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.