HIDDEN..

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - all rights reserved

This is another photograph from my Wanstead Park walk. I really like the way these tree trunks have been laid to form paths, it helps to keep people from trampling over the bluebells when they are out. I deliberately shot this picture from very low down to include the fungus growing out of the side of the trunk. There's also a small frog or toad in the picture, I'm afraid I don't know the difference, it's well hidden and didn't seem to mind my presence.

BARK...

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

This tree is in the bluebell wood in Wanstead Park. I'm always on the lookout for strong designs within the bark of trees, having the ivy growing around the trunk of this one was a bonus for the picture.

DAPPLED SUNLIGHT...

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

This is the path in Wanstead Park that leads to the bluebell wood. As I arrived the sun broke through the canopy of leaves overhead, I thought it looked lovely in the dappled sunlight. We are so lucky to have such a great resource on our doorstep.

AWAY FROM THE HEAT

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I popped over to Wanstead Park yesterday to the area where the bluebells grow. Of course no bluebells at this time of the year but it was lovely under the canopy of the trees, very cool a nice escape from the heat. Not that I'm complaining...

COULDN'T RESIST..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I took this picture on my visit to Jubilee Pond on Wanstead Flats the other evening. I couldn't resist taking this shot as the sun sank lower, a minute or so later it had disappeared. I have to say Wanstead Flats is a great place for sunset watching.

AREA 51

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

You may remember this post from last week, it showed the mysterious markings on a Wanstead pavement. Well this week I discovered this white arrow and tracks on Wanstead Flats. If you are a conspiracy theorist or interested in extra terrestrials you will know all about Area 51. Perhaps Wanstead will become Area 51a.

SUNSET..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I don't think there is any more I need add here, it's Jubilee Pond on Wanstead Flats....

EVERYWHERE A PICTURE ...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

For me around every corner there is a picture and walking down the alley between Woodbine Place to Cambridge Park I came across this electricity sub station. The varying colours around it, red wall, green leaves and the steel grey of the doors with a little graffiti thrown in shouted picture.
.

LAZY WEEKEND..

                            World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

A good weekend weather wise, really hot and sunny on Saturday, a bit cooler on Sunday but still very nice. I came across these two ladies engrossed in their reading as I wandered across Christchurch Green. What could be better, relaxing in the sun with a good book, with the village green stretched out in front of you. Ah bliss..

OLD HAVANA...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

...well that's certainly what the temperature felt like on Thursday. When I saw  the sun shining through the shutters of our classroom at the Gallery it took me back.  Wanstead Meteo advised me it was 32.7C mid afternoon, that's 90.9F if you'r old fashioned like me. Havana was 33C yesterday afternoon, hardly any difference.  Anyway Havana Club rum and large Montchristo cigars all round, I'm off to read a little Ernie H.

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

..twice in the same place, or so the saying goes. It certainly didn't last night, it was quite a distance away and never really reached Wanstead. The most extraordinary part of the evening was colours in the sky, just as it started to get dark the light turned almost yellow, an interesting evening even though the lightning stayed in the distance. Big thanks to Wanstead Meteo who provided really spot on information and times, for really local weather information check out their website here.

        World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

                               World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

DEEP SLEEP..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

An amazing storm over Wanstead last night, rain, tremendous thunder claps and lightning. I of course slept peacefully through it until Mrs W woke me up. I was tempted to go into the garden with my camera and tripod to try and capture a photograph of the lightning, then I thought lightning, metal tripod, probably not one of my better ideas. I managed a quick shot of this rose this morning, I love the way the petals catch the rain and form these pools of water.

MIRRORED...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I popped into Piccolo, the Italian restaurant on the High Street on Saturday evening for an early dinner. Good food and good company made for an enjoyable evening. As you can see from the picture our table was next to a mirror. I really liked the way the reflection caught the top of the bar with its bottles and the intricate woodwork of the ceiling above. As I am always saying it pays to look up.

CHAIR WITH A VIEW...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I do like to discover something a little unusual. So you can imagine how delighted I was to discover this old chair in the garden of The Corner House. It might not look a lot now but just wait until the plants grow over and through it. 

END OF THE DAY...

  World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Pretty rubbish weather last week considering it was supposed to be summer. On Friday night I gave in and the heating went back on.  During my photographic career I have spent a lot of time waiting on the weather, I must have spent weeks no make that months  hanging around all day hoping that a little sunshine will break through the cloud cover. Quite often it does, the sun drops below the clouds and if you'r lucky you may get a minute or two of lovely warm light on your subject before the sun disappears below the horizon.  Last week despite all the rain and grey skies we did have some spectacular sunsets. I managed to capture some from one of my favourite spots, the footbridge over the A12. I hope you like them. 

  World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

SHOW ME THE WAY...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

If I remember correctly I took this picture on the same day the Tour de France passed through Redbridge. I was a little puzzled when I saw this sign on the pavement, was it marking the route for lost cyclists or the Wanstead equivalent of a crop circle indicating the direction flying saucers should take. Perhaps it was for the England Team returning from Brazil, an indication maybe where to place the ball for a penalty or to get foxes to use the footbridge to get over the A12. I have no idea, it remains a mystery.

DRIP, DRIP...

   World  Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

A young lady on the television last night was giving the weather forecast for today, she also mentioned briefly Thursday's weather saying how it had not been too bad a day. She obviously had not been in Wanstead where umbrellas were de rigueur. I stood outside the Gallery for a short time during the day with my camera and managed to catch this raindrop as it fell from our canopy. I also considered turning the central heating back on, I'm expecting a heat wave in December...

DOUBLE TAKE..

                       World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I was in the High Street last Saturday morning quite early, not many shops open in fact most had their shutters down. As I walked past Keatings the Jewellers I noticed this really neat 'trompe l'oeil' that is painted on the lower half of their shutters. Very clever it still makes the shop look interesting even when it's closed.

FOR NO REASON..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved.

Sometimes for no reason at all, something just catches my eye. This photograph was taken just outside our Gallery in Nightingale Lane, it was the angle of the shop blinds against the dark sky that made it leap out to me. It's such a dark and brooding scene, hard to believe it's taken in summer!

SUBSTITUTION - Tried to get back in time for the Tour de France but couldn't so ..

AN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPH ...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

..not really, it's just an inflatable fish stuck to the door of the new fishmongers in the High Street. As you can see from the background of the picture things are really moving along at a plaice.... sorry couldn't resist that one.

                                                                                                              World © Geoff Wilkinson

LONGHORN..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

As I passed 'The George' end of the High Street the other evening there were a crowd of people in the new restaurant Longhorn, presumably it's now open for business. I have always admired the glass canopy that extends out over the front. Full marks to the new owners for restoring it. I do like standing underneath things and looking up, it often makes for a more interesting angle as is the case here. With the miserable weather on Saturday morning changing the picture to black and white helped as well.

HOW OLD?

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I know I have posted a picture of this building before, it's on the corner of the High Street and Woodbine Place, but I have never really looked at it before from the High Street side. It always fascinates me, I am sure some parts are really old and not just reproduction. If you take a close look at the size of the bricks used to build the chimney for example they seem so small, I'm sure that's a clue to its age. Anyway whatever the age it always transports me back in time when I am passing.

I'M A LITTLE TEA POT..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I spied this row of teapots in a conservatory last weekend, they looked rather splendid I thought. A nice addition to the usual plants.

TRUMPETS..

                      World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I discovered this plant growing behind the Gallery in Nightingale Lane, although the flowers are quite interesting I believe it's a weed. I took the picture because it reminded me of my childhood growing up in Stratford, of course Stratford then was not what it is now. We played on a 'bomb site' opposite where I lived and this plant, which we called trumpet, grew everywhere, a little bit of nostalgia.

ICE CREAM..

                            World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I spotted this beauty as I passed Marion Temple's garden last week. I have no idea what it's called but it reminded me of one of my favourite Italian ice creams with those layers of colour. 

SHOWERS..

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

As I mentioned yesterday, funny weather last weekend. I took this picture during a rain shower, it's the only time this summer I have seen the children's playground on Christ Church Green empty. I did feel a little sorry for Mr. Whippy however, the ice cream man was sitting in his van waiting for the rain to finish.