Manufactory mosaic

I saw this beautiful mosaicked (sp?) sign whilst frantically lost somewhere between Russell Square and Oxford Street. The notion of just walking in a straight line till you hit a tube stop is not always effective! Anyway, I loved the colours in this old school sign and I'm loving the word 'manufactory'. Whoever lives in this block of flats will have a great way of giving directions to their house...'the one with the big, green, mosaic thing!' There is also a smaller sign above the door which is slightly obscured by a lesser attractive one. All I can read in 'electrical' but I'm not sure that's all of it. Think I'll have to go back for another look later on...

Not far from the madding crowd....

Whilst battling against shoppers, much like swimming upstream, this afternoon on Oxford Street I noticed this above one of the shops.Why I still go to Oxford Street I have no idea- It only ever drives me crazy and makes me look for the nearest escape route- but I was pretty pleased I saw this.Not sure how I'd describe it but I think it aptly mirrors the chaos of what is going on on the streets below.

Turreted Hotel

Like a mix between stoic architecture and fairytale castle, the Hotel Russell (yeah you guessed it, by Russell Square!) makes for a very striking building. As almost a nod to the other coppery domes around the capital-this hotel boasts copper turrets. A one-up on the other contenders I reckon!

Cat in the hedge

The 'neighbours' who live above me have a cat who has recently had kittens. Much to my delight they have spent the last few weeks playing on the flat roof of our kitchen, where the upstairs living room opens out onto. They are super cute and particularly fun to watch as they are forever trying to get up onto things then down off of them but too tiny to do either properly. The mum cat just looks on lazily in some sort of amusement (well I like to think). The other day I was pinning up the washing and heard a scrabbling sound and noticed this little one checking out the hedge...

Double domes

Back in Shoreditch I spied these two dome topped buildings. There seems to be a theme of these around London and walking around the capital is starting to turn into a 'dome spotting' version of eye-spy. I wonder how many more are scattered around the city and why they are there. I shall endeavour to find out.

Magical mushroom

Not sure what it's doing here or even what it's made of but I like it.

A way fit for a queen

This is the fantastic view you get when you look up the spiral staircase at Queensway tube station in London. I have never been a huge fan of lifts- I'll get in one if I really have to but if given the option I will always take the stairs. Because of this, all around London I get to see a lot of views similar to this one. As pretty as a spiralling shell but still one of the sturdiest ways to build a stair. 

Wood, slate and foliage

This is possibly my favourite lofty find so far. I spotted these bright blue shutters from a distance, looked up and noticed the slate tiling and then finally the roof terrace. All above a pretty boring looking restaurant. I love how Swiss/ Dutch the shutters make the building seem. We don't use shutters enough in this country I don't think and they certainly add an amount of charm.

Got my eye on you...

Anyone who's spent any time travelling on the trains will know that public transport is a hotspot for security. Lack of bins, sniffer dogs and CCTV, probably being the top three ways the transport police are keeping tabs on you and apparently making things safer. I have little to hide, and so am not really that bothered by CCTV. There have been countless articles and papers written on how it encroaches on our human rights but in my eyes, if it helps solve a crime or track down a missing runaway, I'm not all that phased by it. It is sort of strange though when you look up and see reams of camera lenses staring at you. I always feel like I should wave- just to give the person watching something to smile at.

Porthole to the world

Round the corner from St Paul's Cathedral I spied this nautical shaped window from what I am guessing is a loft conversion. I bet you get pretty great view from up there. 

Bread and Butter

It seems that next to the Old Dairy pub in Stroud Green there used to be a bakers. Long before the days of the  all encompassing supermarkets, you would go shop to shop buying your milk, bread and meat separately. In my head every shop used to have a big painted sign such as this. Big, bold and now decidedly retro.

Super boy to the rescue!

This week I spotted a slightly fuzzy looking super boy in mid flight above a mini cab garage. He caught my eye as I wandered along Old Street and my initial reaction was of how striking the colours were. Why his direction of flight is into a wall I don't know but from now I am on the lookout for more super heros.

Time for Tea

Atop the Tea building 

Shutter Up

An interesting way of keeping the sun off the front of a cafe, these yellow shutters add a little more interest than an everyday awning.

Missing an E

Above a seemingly normal block of flats in Shoreditch sits a sign missing a vital vowel. (Unless it is really referring to Douglas Adams Meaning of Liff. Who knows?) Either way I wonder who is responsible for it and what its purpose is.

St Michael's church, Lewes, East Sussex

Lewes is easily one of my favourite places to visit. Only a short train or bus ride from Brighton it is a small town steeped in ancient history, tradition and superstition in equal measure. Someone's misplaced glove had been left in front of the church at the top of the hight street, I love how the angle of the glove mimics that of the winged St Michael.

Decorative dome

Whilst admiring this pretty funky looking pub I noticed that it was topped with a very smart marble dome. I'm not sure what it is all about, but ever a fan of outdoor marble tiling, I quite like it.

Sundown over sussex shoreline

The time when the sun begins its slow descent is what my friend affectionately calls ‘the beautiful hour’. Everything is bathed in a golden light, shadows smudge the angles of buildings, light reflects softly off water and everything really does look more beautiful.

Signs of the times

Walking along Clapham Junction high street revelling in the sunshine I looked up and saw this collection of signs; one old, one hand painted and two new. I loved the mis-match of them all, though my favourite would have to be the fading paintwork of the old baker and confectioner's shop. Much more charming than its contemporaries.