Saturday 24 January 2009

UK National Coldwater Swimming Championships -2009

The morning dawned chilly, there was a samll baby frost on the car this morning... nothing to be worked up about... unless you were foolish enough to be swimming in the UK Coldwater Swimming Championships at Tooting Lido that is. . . .





The lady in the great hat won this Breastroke final. . .


and this marvellous lady is the gold medal winner of the over 80's race. . . She and her competitior got the loudest cheer of the day and they really deserved it....



and while this lady did not win her race, I think it shows how cold the day was... and how brave (or mad??) the swimmers were.. look at how warmly dressed the official is!!


and as I could no longer feel my toes, I decided that it was time for me to wend my way home... perhaps I'll wait for May to send in my membership forms!!

Sunday 18 January 2009

Borough Market January 2009

Back to one of my favourite places in London.. Borough Market. Glad to see that there is little evidence of the credit crunch here today - the place was packed.. but I guess qualitly is always value for money. I tried to take more photos of people today, rather than their splendid wares. With limited success as ever, I shall balme too many punters, and too much selling going on.. if you want to see the market in full glory you'll have to go there yourself.











Milennium Bridge on cloudy Saturday afternoon

As I type it is lovely and sunny, but I was out and about yesterday, when it was cloudy and dull.. Two new versions of an old theme . . .





A London Policeman

Many people know how well I get on with the police (look here if you can't remember!!) in London and particularly on the Southbank...

was loving this one though. . . .


Wednesday 14 January 2009

Foggy Morning

Woke up to find a dull blanket of fog settled over London... 20 minutes later and I am once again stalking the dog walkers on Wimbledon Common... Now I know this is a paltry excuse, but the fog really was the wrong sort of fog... I like fog that does something.. either a swirly pea souper or fog that starts to dissipate with the rising sun.. but this fog just sat there....



Sunday 11 January 2009

Natural History Museum Ice-Skating

Jamie hasn't been very well so far this year, and has had a case of maybe-mumps.. If it is mumps he's got it for the second time, following a dose a couple of years ago AND two doses of the MMR vaccine, if it's not mumps then we are all a bit perplexed as to what it could be.. anyway he is finally better, and we decided to grab one of the last sessions of Ice Skating at The Natural History Museum.

When we arrived we dicovered the first London Ice Sculpting Competition....


I don't know which one won, but this was head and shoulders (literally) the best in my opinion!!

and so to the skating... as has been fondly recounted on this blog in the past, I don't do skating. As far as I am concerned it is 60 minutes of torture.. oh yes and cold.. But stand around and take photographs badly, that I can do!!





Friday 9 January 2009

Gone fishing

I want this one, no that one, OK that one, no this one, no that one, this one, no that one . . . . How to keep Lola amused for hours

Saturday 3 January 2009

Kempton Races 3 Jan 2009

This was supposed to be Sandown races 3 Jan 2009, but it's a tad icy here, and Sandown was called off at the last minute... Instead we went to Kempton, which wasn't jump racing, and it was on the all weather track, which is pants for photography, unless you have one of those press passes, which I don't have (stamps foot petulantly). Instead. we'll have a little wander through a typical race shall we.....

This bit I like, the parade ring.. I pick a horse, because I like the name.. anything with like Topper Tom or Jumping Jamie usually has my money thrown at it.. that failing I often back a grey heorse, or anything nice looking. I once backed a horse because it wnet the wrong way to the start. This is not a good way to select horses if you want to win money. Jamie selects horses, by the number... this is aso not a good way to select a horse . . . Tom goes on form, and market interest. You would think that this was a good way to select a horse.. but sadly for tom it doesn't seem to be, either that or he isn't very good at reading market interest . . . .




Then the jockeys arrive and jauntily jump on their horses.. At this point I notice that I seem to have the bumbling jockey who can't jauntily jump on anything. . .



The horse head to the start, and I wander off to part with my money... still hopeful!!


This usually doesn't last very long . . . .



The jubilation the winner, lots of applause from lots of people who seem to have realised he was going to win, but didn't tell me... and an unexpected interview with Channel 4's Derek Thompson, who was also supposed to be at Sandown today...



and the desolation of the loser... I know this look very often, I see it frequently in jockeys who are carrying my hard earned £2......

and on to the next race.. I really fancy 'Tom's Brother Jamie' in this race, I'm sure it's a winner, I'll put my shirt on it . . . . . .

Friday 2 January 2009

ISRAEL - Jerusalem

And so to my final post on Israel..the wonderful city of Jerusalem. I was bowled over by jerusalem, I loved the noise, the bustle, the souk (of course!!), the calls to prayers, the unexpected emotional response to the Holy Sepulchre, the walk along the ramats, the glorious view of east Jerusalem, Mount of Olives in the sun, The Wailing wall (and all that wailing) ... well how long have you got??

We arrived at Jerusalem, full of talk of Jerusalem syndrome. About 45 people a year suffer from this, where they are so bowled over by Jerusalem that they begin to believe that they are prophets, and can perform miracles. A short stay in the local psychiatric ward usually cures this, and sufferers are very embarrassed afterwards. . .

Hmmmm, Jerusalem syndrome anyone??






We then diverted through the Souk, which I have already blogged! At the bottom of the Souk we all had to go through security, and quickly realised why.. we were at the Wailing Wall. We had written letters to post in the wall. I had not been prpared to be separated, men on one side, women on the other.. and the women were sqished into a tiny area.. There really was a lot of wailing, with women beating their heads against the wall, falling prostrate on the floor and fainting. I said my prayer, posted my letter and retreated... it was a surreal experience,, and sadly left me pretty unmoved.



At which point we headed up the Via Dolorosa, following Christ's last journey. . . At one point Tom stumbled and I helped him.. I think that made me a saint.. but possibly Jerusalem syndrome was striking...


It really got a bit tacky in places . . . .




and then we arrived at the Holy sepulchre. Revered as the most important Christian site in the world, this is believed by most Christians and historians to be the spot called Golgotha, were Jesus was crucified by the Romans, and died on the cross. As someone who rarely goes to church, but had a good chapel upbringing in Wales, I was not prepared for the emotional response that this place had upon me. It was a powerful feeling, and I doubt I will ever forget this simple place. . .



At this point everyone else went to lunch, except poor Kester who was forced to accompany me on a tour of the ramparts... think he may have wanted his lunch judging by the body language... sorry Kester!

Initially the views were a little disappointing . . .

but you can't be disappointed with Jerusalem for very long at all..... This is the view of the Mount of Olives. A huge graveyard, for all devout Jews, who believe the next Messiah will raise them from the dead at this very place... Robert Maxwell is buried here... so full of good people then!!



and the utterly amazing views of East Jerusalem . . In the second photo you can see the wall that the Israelis are building to keep out the Palestinians... hmmmm, anyone for Berlin??



and there you sre.. my holiday in Israel... all 126 pictures that I have saved.. I may post a top ten at some point.. but I hope you have enjoyed our whistle stop tour of an extraordinary country. I loved spending time with by babay brother, and while I wish he was living happily in London, we understand why he loves his new country, and we are pretty fond of his new family too.. Thank you with all my heart Kester, Yael, Romi and Mia for opening your house to us and showing us your beautiful country..

Anya, Tom and Jamie x x x x