My City, London.
London like so many cities is made up from a hundred thousand different aspects be it in stone, metal and glass, in greenery and space, in water, air and fire, in the millions of people who live and travel through it. I am going to try a capture a little of the essence in this next blog. It will be with with photos alongside the wonder sleep drug called narrative, by me, M. J. London. I believe my name allows me this liberty.
As with many cities, when the sun goes down London takes on a whole different character, both in displaying of its self, as well as the people who pepper it, day and night. I hope at least the photos will entertain if not the dialog the.
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| As dusk settles looking west |
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| Tate Gallery at dusk |
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| The last beachcombers search the river bottom before the tide turns, to cover it. |
People play and search the river floor with metal detectors and their eyes, finding what the river has dropped or the the Romans may have left behind several years ago.
London has long been a centre for commerce and trade. First as a settlement to live in, then growing up into a village, a town, eventually into the city we know and love.
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| The river that was mud brown in daylight, becomes a mirror of light reflection at night. |
The Shard in centre of the above photo is deemed to be the tallest man made structure in Europe, once it is finished, plated in glass on the outside it is well named.
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| Tower Bridge iconic in its beauty by day, but fairy-tale by night. |
Earlier that day before the light faded I visited Tent City which is where all the protesters are camped outside St.Paul's Cathedral, they are there in a bid to make banks and the multi national business, to take account and to recognise there failings to the world, especially the less better off countries and their people. This sort of non violent action spread around the world drawing attention, creating debate for the leaders of the countries meeting at the world summits.
It was very well organised with first aid tents, a tent for meditation, a food tent etc they had teams making sure no litter was left around. There were people playing instruments, some dancing, many chatting or debating with passer-byes. It was calm and respectful of the cathedral, as far as I was concerned. I think of them in their tents of thin material, as I lay tucked up under my duvet indoors, I have camped many times so understand what they are giving up to make their voices be heard, on all of our behalf! On my last visit to the St. Pauls, after many months, these protesters have now been forcibly removed but without any violence, thankfully.
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| St. Paul Cathedral at sunset |
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| London skyline from top of building next to St. Pauls Cathedral |
Myself, Anne and her family went to a Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall, a loverly evening in a glorious setting we had our own box, everyone was in good voice and up for a fun night.
December 2011
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| The Royal Albert Hall |
The hall is a commemoration along with his statue to The Prince Royal, Albert, Queen Victorious beloved husband.
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| While Albert looks on at his name sake structure |
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| inside the Royal Albert Hall |
Afterwards we strolled past the Natural History Museum, all Christmas lit up as well as ice rink and fair ground attraction carousel
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| Natural History Museum corner of Exhibition road and Cromwell road |
Christmas time around london, full of sales in the shops, tourist and rain, that follows us into the New Year. I would like to wish everyone out there a Happy Healthy one, where peace may prevail against war, around the whole planet Earth.
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| Christmas tree in Covent garden |
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| Through the rain people still enjoy London |
Covent Garden, once a popular fruit and flower working market. Now more a tourist venue, with great craft stalls, cafes and restaurants. Plus the street entertainers, who range from opera singers to comedians, from jugglers and fire eaters to the statute people and music makers these and many more.
Out side Charing Cross station and hotel is this obelisk the Elonor Cross a replica of the original, that once stood on the South side of Trafalgar Square, which was destroyed in 1647, then a statue of King Charles on horse back was erected in 1675, it was at this spot in Whitehall that all distances to and from that London is measured.
The cross is where the body of Lady Elonor of Castile, the wife of King Edward the First, was laid to rest overnight on her funeral journey from Lincoln where she had died. To her final resting place, at least for her body, in Westminster Abbey. I say her body for her viscera or innards are buried in Lincoln Cathedral and her heart is in Abbey Church Blackfriars, poor lass spread all over could no one make a decision where she was intended for ?
Wed 11th Jan 2012
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| under London Bridge, I hope unlike our nursery rhyme it is not falling down! |
I had a walk along the Thames taking time to kick around a few rocks while the tide was out many people search during this time with metal detectors and shovels.
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| Low tide on the Thames |
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| The old Billingsgate fish market, no longer in use as a riverside wharf and fish market, now awaiting to be used as offices or homes. |
Statues of fish porters, both men and women worked in the very early mornings of london mist, once the catch had come in. Gutting and putting in ice for transporting around the country, this was at the Billingsgate wharf. I can remember as a child, being driven by my parents, first thing in the mornings along Lower and Upper Thames Street, seeing the porters with several baskets of fish balanced upon their heads, walking along the cobbled roads to stack them into the back of vans and carts, a surreal sight to a little lad at five am in the morning, on his way to Cornwall for a camping holiday.
After walking along the Thames path west on the north of the river I headed into the Inner Temple, wondering around the many peaceful squares that lay there in, then across the Strand and into Covent Garden. From there I keep heading north, to the British Museum at Holborn. Where the really ancient statues are, in all their stolen glory, still I guess all nations are equally guilty!!
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| headless sea nymph you can almost feel the living skin texture and fabric, although it is of marble. |
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| At the British Museum where ancient meets modern. Here is photo of the newish ceiling, a glass and steel structure that covers the courtyard. |
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| Grand pillars at the entrance to the British Museum, that is full of many things that are not British, but are very beautiful and rare, we are extremely lucky to have them on our doorstep. |
London is mixture of everything, around each corner lays a different treasure or pleasure. Streets with odd names, museums, quaint shops, old and new buildings. History made or in the making, people of different nations or in states of being. You can wander and wonder all day, as I often do, and be constantly surprised and amused.
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| like this shop for instance, tiny but full to the rafters with tricks and elusions. |
Sunday the 16th Jan 2012, blue sky over London. The photo was taken from the top of the hill in Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory is at my back. In the centre of the picture is Canary Wharf, in the distance to the right you are just able to make out the Olympic stadium, in the foreground is the National Maritime Museum. The grass area in front of the buildings will be used for horse, show jumping events, at the end of July and August for the Olympics.
In the picture below, central and slightly over to the left are the tall buildings of the City of London, the River Thames can be seen just peeking through the tops of the trees.
The Royal Observatory famous for many inspirations in the sciences. As well as being an observatory it holds the Meridian Line, it is the birth place of Greenwich Mean time, thus being an important place in the search for knowledge, both in astronomy and navigation. Now mainly a tourist attraction and museum, as well as boasting London's only Planetarium
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| Built in 1676 commissioned by King Charles the 2nd |
See how history was made and our knowledge expanded in understanding our world and the universe.
Down in Greenwich town I spot a taxi, normally the cabs or taxi are black but this one is owned by a Pearly King so is covered as though in sequins or perl buttons, as he himself is.
Below one of the many gas burning street lamps that are still in operation through-out London, this one is in Green park on the walk down to Buckingham Palace. There guided night time walks with many themes, from Pubs of London to Jack the Ripper walks, there is also one taking you around many of the gas lit streets that still survive even though electric is the vast majority.
A "London Plain" tree purifying the air for Londoners. They grow majestically tall, adding to London, a green beauty of shade in the summer and wonderful bare leafed art in the winter
Wonderful street names pepper London everywhere, this one is called Milkmaids Passage one trust a dairy was around these parts at one time?
Buckingham Palace one of the many must visits for any self respecting tourist, always something going on to interest or amuse.
Below is Horse Guards Parade with the London Eye's big wheel, settled in behind in the background, old and new live side by side or in view, making London, both the City of established history and the vibrance of a changing world.
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| "Horse Guards Parade" the site of many passing out ceremonies, including the "Trooping of the Colours." It is to be used for the olympic as the beach volley courts, "watch this space" as they say |
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| Cleopatra's Needle on the Embankment . |
So named Cleopatra's Needle has nothing to do with her, although from ancient Egypt, is about a thousand years older than her reign. There is also one in New York and another in Paris they date from approximately 1478 B.C. our one was brought here in 1878. A.D. It has a time capsule that was planted in its base when it was erected.
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| This one is to honor those who flew in conflict. |
There are monuments, statues and art work in most of London's squares and green areas honoring both the dead and the living, or just for arts sake.
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| A peace camp set up in Parliament Square by Brian Haw, who has sadly passed away, but had been there since 2001 until 2011 |
In U.K. and London we have the ability to allow dissent. We should never forget this hard won right, specially when many other countries have no where near this freedom. There should never be the fear that one cannot think and say what one believes, providing it is not based on hate or trying to curtail another's freedom.
Big Ben's clock tower, for the name actually refers to the bell within the tower and not the tower itself, but it is what we all call it "Big Ben!"
Parliament seen from the south bank looking north.
The great hall in the Natural History Museum with Darwin on the steps centre stage, a marvelous building with most wonderful exhibits. School children are fascinated, adults amazed, science is advanced alongside natures natural wonders.
Models of some the magnificent species that still roam the world but only if we, the humane race, allows them their rightful space. The giant Blue Whale, its the length of three buses. In nature they sing the most beautiful songs, we must listen to their plight and conserve both them and fish stocks.
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| Rock minerals like a miniature towering city |
Chi-Chi the second panda to be given to the U.K. by China but the one that caused the most publicity now sadly stuffed and mounted and exhibited in the museum, after he died that is!
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| One of the hundreds of Blue Plaque signs denoting a famous person once lived there or events taking place. This one is for Charles Dickens, one of our many wonderful writers. |
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| Art work and viewing platform on Olympic site next to stadium. |
They are so wonderfully tactile, running from the rough natural texture of the stone to the crafted smooth silky lines created by Emily.
If walking around london be sure to catch these beautiful sculptures before the end of April. Again all free as is so much art in London.
I have decided to add in sites of Greater London, this is made up of 32 boroughs, within these areas many strange and wonderful sites exist. They often have their own histories they were once small towns and villages in their own right. The urban sprawl has increased the size of London.
One of the magnificent structures we came across is the Mandir in Neasden it is a Hindu Temple, if you get the time go visit.
It is the largest outside of India, wonderfully ornate made by exquisite craftsman, it is all white marble, were it not for the grey wet English day you may have thought it was India.
You are allowed inside, but no bags or cameras these are locked in a secure lockup. Inside is equally ornate, with marble and oak carvings a real pleasure to see. Note that out of respect you are asked to remove your shoes, so no holes in socks!!
Spring Time arrives early Saturday 24th march the weather is as warm as our summers no wonder the Brits talk so much about the weather.
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| St. Paul's Cathedral in Spring time |
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| The Tower of London, it guards the Thames on the outside and the Crown Jewels on its inside. So much history, a must visit when you come to our city! |
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| Old sailing barges, once working boats now pleasure crafts. |
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| River frontage, for those who can afford that is. |
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| Butterfly in my garden |
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| Shakespeare's Globe theatre taken from the north bank of the Thames |
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High tide on the Thames, the river washes up the steps. Above derelict warehouse awaiting no doubt to be converted into luxury apartments in Wapping East London, below an old pub converted into a cafe.     London to Brighton cars take over Oxford Street before setting off on rally.      Winter begins to push out Autumn as trees become leafless      |
Kew Garden west London a must to visit
But its the little things that often catch my eye.
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| Grave in Highgate cemetery |
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| Greenwich |
Sorry about this but more graves, these from Bunhill Fields burial grounds, in the City of London. William Blake, Daniel Defoe and many more famous persons.
some of those others being Cromwell, Bunyan and Wesley. But one of the most interesting is a tomb to a lady named dame Mary Page, who had 240 gallons of water drained from her body before she succumbed to death, check out this poor lady and her illness on google.
Daffodil's amongst the dead, as spring begins its 2014 march towards sunnier days.
Just around the corner the Barbican estate and arts centre, in the sixties, buildings reached towards the sky.
Inside of Smithfield Market.
telephone boxes for tall and short people !!
I include many photos of Smithfield one of the few remaining Victorian markets, mainly wholesale meat but there had also been fish and fruit in parts of it. The glorious building is due for demolition to make way for offices if the City council and developer Mc-aslan & Partners, get their way. A public enquiry is in process at this very moment. I have attended two days of the enquiry and sadly the protesters seem to be on the back foot in their arguments, especially when arguments are about cost and profit. When it should be about aesthetics, craftsmanship, never seeing the likes of this building again in London. We have office blocks galore, once this building is gone it will be gone for good !!
Brilliant, Smithfield structure has been saved, the Victorian Society faced down big busines to keep this structure for everyone and is to be transformed to house the Museum of London in 2021, at this moment the Museum resides at 150 London Wall EC2
After my visit to Smithfield I strolled underneath Holborn Viaduct heading towards Fleet street
Fleet street was once the epicentre of the London Newspapers, I had the fortunate chance to enter one of the newspapers printing rooms and seeing them laying up the old presses some twenty odd years ago now.
Spring flowers in the squares and gardens of London these are in the Inner Temple Gardens
Crocus and snow drops give way to daffodils
This area is known for lawyers and solicitors offices, hence the statue of a child holding an open book
view across the Thames
Passageways and steps that lead to both Justice and injustice depending on, sometime, the ability to pay for the best lawyers !
to take you here to the Royal Courts of Justice.
Where would you expect to find this ornate tiling ? In a church nave or temple?well no, it is in a porch of a bank of the Strand.
Then again you may come across an elephant!!
or the sight of St Paul's in the distance.
Why this photo ? you may ask well its just that I have recently purchased a new stylus for my old stereo and I am welcoming in summer 2014 with many old and wonderful sounds, along with the smell of cut grass.
My garden begin to bloom, tulips take their turn.
My oak tree gets its young green leaves and next door, to contrast, the pink of their flowering cherry.
good crop of blueberries and strawberries, I hope !
That was summer 2017 as now we are in 2018 with ice skating not in my back garden but in the open space of Somerset House sadly finishing Jan 14th.
These four photos are from inside The Foreign and Commonwealth Office which we were able to visit during the 'Open House' weekend.
Another set of buildings that had been due for distruction but had been thankfully saved from the speculators and glass box office builders.
