A ROUTE THROUGH FLATLANDS

FLAT LANDS

The A12 road is gateway to East Anglia.

Originally this highway followed the route of the Roman road closely and so is fairly straight.  

Claudius set up his first capital at Camulodunum (Colchester) before he upped and moved to Londinium in AD43.

Now the road often modified and improved streams with traffic day and night, cutting through Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.  

I pulled over and parked up along Cranes Lane to make a drawing of this  humming road set against low fields woodlands as pale February sun sets low and early.

NYC: BURGERS IN THE MEAT PACKING DISTRICT

Charlotte’s all over New York,

98–108 final score.

I am in Hectors Café Diner,

Across the street from THE STANDARD

After too long a wait at their bar,

Gross neglect from THE STANDARD’s Maître ‘d

Drove me into the arms of the waitress at Hector’s.

Figuratively.

 

Gross neglect from THE STANDARD’s Maître ‘d

Clear mornings,

A brisk walk to the office on 6^th and 18^th.

Brisk January days,

Short trip through the canyons.

Bill's Bar my next evening.

Carnivore central.

Hard to be grumpy with New York

Even if treated like chopped liver.

BELLA MUSICA A SANTA MARIA

Just before I head to head up to Leicester later in the evening I stole into St Mary’s with a view to doing a sneaky drawing!

Imagine my delight when confronted with a small orchestra of young musicians playing the most delightful chamber music. After I made my drawing I looked around in earnest for any evidence of the concert that was, presumably, taking place later that evening, to no avail anyway I hope whoever went enjoyed the concert, I’m sure it was lovely!

Bella musica a Santa Maria is another jotting as part of an occasional series God is in The Detail exploring nooks and crannies in St Mary’s Beaconsfield church.

THAMES PAGEANT

Our last twenty or so miles

January 9th dawns with a blue sky.

We resume the journey at Putney Bridge Station,

This is a pageant of history.

Through Wandsworth,

Wedding Cake Albert Bridge,

Battersea Power Station.

Pretty Chelsea and onto Westminster,

Past the home of the Secret Service, 

Expected to see Dame Judy Dench.

Past the mother of parliaments

Onwards along the South Bank and into Borough Market

Mike unpacks its delights and we sup from the greasy spoon.

Most excellent marketplace,

Charcuterie and Cheese for souvenirs,

Mike takes us further into the depths of Southwark,

Strange stones of an ancient palace 

And a stones throw further

The 13-century burial ground of prostitutes,

Its gates now hung with votive offerings

for London's more recent dispossessed.

Eastwards past The Globe Theatre

Past Tower Bridge

Now we are entering the flatlands

Through Greenwich,

Opposite is Canary Wharf

The modern mammon

So on onwards, through waste ground and deserted wharfs collapsing into the low water mud,

Sand and ballast workings,

Strange jetty's and elevators peer out from the river's bank

Inquisitive, as if looking for a purpose.

End is in sight,

Like six shinning Bishops’ mitres, the Thames Barrier. 

The journey's end.

A photo is taken. 

Much banter tinged with disappointment that the Visitors Centre is not open, 

So no souvenirs. 

The Thames Journey is complete.