You look so pretty, as you're riding along...

While in Taunton most days we went to the local park (Taunton Park as its now oddly known - it was Wellsprings park when I was a child), and as well as running around the massive field chasing a football, we played in the playground.

The playground had a whole bunch of new equipment, and appeared to be in the process of getting rid of some of the old (now I'm fairly sure deemed unsafe) equipment that I played with as a child - luckily the tractor that I remembered fondly still remains and we got to clamber about on it together.

Bank Holiday in Bermondsey

We spent this Bank Holiday walking along the river in our neighbourhood and going on the swings in the park! Here's some snaps...

Rose and Ted by the river with the Shard, Tower Bridge, and the Walkie Talkie, etc, in the background... Ted is stroking a bronze cat sculpture. 

Ted on the swing in our local park

Rose and Ted on the slide... a small child's slide.

Rose & Ted with Ada Salter 

 

Happy Easter Monday Bank Holiday to you all...
cheers, Dan

The cockney connection

"Legend" 

The little man will be born a "true cockney" growing up within the traditional sound of Bow Bells, just around the corner for example from where the legend that is Michael Caine was born (above is the blue plaque on the wall of the old hospital); there's a LOT of other famous Cockneys too. Cockney's are an important cultural group within working class English culture; famously with their own Rhyming Slang, songs, and the visual culture of Pearly Kings and Queens.

So where do we live? Here's a few photo's of the area. 

There's a lot of green space in South East London, here's a view through Southwark Park, one of the bigger parks near our house. 

The park has a nice bandstand in the middle of it... last year we watched the fireworks of Bonfire night from this park. 

There's an interesting seat made out of a fallen tree

Just outside the park is St Olav's Church, you might just be able to see that the flag is Norwegian, Rotherhithe is home to a Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish church, as a result of it's long connections with shipping and seafaring. During the Second World War this was the home of the Norwegian Government in Exile. 

We're lucky to have one of the best public Libraries in London right on our doorstep, the inverted pyramid of "Canada Water Library" has been praised in national Newspapers. It has a great collection, an amazing cultural space (mini-theatre), a cafe, and loads of kids activities too. 

Dock Managers building, the Surrey Docks were the first buildings to be destroyed in the first raids of the Blitz. 

The areas old docklands and shipping heritage are everywhere used as "features" in the redesigned residential and commercial districts. 

I've mentioned that the area is a docks, and famous for shipping a few times, so it'll come as no surprise to know we're right by the Thames... here's a couple of images of the view each direction on a pretty rainy day just after we moved in. Above on the north bank, to our west, you can see the famous corporate centre of London represented by Canary Wharf. 

Further around the southbank, to our east, you can just make out the sails of the Cutty Sark.  

Quite a few of the old docks are now water sports centres. 

Street Art is ever popular in London, here's a kid sitting under the bridge.

.. and here's John Lennon.