Is it a bird...Is it a plane...

...No. It's Mattressman! Completely bonkers but I love it. Another Ipswich find from the other weekend. I wish all shop signs were this ridiculous.

Egertons Ltd

Haven's seen many of these old painted signs since leaving London but a day trip to Ipswich threw up this lovely one up. I'm not sure what Egertons was but with the old-skool BP sign up there I'm guessing it was a petrol pump or something similar. Loving the old fashioned fire escape that has bisected it too. 

Super Hero

High over Colchester high street Batman is keeping watch. In some sort of nasty coincidence I spotted this cut out the same day that the shootings happened in America. I turned on the news are midday and it seemed like a hell had broken loose on a theatre full of film lovers. It seemed pretty creepy to post the photo that day and so I just kept it, and promptly forgot about it. Until now.

Room with a View

This is the music shop opposite where I get the bus to work every morning and it was only last week that I noticed these faint images in the top window. Although they are difficult to make out, I can image it's a montage of great guitarists. Faded but still pretty cool.

Pleasure Flight Anyone?

Lewis and I went to the beach this Sunday just gone. It got to about half one in the afternoon and, as we were just bumbling around, decided to head to the seaside. It's still quite novel living about half an hour from the sea. When I lived back home with my parents going to the beach was a proper ordeal. You'd pack a picnic the night before, set the alarm and not come back until night had properly fallen. Here it's just something you can do quite happily on a whim. 

After a lovely amble along the shoreline with a cone of chips we began the long walk back to the car. As we ascended the stone steps up to the road running along the coast a tiny plane flew overhead. We both stopped and waited for it to get closer and in my over romantic heart I was hoping it was someone proposing or wishing a happy birthday. But no, it was just a bog standard advert for pleasure flights. How disappointing! 

Time at the bar

On the same walk today I noticed this derelict old pub on the corner. I've mentioned before about how sad it is that so many pubs are closing and unfortunately the problem is still escalating. It's such a sad sight seeing these buildings that were once cornerstones of a community boarded up and falling apart. Drink prices being driven higher and costly overheads are all part of the pub cultures downfall, and chains like Wetherspoon's and Yate's really don't help. I try to avoid these huge franchises but it's still tempting, as a pint has reached the £3.50 mark even out of London, to simply just drink at home. 

Shoes aloft

When I lived in Brighton this was a common sight. Anything high up, a telephone wire, piece of cable or tree branch was inevitably adorned with some unfortunate persons pair of shoes. I spotted this pair on a quiet road on my way from Colchester to neighbouring Stanway today. It made me remember my Brighton years and made me smile.

Ges Loes?

No idea what this is supposed to say but I see it most days on my way to the supermarket. The clock tower is part of a small Sainsburys in the middle of town and whilst I am impressed that someone has gone to the lengths of putting this graffiti there, I am equally disappointed that it is not better done or more profound. I generally think graffiti is a good thing, but in this instance it is nothing more than an eyesore. Bit of a shame really.

A hand up

I'm not entirely sure which building this is but it's at the back of the Southbank. Furthermore I don't know what it's made of or what it's doing there, but I very much like it.

Three Cups

A lovely view of an old shop sign above the shopping area in Colchester. Below it is a high street fashion shop so I can't imagine that it is connected in any way to this trio of cups. I wonder what it was before.

Suspended sentences

Yet another London find. I was back there this weekend just gone, but only passing through. Last Saturday I took a pretty miserable journey back to where my parents live. It was to see my Granddad, who has been ill for a while now, is in his last few months with us. As if this is not gutting enough, my stepfather has also just been diagnosed with cancer, they are hurriedly trying to locate where it is coming from as it is in its secondary stage, eating away at his neck. It was a rubbish trip back to be honest. My mum and I hadn't been on the best of terms (as we frequently have not been in the past) but it seemed like a time to put everything aside and just get on with it. Our family never seems to get on. There is always one feud or another blazing and I try on the whole to stay well away. It was weird therefore that at a time like this everyone seemed to drop their weapons and try and solve our collective problems. Filled with tears, apprehension and perhaps a little guilt for the things that I could have done better I made my way across London, across the Waterloo bridge and towards the station. As I descended the steps from the bridge these huge letter cubes, like giant children's building blocks, hung above me. The first collection of words I saw with the phrase 'Ask Why' and at that point I promptly burst into tears. Any other day and it would have meant nothing, I would have though, cool idea and of course taken a picture, it being high up and all. But in my overly emotional state I just thought there is no why is this scenario, there's no point questioning illness, or mortality, or death; it just is. And we all have to deal with it because no matter how much we search for an answer, no one is ever going to really bloody know.

Stationers Delight

I spotted this old shop sign on my way through central London a couple of days ago. I've got a bit of a special love for stationary and any from of letter writing paraphernalia. Nothing, in my mind, is more lovely than getting something in the post and it is arguably even more lovely to post something yourself. I always find letters very therapeutic to write. It's a format that we don't seem to use very much nowadays and the action of putting pen to paper makes you order your thoughts and think clearly about what has been going on in your life and any plans you have for the future. I always look out for postable things to slip into the envelope. Funny articles, origami animals and tiny brooches are favourites of mine. Anyway, I'm rambling...here's a lovely, post themed shop sign :)

Happy Diamond Jubilee!

Hope everyone is having a lovely four-day weekend! In true British style the weather has let us down but I'm sure we'll power through- the extra gin will keep us cosy no doubt! I felt it was relevant to take a couple of pics of the bunting which seems to have been strung up everywhere in the last week. I think it all looks lovely, I just wish BNP didn't use the union jack as their 'symbol' so much. Its a shame that  lines of this lovely red, white and blue makes you feel that there's some sort of racist rally afoot. Maybe the jubilee will encourage us to take the flag back! Have a lovely time celebrating!

Rocking horse

I really hope you can make out this picture, the glare of the window was doing me no favours in this shot. I've walked past this house pretty much everyday since I've lived here, on my way to and from town. Yesterday was the first time I actually looked up and noticed that propped by the window was a beautiful old rocking horse. I always wanted a rocking horse as a child. My mum actually had a real horse at the time but you know how irrational children are! I wonder if this particular one belongs to a child or just a wistful grown up.

P.S, said I'd find a horse high up next ;) 

Moo(t) Point

First off- pardon the pun! I honestly couldn't help myself and that my only excuse for it.
Here is an awesome column of cows decorating a wall in Clerkenwell, London. Even though I've moved, I still only seem to find decent 'look ups' when I'm visiting somewhere else. It's probably not the location though, it's probably just my laziness of late! I loved these slightly incongruous cows that had been mounted to an otherwise seemingly boring looking building. I have no idea if the cows have anything to do with what goes on in this office, if anyone has even a slight inclining do let me know... 

Shoplifters of the world unite

Somewhere, whilst lost, in the Clerkenwell area of London I spotted this piece of graffiti. I liked it mainly because it reminded me the song by The Smiths, but also because it was above an H and M advert and so seemed to suggest that everyone should shoplift this particular bikini...

Lobster Spot

High up in a flat above the high street shops an inflatable lobster is pressed against the window. 

Windowless

I saw this building when I was in central London over the weekend (just visiting now!) and found its bricked up windows really intriguing. It's not uncommon to see the odd one bricked in but this building looks like it should have 5 windows and not 1. Very bizzare.

Charlie cat on a flat roof...

This cat is called Charlie, and belongs to a friend. Although we have not yet been formally introduced I can imagine that we'll get on pretty well. I met her yesterday whilst she was peering at me over the lip of her (or should I her owners') flat kitchen roof. She looks super cute and although the picture is yet another scruffy phone snap I quite like the silhouette of her tiny cat face against the grey sky. This is the second animal I have seen in the last few months perched on a roof. I shall keep a beady eye out for more. A horse preferably next time.

A big thanks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cornflakecouture/

I apologise for having not posted for ages. I have recently moved and everything, both the house and my own life is still a little chaotic at present. I am hurriedly trying to find work which is never fun and at the same time come to terms with the fact that I have departed from everything and almost everyone I know to live with a boy.

But it's not all bad ;) A quick check of Facebook via the library (I don't even have internet yet which is part of the posting problem) showed up that a very lovely friend of mine has mentioned me on her Flickr page (something that I should probably follow suit with at some point). This friend of mine takes fantastic photos and I always love to see what she has been capturing on film. The mention of this blog was coupled with a great up-shot of a towering building and, as well as it being technically great, it also gives me a fuzzy feeling that as well as reading my blog, people are actually taking a little of its advice. I'm not changing the world, I don't even want to, but I'm quite touched that someone has read this, looked up, and seen something that they wouldn't normally have seen. 

Many thanks and lots of love to you Helen xxx

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Money doesn't grow on trees...

...but in Pimlico it seems it might. I spotted this on the way back from the Tate Britain yesterday. These little hanging wooden tags remind me of the ones I saw in Shoreditch last year hanging from a piece of string.

I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.
Charlotte Bronte

Dancing in the sky

I spotted this chap a couple of days ago, high up and bathed in sunlight. A ballet dancer I think, near Vauxhall Bridge.

Tea time tunes

Above the famous Fortnum and Mason building near Buckingham Palace. I love this shop. Can't afford anything in it but anywhere that sells loads of chutneys and fancy teas is pretty fine by me. It seems like they've got spring in their step too with this ribbon of colourful notes.

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.

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. 

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!

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.