One Photo Per Day 6Jan-25Jan by berndt2

When we last left… me, I was just getting over 11 days of annual leave over Christmas during which time I was totally flu-ridden and miserable. Which made it really great to get back to work, where I could get reamed by my train service and be miserable instead!

January 6th. Actual snow in Actual London. And I actually made it home before the train service imploded!

January 7th. During my entire time going to school in Australia I never got out of class because it was too hot. Today, however, upon the advice of First Capital Connect who literally dissuaded customers from traveling (fair call, as we’ve already paid for our monthly rail passes), I had a day off work due to the cold. Out. Standing!

January 8th. Although Hook Office south of London was closed for a second day, I did make it in to central London for work, and amazingly made it back to St Albans as well. Good times with warm gloves, an Abbey, and a wide-angle lens.

January 9th. Perhaps, with St Albans Abbey I’m becoming like that Japanese dude who painted 100 views of Mt Fuji?

January 10th. I was on my way to Finchley Road to see ‘Sherlock Holmes’ with friends, and just in case, I got on a First Capital Connect train at 1:30pm to be on time for a 6:50pm cinema session. Oh, and that’s a large billboard of Charlize Theron.

January 11th. Not symbolic of anything in particular, but I was intrigued that this is sign was actually a kind of manufactured tile

January 12th. I’m kind of seething at myself for missing the most appropriate photo for the day, which could have been taken of the miserable dregs of society unceremoniously dumped by First Capital Connect at Mill Hill Broadway and made to wait for AN HOUR for a passing train with sufficient room to squeeze on (that would be the third one). But I was too busy seething at the time. And then, for my only photo for the day, entirely the wrong message. You suck, First Capital Connect.

January 13th. Snow! In London! And it’s settling! And it’s early in the morning before they haven’t started sweepin’ and saltin’ and walkin’ over it all! (My shoes are wet. And I’m cold. And I need a coffee. Next stop : Leicester Square, then Trafalgar Square). The black’n’white version of this photo is arguably a bit more moody.

January 14th. Three of the Four members of the band ‘Blur’ arrange themselves for the Paps at the premiere of their film No Distance Left to Run. The photo is ever so slightly blurred. Because I’m subversive and ironic… and stuff.

January 15th. It’s foggy in the morning, and the long-suffering customers of First Capital Connect resignedly and compliantly await one of the 50% of the trains First Capital Connect have deigned to run in exchange for 100% of the same ticket prices. (Is it too hard to ask for some pitchforks and flaming torches?)

January 16th. Well, it’s taken nearly two years for me to have to resort to ‘oil on road or pavement’ for Photo For The Day. But today, I’m making it That Day.

January 17th. Timing is, as always, everything. On the plus side, I spent about five hours researching holiday destinations and train travel and such.

January 18th. Anyone from Sydney would hopefully know why I stopped and noticed this on a wall near Temple, and had to take a photo of it. Also… it was a Monday and First Capital Connect was busily crowing about the return of their ‘normal December timetable’ after two months of half-service, full-fare mayhem. Umm… dudes? Maybe go easy on the self-congratulatory champagne, it’s FUCKING MID-JANUARY

January 19th. Stickers on the outside of phone booths – telling it like it is, until they spread that non-stick paint on it that means you can’t anymore

January 20th. Lots of red lights and a CCTV camera just to make sure you’re all safe and secure. (In other news : motivation flagging…)

January 21st near Trafalgar Square. (That rather evil-looking cloaked statue on the right is actually holding some hoops in its hands and I really don’t know why…)

January 22nd. Bike against railing outside Kings Cross St Pancras station. The MD of First Capital Connect today chastised me in email for my choice of language in an email I sent her, so I responded with another which justified the use of the words ‘liars’, ‘cheats’, ‘misleading’ and ‘deceptive’. Because they ARE justified.

January 23rd. Vintry garden, St Albans Abbey. Time to turn the mood back a bit, and wonder how I’d go as an Ice Road Trucker. Sadly, I fear I have far too few tattoos and not nearly enough beard.

January 24th. Decorative lamp, St Albans Town Hall. I was there to check out the ‘ski sale’. The prices suggested some fairly unknown brands had a remarkable pedigree, even though some looked suspiciously second-hand.

January25th. The musical ‘Wicked’ was a lot better than I had anticipated- hardline political commentary… really? COOL!! Walked to Victoria from Covent Garden and made good use of the underlit low cloud cover, too. (I’m calling the over-exposure ‘artistic’ here)

So… that’s another 20-day batch. What’s next? Dunno, but the camera batteries are charged.

catch ya!