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Do you begin and end your day with the world framed by a window or windscreen? Maybe it’s your own or perhaps it is the fingerprint smeared one of the bus or train. Do you run? Or cycle? Do you stare ahead, focussed on the point of horizon, enjoying the sensation of the landmarks flying past you? Or do you walk? Head dead ahead. Music sounding. Telephone chattering. Daydreaming.

Have you walked or driven the same route for as long as you can remember? Have you one day, for whatever reason, looked up and seen something that surprised you? A building above a shop perhaps? A blue plaque? A piece of graffiti impossibly high up? A flag. This blog is about what you can see when you tilt your chin and see a different view of your everyday world.

Look up.

You might enjoy it.

You might see something good.

@lookupblog

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Welcome to the year 2000






When I was at school in the '90s and early 2000's we used to watch a lot of videos (remember those?!) on what life would be like in, say, 2020. Most of the footage involved people wearing silver jumpsuits, everything being touch screen and voice activated and everyone living and driving around in strange white pods.

With the arrival of pretty much anything to do with Apple, all the 'i' whatevers, and programmes like Siri, the dream of touch screen and voice activation has very much been realised. The silver outfits and pod like living spaces are yet to catch up with us, and I think the longer the wait the better... However, on  the opening of the new concourse at Kings Cross Station, it did feel very much like the images in those dated films were coming true. And surprisingly, I love this new space. I love the lines and the lighting and the enormity of it all. It's like being on board a particularly new and shiny spacecraft and even though it is somewhat ridiculous and decadent for a train station I still think it's pretty damn cool.

Monday 26 March 2012

Spring has sprung



And it seems that there's colour everywhere. Walking between Euston and Kings Cross this weekend threw up these two colourful buildings. The first one is a block of what I assume to be offices, which are complete with bright railings and a cherry red crane.
The second photo is of a newly painted office front right opposite Kings Cross station. This wash of colour really cheers up this area, which is generally pretty grey and miserable, even on a sunny day!

Happy Monday


A smiley face formed from dust above the David Hockney exhibition at The Royal Academy. 

Sunday 25 March 2012

Summertime...


...and the livin' is easy... Especially on a lazy Sunday, with the papers, and some very buttery scrambled eggs for company. It's only just officially spring but today it really felt like summer. This is how I spent my morning today. Sometimes sitting and reading, sometimes lying on my back gazing up at the sunshine, and the patterns that the dead leaves have left on the shed roofs overhang. I had stolen the cats favourite sunbathing spot today- he was busy rolling in the gravel by the front step and didn't mind-which is on the decking outside the shed in the garden. I feel quite spoilt having a garden in London and it really is lovely. I am officially moving out of the capital next month and my new place has decking but no grass (less to cut I suppose!) which is a bit of a shame. However it's right near the castle grounds and so I shall use that as a massive sunbathing spot, or maybe just invest in something comfy to lye on at home!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Deco Tesco



I hate Tesco, but I love art deco. Which leaves me in two mind about this pairing. This is another 'walk to work' find. When I still lived in Brighton I thought of starting a blog called 'Deco Brighton' as there are loads of art deco style buildings all over the city and I'd actively look out for them above the new shop fronts. I might start looking out for more in London as it seems like there's a lot about. I'm not sure what the 'Bangs' refers to, perhaps a department store or the like? It looks like it could have been something quite grand in its day.

Thursday 15 March 2012

Banksy on the Northern line


Battling my way onto the Northern line the other day threw up this find. It's another paper statement, this time apparently by Banksy. I somehow feel like its cheating using stickers in place of graffiti- I can understand that it's quicker and less conspicuous but there doesn't seem to be any skill involved in stenciling onto a piece of paper then double sided sticky taping it to a wall. Maybe I'm just being old fashioned but it just doesn't have the same impact.

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Follow Me!

I'm now on Twitter. Doing Twittery things- like following people I don't know and hashtagging the funk out of everything. Join in the fun and send in your own high up pics. Much love,  


@lookupblog

Glass Pyramid


You can probably tell by now that I'm a bit of a fan of looking through roofs with metal structures and quite an industrial feel. It's surprised me to be honest. Until I started this blog I didn't really give that much thought to the construction of buildings and didn't realise that I'd relish in seeing the evidence of it in my photos. This fine example of metal and glass was taken from underneath the famous and somewhat contentious (I'm still not sure I like it and it seems neither are the French) pyramids in the courtyard of the Louvre in Paris. This photo is obviously of the main pyramid and while sculptural, it also acts as a sort of epic skylight- lighting up the underground entrance chamber of this massive museum.

Man on Wall




When I first saw this crouched figure I thought it was just a load of filled bags hanging out of a window or something. Turns out its's supposed to be a man jumping off a ledge. I hope it's clear enough and you can see it. Once again my camera was being a bit naughty and not liking the glare so everything looks a bit washed out. This was another Paris find whilst wandering through the back streets.

Face in the wall


Thanks to my lovely boyfriend, I spent last weekend (the Saturday of which was my birthday) in Paris. I've been twice before but it still holds a certain magic for me and I really, truly want to live there one day. 

On the Saturday we got to our hotel at about 11am, ate and showered, then headed out up the steps to Sacre Coeur which sits high on a hill and watches over the city. It is such a beautiful walk up all the steps, lines of little local cafes and shops, and behind you the ever minimising view of Paris. One of the things that I always love about visiting Europe is that is seems to revel in graffiti. In England it is a criminal act, its classed as defacing public property rather that brightening it up. Paris is one of those cities which seems to almost encourage it. On the walk up I noticed loads of tags, slogans and (like these eyes) paper stencils. I noticed these eyes because up on the hill is a museum with lots of Dali's sculptures in and they reminded me a bit of his drooping clocks. Whilst admiring them I caught sight of a strange face surfacing out of the wall. It's as intriguing as it is creepy.

Friday 9 March 2012

Spot the Dog


This picture was taken in Manor House, where I lived briefly with a bunch of lovely, if slightly mad, Italians. When I first moved this pub caught my eye - I'm an ale fan and somewhere named 'Ale Emporium' is lightly to make me a bit excitable. Unfortunately at closer look it appeared to sell mainly lagers and always had the football on, loud. I never drank there. Anyway- I still walk past this pub on my way to the supermarket and the other day I passed it at the same time as a man with a dog. And the dog was going mental. I could hear another dog barking back but despite looking pretty much everywhere I couldn't see one, the owner of the dog was doing exactly the same and getting very annoyed. Finally I thought to look up and there he was- a lovely little white staff peering over the lip of the roof. A curt shout and whistle summoned him back out of view and he was gone. Every time I walk past now I'll look up and see if he's there.