122 Leadenhall Street

The newest addition to London’s skyline is the 750ft, 48 stories “Cheese Grater” at 122 Leadenhall Street in the heart of the city. Like or hate the building it cannot be ignored.  One of the best aspects of all these new, tall buildings is that they seem to pop over the top of well known, conventional skylines like one of Arthur C Clarke’s extra-terrestrial monoliths. They make you see the familiar from a new perspective.

The Square Mile

I know the 'City' of London (by that I mean the financial centre) is full of shysters, scumbags, decadence, degeneracy and greed but it does contain some interesting public art and architecture. I assume these two leaning figures are by Anthony Gormley. The jaunty angle of each figure could represent yet another infamous ‘liquid lunch’ synonymous with the “square mile”.

New London Taxi

Whitechapel Bell Foundry

This humble building in Whitechapel was founded in 1670 as “The Artichoke” coaching inn and became the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1739. The company has been in existence since 1570 and is the oldest manufacturing company in the UK.

It is famous for Big Ben, the 13 ½ ton bell at the Palace of Westminster and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, which it cast in 1752.

Hendrix in London

Veronese: Magnificence in Renaissance Venice, National Gallery