Showing posts with label River Thames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label River Thames. Show all posts

Friday 14 February 2014

Views of St Paul's Cathedral I

St Paul's is over 300 years old and was built on the highest point in the city. It remains a constant in an ever changing city. At the Guildhall Art Gallery, you can see paintings of St Paul's which show you how the city has changed over time, not to mention painting styles.

The Lord Mayor Proceeding to Westminster on Lord Mayor's day 9 November 1789
 Richard Paton & Francis Wheatley

The Thames by Moonlight with Southwark Bridge 1884
John Atkinson Grimshaw


The Heart of the Empire 1904 Niels Moller Lund

Blackfriars Bridge and St Paul's 1995
Anthony Lowe

Landscape 715 2003-04
John Virtue

Inside the Guildhall Art Gallery


Guildhall Yard & Art Gallery, the site of London's Roman amphitheatre
Open all week, free admission. Why not check out these paintings and the City of London's art collection at the Guildhall Art Gallery, only a stone's throw from the cathedral itself.

Have a look at the website for more details here.

Sunday 13 May 2012

Boat Trip

We took a Thames Clipper downstream. We began our journey at London Bridge City Pier. There was no shortage of viewpoints. We started here.
HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf.


The view looking back.
The Shard, HMS Belfast.

The Clipper crossed the Thames to the Tower of London.
When I was little the 'Bloody Tower' caused great amusement, just being able to say it out loud without getting told off for swearing was great fun.

We passed under Tower Bridge and looked back at the Shard and City Hall.

Then we had to take our seats as the captain put his foot down. We sped along past moored sailing boats with the Gherkin and the Nat West Tower in the background.

We sped past HMS Ocean, which at 125foot wide squeezed through the Thames Barrier last week. It's here to protect London during the Olympics. 

We passed by Greenwich and the newly restored Cutty Sark.
I cheated with this photo, it was taken on dry land later in the day. 


As we headed downstream the O2 came into sight. 


Then we rounded the bend to see the new TFL cable car crossing the Thames and Antony Gormley's Quantum Cloud. Both huge structures.


We got off the boat at North Greenwich Pier and watched the cable car practising. No passengers yet as it isn't quite finished.



We chatted about value for money, apparently the cable car cost 6o million pounds, "that's 10 million less than Real Madrid paid for Christiano Ronaldo".
I love the way these pictures human contrast scale, us, the figure in Antony Gormley's Quantum Cloud and the gondolas, each being able to carry 10 people.

We had a little walk around North Greenwich and got closer to the O2. 


"It feels like we're in the future", said my 12 year old. I know what she means...

Not a bad value for money trip. All this for the price of a single ticket on the Thames Clipper
Next time I think we'll head upstream.

Since writing this post, the cable car is up and running. Great views and especially good as the city lights come on in the evenings. 

Monday 7 May 2012

Urban river walk...

...In Catford.

We went for a walk by the river...



...where the rivers Pool & Ravensbourne meet.



There was something for everyone.

Bird spotting...



...this is where the Nuthatch live.

Tree spotting...


...we think this is a Hornbeam.

Art...



And paddling...


...they ended up a lot wetter than this.

We also saw two jet fighters overhead...
 ...practising, air security for the Olympics.
(Sorry no photos, they were too far away and too fast)

The Riverview Walk is part of a longer walk. The Waterlink Way... 


...where we could have walked, or cycled, all the way from Sydenham to the river Thames.

That post was two years ago. Now two years on and I walk/run this route every week. Love seeing how everything changes with each season, lovely spring blossom recently.
Plus even been treated to sightings of a Kingfisher and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

You can also download video and sound works made in response to the river, 'Here Comes Everybody', either here on the website here or scan the QR code on a plaque on one of the bridges with a smartphone when you're there. 
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