Brighten Up Your Neighbourhood

If you live in a council block of flats behind Brick Lane, you know your outside space is going to be minimal. At least decoration like this makes it a little more pleasant for the children. Interestingly, there is limited damage from graffiti/tagging, in an area where most vertical surfaces seem to get covered rather quickly.

Cafe VN

London's cosmopolitan mix of cultures leads to a diversity of foods and restaurants. I have to confess I'd never tried Vietnamese food, so when I called in to Cafe VN on a whim I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a delicious bowl of Pho and got to add the Vietnamese basil, lime, bean sprouts after enquiring what to do. I can thoroughly recommend this. The fresh and zesty flavours reminded me most of the food I got travelling in China - that Chinese food that never makes it to these shores.

Spraytastic!

This fountain in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital is fascinating, I could probably sit watching it for hours. You are reminded of the Spirograph, too? OK.

Portcullis House

You might wonder what this building is, just to the north of Westminster Bridge; it is Portcullis House, built recently as offices for MPs. Those strange chimneys you see are part of the "passive" air conditioning system. What it is known for in particular, is the huge cost overrun, creating a palatial interior which cost over £1,000,000 for each MP housed. The public enquiry report into this was never published. Clearly excellent value, eh?

Words Having Flown

There is an exhibit outside the Royal Festival Hall called the Lion & the Unicorn, in homage to a work in 1951. The poems of refugee children are written on the paper, and flying away. Do take the time to go and read some, if you can't make it down there, here is one: I Am The Song

Food for Thought

This is the corner of the northern entrance to Covent Garden. Time was, not that very long ago, when it was the site of a couple of restaurants with loads of tables outside. I think (no matter how good or bad they were, I never ate there but they looked ok and were always packed)that they added a lot to the cafe culture of the area, which feels strangely sterile now by comparison. Now, you can only take a byte out of an Apple. Sad.

Do The Funky Gibbons

Stanley Gibbons is one of those names that resounds with millions of people, back to the time when they were young and collected stamps. This London business is apparently the largest stamp business in the world. Up to now, I haven't shown them here because I just couldn't get a decent picture. But then, I noticed the crest - they are "By Appointment"! The Queen collects stamps!! What a wonderful picture that brings to mind - do you think she prefers the ones with her own picture on them? Does she specially collect those countries that used to have her picture on? Does she have a butler to lick the mounts? Can you see it, too?

A night at the opera

This lush looking set is the interior of a restaurant, Sarastro in Drury Lane. I've often wanted to visit, as I'd heard that it was interesting and I do like the garden they've made in the street. However, my experience wasn't positive. The incredible interior is indeed exceptional, but I was more interested whether I could gnaw it to stave off hunger.

While the waiters were ok, the food service was the worst I've experienced for a long while. The restaurant was no more than 15% full, and our starters (which needed next to no preparing) took 45 minutes to arrive, and our main course another twenty after, despite the fact we told the waiter we were going to a show. As a result we had to rush our food, which was ok but ordinary and at £60 for two courses for two (with two glasses of wine) frankly very poor value. I won't rush back, and I will make this a review of Sarastro Restaurant, Drury Lane London to help Google find it. They add a 12.5% optional service charge, which at least gave me a good laugh. At least the manager had the decency to answer my question "What reason was there for the delays" with a straightforward "none, no reason".

Ordinary.... Londoner?

The Ordinary Londoner's series has been a bit dormant for a while, but much as I like this portrait of Paul Magid, I can't really include him. He's the founder of the Flying Karamazov Brothers, see yesterday or Facebook. Very American, very talented and very entertaining.

The Flying Karamazovs Brothers

They don't fly, none are called Karamzov and they aren't even brothers. When I got an invite to the show, I wasn't sure what to expect. It turned out to be a thoroughly good evening of fast paced edgy family entertainment. It was: The Three Stooges and The Marx Brothers meet The Muppets and Juggle Very Well Indeed. As evevr I couldn't take photos in the show, but they hung around after the show chatting to the audience in the street, not something you often see in a West End Show. I would say a good time was had by all.

Enfant Terrible Grown Up

Tracy Emin became notorious for her ability to shock and dismay the classical art world in equal measure. By staying the distance, and proving that she's actually got something to day, she has slowly been absorbed into the establishment she started out to try to shake to its roots. There's a major exhibition of here work in the Hayward Gallery, and this piece in their foyer, composed of the My Life in a Column feature she used to write for the Independent. Interesting reading, actually.

Thank Heavens for Little Gulls

As you can see, London's Southbank at the moment is a particularly fun place to be this summer. I hope this gives you a bit of the feel, if you can't make it down.

More for kids?

Southbank also has a carousel to entertain kids. But come on, be honest, can you ever see one and not think back to a time when riding one was the best thing ever? Doesn't a little bit of that stay with you for ever?

Having Fun in the Sun and Sand

As I've mentioned a section of the Southbank in London has been turned into a sandy beach. That's not that unusual in big cities, Paris has been running Paris Plage for years. What seems a little different this time here, is that instead of turning it into an adults relaxation area, in London it seems to be geared to being a giant kids sand pit.

Udderbelly

A simulated upside-down, purple cow is the obvious thing to attract people to an event. Ah hell, why not? There's quite a lot of good stuff there.

Beach Huts

Ah yes, the beach huts. Not something you often see in London, and something uniquely British. A little piece of the seaside you can call your own, click here if you are curious as to what they cost.

The huts on the Southbank are a rag-bag of everything: Art installations, decorations, this one commemorates the floods of 1953 that swept hundreds of huts away.

Life's A Beach

Summer is always a good time on the Southbank, and this year they have excelled themselves, and I will be making no few excuses for bringing you images of the area over the next days. This scene, promoting Southend as a holiday destination, is just west of Waterloo Bridge.

(The eagle eyed among you may notice that for the first time in months I have been out with my 'proper' camera ... huzzah!)

Sally the Urban Fox

Sat on the top of the Hayward Gallery just on the south side of Waterloo Bridge is Sally, the urban fox, intended to represent the blurring between city and country that is happening these days. Foxes are rife through London, and I suspect you see more of them in the city than you ever would in the country. Sally was made in Nottingham in two parts, I believe, and shipped down to London. Urban foxes tend to polarise opinion, with many people in the So-cute-and-furry-they-can't-be-bad camp. A perfectly logical argument, then.

All Strung Out

On the day that Andy Murray disappeared from the French Open, I thought I would let you know about Wigmore Sports (In Wigmore Street, natch) where you can get your racquet re-strung in 24 hours.

Million Dollar Spin-off

There are a large number of shows in London in recent years based around the idea of delivering familiar songs with a light storyline. From my experience they tend to be good, fun entertainment for all that. The Million Dollar Quartet tells the story of the night on On December 4, 1956 that Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis played together at Sun Records with the tapes rolling. And there's one point in the evening where you realise that really happened, and it sent shivers down my spine.

Oxford Street

Not one of London's most beautiful streets, but all life is here. I wonder if she turned up?

Improving The Image of Construction

The June City Daily Photo theme is construction. To my mind, the best way to improve the image of construction is for the builders to finish and go away. This scene is from two years ago when they had just started building the Olympic Stadium, go back a few days to see what it look like now.

Click here to view the way this theme has been interpreted around the world.

A Tube of Poetry

The series of Poems on the London Underground has been running since 1986, an alternative to the incessant advertising and a counterpoint to the crush of the rush hour, somewhere your mind can expand. Even if you don't travel on the tube, you can read the poetry archive here.

The Shard Takes Its Place

It is interesting to see London's skyline change from places such as this vantage point in Waltham Forest. The Shard is more clearly taking its prominence here than is visible when you are closer.

Wild Horses

I can't quite make out the reason for these horses in the front garden of a house in the Mile End Road. It looks a bit as if the house has been taken over by an artistic collective, but there is no evidence either way. Whatever the reason, their presence is comfortingly eccentric.

London's Elephants - No 39 in a series

Ahhhhh, another elephant. About time, I hear you say. I saw this on my way home, in Hanbury Street by Brick Lane. It looks to me as if there may be others around, too.



The elephants series is here.

Rising Orbit

Just along from the stadium, the new sculpture by Anish Kapoor is rising. Doesn't llok like much at the moment, but it is probably going to be fun to climb.

Very Staid

The Greenway is still accessible by foot and cycle, and gets you up close and personal to the Olympic stadium, looking very finished from here. Hard to imagine how busy it will be a year from now - I hope I've been successful buying at least some of the tickets I applied for.

Ooooo Look at me plumage

Probably an effective chat up line, just as long as the object of your affection is a Peahen (or possibly even a Peacock in these enlightened times). While you have to pay £17.60!!!! to enter the zoo, the magnificent Snowdon Aviary is visible from the canal path (on my way home) for free.

The West in the East

It is now only a few months away from the first of the Olympic site facilities opening - Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford. And for those who thought that the Olympics would do nothing for the area, look at the 1,000,000 sq ft of office space in an area where you would only have found council offices a couple of short years ago.

(Photographic note: a lot of my pictures over the last days have been from my Samsung phone, this is the first where its shortcomings are painfully obvious)

I wonder what it looks like from the top?

Wonder no more. Just click here and you will be transported to the top of Centre Point, and able to mess around with an 80 Gigapixel image of London. That's 80 and a very lot of zeros. HAve a play with it, the zoom is astonishing.

Scoot round for food

One of the more original options for seating is here, at Camden Lock. There are a whole host of generally attractive looking eateries where you can buy your food, and sit and watch the canal flow b.

Wind on!

Until I started riding home along the canal path, I knew nothing about this restaurant - Feng Shang. It looks as if it is well worth a visit, and it is on my list of places to visit, now. My pidgin Chinese translates Feng Shang as Wind On (as in, wind blowing) but I suspect that it might have lost a little in translation.

What do you think of it? It's rubbish.

To be more exact this mural is made out of rubbish, by Kevin Herlihy in conjuction with a local youth club. You can find it on the Grand Union Canal by Kensal Green.

I'm Not Angry

Not his most well known song, but "I'm Not Angry" immortalised Elvis Costello's time working at Elizabeth Arden in song: "Spent all my time in a vanity factory, wonderin' when they're gonna come and take it all back". This is possibly the most noteworthy part of North Acton - I'd be interested if others have more suggestions. If you want to hear the song, youtube video is here.

As it says in the words, Elvis has left the building.

A Cabbies Window

Anyone following my comments recently might have chanced upon a new blog. Cabbieswindow. There are some great photographs in there and some, if not all are shot from, well, the cabbie's window. I love the feel it gives, the way the cab helps form the shots and gives a subtly different perspective. So I nicked one of his photos, hope he doesn't mind. Check out his his archive here and click on a few.

How was your journey home from work?

My journey home from work is normally a bit of a cross-town slog on the bike, with lots of people and traffic. But today, I discovered the Grand Union Canal, which took me very pleasantly indeed from Acton to Camden Lock, which you can see here. The 7-ish miles took just less than 25 minutes, and that included slowing down for people time. It was brilliant.

Lawd Luv a Duck

Or goose in this case. I happened across these proud parents in the park just up the road from my house, and thought it would be nice to share.

Crystal Palace

The tower in the picture is the transmitting tower for the TV signal for most of London, and it has the distinction of until recent years being the tallest structure in London, currently demoted to fourth highest.

Just Another Brick

Well, following yesterday's Blogger meltdown, hopefully we are back to normal, or what passes for normal in this corner of the Internet.

This is much more like what you expect for sculpture in Leytonstone. It's a seat in the train and bus station, depicting various busses in brick. And, according to the Shady Old Lady, "At the heart of the central core of concrete and reinforced steel, and unknown to anyone other than the artist, Mr Pretor placed two items - a kitchen sink and a roll of wallpaper

The Honourable Artillery Company

Strange that this army unit isn't "Royal", especially since their Captain General is the Queen herself. But, as they are the oldest regiment in the British Army, they might be allowed some idiosyncrasy. This castle like building is in the heart of the city, on City Road near London Wall.

Beyond B-Leaf

Leytonstone is not the most salubrious of London Boroughs, although hey do have the benefit of quite a bit if forest. Leaf Memory is an unexpected sculpture, found near and possibly inspired by the Green Man roundabout (so named after a pub).

The weight of the world

Sometimes doesn't it feel as if it is all on your shoulders? You can find this road atlas in Poultry.

Some-Fin Funny

It's a while since I featured any graffiti, so a cheerful image for a Monday.

Old Father Thames

As you walk around London, it's interesting to see how often you come across the image of Old Father Thames, reflecting how deeply the Thames is bedded in the minds of all Londoners. This is on a building in Cecil Court off St Martin's Lane (and yes, his mate the Green Man is nearby, too)

Brassed Off

If you keep polishing your handles for a hundred years or so, it will begin to look like this, almost abstract, version at the English National Opera

London Rush Hour

This is one of the main reasons I prefer cycling to work, why would you put yourself through this day after day if there is an alternative. Stuck inside this metal tube chugging its way in tunnels hidden deep underground, or spinning along the streets in touch with... just about everything if you're not careful. Simple choice.

The Light Fantastic

The fountains at Marble Arch are much neglected, as they too are hidden on the central reservation, with four lanes of traffic steaming around all the time. However, the light made great play with them the other night, turning them into something unworldly

Jelly Babies!

This Jelly Baby family is installed in the central island at Marble Arch to cheer people up, and it certainly did it for me, especially with the light shining through.

Getting Ready... too late

Well, hello all. As Nic mentioned I was away over the weekend and pictures should have appeared in my absence, but a spanner seems to have got jammed in the works. This might have been a timely picture before the wedding, but is now just a very small part of history. Oh well.