David's Blog

Reflections - Thailand

2011-11-06T12:46:00.001Z

Cloister of Bhuddas
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

The ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya was recently hit by severe flooding. Hoping that life is returning to normal without too much damage. These Bhuddas from a riverbank monastery just outside the city. Click through to the Flickr page for details on the photo.

Roadworks

2011-10-30T08:45:00.002Z

This from Bayliss Rd in Lambeth, London near Waterloo Station. There are a huge number of roadworks in London now; this one is considerate of the bike lane but other works often interrupt the bike lanes in a car-centric approach to traffic flows.

River Thames and Shard

2011-03-17T19:33:00.001Z

Captured at dusk from Southwark Bridge

St Pancras International

2011-03-11T18:01:00.001Z

Gateway to Europe

Southwark Bubbles

2011-03-05T17:27:00.001Z

Views from a bicycle - Southwark, London

No Frowning Friday

2011-02-25T18:35:00.001Z

Car free zone at Look Mum No Hands, Old St., London

Slow Down

2011-01-08T14:29:00.001Z

Downtown Los Angeles from the Sixth St Viaduct. Taken this morning with iPhone 4 using Camera + and purple haze FX processing

Reflections

2011-01-04T15:18:00.001Z

Barker Dam in the Joshua Tree National Park, California USA on 2 Jan 2011. Taken with a Nokia N95

The Pacific

2011-01-01T18:40:00.001Z

Sun breaking through at the end of a long flight from London

Heathrow Returning to Normal

2010-12-29T09:42:00.001Z

Crowded at check in but no unusual delays

Speedy Delivery

2010-12-19T10:17:00.001Z

Speedy Delivery
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Royal Mail delivery trolley waits patiently on the pavement for tomorrow's busy rounds.

Snow and Shard

2010-12-16T20:57:00.001Z

Snow falling on London Bridge Station

Columbia Rd Flower Market

2010-12-12T10:26:00.001Z

In full swing for Christmas trees, Holly, amaryllis

No frowning today

2010-12-10T09:54:00.001Z

Upbeat info column at #1ookmumnohands on Old St, London

Crossing Waterloo Bridge

2010-12-09T18:06:00.001Z

Crossing Waterloo Bridge on a cold and windy December evening. View west toward the Palaces of Westminster and South Bank's London Eye. Frame taken with Night Photo app to minimise camera shake and cropped in the Adobe PS app.

Break Time

2010-12-05T18:43:00.001Z

London Boris biker waiting at traffic light

Morning Coffee

2010-12-04T11:15:00.003Z

Coffee at the Mecca (Monmouth Coffee in Maltby St.,Bermondsey

Remembering - 14 November 2010

2010-11-14T12:00:00.001Z

Time passes but the horror of war is still visible in the many monuments in London, UK to sacrifices made by the armed services and loss of life to civilians. All images mine from a mix of analogue and digital cameras. Each row from upper left: (i) Highbury Corner V1 Rocket Memorial, (ii) mosaic from base of Meeting Place by Paul Day, St Pancras International, (iii) sunlight through tree in Abney Park Cemetery, (iv) Coronation Ave Bombing memorial - Abney Park Cemetery, (v) wild rose in Abney Park Cemetery, (vi) War memorial - Abney Park Cemetery and (vii) Druid St Bermondsey memorial

2010-11-12T11:19:00.001Z

Crossings, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

St Pancras - A Moment in Time

2010-11-11T07:06:00.001Z

Entry for New York Times 'A Moment in Time' at 1500 UTC on 30 April 2010

Postcard Day

2010-09-26T09:44:00.001+01:00

Postcard Day
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

OK, it's a bit touristy but I couldn't help stopping for a pic when crossing the Thames yesterday. A rare, no cloud morning in London. The bright colours are the newly-repainted railings along the Southwark Road Bridge, my favourite river crossing - minimal traffic and fully-segregated bike lanes in both directions.

First Ride on Boris Bike

2010-08-16T17:07:00.001+01:00

First Ride on Boris Bike
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Vauxhall - front view of bike docked after my first ride on Transport for London's Cycle Hire bike. Verdict: heavy but smooth ride on rough roads - it's an updated version of a beach bomber complete with front and rear lights and bell. Gearing a bit low but not planning an attempt at the human powered speed record anytime soon. It has a 'presence' on the road and posed no handling difficulties on my half-hour jaunt from Hoxton to Vauxhall.

London's Critical Mass

2010-05-02T08:04:00.001+01:00

London's Critical Mass
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Nikon D40, Nikkor AF-S 35mm 1:1.8 G lens. London's Critical Mass northbound on Regent St. approaching Piccadilly Circus.

www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/main.html

East London Line

2010-04-27T20:29:00.001+01:00

East London Line
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

The world's newest metro line opened today for passengers. The East London line combines the best of 19th and 21st century technologies, passing through the Brunel Tunnel under the River Thames, the world's first underwater tunnel and on state-of-the-art modern tracks and new arch bridges.

The carriages and stations are spacious - much more so than the Docklands Light Railway - and passengers can walk through from one carriage to the next should the nearly empty space soon fill up with eager commuters.

Top row from left to right: (i) Interior carriage seats at Shoreditch High St., (ii) platform seats at Canada Water, the transfer point for the Jubilee Line, (iii), Whitechapel, an 'old' refurbished station, (iv) poster at the brand new Hagerston Station. Center row - left to right: (i) girders on bridge over A10, (ii) Hoxton station platform, (iii) train arriving at Canada Water. Bottom row from left to right: (i) interior carriage shot showing connection to next carriage, (ii) New tile work at Haggerston station, and (iii) train departing Haggerston station.

Tower Hamlets Wheelers Workshop

2010-04-02T14:32:00.001+01:00

Wheelers workshop - volunteer mechanic pumping tyre
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Tower Hamlets Wheelers celebrated their seventh year of monthly bicycle workshops on 27 March 2010. The workshop ran from 11:00 to 15:00 at the Limehouse Town Hall in East London. Here, Dave, a volunteer mechanic, is pumping up a tyre for one of the more than two dozen cyclists who attended for a variety of repairs ranging from brakes to bottom brackets.

BFI Southbank - 60s Diva DJs

2010-03-28T12:31:00.001+01:00

BFI Southbank - 60s Diva DJs
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

The Riverfront Bar at BFI Southbank came alive last night during the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Diva DJs dancing to 'Stoned Love' by Diana Ross

Dangerous Roundabout

2010-03-25T20:16:00.001Z

Dangerous Roundabout
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Southbound traffic on Southgate Rd oftens fails to give way to cyclists travelling east or west on Northchurch Rd. The gray car in the foreground is encroaching on the cyclist who is already in the roundabout despite clear road markings and give way signs on all approaches. There was a serious accident at this roundabout on the evening of 24/3/10 - a police car hit a cyclist who is in serious condition.

www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23818847-cyclist-...

Paul Day - Frieze under 'Meeting Place' - Soldiers returning from war

2010-03-18T17:03:00.001Z

Paul Day - Frieze under 'Meeting Place' - Soldiers returning from war
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

This photo depicts one of the panels on the frieze at the base of the 'Meeting Place', Paul Day's large bronze statue of a kissing couple in St Pancras International Station. The panels stand in stark juxtaposition to the embrace above, creating a kind of historical tension between the dark days of war, the 7/7 bombings, the sense of dark industrial isolation and the embrace in modern clothes above. I'm not quite sure what to make of the large sculpture (heterosexist) but the panels beneath drew me in with a very different view of the work as a whole.

Critical Mass - London

2010-02-26T22:51:00.001Z

Piccadilly Circus
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Waiting for rest of group at Piccadilly Circus. Critical Mass happens on the last Friday of every month - meet under Waterloo Bridge at 18:00 for 19:00 departure.

Flight Path

2010-02-14T20:53:00.001Z

Flight Path
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Easterly approach to London City Airport

Sunrise over Debeauvoir

2010-01-30T08:06:00.001Z

Sunrise over Debeauvoir
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Dusting of snow overnight in Hackney, London

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T22:54:00.001Z

Merry Christmas
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Wishing everyone good health and safe travelling today, and all best for the New Year!

Christmas Balls and Bike Horns

2009-12-21T08:25:00.001Z

Merry Christmas
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

From Hackney's Lock 7 bike shop and cafe - it's a cyclist's dream - a big kitchen with a bike repair workshop, good drinks and food and warm sunshine through large windows to warm up on a cold day!

Holiday Cheer in London Fields

2009-12-19T08:28:00.001Z

Holiday Cheer in London Fields
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

LCC Hackney cyclists served up mulled wine, delicious biscuits and minced pies last night in the heart of London Fields. Cyclists are a hardy bunch - the temp was 0 C with a wind chill. Hackney has seen the largest growth in cycling over the past few years of any London borough.

Green Dragon Court

2009-11-21T15:22:00.001Z

Green Dragon Court
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Pausing for an early lunch under the rail arches at London's Borough Market.

Rainy Days for Royal Mail

2009-11-16T00:28:00.001Z

Rainy Days for Royal Mail
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Poor industrial relations have already degraded the quality of Universal Service. First class UK post is now taking three to seven days or more to arrive; I got a birthday card from my sister recently that took one month via air mail from the USA. Up until a year ago, that card would have arrived within 5 to 7 days.

Failing to address fundamental efficiency issues now and the continuing impact of electronic commmunications will make the difficult decisions Government is facing even more difficult following the general election. Will the iconic pillar box become a listed artifact of a bygone era?

Mordernise or decline - Hooper Report
www.berr.gov.uk/files/file49389.pdf

The report addressed modernisation in two phases - first, transformation, changing culture and breaking down resistance to change, and, second, diversification, finding new sources of revenue. This is a massive management challenge on the scale of modernising the telecomms trunk network by BT in the 1980s.

Rainy Day City

2009-11-07T09:10:00.001Z

Rainy Day City
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

London's City on a rainy Sunday from the front of a double-decker bus (141). Camera phone set on macro to focus on windscreen raindrops.

Morning in London Fields

2009-10-11T10:32:00.001+01:00

Morning in London Fields
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Priority Crossing

2009-09-05T08:21:00.001+01:00

Priority Crossing
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Here's a chance for Hackney to score another first. Why not make this the UK's first priority crossing for bicycles. Move the give way signs to the roadway and install speed humps on each side of the crossing. This is a busy cycle route; let's do it!

Albert Dock - Liverpool

2009-08-26T15:00:00.001+01:00

Albert Dock - Liverpool
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

From a recent business trip to Liverpool. This is the view from the bar / restaurant at the Holiday Inn Express - north towards the Royal Liver building. The massive buildings are a testament to robust construction quality; they are now protected by law as Grade 1 listed properties. The Tate Liverpool museum is at the far end of the block on the left side of the water.

Church of the Panagia Paraportiani, Mykonos Greece

2009-08-11T08:35:00.001+01:00

Church of the Panagia Paraportiani, Mykonos Greece
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

The church is comprised of five separate chapels linked together in the Cycladic style. The oldest parts are from the Byzantine era.

Art is all around us!

2009-08-03T07:29:00.000+01:00

This from the basketball court on Mykonos near Space.

Message of Peace from Mykonos, Greece (School Project)

2009-08-02T11:33:00.000+01:00

Mystras - Frescoes

2009-07-29T22:19:00.001+01:00

Mystras - Frescoes
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Some of the best-preserved Byzantine frescoes at Mystras near Sparta, Greece

Parthenon

2009-07-28T22:28:00.001+01:00

Parthenon
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

The queen of all classical architecture - a wonder to behold up close. A classical ending to a perfect day in Athens!

Sunset on the Lee Navigation

2009-06-22T21:46:00.001+01:00

Summer Solstice Swim
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Swans and chicks on the Lee Navigation at sunset. Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England

Hope

2009-06-05T07:10:00.001+01:00

Hope
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Sunlight was the star last Sunday morning in London's Abney Park Cemetery, shining through one of the largest horse chestnut trees I've seen. I caught a glimpse of the sun through the crown and wondered how digital capture would work - I used a full range of exposure compensation on my Nikon D40 - this frame is at +2/3 EV.

Slow Down London Photo Exhibit

2009-05-02T08:00:00.001+01:00

Slow Down London Photo Exhibit
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Show at Foyles Cafe, Charing Cross Rd London sponsored by the Londonist and Slow Down London.

http://slowdownlondon.co.uk/gallery/

My entry 'Taste and Chat' second from left, top row
www.flickr.com/photos/d1v1d/3315118693/

Roses in Regent's Park

2009-04-18T09:36:00.001+01:00

Roses in Regent's Park
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Healthy foliage in the Rose Garden in the Regent's Park Inner Circle. Bountiful blooms guaranteed by the end of May!

After Midnight

2009-03-16T11:19:00.001Z

After Midnight
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Back at home after a week's stay at London Bridge Hospital. This was the view of London Bridge from my window on a sleepless night. Had lumbar fusion surgery. Walking again but still very painful. See link below,

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/lumbar-spinal-fusion-surgery

La Tua Pasta, Borough Market

2009-02-28T08:40:00.002Z

La Tua Pasta, Borough Market
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

My favourite pasta at Borough Market, London taken on 21 February 2009. Used my not-so-portable Mamiya C330S Twin Lens Reflex camera (aka the Lee Miller camera) and Kodak TX 400 film for this. There is nothing automatic about this camera - focusing is especially challenging because of the limited depth of field with the available lighting.

You can see the range of products available at:
http://www.latuapasta.com

Clerkenwell in Bloom

2009-02-27T22:04:00.001Z

Clerkenwell in Bloom
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Aah - the magic of spring - first warm sunny day in ages. This taken from ground level facing the afternoon sun in a small garden near Farringdon Station, Clerkenwell.

What is Life?

2009-02-23T20:39:00.001Z

What is Life?
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Ghost Bike at Old St. / St. John St. junction in Clerkenwell - scene of a number of serious / fatal accidents involving bicycles

I am thinking of the George Harrison song, 'What is Life?'
www.last.fm/music/George+Harrison/_/What+Is+Life

Snow Drifts in Regent's Park

2009-02-02T13:45:00.001Z

Snow Drifts in Regent's Park
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

OK - so time for a bit of Tom foolery. Look closely to see the seams in this British Land photo applied to a temporary wall in Regent's Place. The snow drifted up against the wall but created a cinema-like matte effect.

Early Gym Day

2009-01-31T13:19:00.001Z

72-73 Goding St
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Up at 5:15 on Thursday - no delays on bus or tube but the facial lines speak to the early hour.

The Inaugural Poem - by Elizabeth Alexander

2009-01-21T10:37:00.001Z

Wonderful, spirited writing - see link at:
http://london.usembassy.gov/obama004.html

Regent's Canal - Icy Morning

2009-01-10T08:48:00.001Z

Regent's Canal - Icy Morning
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Rode on Regent's Canal yesterday from Broadway Market, Hackney to Islington - first time in a long while. No YOBs but lots of ice. Cyclists and peds much more courteous now about slowing down and giving way - bell tings in abundance as well. Where are the waterfowl? Too cold to 'duck' down.

Accident Hotspot - Northchurch Rd at Southgate Rd

2009-01-08T18:01:00.001Z

Accident Hotspot - Northchurch Rd at Southgate Rd
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Van failed to give way - in spite of clear road markings and sign. My lights were on and I was wearing my hi-viz vest. Luckily only minor damage but could have been worse. I suspect there was something else distracting the driver - a mobile phone?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T20:37:00.000Z

Critical Mass Wins in House of Lords!

2008-11-28T08:36:00.002Z

This post is an email from Chris Ashby at the Islington Cyclists Action Group (ICAG)

The appeal against the Metropolitan Police by a Critical Mass particpant has
been won in a major judgement made at the House of Lords today. If you want
to read the full proceedings then type something like House of Lords
Judgement 26th November 2008 into Google and you will have joyful reading!
ICAG and LCC have always supported Critcal Mass so this is an important
legal decision. Thanks and congratulations are due to the appellent and to
the appellent's legal team, one of whom some of you will know and have seen
on a recent Feeder Ride near here. One might legitimately question the huge
amount of our money spent by the Met' Police on persuing and finally losing
this ridiculous case against cyclists.

See Guardian article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/nov/26/critical-mass-london-police/print

Freedom

2008-11-04T15:09:00.004Z

Reports are now flowing in about record voting in Virginia and other Eastern states; voters started to line up at 4:30 am this morning. There is hope!

The 45-year old words of Martin Luther King come to mind:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

"...when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

Lighting Up

2008-10-26T08:07:00.003Z

Please, please - cycling in poor weather or in the dark without lights or reflective kit is an invitation to disaster. I've seen too many cyclists (mostly young men) with dark clothes and no reflectors or lights - drivers have to be particularly alert to see dark cyclists --- add in some rain and distraction from other traffic or a mobile phone :( --- and disaster awaits!

Items which move while cyclists are pedalling are excellent to attract attention - for instance hi-viz leg bands with velcro tabs that keep your trousers from getting stuck in the chain
http://www.respro.com/products/urban-commuting/hi-visibility/ankle_bands/

Hi-viz vests offer 360 degree visibility - I use the make in the following link - have washed it several times and it still works well after three years.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/respro/superlite-waist-coat-ec009166

The best safety measure is to mount front and rear lights. There is wide choice between self-generating dynamos, LED blinking attention grabbers and so-called ABS systems for 'Blair Witch' lighting on off-road paths. See the following link for more details:
http://www.aukweb.net/lights/index.htm

My favs are dynamo-driven front and rear lights - good for commuting and night riding on well-lit urban roads, and the Niterider ABS system for jaunts on dark tow paths. The advanced systems are more expensive but the batteries can be recharged hundreds of times and these are the only lighting systems that provide safe see-and-be-seen lighting where there are no streetlights (or a new moon). See the following link:
http://www.niterider.com/bike.shtml

My Thinking Cap

2008-10-12T12:16:00.002+01:00

Helmets are an essential safety feature for cyclists. Arguments to the contrary are a bit like the hold-outs on global warming. Not only are helmets essential in helping to minimise head injuries in a crash, but they also have value when attacked - this happened to me two years ago on a London canal. The thugs were kicking my head to get me to release my bike. I joke about my Specialized Deuce as my 'thinking cap' but it really is no joke; limbs can be patched up or even replaced after an accident but there is no ready solution for brain injury. I'm concerned that safety standards have relaxed in this area - see
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/papers/c2023.pdf

The Snell Memorial Foundation has the world's most stringent testing standards - there are a few helmets in the UK which meet these standards - see
http://www.smf.org/

Advice from Cyclists' Defence Fund

2008-10-11T20:39:00.002+01:00

It's worthwhile thinking about how to respond to a cycling accident before it happens. Follow the link below to a list of top tips from the Cyclists' Defence Fund

http://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/top-ten-tips-after-a-crash

Live from Canal St Manchester

2008-10-07T19:46:00.000+01:00

In Memory of Smudge - Killed in Hackney

2008-10-05T16:35:00.001+01:00

In Memory of Smudge - Killed in Hackney
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Geraldine Bedell wrote about ghost bikes, including the memorial to Smudge, in today's Observer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/oct/05/art

Antony Smith, 37 - killed on 21 April 2008 as he was cycling to work. May he rest in peace! A memorial bike at the site of the fatal accident - Middleton Rd. just east of the A10 (Kingsland Rd), Hackney, London. There have been two fatalities so far this year on this stretch of busy road in Hackney.

Obama Campaigners at London Borough Market

2008-09-30T12:09:00.000+01:00

Autumn Leaves in London

2008-09-29T12:55:00.000+01:00

Critical Mass - London - 26 September 2008

2008-09-27T22:00:00.002+01:00

Fine weather brought hundreds of cyclists together under the Waterloo bridge by kick-off time around 19:00. The police were conspicuously absent. Not bad at the start and for the first few miles across Waterloo Bridge and up Southampton Row to Holborn. But the pack stretched out because of intermingling motor vehicle traffic and tempers started to flare in the West End. I personally observed two shouting matches between cyclists and motorists and an ugly assault incident by a pedestrian on a fixie rider near Trafalgar Square.

Let's hope this doesn't become like the NY Mass!

Here is a link to my live broadcast video from the Holborn segment:

http://qik.com/video/340871

Demonstration Lorry - Kingsland Fire Station

2008-09-19T13:26:00.001+01:00

Demonstration Lorry - Kingsland Fire Station
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

The Met police sponsored a Spatial Awareness day on 16/9/08 at the Kingsland Fire Station on the A10 in Hackney, London GB. Positioned 50m from a busy junction, police waved down passing cyclists who disobeyed traffic signals. Risking a £30 on-the-spot fine, six cyclists were stopped by police officers within a 30 min. period. Money aside, three cyclists have been killed near this location within the past year, several in accidents involving large vehicles.

Fact sheet on road accidents - bicycles and lorries
www.rospa.com/roadsafety/advice/cycling/info/cyclists_and...

Tips to avoid injury or worse...
www.bikeradar.com/blogs/article/how-riders-can-help-stop-...

Just two days after this event, another cyclist was killed in London by a lorry

www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23557226-details/...

Kent's Bike Blog: Barack Obama Spoke Card

2008-06-29T13:12:00.000+01:00

Kent's Bike Blog: Barack Obama Spoke Card

London's Prairie

2008-06-23T17:42:00.001+01:00

London's Prairie
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

At home on the range near King George's Resevoir - view from the Lee Navigation towpath - London Borough of Enfield. The white flecks in the background are sheep grazing on the resevoir bank (you can see the sheep more clearly viewing the large size image). That's me and my bicycle casting the shadow just below the horse.

Let's take the train!

2008-06-16T20:27:00.002+01:00

No time to relax!
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Took the train home to London from Edinburgh last Friday. The door-to-door (including taxis) journey time of five hours compared favourably to a similar route by plane, taking into account the travel time to and from the airports, minimum check-in times, time required for security, traffic and parking. Click on the photo to go to my Flickr site where you can follow my journey in the Edinburgh to London set (see sets to the right of the main photo).

A Post-Petroleum World?

2008-06-05T17:28:00.001+01:00

A Post-Petroleum World?
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

Today is World Environment Day. What are you doing to help the planet?

The 19th century inventions in this frame - the train line overhead and the parked bicycles - already point to the way forward to less reliance on petroleum products.

Raleigh Folder (1981)

2008-06-03T22:34:00.001+01:00

Raleigh Folder (1981)
Originally uploaded by D1v1d

This is my around town, short distance bike, parked at Highbury & Islington Station. Japanese made, classic SA 3-speed hub, sweep-up bars and large Pashley bell just off the top of the frame. Alu rims and modern tyres - 47-305 (Marathon) front tyre, 50-305 (Big Apple) rear tyre.

Faster, Faster

2008-06-01T11:40:00.007+01:00

Hackney, London UK has a new bike-friendly cafe overlooking the Regent's Canal just south of Broadway Market.

For details, see:
lock-7.com

Bicycle and zoetrope by Siobhan McAuley, see:
www.siobhanmcauley.com/index.html

Blue Wall

2008-05-27T16:56:00.001+01:00

London's Olympic Development Agency has put up a long blue wooden fence around its construction site in East London. The section along the Lea Valley Navigation (canal and towpath) has just been decorated with logos and contributions from local schools. You can see the reflection of Hackney's Gainsborough Primary School in the frame.

Summer is Here!

2008-05-13T11:16:00.000+01:00

11 May 2008 - Cycling north on the Lea Valley towpath from the Walthamstow Marshes, I passed Springfield Park - at the north end of Hackney. This taken with my Nokia N95 on Automatic with a +1 stop exposure adjustment to let in more detail in the shadows

The Undercroft, South Bank - London

2008-02-09T14:22:00.000Z

Skateboarder, BMX cyclists and grafitti artists make for a bit of underground culture.

2008-02-09T14:19:00.000Z

Art from The Undercroft, South Bank between BFI Southbank and Queen Elizabeth Hall

Newington Green - London Plane Trees in Lights

2007-12-16T13:09:00.001Z

Located in northeastern Islington, Newington Green is an oasis in a busy part of North London, complete with playgrounds, grassy areas and good zebra crossing (pedestrian crosswalks) helping to put people, rather than traffic, first. You can easily reach Newington Green on London Buses. Routes 21, 38, 73, 141 all cross the Green.

Lighting up the Yuletide

2007-12-16T12:59:00.000Z

Harriet Tory

2005-11-27T11:48:00.000Z

I never met Harriet but her violent death as a lorry collided with her bicycle in this busy London junction moved me to post this collage. According to local press reports, there have been several serious bicycle-vehicle collisons at this junction over the past year. How many more cyclists must die before planners and engineers responsible for traffic safety undertake preventive measures? This junction is large and vehicles can cross unhindered at high speeds - especially dangerous if motor vehicles and cyclists are in competition for road space within the junction.

Borough Market, London

2005-08-21T12:21:00.000+01:00

Stoney Street Cafe
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-21T12:19:00.001+01:00

Fresh from the sea at Applebee's in Stoney Street, Borough Market, London
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-21T12:18:00.001+01:00

Organic vegetables, meats and herbs abound
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2005-08-21T12:18:00.000+01:00

Jams and relishes - you can sample before you buy
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Borough Market, London

2005-08-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

A ‘must’ for both residents and visitors, Borough Market has a large selection of fresh food, including meat, fish, vegetables, spices, breads, as well as flowers, wine, and desserts. Eateries abound serving breakfast and lunch – or go for a coffee or a pint on Stoney Street. For more information, go to:
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/aboutus.html

2005-08-21T11:35:00.000+01:00

Butterfly and Bees, Sissinghurst Garden, Kent, England
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2005-08-21T11:32:00.001+01:00

Lillies in Sissinghurst Garden, Kent, England
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2005-08-21T11:07:00.000+01:00

Buckingham Palace is open for visitors during August
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There is another way!

2005-04-21T12:00:00.000+01:00

Cycle Lane to Heathrow (M4/A4 corridor)
David A. Smith, 2005
(Nikon Coolpix 4500 handheld)

Does this have to be? We are consuming vast quantities of fossil fuels to power heavy vehicles in all-too-crowded roads designed in generations past. Fortunately, London planners have constructed many miles of segregated bicycle lanes. I am researching an article for a cycling magazine on access to London's Heathrow Airport by bicycle. Yes, there are actually cycling routes and the total time required to reach the airport from Central London (75 minutes at around an 11 mph average speed) is comparable to a typical multi-modal journey (taxi to Paddington transferring to the Heathrow Express) considering waiting time, walks to and from the trains, traffic delays, etc. Not to mention saving 40 pounds and burning a few calories.

Goslings on Regent's Canal

2005-04-13T13:51:00.000+01:00

Canadian Geese Goslings on Regent's Canal, London
David A. Smith, 2003

Geese, mallards, coots and herons are increasingly active on London's canals as the breeding season begins.

Support the South Downs National Park Designation

2005-04-13T12:50:00.000+01:00

Bee on South Downs, David A. Smith, 2004

England's southern 'lip' is a chalk ridge rising to over 800' above sea level and running east-west just a few miles north of the English Channel in Sussex and Hampshire counties. This has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has been proposed as a new national park. Farming, grazing and recreation co-exist on the South Downs in a world seemingly very distant from nearby urban centres. Follow this link:

South Downs Virtual Information Centre

Dunwich Dynamo, July 2005

2005-04-04T11:53:00.000+01:00

Please see the link below for details on this year's ride.

http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/dunwichfaqs.htm

Dunwich Dynamo, 1 August 2004

2005-04-03T13:26:00.000+01:00

David A. Smith, 2004

Suffolk, England - 1 August 2004. Just after sunrise on a misty, cool morning somewhere east of Coddenham. Two cyclists overtook me as I stopped to take a photo of the old oaks. The Dunwich Dynamo is a loosely-organised overnight bicycle ride scheduled each year on the weekend nearest the full moon in July. Starting in London (Hackney, London Fields) around sunset, riders travelled northeast through the Essex suburbs and countryside with a middle-of-the-night food & rest stop at the Village Hall in Great Waldingfield, just east of Sudbury, Suffolk. From there, riders continued northeast - about 20 miles to the location of this photo - and on to the North Sea coast at Dunwich. The last few miles pass protected heath land and the shore is something from a bygone era.