I woke up at stupid o'clock this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so as it was foggy and all atmospheric and mystical outside, I thought I'd pop out for a spin and try to capture the moodiest pics my boggo standard phone camera could muster. Was just above freezing here in London this morning, so I wrapped up warm, minimised the leaning and avoided those deadly metal drain covers and any icy patches.
It started off really foggy but gradually cleared up, here's HMS Belfast and the world famous silhouette of Tower Bridge, ....honestly guv
Our den of thieves, or the Houses of Parliament as its more commonly known. After 3 years of repairs at an eye watering cost, they removed the scaffolding to reveal the famous old face of Big Ben, Big Ben actually refers to the Bell and not the clock itself. The old bell tolls on the hour and is used as the countdown to the New Year, and the start of traditional New Years Eve firework display, which alas was cancelled because of Omicron this year.
On the opposite side of the river Thames sits St Thomas Hospital, originally located further down the river in Southwark it has been based in Lambeth since 1871, but the hospital has been providing healthcare freely, or under charitable auspices since the 1100's. Florence Nightingale laid the foundations for modern UK nursing when she established her nursing school at the hospital in the 1860's. Our feckless, lying, tail chasing Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted here with Covid following breathing difficulties back in April 2020, in the week prior he'd been boasting of shaking hands with people in a hospital on the very day the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advised against doing so. They nursed him back to health and sadly Boris the virus has been released back amongst an eye rolling British public.
The walkway along the river front of the hospital has been turned into a very moving National Covid Memorial Wall. It stretches a few hundred metres, all the way through and beyond the fog of this picture, and is covered in hearts in which people are invited to add an inscription to someone loved and lost due to Covid.
I coast along the cycle route along the Thames towards the business district, stopping off at St Paul's Cathedral, good morning fellow cyclist....
I do like this view of the old church in the foreground and the modern building we know as the Gherkin looming out of the mist behind it.
Nearby there was a new artwork on display called Orphans by Bram Ellens, it is made up of paintings that had become orphaned after their owner died and the art was discarded by their heirs, and were gathered by the artist from undertakers and thrift stores and made into new works. As its breathing new life into old works I'd have preferred the original art to be displayed on the outside rather than hidden on the inside, but I'm just a muggle.
And following all that drab winter grey, after it had brightened up a bit I managed to add a bit of colour by stopping past what looks like a relaxing countryside pond in spring time, look the daffodils are out, I look forward to the days in the coming months when the real ones are flowering.