Baker Street

Everyone knows that Sherlock Holmes lived in Baker Street (221B to be precise) but so did William Pit the Younger. In 1783 he became Britain’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 24. People still write to Sherlock Holmes, despite being a fictional detective, and the current occupants of 221B, Santander Bank, employ a secretary to deal with his mail.

Even more interesting and just a few doors down is the former flat of John and Yoko.

 

 

The Pool of London

The evening sky over the Pool of London. This would once have been filled with ships unloading supplies into London's larder. Now it acts as a home to HMS Belfast, visiting cruise liners, miserable pleasure boats and London barges that are now only used for recreational reasons rather than industrial use for which they were originally built.

Bar Italia, Soho

 

Bar Italia, Soho. Saturday night. 

No entry

No entry sign or man stealing a white bar?

No 1 London Bridge

This is not yet another picture of the Shard but of the pink granite No 1 London Bridge. I have always liked this building, which was completed in 1986 on the south side of London Bridge. The distinctive structure is cut out at the corner and includes a skylight at the top of the building.

The angled windows provide different reflections of the night sky.

Alan Cristea Gallery, Cork St, W1

Excellent Julian Opie exhibition at the Alan Cristea Gallery, Cork Street, W1.

Conor Harrington

The great Conor Harrington in an East End doorway

Heron Building

The Heron Tower is 663ft high, topped by a 92ft mast, and designed to look different from each direction. One side of the tower is covered in photovoltaic tiles to generate renewable energy.

The foyer includes a 70,000 litre aquarium that contains a shark. I suspect this to be a metaphor due to it's close proximity to the other sharks working in the cities financial institutions.

Ghost sign # 9

Possibly London's ultimate ghost sign. Crispin Street, E1.

UEL 'Free Range' Degree show at the Truman Brewery, Brick Lane

Duke of Uke

London’s very own ukulele emporium. The Duke of Uke in Hanbury Street, E1 sells new and vintage ukulele’s, offers tuition and even has its own recording studio. Opened five years ago it is now threatened with closure as the landlord wants to move them on.

If you have ever wondered what a uke can do, then look no further than this fantastic clip of Joe Brown singing “I’ll see you in my Dreams” as the finale to the’ Concert for George’ at the Albert Hall. Yes that’s Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney giving Joe Brown centre stage.

Love low trees

This sign is designed to warn buses of  "Low" trees at Cambridge Circus but tree huggers have changed the wording slightly. Perhaps the idea is that drivers will look kindly, lovingly on the tree as its branches crash through their windscreen.

The Savoy

The entrance to the Savoy Hotel. The only road in England where you are required to drive on the opposite side of the road. This is due to the large turning circle of limousines arriving at the Savoy, turning left from the Strand. Under normal driving condition this would result in limousines driving into oncoming traffic.  The vehicles are therefore required to drive on the right, deliver their passengers and then simply perform a U-turn, arriving back at a set of traffic lights at the junction of Savoy Street and The Strand designed to regulate this unorthodox system.

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Cockneys

The Shard

The Shard continues to grow. This picture was taken from the Millennium Bridge.

This shot is from Angel, Islington looking towards the Barbican and the City. The Shard keeps providing new glimpses of itself in old familiar landscapes.

Like an alien monolith the Shard watches over London from every angle. This is at the Anchor Pub in Southwark just before the Royal Wedding, hence the flags.

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