A LTTLE DRAMA...

     World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

...I had to pop up to Birmingham a few days ago to a trade show. It was a long day walking around the stands and chatting, all in a days work though. However on the walk back to the car the sky was amazing, so dramatic, I just had to stop and grab a picture...

THE CRAFTSMAN...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

...like many people I quite often spend a large part of my day on computers, mobile phones etc, it's just the way it is these days with electronic devices. So you can imagine my delight when I came across this gentleman, as you can see he was laying this classic Victorian style path with small tiles in front of a house in Nightingale Lane. So wonderful to see a craftsman working at a steady pace doing something he enjoyed instead of getting frustrated when a computer takes 10 seconds to react instead of two....

If you need a mosaic tiled hallway, a garden wall or a house restored try Paul Smith, of aps designs you can find him via The Wanstead Village Directory...

THE ANSWER...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

....at last here's what we think the answer is...

George a local builder (pictured below) popped into the Gallery a couple of weeks ago with the mystery object, he knows I'm always curious about things. He is renovating an old factory in Blackheath south east London with his firm Billingford Builders when the discovery was made. The building in question was some form of old photography factory. The mystery piece of timber complete with attached marbles was a simple way of hanging photographic prints to dry. Just slip the print between the marble and the wood and hey presto. Ingenious when you think about it...

                               World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

HMMM...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

.....now what on earth? If you think you know what this is then please let me know, a gent brought it into the Gallery last week. We think we know what it is but I'll keep you in suspense 'till later in the week, but do drop me a line if you think you know...a clue, it came from an old industrial building being refurbished in Blackheath, South London..

ITS MAGIC !....

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

ok....so it's not magic really but here's the challenge. How to make a rainy, grey, overcast sky turn blue? Simple, just photograph the reflection of it in the hood of a blue car....

OH IMOGEN...

                        World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

You may have noticed it been a little damp and windy in Wanstead for the last couple of days. That of course is courtesy of the storm named Imogen. I took this picture at about midnight last night,  I know it looks like an enormous garden pond but it is in fact the road at the junction of Limes Ave and Elmcroft Ave. I'm so pleased I had my flippers with me....you may also notice if you look carefully that I managed to photograph a flying saucer at the same time...

COBBLES PART 2...

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

You may have seen the picture of this cobbled alleyway that I published earlier this week, you can click here if you missed it. Anyway this is the 'reverse' shot looking in the other direction. I like way the curves of the round drain cover match the curved arch at the end of the alley, the looming figure helps as well...

COBBLES & ALLEYWAYS...

                               World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I just can't resist cobbles, photographically that is, I find it impossible just to walk by and be satisfied with a glance. There has to be an angle, in this case from ground level, with these particular cobbles it was a double delight as they are in a short covered alleyway. What photographer can resist an alley, they always lead somewhere to make an interesting picture....

EVENING TIME...

  World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

There are two sides of Christ Church that spring into mind when I think about Wanstead churches. One is from the front with the main entrance at the base of the spire, the other is the view across Christchurch Green. Winter or summer it's a splendid view. However the other evening as I was walking in  Wanstead Place when I noticed this view, normally in daylight the trees tend to 'take the edge' off this view but at night with the floodlight on it took on an attractive different look...