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.

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.

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...

Buy Records.

Yes. Yes you should...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Til Death

I've noticed this sign a few times on the way back from work but it is always too dark to take a picture. Last week I made sure on my way to work to turn around and get a quick snap. Funerals are never fun. I've seen a lot of funeral parlours that dress death up as something that needs lots of money and glitz pumped into it to make it an acceptable part of life. Each to their own I guess.This company seems to be part of the old club and seems to stand for a quiet, solemn affair. It's sign suggests simplicity and functionality which I think are never bad things at a dark time in someones life.

Enter the Freud

Nice punning on the top of the Covent Garden Odeon.

Property is Theft

Another find on the way to work. This piece of graffiti is high up above a really run down looking old hotel- which I'm assuming is now a block of flats. Next door a massive development is taking place where lots of new houses are  being built. If property is theft: there's a hell of a lot of thieving going on around here.

Bath Time

My camera hates the dark- which is a shame as this sign looks awesome all lit up at night time. I walk past the baths on my way to work and love this retro sign. I still haven't been inside yet but I hope it is as cool as I imagine it to be.

Raise a fist

I caught sight of this huge sign as I crossed the Thames on the way to Waterloo station. There was a couple of teenagers zooming about on skateboards below it accompanied by one wielding a very smart looking camera. I think that it was quite fitting that below this huge statement a bunch of kids were having a laugh and trying to create something artistic at the same time. That, in my eyes, is the way of winning such a battle. People are increasingly complaining that modern life is hollow and unfulfilling but it doesn't have to be that way. Less focus on money and more on enjoyment and simple creativity does wonders for the soul. Sound like such an old hippie don't I?!