Ice Skating at the Tower of London

The day of torture had finally arrived, and if you are going to be tortured, where better than at the Tower of London. I am sure that if Mary had put Princess Elizabeth in Ice skates back in teh sixteenth century and made her shuffle around for an hour on a cold wet rink in the moat, then confessions would have abounded, and who knows we could all be Spanish speaking Catholics to this day?!

Well obviously I didn't take this photo, but just to prove that I was shuffling around with Tom.. actually I am holding on for dear life. You can see by the look on my face just how much I am enjoying this special annual treat!

Wheras, I did take this picture.. and Jamie was loving it. He has asked to go twice next year??!!

This was how the moat looked as we left, I didn't paricularly appreciate it at the time, as I was trying to determine whether I would ever walk again, however on reflection it looks very pretty.

and of course, a quick snap of Tower Bridge.. how did you know that was coming??

The view taken from the Tower, I wished I could meander along with my camera, but the children were cold, wet and tired... not to mention crippled after being squeezed into their dayglo orange boots.

Wemberleee Wemberleee Wemberleee

Today we marched on Wembley. The boys wanted to 'do the stadium tour' and I wanted to take some pictures of the arch, so we headed North West at some ungodly hour and took the tour. Sadly the weather was not as obliging as I had hoped, but I am fairly pleased with some of the pictures!

The arch is so impressive, at it's peak higher than the London Eye and also St Paul's cathedral. It is actually integral to the support of the Wembley roof and is not just for ornamentation. I like the arch because on a reasonable day it is clearly visible from Wandsworth even though it is about 8 miles away.

No set of pictures is really complete without my favourite reflection shots!!

At the top of Olympic Way is a large bronze statue of Bobby Moore. Although I was not even a twinkle in my father's eye in 1966, I still felt emotional in the presence of this imposing statue.

Not only did I have to climb 117 steps to reach the Royal Box and the 'old' FA Cup, but I also had to wait until every single other member of our party had taken their photos and departed just to be able to bring you this shot... but sneakily I am quite pleased with it!!

The England Dressing Room is laid out with the shirts from the England V Russia game that the boys went to back in September, back in the days when we still had hope and just a smidgen of pride in our national team. There is a prize for the first person who works out why this photo has been included for Uncle Edward!

and finally the tow boys who the trip was for: Jamie standing pitch side (the pitch is awaiting a new turf' and Tom with the FA cup that was last awarded in the year he was born.

A Boxing Day Walk

A Boxing Day Walk, and how we all needed one after the excesses of yesterday. Philippa and mark kindly invited me to lunch at the Fairmaile Pub (Don't ever go there... insipid food and rude staff.. it was only saved by the fact that the G&T was OK) and then for a walk at Claremont Gardens a National Trust Site. We did not get there until mid-afternoon and the sun was already sinking fast. It is a lovely victorian style garden, around a small lake. There were a few photos, but owing to the quality of the light, unless they were actually of the sky they looked pretty gloomy!

Down at the lake the geese were being savagely bullied by some black swans... this one was sent packing just for looking at them a bit funny!

Now I know that I am very ignorant at times, but I really thought that these were rooks nests.. or well some birds' nests. However I was totally wrong, and actually this photo is surprisingly seasonal. This was misletoe growing copiously in the trees. Do you think they hadn't realised that they needed it yesterday? I would have indulged in a spot of kissing under the mistletoe trees but there was only my sister on offer, and somehow it didn't seem a very attractive thought!

The last view of the trees from the lake . . . . Then as it was nearly dark we went our seperate ways back to an evening of Morecambe and Wise (or was that 20 years ago???)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! And a happy, healthy year ahead

Anya xxx

Got to get in before Aunty Jen . . . .

Took Aunty Jen to some of my best Photo spots on Saturday, and I know that she has some lovely ones just like this... so felt I should get in first!! So this is dedicated to her.... Houses of Parliament at dusk....

Fog, Fog, and more Fog

Today it was foggy, all day. This tree sums out the view I had all day.. the secon one is B&W, although you can hardly tell!

and driving to Barnes at 4pm, to collect the boys, I could hardly see Putney Bridge even though I was standing less than 50 yards away.

London in a silly mood 22.12.07

Aunty Jen arrived from Wigan late last night, and although she was offered a trip to see the sun rise aong the South Bank, this idea was rejected. And what a sunrise there was. This was taken from jamie's bedroom window shortly after 8am.

After the early morning disappointment, we went to see Hairspray in Shaftesbury theatre. Jen and I decided to walk across from Waterloo.... the sun was very low and dull and the clouds heavy.. but still there was a certain madness in the sky.....

And I am afraid that is where the sense ends... It was a very grey day, the sun was strange and a sort of madness took over. I can only apologise for the next few photos... Some I like and some .. well they made me laugh at myself! Can you guess which category the first falls into??

The sky was most peculiar today, maybe this accounts for my strange mood?? It was particularly violent over Westminster Bridge

Three somewhat different views of the London Eye... sorry really can't stop the silliness today

This one was over exposed, but actually I like it... I may be mad, but I like it

More of those pesky stormtroupers, although now they seem to be growing in numbers. Here they stand guard over the

Between the Hungerford Bridge and The London Eye is a little Merry-go-Round which is always very busy, I stopped a moment and continued on my silly theme

Kew Gardens 16th December 2007

This morning, was the morning after the night before.. a whole 365 days (ha it's a leap year) til my next birthday, and I was ever so slightly delicate. What better than to take a chilly trip around Kew and blow away some cobwebs... Here we are, the awesome foursome negotiating the frosty patches and henry Moore sculptures. Jamie did his bit for the environment, trying to save another tree. Looks a hopeless cause.....

As it was so cold (and it's going to get colder.. bbrrrrrrr) we quickly headed inside to the Princess of Wales Conservatory. I got rather interested in cactii (it was the warmest bit...)

and some more...

and another.............

Back out in the cold - A winter's tree

This one is entitled 'Ducks don't take art seriously'

I have entitled these pictures.. 'Boys will be boys'!!!!!

This one looked a bit '1950s' so I decided it really should be in Black and White. I think it should be called.. Women admiring each other'