On Friday 4th September I went into London for back-to-back smartphone safaris with Jeanette Lendon. After the workshops I visited The Photographers Gallery to see the Japanese Women Photographers Exhibition.
From Waterloo I made a quick visit to Leake Street before catching Southern to London Bridge station.
London Bridge Smartphone Safari starting at Hays Galleria
The meeting place for the morning safari was by the mechanical boat in the Hays Galleria at 11:30 am.
There just happened to be a Costa Coffee next to the boat. Reflections on the wall around the mechanical boat and then in windows in the buildings around Braidmood Street.
More London
After using the floor to lead to Tower Bridge we concentrated on reflections using windows along More London.
At Queens Walk the old London Assembly building was well into its makeover.
There was a photo shoot on Queen’s Walk with the Tower of London as a Backdrop.
Horselydown Old Stairs
Along Queens’ Walk after Tower Bridge we came to Horselydown Old Stairs. First up steps from the walk , then through the alley and down some tricky stairs to the Thames’ beach. We now had great views of Tower Bridge. The pebbled beach had lots of interesting artifacts including smoothed glass.
Maggie Blake’s Cause and Butler’s Wharf
Our next stop was Maggie Blake’s Cause. This is a narrow alley connecting Shad Place with Butler’s Wharf. Her campaign along with others ensured that public access was available to the wharf after the redevelopments took place. We should be grateful as this has another great view of Tower Bridge.
As we watched Tower Bridge raised its roadway to let a boat pass.
We past restaurants and private apartments until we reached St Saviours Dock Footbridge.
St Saviours Dock
From the footbridge that crossed over a London river that I had never seen before we could see houseboats.
Looking up the river I could image waht this would have looked like when it was part of a busy port years ago.
Shad Thames
This was end of the first safari and we stopped at the Blue Duck Cafe for a coffee and some lunch.
City of London Smartphone Safari
Rather than start the workshop near the Royal Exchange at 3:30 pm we started on Shad Thames at 1:45pm. The plan was to explore from Tower Bridge back to the City.
Once over the bridge we went down to St Katherine Dock.
St Dunstans in the East
Another first for me – visiting the ruins of St Dunstans church.
Then down St Mary at Hill towards Lower Thames Street.
Lovat Lane
Philpot Lane
This lane leads to the Walkie-Talkie so everyone misses London’s smallest public sculpture of two mice and a piece of cheese high on the wall.
Lime Street
Leadenhall Market
I downloaded a new camera app, Slow Shutter, to try out as we walked through.
Leadenhall Street
The Royal Exchange
Then we were inside the Royal Exchange and the safari was over!
The Photographers’ Gallery
A few stops on the Central Line and I was at The Photographer’s Gallery. This visit was for the Japanese Women Photographers Exhibition.
Fascinating and I did get to see more of Hiromix’s “girls blue”.
From the gallery I walked down to Piccadilly station and then onto Waterloo to The Sidings and Wetherspoons for dinner.
