Need a party bag?

Need a party bag? You should have thought of it on Saturday and gone dah'n the Roman. Bast wishes to all for the new year - I'll be back from the French Alps in the New Year.

Tomorrow is another worldwide theme day on the Daily Photo sites.

Busking on the Underground

Coming up to New Year, it might be useful to earn a few pennies to help pay for the holiday excesses. In typically British fashion, busking used to be frowned on and banned (we like banning stuff). Then, in still more bizzare manner TFL decided to license buskers, who have to pass a quality test - the costs are borne by the sponsor. Sort of misses the point in my opinion. (posting a little early tonight!)

Found Art

I found this scene in an alcove in a derilict site in Great Eastern Street and it struck me that if it was in a Gallery, it would be considered art. What do you think?

The Most Hidden Pub in London

This pub has the distictionof being probably the oldest and best hidden in London. Even people working nearby may not know of it. It's in Hatton Garden, in a tiny alley between numbers 7 & 9 - look for the sign on a lamp post. Originally built in 1547, the Bishops Mitrewas built by the Bishop of Ely and it is well worth hunting out.

A Mural

Still withut much time for commentary, here is another picture I rather like, that of a mural.

A sundial

Because I've had too much to eat and drink, here's a picture of a sundial in St Katherines Dock to keep you going. Hope your Christmas was a good one.

Happy Christmas to you all

Happy Christmas to you all, here are the Salvation Army carol singing in the streets in the run up to Christmas. There is little quite as comforting as the round sound of brass to warm a cold winter evening.

I'm in Val Thorens for the rest of the week. I'll bring you some more pictures as the week goes by.

Party time!

Having a fancy dress party? You need to go to Bermans & Nathans, the theatrical costumiers in Shaftsbury Avenue. I could tell you the story about how - when I hired a 17th Century pirates costume - I tried to argue my way into Claridges where the doormen are in 17th century livery but they wouldn't le me in - but that's a longer story.

Cup of Coffee, anyone?

If you are in Covent Garden, one of the best places to have a cup of coffee is in the Monmouth Street Coffee shops, one of the remaining places they roast on the premises. The smell is divine. There has to be a business opportunity there for someone - a way to differentiate yourself from all the rest? As you an see, it gets crowded and people sit outside whatever the weather,

Take note of the wooden sculpture in the window - more about the sculptor soon.

Covent Garden Christmas Lights

....as brought to you by Miss Ham! I may be biased, but I liked it.

But I put money in....

Look familiar? Always a hazard when Christmas shopping, your local friendly traffic warden. This just cost her £50. But as she is driving a silly 20 mpg 4x4, I don't feel too sad. I've already made my feelings clear.

Please don't feed the reindeer

Is what the sign says, on the chain in front of this grouping of reindeer in Great Eastern Street. Don't know much more about it, sorry.

Dragon spotting

This week's TWWSI took me to West Smithfield, London's meat market. Here's a dragon from high up on the building. I could have made a series from dragons, but they are pretty commonplace in London. Elephants are more fun to hunt.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

There's nothing so reminiscent of winter in London as catching a whiff of chestnets roasting on a brazier. There are few left, this man runs a fruit & veg stall in Covent Garden

They got more than they bargained for....

I saw this crew filming outside my office and headed out with my trusted camera to capture a London moment. Turned out they were an ITV London crew, doing a "vox pop" on people's opinions of the Southbank. They advanced on me and asked what I thought of the monstrous concrete blocks like the IBM building (I've grown kind of fond of them) and whether they should be pulled down and a new hotel/leisure/shopping complex be put up in its place (NO! NO! NO!!!!!!!!). I think they may have got opinion than they expected.

Anyone sees the program (going out next year around March time) let me know please.

Ordinary Londoners

A group of ordinary Londoners at 9:00a.m. last Sunday morning. I stopped my bike and asked if I could take a photo. "Sure," they said. I asked them the reason for the garb. Mental instability, they told me. OK.

London's Elephants - No 12 in the series

This one is high up on Africa house in Kingsway - very redolent of the turn of the century. I'm not too sure about the guy with the rifle, though. All I can say is that the elephant still looks alive.

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.

Cruciform Building

Today is another request day, this time for Emily, who asked for a picture of the University College, and particularly of the Cruciform building.

This old hospital is fascinating becuase until recently I could never have shown you what was so special about it. That is, until Google Earth. Here it is. (In case you can't make the connection - it is built in hte shape of a cross)

Now, the history makes no mention of it, but for years it was the Masonic Hospital and I heard tell that the shape was supposed to be esoteric. You make up your own minds.

Oggy Oggy Oggy!

This week, The Way We See It took me to the soulless wasteland that is Euston Square. This shot - the back of a West Cornwall Pastie takeaway - took my fancy, but didn't quite make the cut. This spied through an office window was my favourite.

The Cornish Pastie (an Oggy) is the original packed lucnch for the Cornish tin miners. A meat savoury through most of it, it was sweet at one end and the crimped pastry formed a handle that could be used by the men with dirty hands.

Oggy Oggy Oggy Oy Oy Oy! is a rugby chant. You had to be there.

Columbia Road

If you like flowers and live in or visit London, you really should pay a trip to Columbia Road flower market on a Sunday morning. The flower market started by selling off what was left from Covent Garden and Spitlafields markets on the Saturday, these days it is the best place to buy flowers and plants in London. The shops are also interesting, ideal if you are looking for a last minute christmas present. A view showing how crowded it gets is here.