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.

Open for Business

It's not often you can talk about a shop's "Open" sign, but Paintworks art shop, opposite the Geffrye Museum, is the exception. I dare say they sell one or two cans of spray paint.

Shame on Cyprus

I commented last week how nobody can guess why people end up sleeping rough. In Connor O'Dwyer's case, you don't have to guess. He is trying to draw attention to the apparently shameful treatment he has received in Cyprus. When I met him in St James' Square, he came over as a regular guy, and the more you read of his story, the more you have to feel sorry for him. Why not spread the story about, if you can. All he has to fight with, is the publicity.

The Geffrye Museum

Those of you who said The Geffrye Museum, give yourselves a cheer. This little gem of a museum is astonishingly overlooked (ok, I confess, I hadn't been in for probably 40 years before this), although they do sterling work with local schools.

It shows the changing style of the English domestic interior in a series of period rooms from 1600 to the present day. And with the magic of the Internet, you can visit without leaving your seat. It's set in an old Alms House, so these luxurious interiors couldn't be more different that its original use. I would urge you to pay a visit if you've not yet done so.

Two more interiors here and here. Oh and a new addition to my "London Links", too.

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

All is not quite what it seems

This scene from the 17th century ought to be from a grand house or maybe a theatre set. One or two of you will recognise where I am, but I'll warrant not many, All will be revealed tomorrow.

Did someone say "Cake"?

To ease you gently into the new week, here's a photo I took in Mrs Marengo's an offshoot of Mildred's, a vegetarian restaurant that was an early arrival in the gentrification of Soho, nearly twenty years ago.

Any more words are superfluous.

See where on The London Daily Photo Map

Jose Parla

I said a couple of days ago that Josie Firmin pointed me to two London things, the second was a gallery, Elms Lester, hidden behind London's Tin Pan Alley in Denmark Street. There, I discovered Jose Parla, an artist who is a catalyst, fusing street art into the viewer's psyche. He was holding a signing - every person got their own artwork inside the book.

This painting is titled "Hackney Canal". Whatever you may think about the photographic representation of art, I can tell you that his work has a vibrancy in real life that no photograph can capture.

Read the artist's statement here.

Music Coffee Bagels

Nice words, aren't they? There are relatively few independent music shops left in London, and when one is combined with an exceptional cafe, you know you've found somewhere special. So do a lot of writers, artists, locals - it's one of those rare places that has a real atmosphere. And that's Brill in Exmouth Market. Their website is here. (oh... Music Coffee Bagels and free WiFi)

See where on the London Daily Photo Map

Hidden East End

The garment trade in the UK has all but disappeared over recent years. Where there once was a thriving manufacturing base, there are now designer shops and restaurants. The East End was full of small business once, full of people scraping a living and dreaming of better things. You'll find those dreamers in Bangladesh, Macao, the Philippines. But, if you look carefully down the side streets there are still one or two places left.

Ordinary Londoners - No 19 in a series

Josie Firmin is one of the artists behind Cosmo China and a Londoner to her core. It's not that often I get useful recommendations for pictures and places I hadn't heard about, but Josie gave me two - the Hunterian Museum (three days ago) and another - yet to appear. We chewed the fat for a while about living in the centre of town (I used to many years ago), how things have changed and yet remain the same.

You can see examples of the prodigious talent of the Cosmo China artists on their flickr pages.

The Ordinary Londoners Series is here. See where on London Daily Photo Map