A Weekend Diary

…words and images from England's green and pleasant land…

Rambling off, and rambling on…

So, that’s it for another year, and the end of the road for this particular blog. There will be another, at a different WordPress address, coincident with the start of the Chinese New Year on 31 January 2014…

All that remains for me now though is to say thank you to a few loyal visitors to this site over the past twelve months, specifically to gpcox, Frivolous Monsters, and to my sister Chris…a very Happy New Year to you all :).

Rambling on, on Southsea seafront this morning...

Rambling on, on Southsea seafront this morning…

Advertisement

An alcohol-free pub-crawl around Albert Road and Fawcett Road, Southsea ;)…

At the very western end of Albert Road, The One Eyed Dog, on the corner of Elm Grove and Victoria Road North

At the very western end of Albert Road, The One Eyed Dog, on the corner of Elm Grove and Victoria Road North

The Victoria & Albert, on the southern side of Albert Road, at its western end

The Victoria & Albert, on the southern side of Albert Road, at its western end

Little Johnny Russells. on the southern side of Albert Road, near the Kings Theatre

Little Johnny Russells. on the southern side of Albert Road, near the Kings Theatre

The Kings, on the northern side of Albert Road, opposite the Kings Theatre

The Kings, on the northern side of Albert Road, opposite the Kings Theatre

And three more pubs on the northern side of Albert Road, near the Kings Theatre…

The Fat Fox pub...

The Fat Fox pub…

Porters...

Porters…

The Wine Vaults...

The Wine Vaults…

And some nearby distractions from pub photos…

A hand car washing business on the southern side of Albert Road, artwork by Fark, a talented local graffiti artist...

A hand car washing business on the southern side of Albert Road, artwork by Fark, a talented local graffiti artist…

Err...I think I'll be elsewhere on New Year's Eve...;)

Err…I think I’ll be elsewhere on New Year’s Eve…;)

A shop window abstraction...

A shop window abstraction…

A belated Merry Christmas...

A belated Merry Christmas…

Albert Road, looking west, towards the Kings Theatre

Albert Road, looking west, towards the Kings Theatre

Now we’re heading eastwards along Albert Road…

The 5th Hants Volunteer Arms pub, on the southern side of Albert Road, on the corner of Napier Road

The 5th Hants Volunteer Arms pub, on the southern side of Albert Road, on the corner of Napier Road

On the northern side of Albert Road, The Royal Albert/Duke of Devonshire pub...

On the northern side of Albert Road, The Royal Albert/Duke of Devonshire pub…

The Leopold, on the southern side of Albert Road, on the corner of Leopold Street

The Leopold, on the southern side of Albert Road, on the corner of Leopold Street

And a few more distractions, from Albert Road shop windows…

Orange hair...

Orange hair…

Green hair...

Green hair…

...and some colourful guitars...

…and some colourful guitars…

The Bold Forester, on the northern side of Albert Road...

The Bold Forester, on the northern side of Albert Road…

The Festing pub, on the southern side of the road, where Albert Road becomes Highland Road, leading on to Eastney...

The Festing pub, on the southern side of the road, where Albert Road becomes Highland Road, leading on to Eastney…

Now we are heading back westwards, to Lawrence Road, and heading north to Fawcett Road…

The Lawrence Arms, in Lawrence Road

The Lawrence Arms, in Lawrence Road

At the northern end of Lawrence Road, The Fawcett Inn...

At the northern end of Lawrence Road, The Fawcett Inn…

The Red, White and Blue pub, on the western side of Fawcett Road

The Red, White and Blue pub, on the western side of Fawcett Road

The Royal Exchange, an erstwhile pub towards the northern end of Fawcett Road

The Royal Exchange, an erstwhile pub towards the northern end of Fawcett Road

Stranded in Southsea

Excuse me, Dear Reader, there’s something I need to get off my chest, some detritus left there by gale force winds and torrential rain…

Ah, that feels better; that was some audio therapy from a Welsh band called Budgie, from their 1972 album, ‘Squawk’, the track being ‘Stranded’, and an epitome for the frustration of being marooned on Portsea Island over Christmas, when I should have been celebrating the festival with family in faraway Kent…

But never mind, let’s take some positives from it all; it at least provided me with an opportunity to watch a few films I otherwise wouldn’t have watched, including ‘The Bishop’s Wife’, ‘The Red Shoes’ and ‘Love Actually’, while today I wandered down to Canoe Lake in Southsea, and enjoyed a ramble along the seafront under beautiful blue skies, to Southsea Castle and the nearby D-Day Museum…

Southsea seafront near Canoe Lake...

Southsea seafront near Canoe Lake…

Canoe Lake has plentiful swans, and here's one of them...

Canoe Lake has plentiful swans, and here’s one of them…

And in homage to ‘The Red Shoes’, with Moira Shearer in all her Technicolor beauty, here are a couple of swans enacting pas de deux in ‘Le Lac des cygnes’… 😉

PasDeDeux

PasDeDeuxEncore

And here is one final photo of a swan on this photoblog, which now has less than a week to run…

RegalSwan

Wandering westwards along the seafront, the wonderful South Parade Pier soon comes into view…

SouthParadePier

Promenading (and jogging) along the seafront is a popular activity among both locals and visitors…

WheelchairSilhouette

There's very obviously some lens flare here to the right of the pier, but I thought I'd post it nonetheless...

There’s very obviously some lens flare here to the right of the pier, but I thought I’d post it nonetheless…

Wasn't doing any business today, but it's a lot more popular in the summer months

Wasn’t doing any business today, but it’s a lot more popular in the summer months

Nearing Southsea Castle, with its lighthouse, and visible in the distance are both the Naval War Memorial and at the extreme right, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth Harbour...

Nearing Southsea Castle, with its lighthouse, and visible in the distance are both the Naval War Memorial and at the extreme right, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth Harbour…

The Castle Lighthouse, done in sepia...

The Castle Lighthouse, done in sepia…

In front of the D-Day Museum, near Southsea Castle, are a couple of restored Second World War tanks…

A British Churchill Crocodile tank ...

A British Churchill Crocodile tank …

A Canadian Sherman Grizzly tank...

A Canadian Sherman Grizzly tank…

From the D-Day Museum, I wandered up to Palmerston Road, for a pint in The Lord Palmerston (Wetherspoon’s) pub, before heading on to Debenhams, to have a look at the Boxing Day Sale items. I didn’t buy anything, but this rather appealed…

'Nancy' one of the 'Pretty Ladies' figurines in the Royal Doulton series...

‘Nancy’ one of the ‘Pretty Ladies’ figurines in the Royal Doulton series…

As did this Christmas gift from my boss at work, which I drank this evening…Cheers!…and just two more posts to go :)…

A Lakeland Pale Ale, 'Cocker Hoop' from Jennings Brewery

A Lakeland Pale Ale, ‘Cocker Hoop’ from Jennings Brewery

Around Portsmouth Harbour and Southsea seafront…

Figurehead and the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth Harbour

Figurehead and the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth Harbour

Figurehead, close-up...

Figurehead, close-up…

A British MMK1 Magnetic Moored Mine, Portsmouth Harbour

A British MMK1 Magnetic Moored Mine, Portsmouth Harbour

A torpedo (of the type that sank the Belgrano), with the Spinnaker Tower beyond...

A torpedo (of the type that sank the Belgrano), with the Spinnaker Tower beyond…

More about the torpedo...

More about the torpedo…

Sky above Spice Island, Portsmouth Harbour

Sky above Spice Island, Portsmouth Harbour

Similar in sepia...

Similar in sepia…

Naval Memorial on Southsea seafront

Naval Memorial on Southsea seafront

Poppies on the Naval Memorial

Poppies on the Naval Memorial

Memorial window, looking towards Portsmouth Harbour

Memorial window, looking towards Portsmouth Harbour

Southsea seafront from the Naval Memorial

Southsea seafront from the Naval Memorial

Streetlamp on Southsea seafront

Streetlamp on Southsea seafront

Aboukir Memorial, Southsea seafront

Aboukir Memorial, Southsea seafront

Inscription on the Aboukir Memorial...

Inscription on the Aboukir Memorial…

Ferry approaching Portsmouth from Ryde on the Isle of Wight

Ferry approaching Portsmouth from Ryde on the Isle of Wight

WightLink ferry heading towards Portsmouth Harbour

WightLink ferry heading towards Portsmouth Harbour

The same, in colour...

The same, in colour…

The 69 Wine Bar & Bistro (with live music today), in Palmerston Road, Southsea

The 69 Wine Bar & Bistro (with live music today), in Palmerston Road, Southsea

A wet and windy Winter Solstice in London’s West End

Had a bit of Christmas shopping to finish off, so wended my way down to the West End, from Woodside Park to Leicester Square, and wandered on from there around the locality…

Awaiting a Kennington via Charing Cross train at Woodside Park Tube station

Awaiting a Kennington via Charing Cross train at Woodside Park Tube station

Eros in a bubble in the rain at Piccadilly Circus

Eros in a bubble in the rain at Piccadilly Circus

 The 2002 statue of Beau Brummell by Irena Sedlecka in Jermyn Street

The 2002 statue of Beau Brummell by Irena Sedlecka in Jermyn Street

The Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue...no place to be on Thursday evening this week :(

The Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue…no place to be on Thursday evening this week 😦

An illuminated South Bank, from Hungerford Bridge, at around a quarter to ten in the evening...

An illuminated South Bank, from Hungerford Bridge, at around a quarter to ten in the evening…

And this is a bit of an afterthought, a photo taken on Friday evening…I just like the seat design :)…

Tube carriage seat on the Northern Line...

Tube carriage seat on the Northern Line…

And finally, Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Prosperous 2014 to anyone who happens to read this…

The week so far…

'Ai'...the Chinese character for 'love'...

‘Ai’…the Chinese character for ‘love’…

Lovelock on Hungerford Bridge, over the River Thames in central London, dated 29/11/2013

Lovelock on Hungerford Bridge, over the River Thames in central London, dated 29/11/2013

Joanne Panayi's sculpture 'Premier' in Castle Arts, New Row, London WC2...yours for £375

Joanne Panayi’s sculpture ‘Premier’ in Castle Arts, New Row, London WC2…yours for £375

Moon and clouds above Goldsmith Avenue, Fratton, around 7.20 this morning

Moon and clouds above Goldsmith Avenue,
Fratton, around 7.20 this morning

Moon in rigging of HMS Warrior, Portsmouth Hard, this morning...

Moon in rigging of HMS Warrior, Portsmouth Hard, this morning…

West Street, Fareham, around 9.15 this morning...

West Street, Fareham, around 9.15 this morning…

Byfleet and New Haw…and Hampshire, in late Autumn…

A railway station in Surrey, on the line from Waterloo to Portsmouth

A railway station in Surrey, on the line from Waterloo to Portsmouth

Little horse, in a field off Cartwright Drive , Titchfield

Little horse, in a field off Cartwright Drive , Titchfield

A second horse, in the same field...

A second horse, in the same field…

And a third, in the same field...

And a third, in the same field…

Southampton Road, Titchfield, about half-eight in the morning

Southampton Road, Titchfield, about half-eight in the morning

Southampton Road, Titchfield, looking east...

Southampton Road, Titchfield, looking east…

Frosty autumn leaves, Southampton Road, Titchfield

Frosty autumn leaves, Southampton Road, Titchfield

Early morning red leaves, footpath, Titchfield

Early morning red leaves, footpath, Titchfield

Tiffany's, Fareham West Street, early evening

Tiffany’s, Fareham West Street, early evening

Around Woodside Park, London N12

Sunset, Woodside Grange Road, London N12

Sunset, Woodside Grange Road, London N12

Sunset, Woodside Lane, London N12

Sunset, Woodside Lane, London N12

Woodside Park Tube Station, North Finchley, London N12

Woodside Park Tube Station, North Finchley, London N12

And again, in colour...

And again, in colour…

The Sports Bar, The Torrington House pub, Lodge Lane, North Finchley, London N12

The Sports Bar, The Torrington House pub, Lodge Lane, North Finchley, London N12

Inside the Sports Bar...

Inside the Sports Bar…

Watched the second half of the Arsenal game...

Watched the second half of the Arsenal game…

Interesting Korean artefact in the window of the North London Hospice Charity Shop. North Finchley High Road

Interesting Korean artefact in the window of the North London Hospice Charity Shop in North Finchley High Road

From the same shop window, something Japanese (incidentally, there is a significant Japanese ex-pat community in North Finchley)...

From the same shop window, something Japanese (incidentally, there is a significant Japanese ex-pat community in North Finchley)…

A man for all time…

Statue, at the western side of the Royal Festival Hall

Statue, at the western side of the Royal Festival Hall

South Africa House, on the eastern side of Trafalgar Square

South Africa House, on the eastern side of Trafalgar Square

Outside South Africa House this evening...

Outside South Africa House this evening…

Today's London Evening Standard

Today’s London Evening Standard

Friday afternoon in Fareham…and Saturday evening in London…

Worked a ten-hour day on Thursday, so treated myself to a half day on Friday…and spent a couple of hours in Fareham town centre…

A pint of Carling, at Table 63, in The Vanguard Pub, in Fareham West Street...

A pint of Carling, at Table 63, in The Vanguard Pub, in Fareham West Street…

The sculpture at the right is called 'Still Moves' and carries the inscription 'Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed’...which I'd have to meditate on for a very long time before it made any sense ;)...

The sculpture at the right is called ‘Still Moves’ and carries the inscription ‘Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed’…which I’d have to meditate on for a very long time before it made any sense ;)…

A bit further along the pedestrianised part of West Street, in the direction of the railway station...

A bit further along the pedestrianised part of West Street, in the direction of the railway station…

Had my barnet cut, by long-time barber Giovanni at Baker Street on Saturday afternoon, then headed down to the West End by way of King’s Cross…

The wonderful interior of King's Cross station, rendered in mono...

The wonderful interior of King’s Cross station, rendered in mono…

I’ve posted a couple of other photos of Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross on this blog, but never before have I caught a Harry Potter fan so…err…mid-air 🙂

An enthusiastic Harry Potter fan :)...

An enthusiastic Harry Potter fan :)…

That wonderful interior in colour...

That wonderful interior in colour…

The Victorian frontage of King's Cross, in the Euston Road...

The Victorian frontage of King’s Cross, in the Euston Road…

Black cabs, outside St Pancras International...

Black cabs, outside St Pancras International…

The Hippodrome, on the corner of Cranbourn Street and the Charing Cross Road

The Hippodrome, on the corner of Cranbourn Street and the Charing Cross Road

Cranbourn Street, leading to the north side of Leicester Square...

Cranbourn Street, leading to the north side of Leicester Square…

A festive Leicester Square, viewed from its south-western corner...

A festive Leicester Square, viewed from its south-western corner…

And a bit further north in Chinatown, a TCM/Massage clinic in Newport Court, off the Charing Cross Road

And a bit further north in Chinatown, a TCM/Massage clinic in Newport Court, off the Charing Cross Road

A temporary 'Gift Factory' outside the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank, with the London Eye visible in the distance...

A temporary ‘Gift Factory’ outside the Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank, with the London Eye visible in the distance…

Travelling down the escalator to the Northen Line platform at Waterloo Tube station...

Travelling down the escalator to the Northern Line platform at Waterloo Tube station…

Awaiting a High Barnet train home....and I'm wondering who composed the poem, presumably not Boris ;)...

Awaiting a High Barnet train home….and I’m wondering who composed the poem…presumably not Boris ;)…

Post Navigation