This week a current photograph. One day last week we were in East London and driving back into the City along the Whitechapel Road I was slightly surprised to see both the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater tower blocks in front of us — an interesting juxtaposition with the trees and the Victorian buildings of Whitechapel. Not the best of shots as it was taken through the car windscreen (no I wasn’t driving) in slow-moving traffic.
Another in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.
This attractive emporium is in Commercial Street, in London’s East End. While the East End does contain some real gems it contains about a hundred times more absolutely decrepit squalor like this.
In celebration of the lovely summer weather we’ve had for the last few days, I thought we would have a rose from our garden. This rose isn’t in flower yet this year, but it won’t be long before it is and some of the others are already in full bloom.
Another photo from the archives this week.
This magnificent palm tree was the centrepiece of St George’s Gardens (behind the Grosvenor Chapel and wedged between South Street and Mount Street in London’s Mayfair) a few years back. Considering this was taken in mid-February after a particularly frozen December, the tree looked in remarkable condition. And judging by the size it has been there quite a few years. A most handsome specimen. I hope it is still there.
This week’s photograph is a recent, simple one: flowers on the Horse Chestnut trees by A406 at Ealing Common. It was taken from the car while at traffic lights.
This week another photograph I took some years ago on a day trip to Dublin. These two young lady Garda officers were on duty outside the iconic O’Connell Street Post Office. No doubt they were keeping a weather eye out for the untoward but they seemed more intent on chatting.
This week’s photo is another I took last October when Noreen and I travelled on the paddle-steamer Waverley from London (Tower Pier) to Southend. This shot of the Canary Wharf development was taken in the twilight on the way back to Tower Pier; I like city lights at night and the movement of the boat produces some interesting, almost other-worldly, effects.
This week it has to be time for some more pussy porn. So here’s one from earlier this month of Tilly the now-not-so-kitten (she’s coming up for a year old) sleeping on my desk. She’s a bit out of focus, apart from those paws, but this only adds to the pussyness!
Nothing very exciting by way of photograph this week, just a patch of Common Liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha which I found several years ago growing among the street paving in Pinner. It was around 150mm across so had clearly been there for quite some while. It is showing a good crop of gemmae cups (which can release new offshoots when hit by raindrops) and just an odd sexual body (top right but you’ll need the full sized image to spot it), which from its shape suggests this is probably a male plant.
This week’s photograph was taken some years ago at Lyme Regis. All along the seafront promenade there are these delightful lamp standards based on ammonites in recognition of the Jurassic Coast. They are unusual, well designed and a rather nice touch. Oh and they are almost always adorned with seagulls.
