Tate Modern Trip.

The question is, can one fall in love with London more than they already have. This day is living proof that i can be won over by the city i live in more than ever. 

Due to my obsessive and wild habit of photographing everything i can possibly see the day is parted into three separate posts; beginning with this particular event. 

The Tate Modern is a must, without a doubt. The walk at eleven o’clock in the morning from Mansion House, very crisp and clear, encouraging me more than ever to route around my winter clothes boxes for my infinite collection of mittens and gloves. This time in the morning, especially on a saturday the city on this side of The Thames is quieter than the little town i used to live, it is almost apocalyptic apart from the occasional bustle of a group tour or school trip. Crossing the bridge however reminds me that i am in a city that never stops no matter the time of day or weather (unless there is snow, then it is lock down). 

Tate provides a great array of art at anyone time from a littering of Picasso and Dali to a starfish supporting a stiletto heel. And it is free which is always such an advantage that i am now living in the ways a student does - the world greatest scrounger. 

They also have a great viewing platform, above the entrance providing me the opportunity to switch lenses and let loose. 

On leaving the gallery the courtyard could only be described as a dream of mine. Greeted by a Bubble Bee the transformer, buskers and hushed tones from passing pedestrians. In my euphoria i did perform a little dance for all to see. 

Moment Playlist.

The Christmas Lights At Oxford Street.

Recently i feel as though i am slipping backwards and getting bad again. I dragged myself out of bed at 5:30 on Tuesday afternoon to go to watch the crowds just after the lights were switched on. Arriving ten minutes after the event the crowds leaving the street was immense, at a complete stand still at every entrance to the underground. 

Additionally, the crowds also leaked onto the roads making it almost impossible for drivers to move. Then when the lights turn to allow pedestrians to actually cross the roads the entire junction was flooded with people.

Deciding since that there was no chance of me getting onto the underground anytime soon without being crushed, i walked along Oxford Street for an hour or so at my own pace. The few benches available benches along the pavement provided the perfect opportunity to photograph the length of the street rather than a section of the street at one time. 

Obviously, i popped by the John Lewis window which is always so cute and clever, this year tying in very well with their new christmas television advert.

The New John Lewis Christmas Advert 2013:

My all time favourite John Lewis Christmas Advert 2011:

The rest of the photographs from this night are up on my other blog: theshuttergunner.blogspot.com

October Half Term.

October half term, something every university has attempted to dolefully disguised as reading week; as when you get to university as it is not plausible to ever suggest to a university student to stop reading. We must always read - apparently. The library i feel is now an extension of myself, i seem to live there more than i do my own house. However, like many, i chose this opportunity to go back to my parents house and scrounge off them for a few days while i am skint.

Being skint however still does not stop me from spending money apparently. Last night i went to the hammersmith apollo to see The Killers. Which was immense, as someone who has been brought up on the voice of Brandon Flowers and singing to their albums for the past decade it was surreal to be singing along to a Killers song with Brandon Flowers.

Now, these photos were taken on my Serene phone from Bang and Olufsen, so they are really bad quality but i am beginning to warm to the phone after two months of suffering with it. I think the poor quality and the obscure angle allow for fairly abstract images. 

Thursday was a fairly slow day reading my book, How To Loose Friends And Alienate People written by the Toby Young, and going to the rugby club where i drank a J20 with glitter in it. Glitter!

Friday was again fairly slow with a little bit of revising for an economics test that greeted me at my first day back to university. However Friday evening was the main reason for going back to my parents house - to attend my presentation evening and collect my a level results. As i participated in this event i did not photograph, however my father did on the camera not quite the greatest quality either it seems. So hen uploading the photos i realised just how blurry they are; the result follows. 

After a slow evening socialising with old teachers and people i used to attend school with, the year group went out to catch up. This panoramic photo on the train being one of my favourites taken by a friend.

Saturday was a slow day only beginning when we were driving back to London in the evening (saving me a train fare) and went to go see an aunt for the first time in years. On departure gifting me with some scrummy jam and a vegetable from her allotment which i am not entirely sure what to do with or even what it is called; but i love it because it is like a flower and a star mushed together. 

With the penultimate stop off at the lost theatre to see a warm up gig from Frank Skinner, dry and filthy but perfectly english. Reaching back home in Mile End around midnight only to realise i had not eaten properly since Thursday. 

That was certainly a good little catch up. Jolly good.

The English Get Patriotic.

I am afraid it is quite an English trait to celebrate so fondly the event that is Bonfire Night on the 5th November. The 5th is an event to celebrate the gunpowder plot to overthrow parliament and the burning of Guy Fawkes. As i said, only the English can patriotically celebrate the attempted murder of the government and the killing of a terrorist.

Something that we are all brought up on, the classic year four syllabus at school to learn what the hell Guy Fawkes was trying to attempt. On top of this, each year on 5th November each town or village builds a giant model of Fawkes (closely resembling an oversized scarecrow) and then we light it up. Tradition to watch a model of a former man burn to ashes, and then have fireworks and sparklers in a freezing field on a school night. Madness.

Being in London for my first 5th November, i was expecting it to be a little bigger than the usual gathering on the local green of 400 people.

This year i went to Southwark Park near Canada Water to watch the fireworks and eat cheap greasy burgers out of a mobile van. Again i am afraid that the entire event passed without taking a single photograph as i still have no camera, but nabbed a few photos from a friends iPhone. The entire event lasted for about an hour, but i love fireworks so it was amazing any which way. We then walked back with the crowds past the over crowded Canada Water and onto Bermondsey tube station where there were fewer people. Unfortunately they did not have a bonfire to my great disappointment.

I intend to reclaim my camera by the end of the week. I know at some point i need to buy a camera of my own, but i am very attached to my six year old brick of a camera.

Adventures in Depression.

In the spirit of Mental Health Day, a sketch about the journey of depression from Hyperbole and a half. Relatable and hilarious.

The Curious Incident.

After an eventful Monday night at tiki bar Mahiki in Green Park, a slow afternoon in West London was much needed. Getting into Paddington early afternoon we walked our usual circuit around Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square and over to Covent Garden. 

We snooped around Somerset House looking at the installation for London Fashion Week and went to the elBulli exhibition, which was awesome. 

This was an installation when a dining table was projected onto a table showing each plate being served, enjoyed and removed. The content of the exhibition was really interesting and something that i do not usually have an interest in, however the way this exhibition was constructed and displayed was amazing.

Attempting to use my new telephoto lens, to the best of her ability.

We went to the Shake Shack for a early dinner in the square, which was a first for me and such a good choice. We sat inside as the weather was just beginning to turn miserable and scoffed our ShakeBurgers with a Shake made Lemonade. So yummy and not too greasy. Just enough to send us on our way. Also they got my name wrong, which i expect now but they genuinely seemed to think my name was ‘Cray’ not Gray...

We then headed back on over to the Shaftesbury Avenue an got a bubble tea, killing some time before the show started. As per usual i played it safe with a Lychee and White Peach mixer, but will also recommend their Passionfruit and Cucumber mixer. 

Tickets in hand we went in the side entrance to take our seats on the balcony in seat 17 (a prime number) and 18. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, was the first proper book i read aged 10 (roughly), i could relate with the main character more than i would like to admit and the book was so logically and simply written that it was something i read two or three times a year til aged 14 or so. When it opened at the National Theatre i knew it was something that would appeal to me, after being moved to the Apollo Theatre we booked it. After that i tried not to read it before we went to go see it, because i did not want to keep comparing it to the book. I think now we have seen it, i will read it again.

 I found in the end it was better being in seats on the balcony because they drew and projected pictures onto the floor, as well as building a train set. And for such a small stage they created a large environment as each scene would come forward and then move back for the next one.

 A calm day was just what was needed and now having a temporary phone to use makes everything so much easier, even though it may not be a smart phone.