Cally Festival

Applying the finishing touches to the giant octopus is serious work.

We Need Bees

More than they need us........We need bees for a successful eco-system.
Learning how to create successful bee colonies is taking place on business rooftops in Kings Cross. An incredible program teaching young people how to manage bees is a collaborative work between Global Generation and local business.
I'm very keen in keeping an eye on the health and welfare of our honey bees. Totally selfish of course, I have honey for breakfast every morning.

Lotsa Laughs

I'm a big fan of comedy. There is nothing like a good laugh to get the week of to a good start.
So it took very little encouragement to get me through the door of the Kings X Social Club for an evening of stand-up comedy. They bill themselves as weirdo's the most alternative in London.

These guys are funny. Some great material being worked on here. Not a bad way to pass a Tuesday evening.

Kings Cross Gas Tank

The gas tank that has dominated the skyline for years will be totally removed by the end of the week. It then begins its new life. First off to York for refurbishment then reinstalled on the other side of the canal as part of the new development. It will sit alongside two other gas tanks that will have exclusive apartments built inside them. For more travel channel dropthefare consult the experts at http://dropthefare.com

Local Neighbourhood

This image was taken as part of a project I'm working on showing the village aspect of London. Although the population of London is around 7.5 million, it is still in many ways just a collection of villages sitting side by side. A sense of community exists no matter what part of the city you live in.

Haircut Al Fresco

This caught my eye. It is very different to what it appears at first glance. Haircut al fresco? No just a piece of cardboard against the fence.

Fill 'er up

Green is good. Maybe the bike should be green and BP red. What do you think?

Monopoly - Kings Cross Station

Monopoly £200.

Built in 1852 as the hub for the Great Northern Railway. The station and the area of Kings Cross named after King George IV.
Urban folklore is that this was the site of Queen Boudica's final battle and that her body lies somewhere under the current platform 10.

Ice-Cream or Beer

Less and less of these iconic cones are seen outside the corner store. Postcards, beer, ice-cream, bread, cleaners and more. All those handy things if you just pop down the street.

Parking

A bike chained to the railings outside the Ethiopian Church.

Inflation

An old English euphemism for visiting this establishment was to 'go and spend a penny'. It's origins are due to the locks on the doors where you had to literally put a penny in a slot to open the door. The first public loos to put locks on the doors were outside the Royal Exchange in the 1850's. I guess how much "value" you get for your 30p is entirely up to you gentlemen!

A Victorian Beauty

The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel will open its doors to the public 5 May 2011.
Originally the Midland Grand Hotel opened by Queen Victoria 5 May 1873, this stunning Gothic building was nearly demolished several times.
Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman led a protest in the 1960's to save the building. A statue of him stands in the Eurostar rail station next door.

Following a £150 million refurbish it has now been beautifully restored to its Victorian glamour. This is one of the smaller staircases. The grand staircase is regarded as the most majestic in England.
I'll bring you more in the weeks to come.

Countdown to the Games

The first of many sets of the Olympic rings was unveiled at St Pancras rail station the other day.
Just 508 days until the 2012 games begin in London.

Thanks to the games many of London's buildings and parks are getting a make over. Expect London to be in her finest gowns next year.

Skywatch Friday - Over the Horizon

In another year this area will be shops, apartments and full of people.

See what other skywatchers have for you this week

Saturday Stroll

I'm photographing much of the area around regent's canal and the back of the Kings Cross rail yards to record the changes. The area is undergoing huge development at present. Close to this spot will be the new arts university, due to open in September. The facades of most of these warehouses will be retained. However the area will be very different once complete.

The Clink

A really cool place to stay in London not far from St Pancras and Kings Cross stations. You can have your own cell for the night.
The Clink in a 200 year old building was once a magistrates court, with a history that includes the trial of Clash.

Travel Chaos

Airports have thousands camping on the floors, trains have been cancelled. All in all travelling at the moment is not a heap of fun.
Yesterday the queue for the eurostar stretched from inside the station along Euston Road, past the British library and down the side street. About 6,000 people, with a wait of 5-6 hours.

According to the papers, tempers were frayed and eurostar staff where surly and rude.

Not so. They were doing a sterling job trying to deal with a difficult situation. Handing out drinks and croissants, all with a smile. Directing people to the end of the mile long queue.

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Not so. They were doing a sterling job trying to deal with a difficult situation. Handing out drinks and croissants, all with a smile. Directing people to the end of the mile long queue.

A perfect opportunity for comedian buskers I thought. Where were they?

Chilly Morning

London is snowed in today. We really don't cope well with lots of snow. Airports closed, trains cancelled, schools closed. An early morning stroll along Regent's Canal, all I could see was how pretty it looked.

How Do I Get Home?

Tubes on strike yesterday caused chaos.

T/raining

The Poor school set up in the mid eighties in response to a need for top quality training for those who couldn't afford full time study.
Students train evenings and weekends.
Brings to mind the song from My Fair Lady... the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.......