Trafalgar Square

I recently upgraded my mobile phone, and thought I'd try out its camera while in Trafalgar Square in London. So here is a sequence taken on that occasion.

When I getused to the camera, I'll get to know its limitations, and what its good points are. It certainly beats carrying a heavy DLSR around ....

New York, New York

Visited New York City during the summer just past - June in fact -  and this was my second time in the Big Apple.

Been there, got the tee shirt ....

 Yes, some people in NYC do actually walk rather than taking the car.

A view on the High Line. 

 A view from the High Line 

The High Line is a disused elevated railway line, converted to a walkway, and with lots of plants. Similar to the Promenade Plantee in Paris. It is very popular with the locals. And you get views of the surrounding apartmenst and buildings at first floor level.

 

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 Lunch time in downtown Manhattan.

My original visit was in March 1991. Don't think I'll leave it so long before visiting NYC again.

A Colourful Henley Regatta

Went to Henley Regatta this year for the first time in many years. My old university - twice winners of the Ladies Plate - usually send a crew (an VIII) over to compete. This year their entry was entered in the Prince Albert Challenge (for student IV's). Unfortunately, I missed them by a day - I went on the Friday of the regatta, they only won their inital round on the Wednesday, and didn't make it past the Thursday.

The towpath can be very colourful, and whilst many of the people who do attend actually are interested in the rowing, not every one is. 

Those with the stripey blazers of many colours are perhaps those who are into the rowing ....

 A difference since my last visit, couldn't help noticing many more hospitality marquees along  the towpath, almost the full length of the course (it's over a mile in length). Corporate hospitality has made it big time here.

Work in Progress ...

Quite a few murals on buildings may be found in London, particularly in the Shoreditch area. Here is one I found recently as a work in progress ...

 The passer-by was colour co-ordinated, wearing a red jacket which matched the red in the mural and also that bottle on the windowsill. I've shown this image to some friends at my local photographic society, and one comment which was made was "Mondrian" - as in the painter. This hadn't occured to me at the time the photograph was taken,  but it is a valid comment.

Went back to the site a few days later (on this occasion, with rather different lighting conditions, bright sunshine and shadows!) and found the work is finished, at least for now. I expect it will develop over time

Looking a little to my left, another mural. Wonder if it's by the same artist?

Rainy Parades

St Patrick's Day is on March 17th, and while it is not a public holiday on that day here in London (as it is in Ireland), in recent years a parade has been taking place on the nearest Sunday to the 17th.

March in London isn't exactly the height of summer in London, and it is frequently (almost always) cold and it rains a lot.

The cold and rain doesn't stop the bands which are taking part having some fun, and a large crowd is in attendance.  The parade starts near Hyde Park, winds its way up Piccadilly and eventually finishes in Trafalgar Sqaure

A St Patrick's "Day" parade is a relatively new innovation in London - the first one was about 10 years ago and very small,  with only a few bands and floats taking part. It has grown considerably since then, but still is small compared to the parade in Dublin, and of course to that in New York.

These sax players - apart from sounding great (at least to me)  - even had rain gear colour coordinated  with their band uniforms. They must be used to the London weather.

 

Colonnade and Shadows

Visited Brompton Cemetery, here in London last week. This was my first visit, I'd been to Kensal Green and Highgate before, but not Brompton.

A good spring like day for photography, with the sun dodging the clouds, and being early in the year, still relatively low on the horizon, even in the afternoon. You can see, I like shadows,  as the images here of the Colonnade show.