Tea curiosity

Posted on January 10, 2016 by myeye1

People in England are known for being big tea drinkers as are people in Pakistan, and being a British Pakistani you’d think that I would be a big tea fan too, but when it comes to hot drinks I just don’t feel that I need them (exception being the odd hot chocolate in Winter). Tea and tea time in London is very popular at the moment. There are so many places that you can go for tea and cake; posh, quaint, in castles, even one with cats to play with in between. And for tea in the comfort of your own home there are even more, including this curious place I came across, selling very pretty china and soothing teas.

Although I’m not really a tea drinker I am a fan of anything that’s quirky, pretty and takes my curiosity, and this being the case I just had to go and explore. There were teapots and teacups beautifully embellished as well as spoons, saucers and anything else tea-related, on colourful inviting displays; all of which together is any photographers delight!

What really took my interest though was the amazing variety of types of tea available, ones I’d never heard of and looked nothing like a typical tea leaf.

I didn’t buy anything on this trip but I’m certain I will pop in again, perhaps to treat some tea-lovers I know and maybe even sample something myself.

Farewell 2015; here we go 2016

Posted on December 31, 2015 by myeye1

We’ve come to the last day of 2015 but it will always be frozen in time, captured in our photographs and memories. Here are my favourite photos of the year which I enjoyed taking and sharing with you all.

I hope 2016 is everything you want it to be and more. Happy New Year and enjoy the fireworks.

All the fun of a Winter Wonderland

Posted on December 27, 2015 by myeye1

Hyde Park, London hosts Winter Wonderland every year which is a family event running over the festive season. There’s fairground rides for thrill seekers, Christmas markets for anyone looking for beautifully crafted gifts, and tasty food to make sure energy levels are topped up. Seeing as it looked like a fun evening out I went with my sister and her family to experience the sights, smells and tastes on offer.

I went on a ride or two with the kids, was distracted from stall to stall with the interesting and beautiful items on display and was awed by the pretty lights and great atmosphere.

I didn’t manage to experience everything as we ran out of time, but hopefully I’ll be able to return next year to enjoy more rides as well as see the circus show, the cool ice sculptures in the ice kingdom and take a spin on the ice rink. We left with smiles on our faces and our goodies from the markets but were absolutely exhausted, with the kids falling fast asleep all the way home.

Race of Champions 2015

Posted on December 13, 2015 by myeye1

I recently went to a racing event at the Olympic Stadium in London called Race of Champions which brings together some of the best drivers in the world and pits them against each other to see who is the fastest. I’d never heard of this event before but it seemed to be well known among sports fans and as I managed to get my hands on some free tickets I thought it seemed like an interesting evening.

There were top F1 drivers present as well as Olympians and celebrities and it was fun to see them compete against each other as well as stunts being performed in super fast cars and motorcycles. In the stadium it was really cold but I managed to stay to the end and take a few snaps. I was hoping to take better pictures but I was a bit too far away, so just focused on enjoying the evening.

Orbit and moon

Posted on December 6, 2015 by myeye1

The ArcelorMittal Orbit at Stratford, London is the UK’s largest sculpture and observation tower. On a cold winter’s night the warm red glow under the bright moon makes it look like a welcoming fairground ride.

V&A: Islamic Middle East

Posted on November 4, 2015 by myeye1

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some really interesting exhibits, showcasing pieces from all around the world. One of the collections I always stop to admire when I visit is the Islamic Middle East which consists of some really beautiful pieces from as far back as the 7th century.

Some of my favourite and I think most impressive pieces on show are the Ardabil carpet which is one of the largest and finest in existence made in 1540, the second largest Qu’ran in the world from the 14th century and the pretty turquoise coloured tiles from 1358. I love the use of detailed geometric patterns and writings to embellish everyday objects that were placed in homes and places of worship.

My photos don’t do justice to how intricate and colourful some of these artifacts are but if you’re ever in London I would definitely recommend a visit.

Giant fingers

Posted on October 21, 2015 by myeye1

On my last visit through Trafalger Square in London I came across this curious sculpture. It automatically made me think of Michealangelo’s famous painting Creation of Adam but there was no information about who or what these fingers were meant to represent. I have since looked it up and discovered that this is a piece by Jose Rivelino, a Mexican artist and is meant to represent equality between people. I really like the idea and I think this is an interesting and thought provoking piece of work. What do you think?

Italian gardens in London

Posted on October 8, 2015 by myeye1

Wondering around Hyde park earlier this year I came across the Italian Gardens. The Gardens have embellished statues, urns and large water fountains, all which create a really nice relaxing space.

The main water fountain leading to the top of the Serpentine lake was a combination of a group of boys holding a huge platter with a woman on either side holding an urn, all pouring water into the lake.

On the far side of the garden is a chapel with really pretty flowers planted on either side in neat geometric rows.

I thought the gardens were laid out nicely and kept in really good condition. I found them to be a calming space with the sound of rushing water from the fountains drowning out some of the background noise and pretty flowers soothing to the eyes. I’ll definitely look to visiting it again at some point.

Gift horse

Posted on October 6, 2015 by myeye1

Currently the fourth plinth in Trafalger Square is occupied by a skeletal figure of a gift horse with a ribbon around it’s leg displaying the London Stock Market. It replaces the giant blue chicken that was there previously. As artistic as the horse looks I think I miss the chicken. What do you think?

Capturing artwork

Posted on September 20, 2015 by myeye1

I recently went to the National Gallery in London and since my last visit you are now allowed to take photographs. I would normally never take photographs of paintings as I always would want to visit and appreciate the work in person, but on this occasion I decided to take a few snaps as a nice reminder. The photos I took were of some of my favourite paintings by great artists that I’m lucky to have on my doorstep in London, namely The Waterlily Pond by Monet and Sunflowers by Van Gogh.

I always like to take a moment and think about how long it must have taken to create such a painting and what kind of person the artist must have been to paint in this way during their life, artworks that really stand the test of time. I love being able to see the textures of the layered paint and the colours, which close up looks quite messy but stand back and you see how great it all comes together and looks quite beautiful.

I hope to visit again at some point and enjoy all the great paintings that are luckily so easy for me to access.

everyphototunity

trying to capture the world…my way

Category Archives: London