crashed invader

I spotted another one of those space invaders half way up a wall. This one looks the worse for wear, but I suppose that gives it a character of its own. Its a matter of observation to spot these small art exhibits in major town centres like London; this one was in Talbot Road. Its not exactly a treasure hunt, but for those that would like one, I see that Time Out is running a London Treasure Hunt this week, with around 40 clues. The clues look easy, but I'm sure visits to the locations are required to solve them.

Oh, and I received an interesting email today; apparently Team Rashbre won a prize from last weekend's Shoot Portobello. Our winning picture should soon be on show in an exhibition in Portobello Road!

blossom

Making idle chatter whilst we waiteed for people to join a telephone conference call today, we were comparing the yellow tulips in our area with the daffodils in Philadelphia. Then I looked out of the window and saw sleety rain. Our season seems to be somewhat confused. A couple of days ago we had the bright sunshine and blossom, which I think makes a better picture.

train à grande vitesse

A prototype French TGV train, the T150, broke the world rail speed record today, reaching 357 miles (574.8 kilometers) an hour. Thats faster than a light aircraft or about half the speed of a passenger jet in normal flight.

Meanwhile, the engineering works on the services from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour have been extended from their target date of the 18th March and Network Rail are unable to confirm when they will be completed.

wall

One of the extra snaps taken during the Sunday afternoon treasure hunt.

smile, you're being blogged

Portobello Hotel
There were large quantities of people with cameras roaming the Portobello Road and generally around Notting Hill this sunny afternoon as part of the Shoot Portobello game. Our little gang didn't really start until early afternoon and headed to one of the clue locations as a starting point. It was the hotel where Alice Cooper had stayed with his pet boa constrictor, which was kept in the bath. To be honest, we thought our problem solving may have been rather wobbly, but as we approached the hotel, we could see other people with cameras standing around and eyeing up shots. We decided to go inside and the delightful person helping in reception agreed to pose for a snap.

Performance
In addition to the clues requiring specific problem solving, there was one which asked for a free-choice around the theme of performance. There were a couple of buskers working the traffic intersections, but this shop owner demonstating the ukelele is much more evocative of the market trading of Portobello.

Of course, along the way, we had stop at the counter cultural establishment known as Rough Trade.

rough trade shoot in portobello road

Just charging the batteries this evening before heading to Portobello Road tomorrow for the Shoot Portobello event, which is some kind of treasure hunt in Notting Hill to look out for famous musical spots and celeb locations. So popular they've extended it over two days from the original one. I'm expecting an email with clues about midnight. Team rashbre will be there in force tomorrow!

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All right, I know I don't usually advertise on this blog, but I thought I'd make an exception when I saw this incoming email today.

I stayed in a rather smart hotel suite about a year ago, as a consequence of a freak room upgrade. I went from a normal room to a penthouse suite of the type that pop-stars argue about (quite literally, in this case). There was something unusual about the level of opulence in the room though, which said more to me about underworld barons than normal people.


The suite had a large meeting area, for about eight people, a lounge area (above) with comfy chairs and sofas and one of those huge flat screen televisions that slides up out of the furniture, a big bedroom with another one of those televisions, and a balcony leading to a hot-tub on the decking outside.

Oh, and there was a gate and if you walked through it there was another balcony with a couple of big tables and enough space to hold a party for fifty people.

Then don't get me started on the bathroom, with its separate steam room with a special system to automatically switch on various scented oils.

Anyway, I havn't mentioned the office area, which had a stylish desk and a complementary computer. The computer was running a multiligual version of Windows and seemed to have been configured for the seamy underside of the internet. I decided it was best to leave it alone.

And now to my point; I've thought of that room afterwards, with its amazing views as my 'Russian Mafia' room, and now I've been sent this email, I'm beginning to think I was right. The furniture in the email looks suspiciously like the desk furniture from the hotel.

mafia hitmen two timing ransom explosion

I glanced through my tracker log today and couldn't help noticing a stream of searches for mafia hitman, a petrol station explosion, a ransom and a lascivious proposition. My advice is stay away from Canal Street and gas stations this weekend.

vid

Not much time to post today, so, keeping the week's London theme, here's one (above) I prepared earlier and also a larger, high definition here (though you'd need to wait for it to load)!

Thursday Thirteen (V42) : trackback?

Gherkin, Tower 42 and a mad digger. They say the Cucumber and Pickled Onion will be the next two new London buildings.

About time for another Thursday Thirteen and this week I thought I'd try a recap of a few places I've visited in the last few months.

1) We can start with New York, which I always enjoy. This time I stayed right on Broadway, in the rather splendid W.
2) A visit on the Eurostar, to Brugges, in Belgium. A city of canals and pretty streets.
3) A somewhat longer journey to Las Vegas. I'm told what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. So maybe I should delete my blog entry.
4) A brief visit to the lovely canals of Amsterdam.
5) A friendly re-fuel in the Italian in Battersea Park Road.

6) A long weekend in and around China Town in Manchester.
7) I was also found aboard a ship of fools
8) I started a walk around the tourist parts of London including by the Houses of Parliament
9) Then back to Amsterdam to admire the bicycles.
10) A decompression morning around Sloane Square

11) Before a more in Seine moment on the river in Paris.
12) Then a re-grounding in the City of London.
13) I seem to have missed out a couple of trips to Frankfurt where I didn't really take any pictures at all.

I must have been in a hurry.

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Tag: Thursday Thirteen, free link friday

Tourist London Part 5

Back to the City of London walk, leaving Leadenhall Market and turning towards Lloyds of London, which gives a good view of 'the gherkin' as well. We are now in the area where buildings show the latest architectural thinking.

The Lloyds Building was designed by Richard Rogers and built bewteen 1978 to 1986 on the site of Edward Lloyd's coffee house (founded in 1688). All its services are on the outside, leaving a clean uncluttered space inside. The 12 glass lifts were the first of their kind in the UK. There is a huge Insurance Underwriting Room on the ground floor, which houses the famous Lutine Bell. The 11th floor houses the Committee Room, an 18th century dining-room originally designed by Robert Adam in 1763 and transferred from its prior location across the road.

And I suppose to keep that the architectural theme running, the Gherkin across the road was designed by Sir Norman Foster and is already something of an instant icon for modern London. More correctly called 30 St Mary Axe, or Swiss Re, it could be something from another world, looking here as if it has set itself down next to the adjacent church.

neverland

I'd planned to describe the next part of my City of London wanderings this evening, moving to a few shiny happy buildings after the majestic old ones in the last couple of posts.

Instead, I was diverted to the television, where 2004's "Finding Neverland" was playing. A most enjoyable story of Sir James Matthew (J.M.) Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan", with Barrie played by Johnny Depp.

Although adapted from Barrie's real-life story, this tightly edited yet magical film brings imagination and emotion to the story including Peter being played as a very serious mini-adult.

The storyline revolves around Barrie's meeting with Sylvia Llewelyn-Davies (Kate Blanchett) and her four boys then becoming the inspiration for Barrie's most famous story. There's plenty of good sub-plot and because we all know the real Peter Pan story, we can feel real involvement as the story unfolds. And of course, we see Depp as a fledgling pirate of the Carribbean.

In the meantime, like a good city should, London has a fine statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Clap if you believe.