Cycle safety, health and safety

Dave Hill's London Blog carries a post about the London Cycle hire scheme, which goes 'live' this week in central areas; 6,000 bikes available for hourly hire. Among the comments on the post were some about the safety of cyclists, including this one, which I rather like:

I saw a guy on a scooter wearing a hi viz (jacket) the other day, it had written on the back "I'm only wearing this to cover somebody else's arse"

Extension

Some people don't have a front garden, or anywhere else to sit out in the sun.  These enterprising folk have cleverly solved that problem with this floating terrace.  

I wonder if they have to pay council tax on their extension?

Regent's Canal, July 2010

Three weeks old

I had a very pleasant afternoon: Ella slept in my lap for over two hours, while Hannah put her feet up (and the goldfish ignored us).

Tall buildings 2

I commented here last October on the new skyscraper being constructed on Bishopsgate, in the City of London, called the Heron Tower.

This is how it looked photographed from the same spot a couple of weeks ago, soaring away into the sky.

The building was ceremonially ‘topped out’ in April, when major construction was completed, and it now stands at 202 metres. The spire is still to be added; it has no purpose but will help push the final height up to 230 metres. There are 46 storeys of office space, with some retail planned at ground level and a restaurant at the top. I still don’t like the building much, but credit must go to those who manage such complex construction projects, on a very small and tricky site right in the centre of this busy city.

The south façade of the Heron Tower, with the distinctive shape of the Gherkin reflected.

Adorable....

...and now weighing-in at 9lbs.

Product design: bendy bike

The Telegraph features an interesting idea (in their ‘Green Motoring’ pages - can motoring be green?). It is a bendy-framed bicycle for which the designer, student Kevin Scott, has just won a design award.

Read more about it here and here.

Ella: Home and bubbly

Ella in her father's arms, 9th July

The grandparents celebrate, 10th July

Photo: Kitty Melrose

Ella arrives, and at home

Some photos of Ella just a few minutes old, here

Photo by Hannah Dickinson

And some more after she arrives at her new home, here

Baby Ella

I can’t put it any better than to show here the text messages from Tuesday 6^th July:

09.22. Hi. We've been at Whittington since 7. Hannah's doing great and things are progressing. I'll let you know as soon as there's any more news. Robin.

15.55. Baby Ella arrived at 3.16. She's beautiful. Hannah is doing fine and has been amazing all day. Speak soon when we're settled. X

Liz and I saw them in hospital yesterday afternoon. What can I say? A tearful moment, beautiful, wonderful, delicious, tiny (7lbs 9oz) a real delight.

They went home last night: two happy parents, and I’m a very proud Pops.

There are more photographs here:

My own birth was recorded in the Manchester Guardian, as it was called in those days. So keeping with the family tradition, Ella’s birth was noted in this morning’s paper

Toby pensive

Toby with his thoughts. And we are thinking of him.

Delicias Brasileiras

It’s quarter-final day in the world cup. Two hours before kick-off and I thought I’d get some fresh air and have a coffee. My local Brazilian bar might be a good place, given that their team are due to kick-off against Holland. Hhmm…I can see the shutters are down….that’s a shame….perhaps they are watching on tv…..maybe they’ve gone to the match? Oh no, they are selling up.

Shame. They lost the match too, 2-1 to Holland.

St Paul's-at-a-distance

This is St Paul’s Cathedral, photographed from approximately 4 miles due south. I was at the high point (200 ft above sea level) in Nunhead Cemetery, south London. The 52 acre cemetery once had a ‘lawns and stones’ layout but is now almost completely overgrown, although the council manages to keep a viewing corridor cut through the trees to enable this view of Wren’s masterpiece. It is interesting because we normally have to look up the cathedral, whereas this is much more of a level shot.

With a better lens and a tripod one could get a much closer and sharper picture. Here is one I found on Flickr.

There is a wealth of history on the cemetery; just look in Google.