NB we are living in a time when one of the great paradigms is "shifting" ...

our changing understanding of mind and brain were "illuminated" in this week's "in our time" discussion on BBCradio4, which was about neuroscience

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00fbd26

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm_change

fortnum and mason's xmas window 1a

dear diary ... to fortnum and mason's at four in the morning to photograph the window display ... it is the best time of day because there are few passers by along the narrow pavement, and because the darker street doesn't present such a complication of reflections ... even so, you have to wait for traffic to pass, but can't avoid the reflections of the brightly lit shops across the street, a vast black screen held behind the camera by a team of assistants also wearing black would be helpful ... i made a technical mistake and should have used a smaller aperture, so sometimes the camera has autofocussed on the window pane rather than on the tableau within ... i'll go back soon and try for some sharper images ... click on these pictures for fuller detail

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christen_Andersen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17860/17860-h/17860-h.htm#Plate_02

last years christmas windows were on november 10 2007 and november 17 2007

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-mason-windows-on-less-windy_17.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-mason-windows-on-less-windy.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-masons-twelve-drummers.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-masons-ten-lords-leaping.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-masons-eight-maids-milking.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-masons-six-geese-laying.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-masons-four-calling-birds.html

http://emotionalblackmailers.blogspot.com/2007/11/fortnum-and-masons-two-turtle-doves-and.html

fortnum and mason's xmas window 2a

fortnum and mason's xmas window 3a

fortnum and mason's xmas window 4a

fortnum and mason's xmas window 5a

fortnum and mason's xmas window 6a

f and m's xmas windows 1b

f and m's xmas windows 2b

f and m's xmas windows 3b

f and m's xmas windows 4b

f and m's xmas windows 5b

f and m's xmas windows 6b

just as in real life ... she's got her eye on you

ah ha ! i see that joe hyams has generously donated his last bottle of krug to the raffle ...

insomniac photography ... fortnum and mason's cafe

insomniac window shopping in jermyn street

sorry girls !

this is not a declaraton of intent !

the winged springbok outside south africa house

popped in to saint martin in the fields, as you do ... and found a small orchestra in rehearsal

a bit of fancy street lighting behind the royal festival hall