LOOKING EAST....

     World © Geoff Wilkinson/All rights reserved

Typically we all look to the West when watching the sun set, I think this applies all over the world. The other day I looked in the opposite direction towards the East and found this amazing cloud formation. I love the way the colour changes dramatically the closer you get to the horizon...

WHAT....WATER TANKS !!!!

What  do you do with old, unwanted water tanks that you have salvaged from skips? Wanstead guerrilla gardner Marion Temple had a fabulous idea, you fill them with plants, paint them up and hey presto it's going to be another wonderful displays of lovely flowers next year. You can see them at the junction of Harrier Avenue and Mansfield Road just by Wanstead Station.....

COLOURS...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson/ All rights reserved

You may have seen the picture of the lights in the tunnel  running under the Central Line tube I posted a few days ago, you can check it out here. Anyway the completely opposite of the dark and gloom of that picture is this lovely metal sign at the mouth of the tunnel. I have no idea what it means but I expect it's something to do with the tube line, I was really drawn to the colours and the rust...very vintage I thought.. 

YES, BUT...

 World © Geoff Wilkinson

....is it art?... Dunno..but I find it extremely difficult to walk past a can that has been squashed by a car or lorry and not photograph it, I have no idea why. I though there was a certain amount of irony with this particular squshed can as it has 'super' printed on the side obviously not super enough to stand up to a vehicle running over it...

ART HOUSE...

World © Geoff Wilkinson

Whenever I drive past this house I always stop and have a peek at the window. I don't know anything about sculptures but I do admire the work that is on display, it always looks great. Well done whoever the artist is, it certainly make for a more interesting street...

ps: I rather like the reflections in the windows of the houses opposite I think it just adds another dimension...

World © Geoff Wilkinson

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....

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...

TRAVELING LIGHT....

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I spotted these festive lights in the window of Darrell James Travel in the High Street just before Christmas. I'm a big fan of Christmas lights and I liked the way these stood out in the dark, with the warm colours in the room it looked very cosy....can't wait for next years show...

SKY AT NIGHT...

   World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I was in the High Street the other night when this little Pomeranian named Sky happened along on it's nightly stroll. As you can see from the quizzical look it wondered what I was up to with my cameras, I managed to get this quick snapshot before it passed by. The composition is a little unorthodox it know but I quite like the balance with the owners foot in the picture.... 

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

I bumped into Father Christmas outside Daisys the florist earlier this morning just after he had finished delivering presents. As you can see from the picture he didn't look too tired after his nights work climbing down and back up chimneys with his sack. Wherever you are in the world have a wonderful holiday together with your families. Spare a thought for the many people in the world who are less fortunate than ourselves, lets hope 2016 brings peace to the world...

AH SPRING IS....

                             World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

.....is in the air. At least that's what this daffodils think. The poor things don't seem to realise that it's only December 24th and they should still be asleep. I spotted them in Nightingale Lane yesterday, must be global warming I expect...

LADY PENELOPE...

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All right reserved

Steve from Parker Dairies delivers our daily pinta, when he popped into the Gallery last Saturday I notice that his milk float had a fresh coat of paint and very smart it looked.

If you a fan of the television show Thunderbirds  you will of course know that Lady Penelope's chauffeur is called Parker same as Steve's dairy with me so far? So Steve in addition to the fresh coat of paint on his float now has a picture of a cow on the float which naturally enough is called Penelope...

World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

NewsFlash:check the Parker Diaries Christmas video just click here

RAINY NIGHT...

                               World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

Cold and damp the other night perhaps that's what put me in an abstract mood. Anyway I really liked the way the raindrops were running down the windscreen of this car, that plus the streetlights together with the cars interior lights just worked for me...

Hmmm...

                               World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

......I wonder what happened here? As I wandered along Nightingale Lane the other day I came across this pair of boots standing side by side on the pavement with nothing else around. They look in reasonable condition, not smart but certainly serviceable, the only thing missing were the laces...

    What happened to the owner, abducted by aliens, human combustion or just forgetful I guess we'll never know...

I'M JUST WARMING UP...

                             World © no unauthorised use

That's not me in the picture I have to say straight away. Noel the guvnor at the Nightingale Pub in Nightingale Lane, Wanstead has a busy afternoon planned for tomorrow, Sunday. There will be a barbecue, a jazz band and as you might surmise from the picture fire walking. The hot stuff is between 3.30 and 4.30pm in the afternoon, everyone is welcome to have a go and its all for a brilliant charity. The money raised will go to help children with cancer so whether you feel up to walking on fire or just going along to watch dig deeply folks...

...the photograph above is not mine it came from the charity so please don't go pinching it without permission, thanks...