Looking for the summer

The cold, the snow and the travel chaos was here again today as predicted, so lets look forward.

Here's the music (click on play):

and here are the lyrics. Where was the photo taken? My garden.

Desolation Alley

London used to be full of car breakers: places you could go to clamber over a pile of cars four high to find that elusive bit of trim or pipework to repair your car with. These days, they have either been Health & Safety'd or priced out of existence. Shame really, because it was recycling at its most efficient.

This breakers yard is just inside the M25, near Dartford.

The Blitz

Yesterday's post reminded me of the Blitz, and made me think what that part of London would have looked like afterwards. History long buried was reborn and whole areas flattened.

This photo of St Paul's surrounded by smoke is one of the most iconic photographs of the time, I imagine recognised instantly by any Londoner. It was the firemen that saved London then, and this memorial, just south of St Paul's is to honour those 1,027 who died carrying out their duty.

Here is a page of firefighter's history in the blitz.

Barbican Frieze

This is a detail of a frieze from one of the only buildings from the (old) Barbican left standing after the blitz in 1940. The buiilding was owned the firm of gold refiners and assayers, W Bryer & Sons, founded in 1815 and who still trade in Hatton Garden.

You won't see this by car, as it faces away from the road, so here is the full frieze. here is the map of where it is, and I've marked its exact location here.

London's Elephants - No 13 in a series

The latest in the series is in Notting Hill Gate and is title is "Carnival Elephant".

Interestingly, an intrepid scout from the U.S. of A. on a trip to London has found me another elephant that I didn't know about....it will be along next time.



Click for No 1 in the series.
Click for No 2 in the series.
Click for No 3 in the series.
Click for No 4 in the series.
Click for No 5 in the series.
Click for No 6 in the series.
Click for No 7 in the series.
Click for No 7 1/2 in the series.
Click for No 8 in the series.
Click for No 9 in the series.
Click for No 10 in the series.
Click for No 11 in the series.
Click for No 11 1/2 in the series.
Click for No 12 in the series.

Cow recycling

Anyone want to recycle a cow????

Grafitti Wall

I rather liked this grafitti wall in Camden, as it looks like several aretists have collaborated. The taggers have left it alone, too.

The Bloomsbury Set

There's not much left to see of the haunts of the Bloomsbury Set: those Bohemian artists who made such an impact to Edwardian London and the world - Virigina Wolff? John Maynard Keynes ? (yes, that one). However, when I was going down Tavistock Place at No. 22 I saw this mosaic, now gracing the step for the fire exit of one ofthe dubious hotels that line the street now. I could just see the shadow of the people who decided to put it there - I hope you can.

Theme Day - What annoys me about London

 
Today's worldwide daily photo theme is "What annoys you in your city". For me, it is London house prices. How on earth can anyone afford to live here now? Look at the numbers - average London salary - £42,000. Average London property - £352,000. It simply doesn't add up. The pictures and hte prices are from my local area, nothing special, nothing affordable. My first two bedroom flat here cost £20,000 when I was earning £6,500. Now, you can see one bedroom flats starting at £225,000. It just isn't fair.

52 Daily Photo sites are participating in the 1st December theme, "What really annoys you about my city", please use the links to below to visit them.

Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day.

1 (Porto (Portugal) ) -2 (Stayton, OR (USA) ) -3 (Albuquerque, NM (USA) ) -4 (Tenerife (Spain) ) -5 (Greenville, SC (USA) ) -6 (Dubai (U.A.E.) ) -7 (Evry (France) ) -8 (Jakarta (Indonesia) ) -9 (London (UK) ) -10 (Sequim, WA (USA) ) -11 (Buenos Aires, (Argentina) ) -12 (Seattle, WA (USA) ) -13 (Minneapolis, MN (USA) ) -14 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -15 (Joplin , MO (USA) ) -16 (Nelson, New Zealand ) -17 (Milano, Italy ) -18 (Singapore (KeropokMan) ) -19 (La Antigua Guatemala (Guatemala) ) -20 (Nottingham UK ) -21 (Singapore by Zannnie (Singapore) ) -22 (Budapest (Hungary) ) -23 (Not Strictly Seattle, ) -24 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -25 (Vantaa (Finland) ) -26 (Hyde (UK) ) -27 (Madrid by Dsole (Spain) ) -28 (Oulu (Finland) ) -29 (Saarbr?cken (Germany) ) -30 (St. Paul [Carol] ) -31 (Sydney (Australia) ) -32 (Tokyo (Japan) ) -33 (Kyoto (Japan) ) -34 (Trujillo (Peru) ) -35 (Shanghai (China) ) -36 (Rotterdam (NL) ) -37 (Chicago, IL (USA) ) -38 (Nice, (France) ) -39 (Naples, Florida (USA) ) -40 (Hong Kong ) -41 (Santa Clara, CA (USA) ) -42 (Quito, Ecuador (South America) ) -43 (Cottage Grove, MN (USA) ) -44 (Paris, (France) ) -45 (Manila (Philippines) ) -46 (Brussels (Belgium) ) -47 (Auckland (New Zealand) ) -48 (Newcastle upon Tyne(England) ) -49 (Houston, TX (USA) ) -50 (Sydney by Nathalie (Australia) ) -51 (Mumbai (India) ) -52 (Anderson, SC (USA)) - 53 - Chelteham

When I'm cleaning windows

 
Well, someone has to keep all the glass sparkling. For those that are interested the George Formby lyric from which I took the title was written in 1936. Here is the lyric - a bit racy for its day -, and here is the clip. Oh yes. France had Charles Trenet, and we had George Formby ;-)

Carbnaby Street

Wander around the corner from Liberty and you are in Carnaby Street. It's funny, I've seen it turn full circle. From when it was an interesting place with old shops and craftsmen jostling alongside the fashion arcade, through twenty years of sheer tourist trappery, to the point today where the interesting places have started to make inroads with the jeans shops.

Talking of jeans shops, did you hear about the Lee "Merry XXXMas" strippers they had in the Carnaby Street store window before Christmas? The YouTube video is here.

This picture is of a tourist event.

No minute ever comes back...

 
It is worth searching out this clock on Liberty's in Great Marlborough Street on the hour, to see George chase his dragon. Over hte years, they seem to have turned into the best of friends because next hour the two will be back for another performance.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day. Unfortunately I don't have anything to represent that from in London, so the group of thoughtful soldiers outside Euston Station will have todo to make us stop and think for a minute.

Camden Ghosts

 

Trendy and glitzy Camden may be, but there are still some ghosts. This one of Boots the Chemists in Camden High Street probably dates from the fifties. The shop now sells mobile phones.

Camden High Street

 

Going north from Greater London House,you hit Camden High Street, a fashion shopping mecca. A lot of the shops around here go to some lengths to try to make themselves individualistic, like these two.

Snow business

 

Snow in London is sufficiently infrequent to warrant mention. That's why when I woke up on Wednesday morning and found a blanket of snow on the ground I went out to take some pictures. It was all gone by 3 p.m.

Mornington Crescent

 

After yesterday's pyramids, today I have to show you the Egyptian inspired Art Deco building that is Greater London House in Hampstead Road(it used to be called "Black Cat House", where Black Cat cigarettes were manufactured). It is one of the finest deco buildings but far enough from the normal track to be missed by many.

The observant among you will notice that it is also just by Mornington Crescent, which has to be the cue for a game in the comments box. We will be playing be the Eton rules, and stations without Oyster readers are wild. Those that don't know the rules will have to research them for themselves or just pick them up as it goes along.

The Great Pyramids of Paddington

 

Cheops, eat your heart out. I do get a kick on those occasions I see things that you might miss. I was in Paddington Gardens for The Way We See It and saw these huts and immediately I knew what my blog post title was going to be. 

Grade A in "Stating the bleedin' obvious"

Well to be fair, this sign was probably to signify that this ex-building (in Central Street) was now a car park, but with the smiley face, I couldn't just ignore it. 

Another ghost

 
Another ghost is here in Old Street. When I passed by, the fascia of this pace had been removed leaving the old mosaic.