the playground railings at cross hayes infants school

a hundred screaming kids would rush to the railings at the beginning of morning break, just in time to see the only train of the day crossing the narrow meadow on it's way to malmesbury station ... and if we screamed loud enough, the driver and the fireman would wave back to us

 

i learned to tell the time by this clock as i made my late runs to the matinees at the athelstan cinema

 

half of the apostles in the porch of malmesbury abbey

 

robert and felicity hitchings ... you'd like them !

 

james watt ... beautifully modelled in majolica ... maker unknown

an eureka moment !

he's holding a spoon against the spout of a kettle ... note those undone buttons on his weskit ... the face is angelic & the hands so gracefully articulate ... a very fine piece of work

couldn't sleep, so i caught the night bus up to piccadilly and photographed some of the fortnum and mason christmas windows before the crowds gathered

 

alice at fortnum and mason (2)

 

alice at fortnum and mason (3)

 

alice at fortnum and mason (4)

 

alice at fortnum and mason (5)

 

alice at fortnum and mason (6)

 

hearts are trumps at fortnum and mason

 

a gratuitous juxtaposition

 

i wish they'd play kay starr on the tannoy !

two of the nation's great entertainments

 

looking from hungerford bridge towards the city ... the bridge was shaking with the steps of hundreds of homegoing workers

 

looking towards hungerford bridge from the south bank and beyond it to the savoy hotel ... where monet used to paint "atmospheres"

 

excuse me while i kiss the sky !

 

harvey nichols christmas windows ...

 

... at four o'clock this morning