A very interesting journey home from Spitalfields.......

The other week, after visiting Spitalfield Market, Tony and l decided to catch a bus home rather than take a train..as it was still light and l love buses! While we were standing waiting, l noticed this lady with the balloons..wonder what the occasion was?

The next image did make me smile, which is why l took it. The tall guy in the centre of the image has such style and charisma! Wonderful!

l see the building in the background, commonly known as "The Gherkin" most days and yet l have never seen it from this angle before! Almost makes it look unreal!

This sculpture below is in Liverpool Street Station and is to do with the Kinder Transport, children mostly Jewish, saved from Germany and sent over here to be safe. It is an amazing piece but to me it looks like chocolate!

The area in the image below is off  Bishopsgate ...just love this blue..party time people.

Below is an image taken in the same area..party time for office workers in Central London! Cool fun!

If you are a follower of my blog, you will know that l love graffitti....l saw this from the top of the double decker bus!

Below, is another piece of graffitti but it may have been painted by the owner of the shop..to brighten up his shop when closed!

Sometimes, l wonder what the owners or landlords of delapidated houses, feel they can leave their properties like this. I think this may be an empty one but if it is..why doesn't the council take it over? They have the power and there are so many homeless people in and around London! Sorry..one of my many "soap box" topics!!

This lady was on the bus with us..l was fascinated by her nails. 

How on earth do you do things with nails that long? I used to lived in The Bahamas, where EVERYONE has long fingernails..real and artificial! I had never seen such long nails until l went there and the designs....oh my goodness..so many! I did try having nails like this once.....never again! I thought l would try because my nails are not very strong and break very easily. They lasted about 2 days and then they started to come off on their own..honestly. Also, it felt so weird and l doubt that l would ever get used to them. The beauty therapist tried three times to re-attach them... It failed every time.  The beauty therapist said, she had never had trouble like this before with any other client. She reckoned that my fingers were telling me...this is not right, take them off!!

This young lady had her hair braided with what looked like glass beads but in fact they were plastic. I just loved the way they caught the light, very pretty! Again, in the Bahamas....it seemed like every person..men, women and children plus tourists had braided hair!

Just love reflections and think this one is fantastic! It took me a while to work out which bit of which building was in the window reflection.

Another graffiti image to brighten up a street. I would love to know who created this? and, what is the story behind it?! 

When we took this bus home, we had not expected it to take so long... a very extended, convoluted route. Took us to places we hadn't been through before...very interesting! There were moments when l felt like l was still in Papua New Guinea; another 3 bus stops on and everyone is white; and then 4 or 5 more stops and everyone is Asian..very interesting journey...loved it....one of the many reasons l love living in London!

This last image has nothing to do with the rest of this blog but l just had to add it because it made me giggle and l hope it will do the same for you! Night folks!!!

Bits and Bobs!

Today's images are a mixture of topics! They are pictures that l feel l would like people to see but maybe they didn't fi that days theme for the blog! The image below, l was lucky to take while Tony and l were walking down Wildcroft Road. It is our resident kestrel ( l think it is a kestrel!). He or she is a beautiful bird to watch...so honoured to see it every day or so.

Often when we go up to see our son and daughter-in-law in Rutland, we stop in a  service stations on the A1(M). When we had parked and got out of the car, we were immediatly ponced on ducks..lots of them. Ducks at a service station....not a usual site l have to admit. They were in fantastic condition and l think they had decided that this was the place to find easy food!!

The next image is one that makes me smile. It is my husband and son, talking about Andrew's first veg plot!!! Very grown up. It was lovely to hear them getting excited about what to plant and where to plant it. Later on, they went to a Garden Centre, where they were so involved in the plants ect, they forgot l was at home..and need the sandwiches they were going to bring home with them for lunch!Ha.

When l look into this flower, it is like looking into a secret world and you never knew what you might see in those closed, protective petals.

I think this is one of the few images l have taken that shows how people/children think a spider's web should look like. There are two versions here.

These flower heads are so tightly packed and remind me on the layers of an onion. l am NOT fond of the colour pink but in this case l rather like it. Sutle but not over powering.

I am always on the look out for unusual or really cool shadow images, l think this counts as cool! Reminds me of swallows sitting on power lines waiting to leave.

If you are a follower of my blog, you will know that l love cranes and scaffolding..why?..l have no idea! I think this image is a beautiful one and has everything l love about cranes and scaffolding in it

This last image is one l love because of the colour of this cats eyes!

 

Have you really looked at a pebble beach lately?..well have you?

I have always loved the sea and the beach, although l prefer sand over pebbles any day. Brighton beach unfortunetly is pebbles but on a day like last Tuesday, it didn't matter. No sun, not to warm but loads to look at...have you ever really looked at what is on a pebble beach other than pebbles?...well here is your chance!!!

Pebbles come in all shapes, sizes, colours and patterns. I love the ones that come in blues and look even better when damp!

The amount of different seaweeds on the beach today was astonishing to see.  Unfortunetly so was the different sort of rubbish that had been washed up to. Although it all adds to the colours on the beach!

This blue grey stone looked as if it could be some kind of sea creature and to me looked as if it would crawl off any minute! But then l do have a very vivid imagination l am told by my family!!!

This feather was being blown around by the wind, just as l was about to give up trying to film it with all its pieces seperated...the wind died down but was gentle enough to give me the image l was looking for.

I always think this seedweed(seed pods) looks like grapes! Tony reckons they are float aides for the seaweed to float?..sounds plausible!

Cuttlefish l think this is from..but not sure..looks like a miniature surf board! I remember once, when my son was about 5, he used to use these with his Action men figures! Imagination runs strongly in my family!!!

This orange nylon twine may add colour and texture to my image but to sea creatures and birds, it can mean death!

I must look up the names of these different sorts of seaweeds, this one looks like leather to me. I just love the texture of it and the colour. In this image it is dark green and almost black in places....Um wonder how well it would print?

Purple and pink, what pretty seaweed.

This next seaweed is the same as the dark green you saw above but this time is a most a beautiful burnt orange in colour. Reminds me of rust.

The last image is another reason why l love going to the beach...gulls. This one is a baby..just learning to fly really. It was fun watching him, many of his landing would be called "crashed landings" if he had been a plane!

Visit to Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe with my friend Natalie

Last Sunday, Tony and l went to see my friend Natalie and we went to a National Trust House called Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.It was the home of the Victorian Prime Minister, Benjamin Disaeli, who lived here from 1848 to 1881. The reason we were there, was because l wanted to see Natalie before she goes  home to France, in a few weeks..will miss herx

The countryside around the house were so beautiful..so English and Jane Austin!

The cattle were so friendly that when you went up to them, usual they would move away, these creatures let you stroke them and talk to them..amazingly tame! Love their eyes, so gently looking.

As we moved away towards the house, this cow turned around and looked at us as if to say.."You looking at me?" Ha

Can you see the rabbit in this image..it was so cute?

This is the amazing house, we had a quick look inside..so homely looking and very warm and welcoming. Not what l had expected at all.

This next image is of the rear of the building..reminded me a lot of my old boarding school. Natalie being artistic! The lavender was gorgeous and reminded me of this time last year, at my son and Gemma's wedding in Cornwall.

The gardens were well kept and  full of beautiful flowers. Not my choice of colours, a bit too bright for me but seemed to suit this building some how.

During the 2nd World War, this house was a place of interest to the enemy, so a lot of the above ground windows were blocked in. This window is one of the few that is still blocked up.

There were a lot of honey bees and bumble bees around, which l was so happy to see, as they are in short supply in a lot of areas in the UK.

This was one of the few "kept" area of the land around the house...very beautiful place.

While we were having a coffee and yes..l have to admit..a piece of cake...we saw this dog and his sunglasses! He didn't seem to be upset by having them put on him by his young owner!.

The surroundings of this house were so beautiful and as l said earlier.....So Jane Austin!!!