I’ve been taking a little bit of a break, not a sabbatical which was the word that first came to mind, that might infer that I was actually getting paid. Just a break from street photography for a few weeks, actually any kind of photography. In any case, it can’t be a sabbatical if you’re paying. Fortunately I wasn’t, but my wife was. Phew! You know what? I could have just written ‘we had a break in London’, but it wouldn’t be my blog if I quickly got to the point.
The Savoy Hotel was our home for three nights. As you’d expect practically anywhere in the world, if there are people in top hats welcoming you at the front door and you have to be extra careful as you walk around the Bentley’s or Lamborghini’s in fear of scratching them as you tow your suitcase behind you then be prepared to be parted with plenty of hard earned cash. I parked elsewhere because I didn’t want to show them up! Sam decided that we needed to get away and I agreed. The kids haven’t had a holiday since 2019 except for a short break last year in Sidmouth last year. So, a London break. I was a lot happier than this guy, life imitating art perhaps.
Talking of that, Louis thought it was hilarious when we ate in The Savoy Grill and at the very next table was Edna Mode from “The Incredibles” (You’ll have to look it up if you missed that film). I told them they’d see some famous people!
So, I’m happy with each of those shots. Not because they’re anything special, but because I re-discovered the camera and I know for me that photography is so important . I really haven’t picked up the camera for quite a while, I clicked away at Amélie’s leavers party, I liked those results and that’s really about it for four or five weeks. I wasn’t suffering with photographer block, nor was it because the children were off from school, I really can’t pin it down.
Edna Mode in that one again, she’s just let her hair grow. She caught my eye, not the bride, it’s a different vision that of photographers. I’m not sure I believe all this ‘photographers block’ business by the way. You often hear others say they’re suffering from this kind of photographic malaise. There’s always something to photograph, always something happening. If you’re documenting life then it’s just a case of watching it as it unfolds. Besides, you can’t have ‘photographers block’ with street photography, really it’s a matter that there are some days where you’re simply not seeing. Of course in London there are always plenty of things to see, mostly though it’s appears to be people in uniforms.
I did notice a distinct lack of masks for the most part. It’s as though covid has disappeared. I know there’s some resistance to mask wearing, those who say it’s some kind of infringement to their freedom. Strange though that at the commencement of World War II the fear was attacks using gas, every citizen was issued a gas mask. There weren’t people demonstrating or refusing to wear them because of an issue with freedom. They said “Thanks very much”. It the same thing isn’t it? Masks are protecting you. Hey, if it was good enough for Henry VIII (his armour in this shot) then why not? These people have clearly taken a lesson from history onboard!
We did a lot of the sights. I’ve seen them all before many times, as a child we would take a trip up to London every Autumn for a week. Mum and my sister would shop, my dad did his best to keep me amused with some sight seeing. That was during the swinging sixties, Carnaby Street, mini skirts and all that. London was ‘The Place’ to be, where it was at. I’m glad to report that it still is. Yesterday I was looking up something, I’d like to say researching, but that would suggest that this was a professionally written blog. In reality I just sit down for an hour and write whatever comes into my head. What was I saying? Oh yes. So there are Global Cities and many different indexes that rank them using different criteria. Obviously there are a top four that appear regularly, however London comes top in most of them. Ahead of New York, beats Paris and Tokyo…take that world, we’re still number 1…
…of course we’re not! We conquered the world in a ruthless way, a quarter of it and it’s population was under British control. We just have a part of the legacy left, it makes us much more important than we actually are. The Americans did it in a much more subtle way, namely film and television, their influence filtered through and now it’s everywhere. Talking of television, the Savoy Grill is under the management of Gordon Ramsay. I was outside having a smoke and he was seeing a friend off in a taxi. I was literally two feet away, he looked at me, I looked at him and turned away. I didn’t have my camera with me and even if it was to hand I wouldn’t have clicked. He’s just a cook with a big mouth, that’s the image I get, I expect in real life not a bad guy though. Other people noticed and ran up demanding selfies, Amélie who was on her way into the hotel for bedtime saw him and fell over such was her excitement. She’s a celebrity in her own right, after all she has me as her photographer, Gordon Ramsay should be asking her for a selfie!
Oh no, we’re not having any fuss over celebrities. According to my mum, who passed away a couple of weeks ago (90 years old), we’re not to fuss over anything, we’re not having any pathetic self pity either. We take what life throws at us, we accept it and get on. That wasn’t a new thing for her, some sudden revelation, she’s always said that. Stop grumbling, get on with it. That from someone who sat and watched the Spitfires and Messerschmitts fighting in the skies above her as she sat on the promenade in Hythe, Kent. I’m not sure that they knew what they were letting themselves in for. A mugger once sat near an underpass. He watched as my mother, late fifties, immaculately dressed as always walked through. The words Easy and Target entered his mind. First mistake. Down he jumped, looking as menacing as he could, demanding she handed everything over. Had I been there I’d have warned him, think again sunshine, I would have been concerned for his safety. I wasn’t there and so he grabbed her handbag, second mistake. You do not mess with her and not ever her handbag. She wrestled her handbag back, that came as a shock I expect and hit him with it, very hard, over his head. Told him where to get off, and off he ran.
No self retrospection was or is allowed. The longer i’m on this planet I find myself agreeing with my mum. That’s why I haven’t come up with any reasons for my lack of activity with photography, it just is, if I thought about it for long enough no doubt I’d be in limbo for a long time, as it is I’m over it. Sam was right, damn her, all we needed was a break. Mum would have approved too, she loved London.
Let’s finish up with some more shots. This blog is about photography, essentially what I saw. We’ll have Street first, followed by a few family shots and at the end a photo with no one in the frame. Who knew? Don’t worry I’ll try not to do it again, I simply liked the juxtaposition of the old and the new, part of the Tower of London and the Shard. I suppose there’s little distinction in many of my images nowadays, it’s all just photography.
As always my sincere thanks go to anyone taking the time to read this blog.
All images can be opened by clicking on the thumbnails and are made using a Leica M with Summicron 28mm Lens fitted.
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