WANSTEAD DAILY PHOTO: February 2015

Saturday, 28 February 2015

LITTLE AND LARGE...

These two came to see us at the Gallery yesterday. I couldn't resist taking a picture, I thought it would make a nice change for you from Wanstead Park photographs. Should you ever meet them on their Wanstead strolls that's Roxy on the left and Olley on the right and very handsome they are too..

Friday, 27 February 2015

MORE OFF THE TRACK..

This is another picture from my little off the path excursion in Wanstead Park. After I shot the close up that I published yesterday I pulled back to include quite a bit more. I quite like the different jumble of leaves, twigs and ivy etc, its a bit more chaotic than the close up.

Thursday, 26 February 2015

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK...

Its always interesting to move a little off the path and see what you can find. In this case just three or four feet of the pathway I came across a fallen log with this plant growing on it. I have no idea what it is but it looks so delicate and fragile I took great care not to disturb it.

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

LEADING WHERE ?

This is one of many of the footpaths that run through Wanstead Park. As you can see they are well trod, they are usually worth following though and despite the worn look its unusual to pass anyone else. In the summer when the trees and bushes are in full flow and the birds are singing you really could be in the middle of the countryside and not just a few miles from central London

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

THE GROTTO..

I walked along the path following the lake in Wanstead Park
last Sunday and arrived at The Grotto. Built in 1761 it was actually the boathouse for Wanstead House in its heyday, as you can see it's a bit of a ruin now but it still looks attractive. I think there has been some work going on as there appears some debris in the lake and the undergrowth around the site has been cut back to allow access to the fence. You can now get a clear view of what was the inside as you can see below. It wasn't great light so I converted the pictures to black and white. More Wanstead Park to come...

Monday, 23 February 2015

SUNDAY, SUNDAY..

I popped over to Wanstead Park yesterday for an hour. It was such a lovely morning, even a little sunshine. The park was busy, a typical Wanstead Sunday, families out with children, joggers and of course dogs. Don't ya just love Wanstead..more on the park later in the week.

Sunday, 22 February 2015

HALFWAY...

A strange sky last night I arrived home. There was a heavy grey cloud coming in from the East, as you can see it was chasing away the blue sky that was overhead. I appeared to be on the exact half way point underneath, strange feeling....

Saturday, 21 February 2015

BLUE SKIES..

You probably realise by the view that this photograph was not taken in Wanstead. I have been looking through photographs that I took on a French trip a couple of years ago, this is one of my favourites. The blue sky just reminded me of sunshine and warmth, something sadly lacking for the last little while in London. In case you are wondering this is the bridge that runs from La Rochelle to Ile d Re, one of my very favourite places, roll on summer...

Friday, 20 February 2015

REFLECTION...

These windows are in the porch of Christ Church on Christchurch green. I've always liked them, this is one of a pair, they face each other and let in such a soft light before you enter the church itself. As you can see I took this picture through the gates, I like the way the curves of the ironwork work with the shapes of the tops of the windows. A nice place to sit and reflect..

Thursday, 19 February 2015

UPSIDE DOWN ?

No..its not. I was trying to find a different angle of Christ Church when I discovered this puddle across the road from the church. Fortunately it was in the right spot for a reflection shot, I quite like the trees in the picture as well...

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE...

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

...or sunset in this case. I mentioned a couple of days ago that I have some more photographs of Christ Church that I want to post. However before I do I just had to show you this sunset picture that I took last Sunday. It's taken looking along Elmcroft Avenue from the junction with Buckingham Road, pretty spectacular sunset I thought....

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

ON TOP OF THE...

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved
...world or at least Wanstead. This cockerel is at the very top of the spire of Christ Church, that's a long way up. I'm not sure what you would call him, a weathervane perhaps, I'm not sure. Anyway he's very handsome and when the sun came out on Sunday it really lit him up.

Monday, 16 February 2015

SPRING ?..

Its been a very busy weekend. I did manage a little time to have a walk along to Christ Church on the green, pictures of that later in the week. In the church grounds however I did find these shoots pushing their way up through the dead leaves. I know it still February but could this be the first sign of Spring?

Sunday, 15 February 2015

INTRICATE..

After I had taken the pictures of Alexandra Lake a few days ago I took the opportunity to have a wander around Aldersbrook. Its the Edwardian estate off Aldersbrook Road opposite the lake, I like that period of building and I can always find something of interest to photograph there. Although it was a fairly miserable day weather wise this painted woodwork over a front door really stood out in the gloom.

Saturday, 14 February 2015

VALENTINES DAY...

Yes... in case you haven't noticed it's Valentines Day. I'm not quite sure how this plays out in the rest of the world. I know it's popular in Canada, and I suspect the rest of the northern hemisphere but I don't know about the rest of the world. So please let me know if your country celebrates this romantic occasion. If you live in Europe and as this post goes live from 1am you still have plenty of time to rush out and find a florist if it's slipped your mind..

I photographed this display at Lillies of Wanstead, our local florist, as I walked along the High Street. What did I get my wife... ah, that's a secret.

Friday, 13 February 2015

ALEXANDRA LAKE..

This is another picture that I took while at Alexandra Lake the other day. It was bittery cold and as you may have seen here the other day the edge of the lake was fringed with ice. I rather like the way the tree has toppled over, in black and white I think it has a nice wintery feel.

Thursday, 12 February 2015

DAY OF THE BRUSSEL SPROUT..

Remember 'Day of the Triffids', the novel published in 1951 in which tall carnivorous, venomous plants have a crack at taking over the world. That's what occurred to me when I spotted these brussel sprouts underneath this fine mesh. I think the mesh is to help keep the frost off them, I thought it made them look like ghosts rising up....

Anyway between Triffids, ghosts and of course brussel sprouts I don't think I'll be getting an allotment any time soon...

tall, venomous carnivorous plants

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

ICE AGE..

Hmmm.. I seem to be having a black and white week. My trip to Wanstead Flats wasn't completely spoiled by the rain, I did manage to grab a few pictures. I took this one at Alexandra Lake, I just liked the way the broken ice had been left in among the stones and leaves.

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

A LITTLE RAIN..

I popped over to Wanstead Flats on Saturday, I haven't been there for ages, I though I'd just see if anything was going on. As you can see the from the photograph it started to rain as I arrived so I shot this picture through the car windscreen. Not too disappointed, I quite like the out of focus figures in the background escaping from the rain.

Monday, 9 February 2015

JACK the....

...Ripper! While I was sorting out yesterdays taxi picture I came across this other Spitalfield's photograph that I am very fond of. On the 25th January I posted a photograph of an alley in Wanstead after dark. A reader in Canada remarked that it reminded him of old Whitechapel, Jack the Ripper territory, this photograph was taken in very much in that area. I waited for a figure to enter the alley with an open billowing coat, I think it rather captures the atmosphere of that time in a modern way.

http://wansteaddailyphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/after-dark-4.html

Sunday, 8 February 2015

TAXI !

Not a Wanstead photograph but Blosson Street in Spitalfields. One of the great things about photographs is that they evoke memories. I had a comment on a post earlier this week that made me think of publishing this picture. Hope you like it..

Saturday, 7 February 2015

SPACE JUNK...

.....that's what occurred to me when I saw this mess from across Nightingale Green, I'm not sure why space sprung into my mind. Anyway, close up, it looks to me like an old stool that someone has thrown out. I'd rather they had taken it to the dump, still a least it hadn't fallen off the International Space Station.

Friday, 6 February 2015

CLOUDS..

An amazing sky last night as we left the gallery. There was a very low bank of dark cloud above the rooftops, I wasn't in a good position to capture it. I did manage to grab this shot at the Green Man roundabout though, I really like the underpass in the foreground and the colour difference that it gives.

Thursday, 5 February 2015

CONVERSATION...

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

So the chat went:
'I think I'll try photographing trees at night, with out flash of course'
'Naaaah it'l never work'
'I'll try it anyway'
'Mmmm, actually I quite like it!'

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

AND THEN LIGHTLY SPRINKLE...

a little snow over Wanstead. When I saw these footprints in the snow yesterday morning it reminded me of my childhood.

I was always fascinated by tales of the abominable snowman or the Yeti as its known. Those classic photographs of 'the footprints in the snow'! These footprints are of course made by our milkman Steve from Parker Dairies who unlike the Yeti can always be relied on to turn up and deliver whatever the weather.

Tuesday, 3 February 2015

ALMOST DARK..

I am a big fan of contrails, theres nothing like looking up into the sky and wondering where all those aeroplanes are off to. Normally the contrails are white but the other evening I came across this one, what a fabulous colour, perhaps it caught the last rays of the sun. Don't know where the 'plane was going though...

Monday, 2 February 2015

BLUE MOON...

.... the song became a hit in 1961 when The Marcels recorded it. Anyway, I'm no astronomer but why was the moon on show at 2.55pm one day last week, shouldn't it just come out at night? The sun rises and sets on a regular basis why is the moon different, is it in an elliptical orbit? Any thoughts or facts gratefully received.

Sunday, 1 February 2015

SUNDAY..

I found this gate post at the back of Christ Church on the green. I like the split in the wood textured and feel of it. The staples left in from where notices have been pinned add a bit to it as well.

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