CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM. REPEAT IF REQUIRED.
My rambles around London brought me into touch with a variety of different faces of England’s capital. None more contrasting perhaps than those seen in this batch from my Streets of London series of colour slides made in July 2005. Having been once more beset by wind and rain, I worked on these today.
We begin with a couple of most expensive streets in the region of Regent Street. Savile Row W1 is the home of bespoke tailoring, and not, perhaps, where one might expect to come across a chained bicycle of this nature.
Vigo Street which becomes Burlington Gardens is a turning off Regent Street. Careful viewers may see my portrait hanging in the window of Burlington Paintings. The motor cyclist is leaving Savile Row. Had he turned left and taken the first turning right, he could have ridden down
Sackville Street onto Piccadilly. The crypt of St James’s Church, the clock tower of which is seen here, was the scene of the brass-rubbing debacle featured in ‘Meandering Through Soho’.
A month before these photographs were produced, London’s bid secured the 2012 Olympic Games. Banners celebrated this feat. From this corner of Pall Mall East we see Nelson’s column with its lions and the famous fountains. The gentleman in the foreground peruses The Financial Times, the first pink paper.
The Mall itself offers another view of Trafalgar Square, incorporating its backdrop of The National Gallery. The bus advertising Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s ‘The Woman in White’ is looking ahead to the musical’s first performance on 15th September that year.
The Archduke restaurant was a regular lunch venue for me and my dapper late friend, Wolf, at this time. Here he waves as I advance on Concert Hall Approach SE1.
We shift to north Islington and Sturmer Way N7. More comfortable than she appears, this lady willingly consented to pose beside her car. I did explain that I wanted to feature the street name in the picture.
Graffiti merchants have even left their mark on a satellite dish above the offices of William Hill’s betting shop in Stock Orchard Street N7.
Two more readers occupy a bench in the sunshine in Surr Street N7, in an area of development off North Street.
Neither of these two nor this gentleman outside The Prince Albert pub in Formosa Street W9 appears to favour The Financial Times. This fine Grade 2 listed Victorian public house, built in 1856, still sports etched glass and mahogany fittings.
The Willesden Junction Hotel stands on the corner of Station Road and Honeywood Road NW10. The pub closed soon after I took this photograph, and now seems to be functioning as a restaurant.
‘The L Word’ series ran from 2004-2009. This was concerned with the life and loves of a group of lesbians, their friends, and families, living in Los Angeles. As can be seen, its striking advertisement stole the limelight from the graffiti of Curzon Crescent NW10.
This evening we enjoyed our usual excellent dining experience at Lal Quilla. My main course was king prawn Ceylon; Jackie’s was chicken sag; we shared mushroom rice and an egg paratha, and both drank Kingfisher.
Love the instruction ‘repeat if required’ ??? great post
Many thanks, Viola
Love that new and old architecture stand side by side.
One of the beauties of an old city, GP. Many thanks
My eyes are no longer keen enough to make out the pictures in the shop window Derrick. Not even biggified to the max! That was an intriguing ramble.
Thanks a lot, Pauline. Sorry to have tested your eyes. I’m reflected in the window just by the Piccadilly Circus sign.
I came and had another look…. I’m pleased and relieved to report I was just looking in the wrong part of the window 🙂
🙂 That’s good
More rain? ? Well, we benefit from your day inside. Fantastic street post, Derrick!
Glad you liked it, Jill. Thanks very much
I had to look very closely to merit the ‘careful’, but once you see it (or rather you), it’s unmistakable.
🙂 Glad you found me, Susan. Thanks very much
This is a nice effortless way to take a stroll through bits of London without getting chilled to the bone. Thanks!
Glad you liked it Leslie. Many thanks
I especially like the one with the readers on the bench. It makes me think there might be hope for us yet.
Let’s hope so, Laurie. Thanks very much
How nice to see that happy wave from your late friend; dapper indeed.
Another lovely London tour, Derrick. I agree your late friend was quite dapper.
I liked the Victorian public house with its wrought iron.
Many thanks, Merril
My Uncle Ernie was a ‘Master Tailor’, on Saville Row, and was the most elegant, well dressed man in all the family of Cockneys. Obviously a throw back to who knows where.
He was, too, the spit of one Clark Gable, so you can imagine how he caught the ladies eye. Even my mother had a thing for Ernie; she often said to me when she was having a spat with my father “I should have married Ernie”
My dad was twice the man, Ernie was as shallow as he was handsome. Although he did come to wave us off at Euston, immaculate, complete in Homburg.
Thanks for reminding me of things long gone.
That’s one of the main objects of blogging, I think Brian. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI&w=560&h=315%5D
Thanks very much
can’t seem to get that youtube thing Derrick 🙁
Oh, what a shame. It was ‘Ernie, the fastest milkman in the west’ by Bennie Hill
A shame indeed, Bennie was great fun to watch,, a sad chap, who brought fun to many. I’ll google it see if I can get it that way . Thanks Derrick 🙂
I hope you do
Got it, played it and enjoyed it. Can’t help liking poor old Benny.
I’m pleased. I thought his rival looked more like your Uncle Ernie 🙂
The hat gave it away 🙂
If you didn’t point out the graffiti on the satellite dish I wouldn’t have seen it
Thanks very much, Andrew. It is often readers who point out what I don’t notice 🙂
Oh, it will be difficult for this blind guy to do that. lol
I found your reflection. 🙂
It is nice you have the photo of your late friend Wolf waving at you. Old photos are wonderful for those happy memories!
Glad you found me, Lavinia. I’d forgotten that shot of Wolf. Many thanks
We never got racy billboards for The L Word here in Canada. 🙂 … it would probably be considered rather tame these days. 😀
🙂 Thanks very much, Widders
You seem to have covered a lot of ground that day – then I realised they were taken at different times in July 2005. Clever spotting of your reflection, and how nice to have come across that cheery shot of Wolf.
When I read your heading, I wondered whether we would be seeing the English or the Australian thong 🙂
🙂 I’m pleased to have got you guessing, Gwen. Many thanks
I always enjoy the Streets of London series, that is not to say I enjoy the other themes any lesser. I have meandered on some of the streets featured here only on the boards of that game called ‘Monopoly’. The ‘L Series’ billboard is explosive!
I thought so, too, Uma. I hadn’t any idea until yesterday what it was advertising 🙂 Thanks very much
Thanks for sharing the streets of London Derrick. The facades of these buildings are all to different from each other.
Aren’t they just, Arlene? Thanks very much
You have such a great eye, Derrick! Thanks for sharing your views.
Thanks very much, Ann
Still waiting for you to post a picture of Ducketts Lane Cricklewood mate, watching old episodes of Goodnight Sweetheart with the actor Lyndhurst.
Great series. My brother-in-law was spotted in his old motorbike and sidecar which got him a slot in one of the episodes. Thanks a lot, Ian
Thanks for sharing, great tour information.
Thanks very much, Laleh
My pleasure ?
That first photo blows me away. The patterns and textures!
I’m so pleased you noticed that. I almost turned it into B/W but decided I would lose some of those. Many thanks, Luanne
Nice photos 🙂 People enjoy reading, papers or books. Nice of the lady to pose. Regards.
Many thanks, Lakshmi. It was
Having been to London a couple of times now, I recognize some of your photo’s to be places I’ve wandered as well. How fun to be reminded, thank you! I haven’t ever met a fellow named Wolf, is that short for Wolfgang? Seemed like a lovely man, happy to see you. I’m sorry to know he’s past on. I’m dreading the day I’ll visit older photo’s and be missing friends. Tis’ life I suppose. Thanks for the tour! x B
Many thanks, Boomdee. Yes, Wolf was Wolfgang. He came to England on Kindertransport aged 10. Did you ever follow Cynthia Jobin? She was a very well liked blogger. When looking back at old comments her photo always tweaks the heartstrings
I hadn’t been following her posts but have just read a lovely eulogy by many who had. While there, I saw a message left by Pauline. She did seem very well loved and many of her poems are part of this post
https://uspandey.com/2016/12/25/goodbye-cynthia-jobin/
How disappointing that none of her poems on her WordPress site survive. A reminder that we are all here so temporarily. Cynthia’s legacy seems to be the fondness and admiration of many. So that’s something quite special x B
Special, indeed
You have led me to Uma’s post which is marvellous. Thank you once more
My pleasure 😀
Great tour, Derrick!
Many thanks, Clare
Fascinating–enjoyed both photos and commentary.
Thanks very much, Cynthia
This set of photos had lots of interesting people and views! I loved the black grillwork on the Prince Albert Pub and the hotel on the corner point, Derrick. I am pretty far behind but will catch up from here and try to venture back since I don’t like to “miss out on anything!” Thanks for sticking around in your warm comments. Hope you had a wonderful weekend! ??️
I always appreciate your catching up, since you are so busy, and so thorough, Robin. Many thanks