Rabs Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 Interesting day today.. The place I work at won at the 2019 London Tree and Woodlands Awards.. It was for some work the boss did for the Savoy Hotel which was hand made wooden service price lists made from London Plane. The actual award is The London Wood Enterprise Award... Which is cool but not really big news.. But it was at a building I have neve been too before.. City Hall in London... After the awards we went right to the top floor for drinks and networking and all that.. So I had to take some pictures.. Looks kind of miserable out (not unusual for this country) but actually it was a really hot day today and very humid. While I have seen views like this before, its not something I see often in this way so thought id share. So this is City Hall. And once at the top this is what I saw. And then when back on the ground... People watching the tennis.. How English 🙂 And the Shard Ohh and my boss getting the award 🙂 And is a happy man..
Dub-T-123 Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Beautiful. I’d love so much to go there some time Two thoughts You say it’s hot but most people in the photos are dressed like its cold We’ve had several earthquakes here in SoCal the past couple weeks that would probably destroy so many of the old buildings you see there. We will never have any ancient brick structures here
Rabs Posted July 11, 2019 Author Posted July 11, 2019 Ha well its hot for us.. Was about 27 degrees C.. Which I know isn't actually that hot and I don't mind that temperature, but as I say, it was extremely humid.. I had been working all day in the workshop and they had the furnace on burning wood scraps and stuff.. Then I went on the underground to get there which was awful.. No air con at all down there, its really horrible.. And that's the issue we have.. We are built for the cold.. Our houses have central heating and are insulated all round etc... And this is the thing with the English weather... Its not so much that its so cold or hot or that extreme, its just so damn changeable, you never know what to wear.. I find it very annoying. Its why theres the stereotype about how we are always talking about the weather which is just mostly grey and raining with maybe a few months worth of sunshine here and there throughout a year. I have lived in a hot country so I do know real heat.. But the humidity makes it feel much hotter than it is.
Twang Gang Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Been about 55 years or so since I was in London - was expecting city hall to be some 400 year old building, not that ultra modern tilted looking thing. At least they haven't torn the down the 'ol bridge and modernized it yet. (Although it looks like it got some fresh blue paint recently)
Rabs Posted July 11, 2019 Author Posted July 11, 2019 8 minutes ago, Twang Gang said: Been about 55 years or so since I was in London - was expecting city hall to be some 400 year old building, not that ultra modern tilted looking thing. At least they haven't torn the down the 'ol bridge and modernized it yet. (Although it looks like it got some fresh blue paint recently) Yes.. London is a very odd mix of old and new, rich and poor... I don't really go to central London much these days. Seen it all before really.. But I do appreciate those lovely old buildings you see everywhere.. There was also the war of course.. That destroyed a lot and a so a lot had to be rebuilt.
brad1 Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Righteous pics Rabs! London has some cool looking buildings!
'Scales Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Very nice Rabs. I like London, been there 7 times I think in the past 10 years, but its such a long trip to get there! Almost always just there on business but about 18 months ago I enjoyed a couple of weeks with my family and wondered all around the areas you photographed. I've walked London every chance I've had - it kind of is the centre of the western universe. Not sure if I could live there though - but visiting is highly recommended!
pippy Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Nice snaps, Rabs! Many congrats to your employer into the bargain. I know you say it's not big news - and on a global scale, of course, it isn't - but to have received the recognition of his peers from within his own industry is a fine achievement and he should be justifiably proud to have been the recipient of the award. Good news for you all, I should think, in the long run. It's always interesting to see a well-known place from a different viewpoint - especially from a height - and to see that part of the South Bank from the top of City Hall is a sight not many of us get to enjoy. As a slightly amusing bit of trivia for those who don't hail from these parts; the tall building - colloquially known as the 'Walkie-Talkie' - seen at the left of the third snap and the right in the fourth snap gained a bit of notoriety a few years ago whilst under construction. Due to the concave nature of the south-facing side glass windows they became in effect, one hot, sunny summer's day, a parabolic mirror. One poor soul had, unwittingly, parked his brand-new Jaguar saloon car at what, later on, became the focus point of the sun's rays and came back to find parts of his car had melted... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23930675 Seeing London from on-high does, literally, show you the old place from a different perspective. Through my own work I've been able to enjoy spectacular views over London from the tops of both Centrepoint (or whatever it's called nowadays) and No.1 Canada Water (aka 'Canary Wharf') which was, at the time, the tallest building in the UK. The vews up and down the river from the latter were magnificent. Pip.
Karloff Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 beautiful pics. thanks for posting. I'd love to go someday.
Big Bill Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 You know Pip, if you and the family were not going to France you could have shown me and bride this in person.
uncle fester Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Wow nice pics! Surprising contrast between new and old. Super congrats to your boss.
Rabs Posted July 11, 2019 Author Posted July 11, 2019 9 hours ago, pippy said: Nice snaps, Rabs! Many congrats to your employer into the bargain. I know you say it's not big news - and on a global scale, of course, it isn't - but to have received the recognition of his peers from within his own industry is a fine achievement and he should be justifiably proud to have been the recipient of the award. Good news for you all, I should think, in the long run. Seeing London from on-high does, literally, show you the old place from a different perspective. Through my own work I've been able to enjoy spectacular views over London from the tops of both Centrepoint (or whatever it's called nowadays) and No.1 Canada Water (aka 'Canary Wharf') which was, at the time, the tallest building in the UK. The vews up and down the river from the latter were magnificent. Pip. Cheers guys and Pip.. Yes it was pretty cool.. Apparently he had people from like half the London Councils come up to him after saying they all have this wood or trees that they need to get rid of.. So even just for that alone will be well worth it.. This is what he won the award for if anyone is interested 🙂 Another thing I think is quite interesting about all of this is that I took these pictures on my phone camera.. Really is amazing how good they are today.. Like this.. I did some test video footage down on the farm last week and was totally shocked by the quality of it.. If I hadn't been moving the camera around so much it probably would have been even better.. And the software does a really good job of stabilising the image. Not long ago you would have needed some seriously expensive equipment to get such results.. Im not saying its like DLSR quality.. But its pretty darn good for a point and click device.
rct Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 Does Helen Mirren live near there? Asking for a friend. rct
Big Bill Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 50 minutes ago, rct said: Does Helen Mirren live near there? Asking for a friend. rct I'm having cocktails with her on the 7th of August. I'll tell her your friend says hello!
Karloff Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, rct said: Does Helen Mirren live near there? Asking for a friend. rct 32 minutes ago, Big Bill said: I'm having cocktails with her on the 7th of August. I'll tell her your friend says hello! LOL. what a good looking woman ...
Big Bill Posted July 11, 2019 Posted July 11, 2019 3 minutes ago, Karloff said: LOL. what a good looking woman ... She said I'm too young and trashy, but she feels charitable...
pippy Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 12 hours ago, Big Bill said: You know Pip, if you and the family were not going to France you could have shown me and bride this in person. I'm annoyed that I'l be on holiday when you and the Mrs are also on holiday. Poor timing on my side. I would very much have enjoyed both your company and the opportunity to be a tour guide in almost equal measure! If the weather is fine and you have a spare hour I heartily recommend taking one of the MBNA Thames Clippers from the London Eye at Waterloo down river to the O2 and, if you can time it right, the limited service ones which goes all the way to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich; https://www.thamesclippers.com/assets/doc/0555_TC_Route_Map_680x440-APRIL-2019-be6d4340c9.pdf If you only get as far as the O2 then the Emirates Airline, which is a cable-car set-up (dotted orange line at the east end in the link), offers great views as it crosses high over the Thames and, once over on the north bank, you could return in to town on the Docklands Light Railway. All three of these modes of transport let you see parts of the city in completely different ways. Pip.
merciful-evans Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 22 hours ago, pippy said: As a slightly amusing bit of trivia for those who don't hail from these parts; the tall building - colloquially known as the 'Walkie-Talkie' - seen at the left of the third snap and the right in the fourth snap gained a bit of notoriety a few years ago whilst under construction. Due to the concave nature of the south-facing side glass windows they became in effect, one hot, sunny summer's day, a parabolic mirror. One poor soul had, unwittingly, parked his brand-new Jaguar saloon car at what, later on, became the focus point of the sun's rays and came back to find parts of his car had melted... See? This sort of thing is why I never go to London. Rabs: Nice job with the pics. Great news for your guvnor too!
Big Bill Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 4 hours ago, pippy said: I'm annoyed that I'l be on holiday when you and the Mrs are also on holiday. Poor timing on my side. I would very much have enjoyed both your company and the opportunity to be a tour guide in almost equal measure! If the weather is fine and you have a spare hour I heartily recommend taking one of the MBNA Thames Clippers from the London Eye at Waterloo down river to the O2 and, if you can time it right, the limited service ones which goes all the way to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich; https://www.thamesclippers.com/assets/doc/0555_TC_Route_Map_680x440-APRIL-2019-be6d4340c9.pdf If you only get as far as the O2 then the Emirates Airline, which is a cable-car set-up (dotted orange line at the east end in the link), offers great views as it crosses high over the Thames and, once over on the north bank, you could return in to town on the Docklands Light Railway. All three of these modes of transport let you see parts of the city in completely different ways. Pip. Thanks Pip, I believe we purchase tickets for just that. Our hotel is directly across from the London Eye.
'Scales Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 You must be virtually staying at Scotland Yard, Bill (well, you have an appropriate name then!) actually there's a pretty park just there where I've stopped for a sandwich before. . Nice old building behind it...if that's a hotel it should be nice!
Big Bill Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 12 minutes ago, 'Scales said: You must be virtually staying at Scotland Yard, Bill (well, you have an appropriate name then!) actually there's a pretty park just there where I've stopped for a sandwich before. . Nice old building behind it...if that's a hotel it should be nice! I didn't realize that, but yes, it's right next door...
Marky Forrest Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 Great pictures of a marvelous place! There is so much history there and it's combined with magnificent new architecture. Fantastic!
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