London

I've finally escaped London! So, er, here's a photo of it. Bit of a photographic cliché this one, but hey. None of Liverpool for you yet, but I've been scouting locations! ;)

The Royal Garrison Church of St. George, Grand Depot Road, Woolwich. What a great set of names to conjour with! This ruin was destroyed by a V1 flying bomb during the second world war, but it remains consecrated and is used for memorial services. Driving past it, it looks absolutely stunning — I genuinely thought it might be a shored-up Roman ruin. The main wall behind the altar has an elaborate mosaic of a cavalry rider-cum-St. George which really could come from just about any classical era.

The Royal Garrison Church of St. George, Grand Depot Road, Woolwich. What a great set of names to conjour with! This ruin was destroyed by a V1 flying bomb during the second world war, but it remains consecrated and is used for memorial services. Driving past it, it looks absolutely stunning — I genuinely thought it might be a shored-up Roman ruin. The main wall behind the altar has an elaborate mosaic of a cavalry rider-cum-St. George which really could come from just about any classical era.

The Royal Garrison Church of St. George, Grand Depot Road, Woolwich. What a great set of names to conjour with! This ruin was destroyed by a V1 flying bomb during the second world war, but it remains consecrated and is used for memorial services. Driving past it, it looks absolutely stunning — I genuinely thought it might be a shored-up Roman ruin. The main wall behind the altar has an elaborate mosaic of a cavalry rider-cum-St. George which really could come from just about any classical era.

The Royal Garrison Church of St. George, Grand Depot Road, Woolwich. What a great set of names to conjour with! This ruin was destroyed by a V1 flying bomb during the second world war, but it remains consecrated and is used for memorial services. Driving past it, it looks absolutely stunning — I genuinely thought it might be a shored-up Roman ruin. The main wall behind the altar has an elaborate mosaic of a cavalry rider-cum-St. George which really could come from just about any classical era.

Thanks to Mossy for reminding me that I'd been meaning to experiment with adding borders! ;) This is opposite the North Woolwich Old Station Museum, which was once the terminus of a railway line and is now a small museum to it. It's about to enjoy a renaissance as a museum to all of London's suburban railways, and will include Britain's first main-line-powered electric preserved railway — also to be used for training purposes, which is kinda cool. Aaaanyway, this thing is near the Woolwich Ferry, and when seen from the ferry looks like it might have been its predecessor. But in fact it's too small for cars, and was a foot access to pleasure boats which called here in the middle of the nineteenth century before the area became industrialised.

At the North Woolwich Old Station Museum, which was once the terminus of a railway line and is now a small museum to it. It's about to enjoy a renaissance as a museum to all of London's suburban railways, and will include Britain's first main-line-powered electric preserved railway — also to be used for training purposes, which is kinda cool.

At the chapel at RAF Biggin Hill, or what's left of this famous Battle of Britain fighter base. The aeroplane is a replica of a Hawker Hurricane. It and a replica Spitfire are the gate guardians here, replacing genuine aircraft which were the guardians here when this was a fully functioning airfield.

Full of power, that is.

The first photo from my new 5 megapixel phone!

This is my favourite of my pics from the London "Open Doors Day", on which the public are annually allowed into buildings not normally open to them, or in some cases are allowed in to non-free attractions for free. This horse is part of my favourite sculpture in London, a monument to Wellington and Waterloo, atop the arch which was intended to be the entrance to London, via Green Park. It's opposite Apsley House, Wellington's own pad... with the excellent address of "Number 1, London." It reminds me somewhat of the amazing Soviet sculpture (in Ukraine) of Cossack riders — although that statue reaches across a road in terrifying fashion. (It's here .)