London walk about

Posted on March 22, 2017 by myeye1

I know some parts of London quite well but with it being a large city there’s still plenty for me to discover. On my recent walk with a friend I was able to see some well known landmarks up close as well as unexpectedly come across buildings that I thought were very interesting.

We started at Leadenhall Market which looked very grand with its high arched roof and traditional style shops. We then walked along and discovered a really tall, steel building which looked quite futuristic to me. I was surprised to learn that it was actually a bank. One building that we were drawing closer to and that I was particularly excited to see was one of my favourite buildings in London, The Gherkin. I see it every day on the train into work but had never up close, so I was really pleased to see it from the ground up, even in the rain.

We then walked along to the Tower of London where we found an artful looking pride of lions guarding the walls, and along the banks of the River Thames there were some stylish, unique igloos that you could enjoy some lunch in. I wasn’t able to sit in them but they did look cosy and inviting with a great view of the river and London’s skyline.

Next up was Borough Market where there were lots of stalls selling a range of great products. The ones with the sweet treats especially caught my eye. Around the corner and something hard to miss was one of London’s newest and tallest landmark, The Shard. I was delighted to be able to get close as I’d seen it from far away so many times. Whenever I get up close to a tall building I always have to tip my head right back and look straight up at the top.

On the last part of our walk was St Paul’s Cathedral. We were lucky enough to get there just a it’s loud bells began ringing (and we discovered why later when we stumbled across a bride and groom that had just been married inside). I don’t think my photos quite did the famous, grand cathedral justice but it’s a huge building that has a great level of detail and history to it.

The walk took us most of the afternoon and tired us out, so after listening to the church bells for a while we headed to the station and towards home. I was able to see some famous, beautiful landmarks as well as lesser known spots that held my attention and made me smile. I hope to come back to some of these one day and venture inside to see what else there is to discover.

Sky Garden

Posted on February 12, 2017 by myeye1

I heard about the Sky Garden in London last summer and was finally able to go with a friend. I wasn’t too sure what to expect as I’d heard mixed reviews, but I kept an open mind and stayed optimistic as it sounded like quite an usual place. On arrival there was a thorough security search before we were ushered into the lift which took us up to the 25th floor. Walking into the Sky Garden reminded me of a giant greenhouse, and despite the grey skies of the morning it felt light and airy. The room had lots of greenery as a backing to the room, and as guides to different levels.

On each level there was a café or restaurant giving you the chance to stop for a drink or snack and to enjoy the great view of the various landmarks across the city.

As the rain cleared we were allowed out onto the outdoor viewing platform, with a view to the River Thames below and the Shard in front.

We took our time walking around the various levels, taking photographs and just enjoying the greenery and view without feeling rushed. It’s place that I would definitely visit again (maybe on a sunnier day) as it’s free and although there were plenty of people around it didn’t feel noisy or too busy.

Winter Lights 2017

Posted on January 29, 2017 by myeye1

Canary Wharf in London hosted a Winter Lights festival which I went along to last week. Last year was London’s first light festival which was huge and was based in the centre of the Capital. This year’s festival, however, was over a 2 weeks period, with less installations and in a less busy part of London, although still very attractive.

On arrival to Canary Wharf we were welcomed by a giant egg shaped structure that was lit up with changing colours that you could walk through, which I thought was vey pretty. Walking on we saw some lovely, illuminated angel wings with halos, but one of the best pieces on show, for me, were the bright neon strips tied around tree trunks. Light was shone one to them to bring out the reflective nature of the strips which looked very bright and almost psychedelic. It was a simple idea but one that was so striking.

Next we came across some balls that changed colour in sync to music being played, which was relaxing and entertaining, and some mist on water that had shapes and colours projected onto it, which if you moved around in front of made the shapes dance and change. Another of my favourites pieces on show was the super innovative water fall where the water was dropped in letters to form words that shone for a second before disappearing.

The last part of the festival was set up indoors which gave everyone a chance to warm up, and get out of the freezing cold evening. The most interesting light installation here was one that was operated with an EEG headset which a person put on, converting the person’s brainwaves into light movement and sound. It felt quite futuristic and I can imagine it being an idea that grows.

After 3 hours of walking around, I think I managed to see most of the light and art installations on show. The festival didn’t cost anything and it let me see some really innovative art, as well as enabling me to spend some in a part of London that I never usually visit.

Thumbs Up

Posted on January 10, 2017 by myeye1

One of my favourite spots in London is Trafalgar Square, I love the open space in the middle of London filled with the sound of gushing water pouring out of the famous fountains and all overlooked by the proud bronze lions on one side and squared by plinths in each corner. The fourth plinth on the Square displays pieces of art and now it is home to a new one. In the past I have posted about the Gift Horse and the Blue Chicken, which were displayed and now it is home to a statue called Really Good which is a hand with a very long thumbs up. I’m not too sure what I make of it but it makes me smile, and think positive which I guess is what it’s supposed to do. What do you think of it?

So long 2016, onwards to 2017

Posted on December 31, 2016 by myeye1

Today is the last day of 2016 and it has been a tumultuous year both in the world and, I feel, for me personally. I hope 2017 is calmer, more peaceful and more fulfilling, for all of us. Here’s a selection of some of my favourite photos of this past year, of places I’ve been lucky to visit and things I’ve enjoyed. Happy New Year to all of you.

Colour and Vision at NHM

Posted on November 6, 2016 by myeye1

A great thing about living in London is having access to some of the top museums in the world. One of the best and most popular is the Natural History Museum. This year they had an interesting exhibition on called Colour and Vision and seeing as it had been a few years since my last visit I thought it was a good opportunity to go back.
The building is beautiful with lots of exquisite detail. The tall arched doorways and the intricately designed pillars make for a grand view.

Inside there’s lots to see, such as the dinosaurs and sea animals but I headed straight for the Colour and Vision exhibition before it got busy. The exhibition was about how animals view and display colour in nature. The entrance was aptly marked by a brightly lit colour spectrum and cues to help keep an open mind.

As I walked through the exhibition there were lots of interesting animals and displays, some that made me slightly squeamish at times, like the animal eyeballs in jars. Others were stunning such as the exotic birds with colourful feathers and butterflies with vibrant, standout wings.

The exhibition was insightful and interesting with some truly beautiful displays and facts that make you wonder about the amazing animals that share our world. (sadly my camera couldn’t capture this very well due to the dim lighting). It was a good visit overall, and I would definitely recommend a trip.

Rochester Castle

Posted on October 16, 2016 by myeye1

I visited Rochester in Kent recently with family on an afternoon out. On arrival we decided to have a look around and came across the grand looking Cathedral which is the second oldest in England.

Inside there were lots of pretty stain glass windows and statues as well as other historical artifacts and features.

After looking around we turned towards Rochester Castle, which was built in the 1080s and still looked like it was standing strong despite being a ruin.

The castle stands on large grounds where lots of families were having picnics, playing games and just enjoying the good view and weather. Inside the castle you could the large building blocks that made it, giving an indication of just how old it was. I can imagine it must have been cold and dark in the evenings and difficult to get around with its steep, narrow, spiral staircases, and long hallways.

As we carefully climbed the staircases we reached the roof and could see a lovely view of River Medway on one side and walking around to the other, Rochester Cathedral which sits across from the castle.

It didn’t take us too long to see the whole castle as there weren’t any rooms, mostly corridors and landings from one staircase to another but it let us imagine what it would have looked like when it was in use. It was a nice afternoon out and we enjoyed experiencing and learning about something new.

The BFG dream jars

Posted on September 4, 2016 by myeye1

One of my favourite authors as a child, like many others’, was Roald Dahl. He was a great story teller with a wild imagination and told of gory and funny tales which really won him over with young people. One of his best known stories The BFG was released as a film in cinemas recently, and to coincide with this and his 100th birthday, London celebrated by placing 50 dream jars containing various celebrity dreams on trails to be discovered and enjoyed. The jars will then be auctioned off and the money raised given to charity. In the past London has scattered bears, elephants, eggs, buses and more in a similar fashion.

As this was something that was close to heart and home my sister and I decided to go looking for some. We started at Marble Arch and ended up at Embankment, we walked for about 6 hours and discovered so many other parts of London that we just don’t get round to seeing.

My favourite was the one by Steven Spielberg, because who doesn’t love a tall tower of endless ice cream, cakes and sweets! Other ones that I really liked was Sophie Dahl’s dream by the sea and Dame Helen Mirren’s giant oak tree.

Here are the rest that we found (click on image to see full picture).

I would have loved to have been able to find more (such as Quentin Blake’s or Steven Hawking’s) but we ran out of time and energy. We really enjoyed the day out and the creative dream jars, taking us along paths that we would never usually follow. I hope they raise lots of money for charity and I can’t wait to see what the next objects scattered across London will be.

Kite festival

Posted on August 7, 2016 by myeye1

Last weekend I went to a kite festival in Dunstable Downs with the family for a day out. On arrival we could see it was quite busy and there were dozen of kites soaring in the air with the brisk breeze keeping them aloft. There was a great selection in varying shapes and sizes, and we brought some of our own along to join in. As well as the public flying kites there were professional kite flyers doing some great shows and making it look so easy.

We also brought along a picnic with some great food, with a passerby declaring that ours was the best one he’d seen, much to our amusement. After we’d eaten, my smaller nieces enjoyed pony rides whilst the adults wondered off to see what the craft stalls had to offer.

After our kite was flying on its own we all sat down to relax and enjoy cold ice creams and the wonderful view that Dunstable Downs is known for, until it was time to head home.

London Olympic Anniversary Games 2016

Posted on July 30, 2016 by myeye1

The London Olympics in 2012 was fantastic, I didn’t get any tickets for events but I was lucky enough to go to the Opening Ceremony rehearsal which was held 2 days prior to the official opening ceremony of the Games and was a chance for organisers and performers to do a complete rehearsal in costumes and do full light shows and music. It was absolutely brilliant and definitely one the best events I have ever been to. As the Olympics have come around again this year, London held an Anniversary Games where top athletes were able to compete and a give you a taste for what they would have to offer before they head off to Rio, Brazil. I was able to get tickets for this and was really looking forward to it.

I was lucky to get great seats near the start and finish points of races as well as near the high jumpers, javelin throwers and long jumpers. We were also lucky enough to see sporting superstars Jessica Ennis and Usain Bolt among others, and they were fantastic.

Seeing exciting races combined with good weather created an electric atmosphere and I had a great evening which I thoroughly enjoyed with good friends.