Stairway to Heaven

The worst disaster on the London Underground happened just over 70 years ago, when 173 people died in the crush of a panic in the blackout, during the war. This memorial has taken this long to put up. The monument is covered with snippets of the memories of people of the event, to which individual recollections and tributes have been added. It is very moving, I recommend you make the effort to visit, sit and consider. Read more on Diamond Geezer who was there on the opening day.

Impromptu Art

From the way this is painted on the door, it looks more like decoration than graffiti, and beats plain white for a colour, anyhow.

Outdoor Facilities

My mind was boggled, just behind brick lane, we have drop a brick lane.

Insufficient Razamataz?

Despite the trendy location in Brick Lane and the trendy decor, this trainer shop obviously didn't have what it takes, as it is now closed.

What I did on my holidays

Well, I'm back, here's where I've been, in Catalonia (close to Andorra at this point). Fantastic country, fantastic cycling, fantastic food. I had a great time, I hope you did too.If you want to see my route, http://extraspecialtreat.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/my-cycle-tour-of-catalonia.html

A Private Statue?

Sitting on the corner of Fitzroy Square, on the wall of a private house, is a statue of Francisco de Miranda, an 18th Century Venezuelan revolutionary. Odd.

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

Fitzrovia

Somewhat surprisingly I don't think I've ever featured Fitzrovia before - this is Fitzroy Square. Possibly one of the highest concentration of the (now demised) Blue Plaques, it was a Bohemian area whose previous residents include such as Augustus John, Quentin Crisp, Dylan Thomas, Aleister Crowley, George Orwell, George Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf, Ribaud, Verlaine. Well, you would if you could, wouldn't you? Oh yes, and for a few years as a callow youth, I lived 100 yards away, it was fun.

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

Middlesex Guildhall

Another overshadowed building is the Middlesex Guildhall, the home of the Supreme Court, on the opposite side of Parliament Square to the Houses of Parliament. It looks old but was build in the early 20th century. Still rather grand though.

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

The Victoria Memorial

Often overshadowed by Buckingham Palace which it sits in front of, the Victoria Memorial is worthy of consideration on its own merits. A bit macabre maybe, but I wonder what the memorials to our Queen will be like?

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

Lying in hospital

This is the view the other way from City Hall. What you can see is the "Lying-in" hospital, an old maternity hospital which fell derelict but is now restored and is .... you guessed it, a hotel.

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

City Hall

There seems to be an insatiable appetite to take over old, huge, public buildings and turn them into hotels, like city hall. The plaza in front is a surprising open space, given the pressure for land around here.

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

Resurrected Ghosts

The ghost adverts gently fading on the sides of buildings are an enjoyable bit of everyday history. I'm not sure what I think when they get restored, I first thought this one had, but looking around a bit it is possible that it is just a late example.

I'm off again, cycling in the mountains this time - back in a little.

Borough Market

Borough Market has matured a lot over the years. These days it is open most lunchtimes, with a full market Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a host of specialist traders from far and wide that are a far cry from its Farmer's Market origin not that many years ago. At least it is still there - for many years, the rail rebuilding program threatened to close it down (which was, after all, why the original commercial vegetable market closed down)

The Shard, London

I very rarely look at my stats these days to see what's happening, it's pretty much all I can do to keep the pictures rolling. However, it appears that all the top 10 search phrases for people arriving here have various combination of "London", "Photo" and "Shard": London Photo, Shard London, Photo shard - you get the idea. So, I feel it is only right to provide a picture of...the Shard London. I'll have to go back to More London again, now it is finished. As a building, I'm still undecided but I am getting used to it.

Hot Stuff!

By way of a public service announcement I would like to help out others who, like me, are constantly on the hunt for a decent hot sauce. I've found some! In the small Saturday market outside Forest Gate railway station, MaMa V - a local business selling their home made sauce and seasoning. You can find their Twitter page here and Facebook here. Lots of flavour and a real kick.

Naked Tower

Here's the Telecom Tower, in its new naked form. The old dishes had been protected by planning law from change for years, as they were part of the London skyline. BT only got permission to take them down when they became in serious danger of falling down. I don't know if anything will replace them.

Spring Flowers

Spring is finally arriving in London, and not a moment too soon.

The Kings Arms

It's always interesting to look at the references to the Monarchy around the place - this dates back to George III, king from 1760 to 1820, a period covering the American War of Independence and the Napoleonic wars. He ended up mad as a box of frogs.

Daylight robbery

These bricked up windows (and additional artwork) can be found on the Jerwood Space, a rehersal/studio space in Union Street, Southwark. I'm in two minds whether the windows were bricked up for utility purposes, or to reduce their Window Tax. That was a tax current until the 1850's paid on the number of windows you had. Many Georgian properties have windows bricked up as a result, hence a possible source of the expression "It's daylight robbery". I suspect it was just to convert its use, though.

The Dandy Lion

I may be in a small minority here, but I have gone for years without knowing the etymology of Dandylion, I thought (mistakenly) that it must have been something to do with the bold flower, a dandy indeed. I knew the French for dandelion - pissenlit - and that it was called such because of the diuretic properties of the roots. But I hadn't realised that there was another French word - Dent de Lion, or tooth of the lion seeing the shape of the leaves. The penny finally dropped. This is a London dandylion, though.

Holiday snap

I've been away for the last week, here is the obligatory holiday snap, proving that an Englishman's castle is nothing like a Frenchman's. I was in the Loire, where castles were built more to show off than defend. This one is in Azay-le-Rideau.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Today is International Holocaust Memorial day, to remember the time when the Nazis wiped out millions upon millions of Jews, Romanys, gays, just about anyone who faces didn't fit and could be blamed for the hardship that the Germans were facing. And that's the point. It wasn't just then, that sort of mindless destruction of whole groups of people can and does happen now, if we forget then it can happen again. First they depersonlise, then they blame, then they kill.

The statue is to commemorate the Kindertransport, the time the United Kingdom opened its doors to the children and took in 10,000. 10,000 is one sixth of one percent of 6,000,000.

No, it's not the Eiffel Tower's love child, it is the Crystal Palace TV transmitter which provides a TV signal to 11 million people. whoever built it didn't have the vision to add a viewing platform. I like the bird.

Outside the British Museum

A London street scene.

The Royal Courts of Justice

Justice must be seen to be done, which is why anybody can walk in to any court, any day. On open days, you can take your camera in as well. The Royal Courts of Justice is where civil cases are heard (and the criminal court of appeal).The court notices summarise people's lives, hopes and fears in a couple of lines.

HMS Belfast

This is the silver ship's bell on HMS Belfast, the warship now tied up in the heart of London. What you can't see in the photos, are the names of hte children of serving officers who were christened on board, using the upturned bell as a font.

The Globe Theatre

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre should be on everyone's "must see" list. There is something quite special about watching the plays as they might have been four hundred years ago. and you rapidly realise - if you hadn't before - that they didn't have aeroplanes 400 years ago. "The Globe Theatre" is also the answer to the trivia question - "Name a timbered, thatched building in the centre of London".

Arteillery Row Bakery

These lovely cameo are all that remains from a bakery that was built soon after the first war. You can't see it, but inside, the floors used to slope to help the movement of flour. There used to be pictures of it being built hanging inside, but they too have gone.