giants that were defeated by Brutus, the first king of Britain, and chained where the Guildhall stands. They make the rounds with the Lord Mayor's parade each year, and have done for hundreds of years. These carvings are modern replacements, as the more ancient versions went up in flames in the Blitz.

Read about Gog & Magog's story here.

What makes life meaningful?

This week, the dome of St Paul's Cathedral is being used as a canvas for an artwork commissioned by the Dean called The Question Mark Inside.

"The project seeks to answer the question: ‘what are the things that make modern life meaningful and what does St Paul’s mean in that contemporary context?to us in 2008?'. A stream of possible answers will appear as text projections onto the South elevation of the cathedral dome, the West Front at Ludgate Hill and inside onto the Whispering Gallery. The Question Mark Inside marks the 300th anniversary of the topping out of the Cathedral."

(Don't read anything into my selection of this word - one among many in several languages - I was having great difficulty with my little Canon, this one has the least camera shake)

The Battle of Britain Monument

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the eleventh month, the guns of the First World War fell silent. We forget or ignore this day at our peril.

So today, I bring you the most exceptional Battle of Britain monument. It is unusual in the way that it depicts a very real war, and the lives and experiences of the civilians as well as the military. It is a comparatively new (2005) monument and one which repays close examination. I'd urge you to visit and also to read their website, and in particular the page where the sculptor, Paul Day, describes the work.

Other Daily Photo blogs and others also remember this week.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Taxi, anyone?

The London Taxi Drivers' Fund for Underprivileged Children has featured here before, and each year they join in the Lord Mayor's Parade. This year, on the charity's 80th birthday, I reckon they outdid themselves. They had a second cab done up as well as this, too. Well done, them.

The Scent of the Street

Wandering around watching the preparations for the Lord Mayor's Show I came across Wood Street, where a lot of the carriages and horses were getting ready. I caught a whiff of what London must have smelled like a hundred years ago. Fruity, it the best I can say.

Do you measure up?

This is a GOOD story. If you know about London, you may have known about the standards of length to be found in Trafalgar Square and the Greenwich Observatory but did you know about this one in the Great Hall in the Guildhall? You did? OK. But do you know how they came to be there? Let me tell you.

The UK Accounting System until 1782 was tally sticks. That's right, sticks with notches cut in them. So tax records were quite bulky, and kept in the Houses of Parliament along with a few forests representing the accounts. In 1834, they decided they weren't needed any more and gave the job of destroying them to two not very bright caretakers. Who fed them into the boilers. All at once. And did the job Guy Fawkes couldn't manage and burnt down the houses of Parliament. Quite a pretty sight by all accounts, and one that Turner immortalised. But the fire also destroyed the official Imperial Standards of Length, Weight etc so these secondary references were eventually put up in the places we now see.

If you are looking for something to do today, it's the Lord Mayor's Parade, centred on the Guildhall - but you won't be able to go in and see this.

Who you gonna call? Vampire-Busters!!!

I was going to use this picture for October the 31st, when you might have forgiven the quality of the picture when balanced against the potential vampire protection. But what with me being away and all, it didn't work out. But I couldn't ignore it.

This must qualify as one of London's craziest bar & restaurants, with more than a touch of "Fin de Siecle" about it. Garlic with everything. Garlic beer. Garlic shots. Garlic ice cream. They boast of having 101 garlic flavoured shots. I've never been bored enough with life to visit it, the reviews here are varied, to say the least. Their website is here and their menu here. Anyone goes, do let me know.

Before anyone accuses me of being anti-garlic, one of my favourite dishes of all time is a plate of good pasta, with half a dozen or more raw garlic cloves chopped in it, some nice parmigiana, loads of black pepper, and a glass of good red wine to accompany. Can only cook it when I'm on my own, though, and think I will remain that way for a day or so. Not the most social dish.

A bit of Hoxton

This jolly group stand on top of a roundabout in Pitfield Street in Hackney and I have to tell you, it is the most cheerful thing about Hoxton Market. For some interesting and timely stuff about Hoxton, try Diamond Geezer.

Waiting for......

Godot? By the time you read this, the waiting may be over. The 44th President of the USA might be a person who could have been owned as an object by the 16th, (Abraham Lincoln). Wow.

So here is my photo to accompany the moment, it is of the statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square. What you might not realise is that the statue was given to us by the state of Virginia and out of consideration for George Washington (who swore never to set foot again on British soil) it stands on soil brought over from the USA. And you definitely won't know that was the favourite bit of London of PHX-CDG, a frequent commenter on Paris Daily Photo.

Holiday Snaps

As I've said before, part of living in London is getting away from London, which is why I spent the last week in Northumberland, just as far away as you can get and still be in England. The picture is of Lindesfarne Island, or Holy Island, where you can only cross to it at low tide. It was rather cold and somewhat wet, but we had a great time. And no, it's not a monochrome picture.

Wick Week - Day 9 - Get your Rocks Off

The area is not the most salubrious, so any public art has to be robust - to say the least. Dropping a huge lump of granite in the middle of a playing field is therefore an act of genius. See the wide view here

Rushing back from holiday, the extended Wick Week continues (I am back by Monday but I don't expect to have time to prepare a post). Wick Week. 28% extra free!!!

Wick Week - Day 8 - Eton & Hackney

I couldn't talk about Hackney Wick without mentioning Eton. In the spirit of Victorian philanthropy, the famous famous public school, Eton, forged close links with the area, pouring money and effort into making it a better place for the poor to live. Eton Manor Boys Club, the playing fields, if you've read the Beating the Bounds words you will have realised how much lives will have been changed by this. This plaque can be found on St Mary of Eton church. See a wider view here.

Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the Beating the Bounds walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's photo is near 17. Wick Week - eight days for the price of seven!

November Theme Day - Books

The subject for this month's theme day is "Books" and for London, the British Library is a clear choice. This photo of the sun and shadows making a fine sculture perfect is one of my all time favourites.

I'm still on holiday but at least 155 City Daily Photo sites worldwide sites have said that they will join in. Some may forget, some are in other time zones but do Click here to view thumbnails for all participants or click around this list: American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by freefalling, Arradon, France by Alice, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bali, Indonesia by Anak Dokan, Bandung, Indonesia by Bunyamin, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Bangkok, Thailand by UberSand, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by PattheAZRealtor, Chapel Hill (NC), USA by missleah, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Chateaubriant, France by trieulet, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Evry, France by Olivier, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Helsinki, Finland by PPusa, Herne Bay, Great Britain by Han, Lil n Caz, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Honningsvag, Norway by J., Islip (NY), USA by Bettye, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Karwar, India by Yogesh, Knoxville (TN), USA by hope, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lodz, Poland by wikiyu, London, UK by Ham, Madrid, Spain by Tr3nta, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Hilda, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Melbourne, Australia by John, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Middletown (MD), USA by Bernie, Milton, New Zealand by Milton Daily Photo, Milwaukee (WI), USA by karl, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by snapshutter, Molfetta, Italy by saretta, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Montréal, Canada by My Life in Montreal, Moscow (ID), USA by Sherry, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Murcia, Spain by usuahia, Napa (CA), USA by katester, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, New York City (NY), USA by Kitty, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Elsa, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pensacola (FL), USA by P J, Philadelphia (PA), USA by Stiffa, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Sharon, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Prague, Czech Republic by kakna, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Roanoke (VA), USA by Tanya, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salem (OR), USA by pearls, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, San Francisco (CA), USA by Burd Zel Krai, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Seoul, Korea South by SeoulSnapper, Seoul, South Korea by Phil, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Singapore, Singapore by Zannnie, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Tauranga, New Zealand by Lisa Sarsfield, Telluride (CO), USA by mtsrool, Tempe (AZ), USA by angie, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Trieste, Italy by Rob&Piero, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Verona, Italy by Valeria in Verona, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, 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, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Woerden, Netherlands by Marcel, Yakima (WA), USA by katney, Yellowknife, Canada by Arctic Dreamer, York, UK by Ruby in York,

Wick Week - Day 7 - Urban Gardener

Still in Cadogan Terrace, this image with the reflection of the trees, the nets and the window box so perfectly sums up the Urban Gardener.

Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the Beating the Bounds walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's photo is near 9.

Wick Week - Day 6 - Cadogan Terrace

Continuing the walk we came to Cadogan Terrace, an entirely elgant row of Georgian terraced houses opposite Victoria Park, always forgetting the odd few houses representing properties bombed in the war.

I rather liked this design, stencilled on a .... dustbin.

Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the Beating the Bounds walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's photo is near 9.

Wick Week - Day 5 - Canal Art

The quiet canal banks are perfect for the odd bit of graffiti, and some of it is quite odd. A surprising amount is rather good, though.


Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's photo is near 7.

Wick Week - Day 4 - Olympic Visions

The waterway by the Olympic building site is a little less pastoral. Here, you will find hordes of people are scurrying around to get the site ready for 2012, and legions of security staff who have no greater pleasure in life than to tell anyone with a big camera to stop taking photos.

On the other side of this fence used to be Hackney Greyhound Stadium. Here is a great article about the close relationship of London with dog racing.


Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's photo is near 4 & 5

Wick Week - Day 3 - The White House

We're off "Beating the Bounds" now, and this idyllic scene by the Lea Navigation has a ghost on its left - the White House where Dick Turpin the highwayman was known to have stayed.

Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's picture is near 3.

Wick Week - Day 2 - Tree Nursery

The thing about the Tree Nursery that you need to know is that it has been turned into an "Edible Garden". The Tree Nursery & Edible Forest Garden is a community operation, run by volunteers on Hackney Marsh. Trees are grown from seed and cuttings in the Tree Nursery, until they are large enough to be planted out in Hackney's parks and open spaces. Food is grown in the Edible Forest Garden as a model for local food production, using permaculture principles.

It is open to the public at odd times, and used as a resource by local schools. I'd urge you to go and visit, it is a real oasis surprise. These crab apples shout "autumn" to me.

Still on holiday, and the Wick Week continues. You can read the entire text of the walk (a lot more than just the photos) here. Today's picture is near 1 & 2.

Wick Week - Day 1

I'm away on holiday, and while I'm away, Wick Week (or thereabouts) will be playing here on London Daily Photo. When I was at the Hackney Wick Festival I went on a "Beating the Bounds" walk organised by The Hackney Society. This was a walk around the Marshes and the Wick with a storyteller, discovering all manner of things and bits of history about a fairly nondescript piece of London. Nondescript, but the focus of attention as the Olympics are right here in 2012. I had my camera with me (surprise!) so you can come, too.

This is the Tree Nursery, where we started I didn't realise that young trees could be that dangerous, as they obviously have to be fenced in. More on this place tomorrow.