A Weekend Diary

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

Archive for the month “May, 2013”

Some Titchfield flora…and a day in the life…

dandelion
FloweringCherry
daisy
BedOfPetals
PinkPetals

All the above were taken in the past week in Titchfield in Hampshire, during lunchtime walks to get some fresh air…whereas all of the following were taken today in Portsmouth/Southsea and London. The first is of Guildhall Square in Portsmouth at midday, with the Guildhall being watched over by Queen Victoria…

Portsmouth Guildhall, looking resplendent in the welcome sunshine...

Portsmouth Guildhall, looking resplendent in the late spring sunshine…

The next is of a book I bought in the Adelphi second-hand bookshop in Albert Road in Southsea early this afternoon. It cost me two pounds fifty, and is a 1938 reprint of a book originally published in 1937. It is the narrative, with paintings and poetry, of a Chinese artist living in London in the 1930s, recording an expedition to the English Lake District, taken in part to escape the London fogs, and also to reconnect with landscapes reminiscent of his home in China…

The Silent Traveller: A Chinese Artist in Lakeland, by Chiang Yee.

The Silent Traveller: A Chinese Artist in Lakeland, by Chiang Yee.

From Albert Road, I wandered down to Canoe Lake on Southsea seafront, aware that a procession of naked cyclists would be making its way from the naturist beach at nearby Eastney, along Southsea seafront and beyond. It was one of a series of World Naked Bike Rides taking place at various venues this summer, and it seemed like an event worth recording for posterity here (That said, I’m being very discreet in tagging these photos, restricting the tags to one only, ‘naturism’ ;)). Anyway, here they are, and if nothing else, it was at least a lovely day for such an event…

So here they come, along the seafront road from Eastney...

So here they come, along the seafront road from Eastney…

Unsurprisingly maybe, there were a minority of women cyclists participating, but there were some brave enough to take part...:)

Unsurprisingly maybe, there were a minority of women cyclists participating, but there were some brave enough to take part…:)

Methinks the character in red here looks distinctly over-dressed ;)...

Methinks the character in red here looks distinctly over-dressed ;)…

At nearby Canoe Lake in Southsea, among the attractions is 'water walking', a bit of a misnomer, but that's what it's called...

At nearby Canoe Lake in Southsea, among the attractions is ‘water walking’, a bit of a misnomer, but that’s what it’s called…

And this is what it means...

And this is what it means…

Further attractions in Southsea this summer...

Further attractions in Southsea this summer…

German fans in Trafalgar Square,  prior to this evening's Champions League Final at Wembley...and a great match it was too :)...

German fans in Trafalgar Square, prior to this evening’s Champions League Final at Wembley…and a great match it was too :)…

A living statue, north of Trafalgar Square...

A living statue, north of Trafalgar Square…

Union Flags in Leicester Square...

Union Flags in Leicester Square…

Finally, close to home, a couple of pictures taken in Whetstone, London N20…

Swan Lane Open Space, early evening...

Swan Lane Open Space, early evening…

And another of Swan Lane Open Space...

And another of Swan Lane Open Space…

Advertisement

Seeing off a loved one at Gatwick Airport…and a riverside walk along the north bank of the Thames

Gatwick Airport, North Terminal

Gatwick Airport, North Terminal


North Terminal check-in/bag-drop...

North Terminal check-in/bag-drop…


Awaiting a train to London Bridge...

Awaiting a train to London Bridge…


Two men scaling The Shard...

Two men scaling The Shard…


Oystergate Walk, with London Bridge and The Shard beyond

Oystergate Walk, with London Bridge and The Shard beyond


The Banker pub, near Pauls Walk

The Banker pub, near Pauls Walk


The Millennium Bridge, with Southwark Bridge beyond...

The Millennium Bridge, with Southwark Bridge beyond…


A riverside flower...with a busker nearby playing an acoustic version of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven'

A riverside flower…with a busker nearby playing an acoustic version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’


Cormorant sitting...

Cormorant sitting…


And the same bird taking flight...

And the same bird taking flight…


View across the river to the South Bank

View across the river to the South Bank


Sphinx, and a distant London Eye...

Sphinx, and a distant London Eye…

Wandering down through Marylebone and New Bond Street to Piccadilly…

Pure self-indulgence...the day this photoblog's sister site reached 10,000 views...

Pure self-indulgence…the day this photoblog’s sister site reached 10,000 views…


Cabbages and Frocks Market, every Saturday, 11.00 am to 5.00 pm, Marylebone Parish Church Gardens

Cabbages and Frocks Market, every Saturday, 11.00 am to 5.00 pm, Marylebone Parish Church Gardens


A frock, and bag, in the said market...

A frock, and bag, in the said market…


Waitrose, in Marylebone High Street...

Waitrose, in Marylebone High Street…


St. Christopher's Place, Marylebone, just north of Oxford Street...

St. Christopher’s Place, Marylebone, just north of Oxford Street…


A queue of buses in Oxford Street...

A queue of buses in Oxford Street…


Carre d'Artistes shop window, New Bond Street

Carre d’Artistes shop window, New Bond Street


Victoria's Secret shop window, New Bond Street

Victoria’s Secret shop window, New Bond Street


The said garment being modelled in New York City in 2011

The said garment being modelled in New York City in 2011


Busking in New Bond Street

Busking in New Bond Street


Bench, great for tourist photos...Churchill and FDR maybe?

Bench, great for tourist photos…Churchill and FDR maybe?


An archway leading on to Piccadilly...

An archway leading on to Piccadilly…

The World Comes to Regent Street…and a military parade by St James Park…

A mechanical Indian elephant...

A mechanical Indian elephant…


Some very tasty Egyptian vegetarian food, being handed out free from the Ali Baba stall

Some very tasty Egyptian vegetarian food, being handed out free from the Ali Baba stall


A Scotsman doing his thing early afternoon...

A Scotsman doing his thing early afternoon…


The Chinatown Art Space stall...

The Chinatown Art Space stall…


A static hot air balloon...

A static hot air balloon…


A demonstration of Taekwondo...

A demonstration of Taekwondo…


A living Statue of Liberty...

A living Statue of Liberty…


A colourful Can-Can troupe...

A colourful Can-Can troupe…


And representing Trinidad and Tobago...

And representing Trinidad and Tobago…


Marching soldiers at Horse Guards Parade...

Marching soldiers at Horse Guards Parade…


Followed by old soldiers in bowler hats...and respect to them all...

Followed by old soldiers in bowler hats…and respect to them all…


From a flowerbed in St . James Park...

From a flowerbed in St . James Park…

Two Fareham West Street shops…

Ah, well, credit due for such honesty...;)

Ah, well, credit due for such honesty…;)


Some classy window-dressing in Tiffanys, West Street, Fareham

Some classy window-dressing in Tiffanys, West Street, Fareham

Southsea Spring Bank Holiday 2013

Rag doll in a shop window, Albert Road, Southsea

Rag doll in a shop window, Albert Road, Southsea


Another shop window, Albert Road...

Another shop window, Albert Road…


Flowering cherry, near Canoe Lake, Southsea

Flowering cherry, near Canoe Lake, Southsea


Southsea Greenhouse Community Garden, near Canoe Lake (artwork by Fark)

Southsea Greenhouse Community Garden, near Canoe Lake (artwork by Fark)


Swan, Canoe Lake, Southsea

Swan, Canoe Lake, Southsea


Another swan, Canoe Lake

Another swan, Canoe Lake


Build Your Own Dalek, shop window, Eastney, Portsmouth

Build Your Own Dalek, shop window, Eastney, Portsmouth

A Wickham ramble…and the Wainwrights on the South Bank…

It was a beautiful evening last Tuesday, and eight of us went a-rambling in and around Wickham Common, north of Fareham in Hampshire…a five mile walk, after which, four of us went for a meal and a drink in ‘The King’s Head’ pub in Wickham…

Some back-lit leaves en route..

Some back-lit leaves en route..

Long evening shadows, and a football match beyond...

Long evening shadows, and a football match beyond…

Rambling into the setting sun...

Rambling into the setting sun…

'The King's Head' pub in Wickham...

‘The King’s Head’ pub in Wickham…

"I’m sitting in the railway station, Got a ticket for my destination…"... at Fareham station around 9.15 pm on Tuesday

“I’m sitting in the railway station, Got a ticket for my destination…”… at Fareham station around 9.15 pm on Tuesday

And segueing from Simon and Garfunkel to Loudon Wainwright III, last night I found myself at a (half-empty!) Royal Festival Hall, being richly entertained by the wonderfully eccentric folk singing of Loudon Wainwright, supported by one of his daughters, Lucy Wainwright Roche (he is also dad to Rufus and Martha Wainwright)…and a memorable evening it was too :)…

The 'support' was Lucy who did half an hour on her own, and later joined her dad for some duetting...

The ‘support’ was Lucy, who did half an hour on her own, and later joined her dad for some duetting…

Loudon and Lucy...

Loudon and Lucy…

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright III

Duetting on 'Love Hurts', first covered by the Everly Brothers in 1060, and many times since, notably by Nazareth and Jim Capadi amongst others...

Duetting on ‘Love Hurts’, first covered by the Everly Brothers in 1960, and many times since, notably by Nazareth and Jim Capaldi amongst others…

Post Navigation