Margaret's cat

Margaret's cat George, used to be a girl cat... well he wasn't obviously . . . Margaret thought he was a girl cat.... Finally got him to not be scared of my camera.. and took these pictures.. margater likes the one I have entitled George plays snooker best
Ax

An evening stroll along the Southbank, London

Welcome to another of my Southbank strolls at night.. it was a lovely evening after a beautiful spring day and I had only my aching feet to slow me down (remember those 311 steps to the top of the monument earlier in the day!!) I have been itching to return to Tower Bridge since visiting at night last year.. to try out some different angles I had been working on.....

HMS Belfast in front of London Bridge looks splendid at night...






and readers of this blog know already that I am quite fond of the Gherkin.. even if it is full of Swiss Re bankers. . . . .



City Hall looks much the same now Boris works here. . . .




These two are a re-try of two old favourites.. Actually I am a little disappointed as they seem no better than the ones I took last year, when still a very novice photographer...

The Tate Modern as seen at night from the Milennium Bridge.




and ditto St Paul's cathedral






I think this one is love along the Southbank... I love the colour of the City behind . . . and the OXO tower just peeping in at the side

and finally the home strech to Waterloo bridge.. oh boy did my feet hurt by now.. The last time I walked this at night was January 5th last year when I had waved my old friend Fiona off to her new life in Canada.. she was much on my mind tonight... Hi Fee

Thanks for looking
Ax

Shad Thames

Carrying on my day out in town I walked along to Tower Bridge.. most people stop when they get to the bridge, but I am so glad I peeked beyond!!!


I accidentally fell into this remarkable street, Shad Thames.. I was really intrigued by it, and kept going back and trying to photograph it better... hmmmm not sure that succeeded! It was an amazing place and I think a must to go back to when there is some interesting light.. or fog!!!







and halfway down Shad Thames I spied a kitchen window into Pont De La Tour a rather swanky restaurant along Butler's Wharf..... Looks good enough to eat in I think!!

A kiss at City Hall

Back to Borough Market

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, dancing a jig;
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

Yes, yes I hear you cry that you have seen my photos of Brough Market over and over again... but I like it there, and when I like somewhere I take my camera.... This time it was late on Saturday and many of the stalls were packing up. The place was not as busy as previous visits so I cannot blame poor photos on being jostled...

oh and as for Home again, home again market is done.. Old Mother Goose obviously didn't know how much I like Borough Market.. so I'll be back..... don't say I didn't warn you!!

The Monument - February 2009

The Monument finally reopened this week after being closed for 18 months refurbishment... and you know me, not the kind of person to let 311 steps stop me from a photo opportunity... let me just repeat that 311 STEPS to the TOP!!.

The column was built in 1677 to commemorate the start of the Great Fire of London in Pudding Lane, designed by Sir Christopher Wren it is the tallest free-standing column in the World...

the steps went on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on oooh and ona just a little bit more . . .

and just as the cardiac valves are about to clamp shuit you arrive at the top, for these wonderful views... Just one thing... Is all of London a crane??





and then back down, a genuine Anya reflection... but notice please that the reflection is on the first building on Pudding Lane . . .


and this was taken later that night when I was on Tower Bridge . . . .

Burnham On Crouch

This week it was back to the old stomping ground.. did you know that for a couple of years I was a real Essex Girl?? We headed East to visit Margaret and to check up on hert hip replacement.... or so she thought.... Of course I just wanted some new photo opportunities. The day did not start well, my car broke down and a hire car was needed... When we collected this from Gatwick the cloud cover was so low that planes were barely visible and the drizzle was ominous... But lunch sorts everything out.. and even the sun tried to welcome us!! and so with barely a thought to Margaret's cartilige, we all trotted off for a walk to Burnham Marina... passing the House boats en route!!! I think this is my favourite photo... not sure just yet!

Who sank all the boats???? Normally this stretch of the Crouch estuary is awash with bots.. in fact you can see the buoys marking the spots when they are usually moored.. but what happened today.. was there a mass exodus as I entered the Dartford Tunnel, 0r does Dr Who need to be informed??





and the Marina at last... by the way do you recognise that bottom??

Photography success!!!!!

but not for me......

Tom has entered a photo into the Arsenal Community Photographic Competition and I have just had a squizz at their webiste... and TA DAAAAA !!!!

Up The Arsenal!! - The Emirates Stadium

Greater love has no mother for her eldest son than she wouldst take him up to Highbury and Islington in the midst of a harsh winter and that she would walk the streets for two long hours whilst he and his brother did watch Arsenal thrash the City of Cardiff 4-0 in the Cup...

and so what if she took one or two photos.... it's what she does..... alright??

Moorhens FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Had a lovely peaceful stroll around the London WWT today with an old school friend.. enjoying the break from winter with some warm spring sunshine.. The day was about catching up and nattering, not really phtography.. but come on.. no camera slung around my neck... ha!! suddenly we came across these pugnacious moorhens.. I couldn't tell whether this was a mating ritual or actually a fight to the death.. it looked somewhat like a fight to the death, so we quickly exited stage left.. cowards that we were . . . .



Someone called for reinforcements here.. either that or it was the mother shouting somewhat despairingly like I do at the boys.. 'For once and for all will you just STOP...' It didn't work.....



Other than the fight, there was little to photograph today... even the magpie swans that love to torment me so much were strangely absent