Category Archives: PHOTOGRAPHY

A haven in the City

If you ever find yourself in London somewhere between Tower Bridge and Monument and you just want to find somewhere quiet to eat a sandwich, nestled between Great Tower Street and St. Dunstan’s Hill is a hidden gem;  St. Dunstan in the East Church Gardens is an oasis of peace, light and bird song tucked away from the hustle and bustle of City life.

Wren's Tower

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“St. Dunstan in the East was built in the early 12th century and survived unscathed until the Great Fire of London in 1666.  Although the fire seriously damaged the church, it was not severe enough to warrant a complete rebuild.  Instead, the church was patched up over the next 30 years, with the final stage being a replacement steeple, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and retaining the same gothic style as the original steeple.

The church fell into decline by the early 1800′s and the decision was taken by the local parish to rebuild it.  Although this was a complete rebuild, Christopher Wren’s gothic steeple was retained.

In 1941 the church was completely gutted in the Blitz of World War II and lay in ruins for the next 25 years; in fact, the only parts of the church that were left unscathed were Wren’s tower and steeple.  Eventually, the City of London Corporation decided to incorporate the ruins into a garden in 1967 and it was opened to the public in 1971.”

Even though I worked in the City for many years I had no idea this oasis of calm existed such a short walk away.  Thumbs up to my friend, Janice for letting me in on this well kept secret :)

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Old and new structures sitting side by side.

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A couple of weeks ago I was told to grab my camera because we were heading out for an unusual afternoon.  I’d been told about this place and was really excited to see it.

Boothlands Farm

Barely visible from the road this ruin has been left intact since a fire swept through it in March 2009.  Luckily the occupant escaped unharmed.

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With the bricks and the burned out vehicles the scene was a strangely beautiful sea of orange complimented by vivid green weeds.  A peacock could be heard in the distance and the birds living in the surrounding trees added to the surreal atmosphere.

I visited the site again today to take even more photographs and although the fire was a tragedy it has made a beautiful setting which I hope will be left untouched.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Today was my day off from work so I got up at 5am and went up to the Tower of London to see the poppies and beat the crowds. So glad I went early.

The moat looks breathtakingly beautiful and I had to remind myself that it wasn’t just a photo opportunity.  It’s so hard to take in the magnitude of each poppy representing a life, all 888,246 of them.

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Poppies (26)Coins have been thrown into the “sea”.

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Traitors’ Gate.

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If you get the opportunity to go, I would urge everyone to visit before the poppies are removed. I’ll keep the memory of this day with me forever and will always be grateful to those that gave their lives so we can live ours.  RIP.

Cats and Cake

For my Birthday last weekend I was treated to a visit to Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in East London.   What could be better than cake and cats?

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The cafe is laid out over two floors with tables, chairs and sofas for us humans and shelves, baskets and hammocks for our feline friends.

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It was rather a hot day and I think the 10 or so cats inside were happy to laze about, just out of reach.

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Apparently the cats are all from rescue shelters and are all beautiful and look very healthy. Although I went there to enjoy their company, I’m relieved to know they are able to escape the relentless stroking and grooming from us ‘cat lovers’ by retiring to a high shelf or tunnel.

Cake & coffee

The Guinness chocolate cake with cream cheese icing was absolutely delicious :)

A War and a Wedding

Eccentric Parking Dizzy Blonde Hmmm ….. where to park?!? Eccentric Parking   This will do! Fanny's Farm map Fanny's Farm 25.7.14 (19)   Fanny’s Farm was looking particularly spectacular on Friday.  The garden was in full bloom, the sun was shining and indoors, Granny B’s room was all spruced up because, at 3 pm it was to host a wedding. Wedding announcement Granny B's Room Fanny's Farm 25.7.14 (31)   Congratulations to the happy couple. Fanny's Farm chalkboard Dress & hat Flowers Artichokes Bee Staff bike   Steps leading up to the famous tree house. Treehouse steps   Fanny's Farm Calendar Fanny’s Farm celebrate many seasonal and current events and put a lot of effort into their displays.  At the moment they are marking the First World War Centenary. WWI bunker

Pottering around my garden

Wow, isn’t this weather glorious?   I’ve just been wandering around my garden and thought I’d take a few snaps.

Agapanthus

Agapanthus  (African lily) are high on my list of favourite plants.  I rescued the original clump from a neighbour who was throwing them out and over the years they have multiplied and multiplied.   At the moment many are in various stages of flowering and I love seeing them open up and then blossom into deep blue bell-shaped flowers.

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They should look spectacular over the coming weeks.

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Bird house

Caster Oil leaf

Plane trail

Grapes

We only have one vine now, so not enough to make any wine, unfortunately!

Hydrangea

A new addition last Autumn, glad to see it’s doing so well.