2012 Xmas lights in London

No snow but the usual diversity of Christmas lights in London for 2012.

Colours and shapes in Neal street and Seven Dials in Covemt Garden

50 years of The Rolling Stones in Carnaby Street

 

Twelve Days of Christmas in Regent Street 

 

Giant Baubles and Mirror Balls in Covent Garden Piazza

 

 Arches of light in South Molton Street 

 

 Lights sponsored by Marmite in Oxford Street 

Bond Leicester Square

James Bond at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, by Cybermyth13.

The new James Bond film has been very successful at the box office  It has the usual glamour, gadgets and action

Swarovski jewellers window display

Starflyer at night, Southbank, London

Starflyer ride at night, Southbank, London, by Cybermyth13.

This summer on the Southbank in London, the Starflyer is very popular. With the decrease in daylight hours, it is becoming more of a light show.. It is open to 9 pm each evening until 30 September 2012. The ride costs £7 per person.

Jessica Ennis wins Olympic Gold at Piccadilly Circus

Jessica Ennis wins 2012 London Olympics Gold, shown live at Piccadilly Circus,  by Cybermyth13.

I happened to find myself in Piccadilly Circus and noticed there were many people looking up at the screen. Jessica Ennis came on screen and I watched her run the 800m to win the heptathlon gold medal. The pictures did not need any commentary. It was clear who the winner was. There were also Greg Rutherford leading in the Long Jump and he went on to win the gold for Team GB. There was quite a crowd watching.

Starflyer (Skyflyer) ride, Jubilee Gardens, Southbank, London

Skyflyer ride and Shell Centre, Southbank, London, by Cybermyth13.

Last weekend in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics I found that there was a funfair in Jubilee Gardens outside the Shell Centre on the Southbank in London. One ride stood out. It is called the Starflyer (not Skyflyer, a smaller ride). It is a giant swing roundabout that starts off with the swings at ground level but then goes up vertically about 220 feet (67 metres) with the swings spreading outwards before gradually returning to the ground. It is a simple idea but well executed and it was very popular during the evening. (Cost £7 per ride)

Shard progress

Construction started in March 2009 on the Shard designed by Renzo Piano and is due for completion in 2012.

Shard building, July 2010,  by Cybermyth13.

Construction started with the central core  but the work was completed on the lower floors as the core increased in height. The 72-storey central core was finished in December 2010 and is 244 metres high.

The Shard, April 2012

The Shard has now risen to 87 storeys at 310 metres (1,016 ft) and is Europe’s tallest commercial building.

2012 Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion, Kensington Gardens, completion

The 2012 Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei, opened on i June 2012 in Kensington Gardens, London, UK.

Eleven columns characterising each past pavilion and a twelfth column representing the current structure  support a floating platform roof, which can collect rainwater. The pavilion's interior is clad in cork, a sustainable building material chosen for its unique qualities and to echo the excavated earth.


Below is a video of some of the preparation and completion of the pavilion:

Serpentine Gallery website.

2012 Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion, Kensington Gardens

2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, preparations, by Cybermyth13.

In Kensington Gardens, preparations are under way for the 2012 Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. The space for the pavilion is created by excavation under the lawn that was used by the previous pavilions. Eleven columns characterising each past pavilion and a twelfth column representing the current structure will support a floating platform roof. The pavilion's interior will be clad in cork, a sustainable building material chosen for its unique qualities and to echo the excavated earth.

Serpentine Gallery website.

The Shard Building, Progress 2010-12

The view from St Thomas Street of the southwest corner of the Shard outside London Bridge Station in July 2010

The southwest corner in evening sunlight, April 2011

Nearing completion, the southwest corner in April 2012

The Shard, London Bridge Station

The Shard, London Bridge, seen from Borough High Street, April 2012, by Cybermyth13.

The Shard building next to London Bridge Staion, is nearing completion. It already towers over the other buildings in the area. As constuction progressed, the tower gradually took shape. Taken on the same day, these two photographs show the building from two opposite direction. Above is the western and southern sides. Below is the view of the northern and eastern sides. Further pictures of the construction of the Shard can be seen on my set on Flickr.

The Shard towers over London Bridge Station, seen from Tooley Street, April 2012
The line of lights is on a platform on London Bridge Station

The Shard, London Bridge

Does size matter?

The Shard towers over Londoners.

On relection:

 

Handley Road, Kingshold Estate, Hackney, London E9

In 1993 Handley Road, Hackney, London E9 looked like this:

In 2012 Handley Road looks like this:

Handley Road, Kingshold Estate, London E9, March 2012, by Cybermyth13.

The concrete blocks have gone to be replace by low-rise terraces. The tree in the middle survived the deomlition of the old estate.

Other pictures of the Kingshold Estate and its redevelopment from the 1990s can be seen in my set on Flickr.

The Tunnel, Leake Street, London

Airborne Mark and paper planes, The Tunnel, Leake Street, London, by Cybermyth13.

The Tunnel, Leake Street, under the railway lines at Waterloo Station, is an "authorised graffiti area". The tunnel was used in 2008 for a display by Banksy.

Street art need not be ugly

The walls are constantly being resprayed with new art and tags

The walls are open to all

Boy in Rocking Chair, Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square

Curious use of Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar square:

Boy on Rocking Chair at night on Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London, close up, by Cybermyth13.

Powerless Structures, Fig 101 by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. More commonly known as Boy in Rocking Chair, a 4.1m high bronze sculpture.

It replaces:

HMS Victory in a bottle, by artist Yinka Shonibare, 

with African cloth representing the former colonies.

Graffiti need not be ugly, Banksy in Pollard Street

Banksy Pollard Street yellow flower, by Cybermyth13.

Graffiti need not be ugly but can easily lead to a mess. This Banksy in Pollard Street, Bethnal Green, has gradually been vandalised.

The flower is an extension of the double yellow lines on the road.

Snow on Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking, Surrey

Snow and sunshine on Denbies Wine Estate, near Dorking, Surrey.

Snow on Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking, Feb 2012,  by Cybermyth13.

The vines are cut back for the winter.

By August, the vines should look like this:

Snow photos, East London, Feb 2012

Snow always makes for some good photos if you can get the exposure right.

The new Pogoda is being built in Victoria Park as part of the restoration work. It is not finished but it looks good in the snow:

Even the pigeons seem to be finding it cold:

Victoria Park, East London

For other snow pics, see my Snow pics in 2012 set in Flickr

Chinese New Year, Gerrard Street, Chinatown, London, January 2012

Chinese New Year, Gerrard St., Chinatown, London 2012, by Cybermyth13.

The decorations are back in Chinatown ahead of the Chinese New Year on 23 January 2012. As well as the Chinese lanterns around Gerrard Street, there is plenty of food including highly-decorated cakes.

Kowloon Restaurant And Cake Shop in Gerrard Street

Niketown, Oxford Circus, London

Nearly Isn't Enough. Paula Radcliffe at Niketown, Oxford Circus, by Cybermyth13.

Prominent window displays with Paula Radcliffe and Mo Farah at Niketown store at Oxford Circus in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics.

Don't Dream of Winning. Train for it. Mo Farah

Part of Nike 2012 campaign with videos on YouTube:

YouTube video for Paula Radcliffe


YouTube video for Mo Farah