London and Jess

I haven't posted for a while.
I've had a barrage of emails asking me where I am and why I haven't updated. The simple answer is I've been busy.
Guys, this blog is a hobby not my day job!
I usually try and post something as and when but the past two weeks have been a bit of a blur and I've been concentrating on earning my daily crust.
I've been in London and Sweden and though the camera didn't come out of the bag in Sweden I did manage to take some pictures in London with Jess.
First off the Living Wall, which is attached to the posh hotel around the corner from the one I usually stay at. In full summer bloom and it has a bit more weight than when I snapped it in the spring.
I'd planned on taking Jess to Belfast over the weekend to see my sister and nieces but I screwed up the dates and it was not to be.
We covered a lot of ground in London, from the Tate Modern to a West End show called "Stomp"(which was a real hit with my kid).I'd forgotten how interesting London can be. A walk through Camden market is as good a way as any to start.Since I lived in North London 15 years ago, the market has been given a considerable face lift. The "Stables" area has been renovated and the cave like stalls selling old Indian furniture have been replaced by tons of little shops selling trendy,cheap gear.
Despite the tourist makeover, the Camden Hipster is still very much a part of the landscape.

Over the two weekends I was in London, Covent Garden was a transit point everyday. I've done the place to death on the blog so I'll skip pictures of the street performers and concentrate on a nice little enclave close by.

Neal's Yard is tucked away down an alley behind the main street (Long Acre) and is a bit of a sanctuary from the tourist rush.

The place isn't an insider's secret(its in most guidebooks), but I think is a little tricky to find if you're new to London. It fancies itself a bit and there are signs indicative of self-serious navel gazing but if one takes such things in stride, a smirk and a smile lets you relax and enjoy the silliness.
So deep.

So very insightful.
You never know who you're going to meet walking in London.

The cast of "Priscilla, Queen Of the Desert" were out and about doing promo for the play.

Jess was fascinated if not puzzled.

Not much explanation from the old man.

For silliness of another sort, we went to the Tate Modern.

Its an impressive example of reworking an old industrial space (In this case an old power plant) and turning it into something far more agreeable.

As for the art, it started with fairly standard fare.

And then moved swiftly on to pieces of more debatable merit.

Yes its a metal tube balanced on a piece of sheet metal.

More sheet metal.

Vaguely rude but in a most cerebral, artistic way.

On to less anatomical representations.

Me after a trip contemplating the laundry to be done.

I guess the grand daddy of this stuff has to be part of the proceedings for it to be a real Gallery of Modern Art.

There were some interesting pieces, though I think this stuff has been done to death.

Stare at the one below.

Go on...do it.

Feel a little sick?

Finally the "Installation" below was described as " An intelligent and at times whimsical study of the transience of human endeavour"

Your tax dollars at work.

Makes you feel good doesn't it?

Separating the Tate from the river are the "famous" Tate Birches.

I'd never heard of them nor given them a glance before but I was asked specifically to take pictures of them for a going away present for a colleague at work.

I duly did as requested and here are a few examples.

Opposite the Tate is the Millenium Bridge leading tourists to a rather nice approach to St Paul's Cathedral.
Cool bridge and cool building.

That's it for today.

I'll try and be a bit better about getting posts up in the future.

Love to all and stay well everyone.

T