Garden Seat

If chairs could talk what stories they'd tell. Well this one does.
London until very recent years was grubby. Yes I know if you walk down Oxford Street you'd say nothing has changed. However this seat tells a different story. Actually it is the lichen that tells the story.
As recently as 1977 a mere 11 varieties of lichen could be found, due to the pollution of coal fires. Now they are fairly common place with this public garden boasting 38 different species.

Peace Pagoda

What do Milton Keynes and London have in common? Answer: A Peace Pagoda.
An interesting story as to how a town planner from Milton Keynes was instrumental in a Peace Pagoda being part of the new town's development in the 1970's. (read more here...)
The Japanese monk who assisted in this project moved to London in 1984 and so began the idea and eventuality of this Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park.

Closed

In days gone by when Queens were no longer considered an asset, or their husbands had fallen from grace, they had their head chopped off. The lucky ones didn't actually lose their head, but instead they were sent in to exile. Mind you, if you were going to be sent to Telford in Shropshire for the rest of your days (the most boring place on earth according to a recent survey) then beheading might have almost looked like an attractive option.

In modern day Pub terms I guess that being closed down is the equivalent of losing your head. And so it is with this poor Queen. She, and 66 of her fellow local pubs close every week in the UK according to the papers. I found some stats showing that in 1980 there were 69,000 pubs. By 2009 this had dropped to 53,466. In the same time frame the percentage of independently owned (or "Free Houses") ie not owned by the breweries, dropped from 84% to 47% . So what do you think this is telling us??

Around the Corner

You never know what. surprises. lay around the corner. On the last leg of my travels. Catch you back in London over the weekend.

Markets

This was taken at the Xmas markets along southbank. Snow and cold winds. Hmm I wandered over to the woolly hats and scarves.

Memorial

A memorial to the victims of the 2005 terrorist attack in London was officially opened in Hyde Park on July 2009, the 4th anniversary of the attacks. The stainless steel work of 52 pillars, one for each victim, is arranged in 4 groups to mark the 4 locations attacked.

Theme Day - Wood

Ralph brings you wood.

To see others interpretation of this months theme wood
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Men at Work #17

A cigarette had been tossed into the bin creating a fire. Look out behind you.

Smile Shines Through

More from my archives. I'm travelling over the next week so posting may be a little erratic. You may even get a postcard or two. Travelling with a cold can challenge one's humour.
I like this image for that reason. (From the Lord Mayor's Parade.) A bitterly cold and wet day. The sailors smile just beams through. Makes my cold seem rather trivial.

Feeding the Ducks

I'm still nursing my cold so we are taking a dip back into pictures taken a couple of months back. I think the ducks are known to this lady, they started heading to the banks as soon as they saw her approach.

Exploring

You just might find an old Roman coin while exploring the banks of the Thames

A Couple of Weeks Ago

My camera and I haven't been out much lately while I recover from my cold. Looking back at some of the very cold days we went out (and probably caught the jolly cold) here is another image from St James Park. If you look closely you will see all the birds sitting on the lake.

Tiffany Box

The Tiffany Box at Somerset House. A little tuck shop selling cupcakes, sweets and a few diamonds. Perfect in between skating activity

A Ray of Sunshine

No winter hasn't suddenly disappeared. I took this photo last autumn. Am laid low at present with a cold so thought a bit of sunshine would cheer me up. Nothing quite like a sunny Hyde Park to make one feel how great London is.

Dusk

A hint of colour back in the sky.