Conor Harrington

The great Conor Harrington in Hanbury Street, just off Brick Lane

A short film of him in Norway

A postcard from Banksy

Basket Jim - Covent Garden Market Porter

Horse Guards Parade

Horse Guards Parade is a former tiltyard (enclosed courtyard for jousting) of Whitehall Palace. It lines three sides in Palladian style, was designed by William Kent and erected in 1750-60. 10 Downing Street backs onto the parade ground and the London Eye peeps over the top.

The entrance from Whitehall is guarded by two mounted cavalrymen of the Household division. 

Every year on the Monarchs birthday the parade square is used to stage the trooping of the colour. Over 1,400 infantrymen and 200 mounted horsemen participate in a ceremony that dates back to a time when medieval commanders would parade their colours before battle as a rallying point for their soldiers. It's now a rallying point for tourists.

This building is part of the Ministry of Defence and the type of Government building James Bond stands on when contemplating the perils of previous missions.

The back yard of 10 Downing Street.

BAFTA's

The Opera House at Covent Garden gets a BAFTA make over. High vis jackets will be replaced by tuxedos on the night.

Mark Wallinger's Labyrinth for Art on the Underground

Art on the Underground: Mark Wallinger's designs - in pictures - Click here.

Mark Wallinger commissioned for largest ever artwork on London Underground - The Telegraph

Covent Garden

I first saw this type of thing in Paris. Couples visit the Pont des Arts over the Seine, write of their undying love on a padlock, chain it to the bridge and then throw the key into the Seine never to be retrieved and the padlock locked forever. All very romantic.

Now some bright spark has used this idea (just in time for Valentine’s Day) to recreate the concept in Covent Garden. I assume you throw the key down a drain rather than into the Seine or keep hold of it should things not work out as planned.

I think the French have the upper hand on this one.

Londons Oldest Bridges

London Bridge

	Year first built	Last rebuilt
London Bridge	50	1972
Putney Bridge	1729	1886
Westminster Bridge	1750	1862
Kew Bridge	1759	1903
Blackfriars Bridge	1769	1869
Battersea Bridge	1771	1886
Richmond Bridge	1777
Vauxhall Bridge	1816	1906
Waterloo Bridge	1817	1936
Southwark Bridge	1819	1921

View Londons Oldest Bridges in a larger map