Off and On

Bead weaving

Bead weaving (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

Mon 13.11.2006 08:22 Have wanted to try this for ages. Discovered there's a huge hobby & craft shop in Greenford, so went up there on Sunday and bought a loom and a load of beads. This is as far as I've got so far. Most of the time was taken up with stringing the loom - that's one fiddly job! Then I discovered that the nylon filament was too thick to go through the beads multiple times as required. But once those two issues were sorted out, things started to progress with satisfying speed. This is going to be a simple beaded strip to decorate one of Chris's books. Once I've finished this, and figured out how to weave in the loose thread ends so the whole thing doesn't immediately unravel, I think I might try my hand at off-loom weaving.

The soft velvety noses of the law...

The soft velvety noses of the law... (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

Fri 10.11.2006 13:24 Every now and then, we see a couple of police horses and their riders patrolling along Judd Street.

Autumn colours: flame

Autumn colours: flame (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

Went out for a walk this morning, and on the way back, there was this tree - looks very ordinary the rest of the time, but just today the leaves are the most stunning reds and oranges. Another day, and most of the leaves will have dropped, and it will be an ordinary looking tree again.

A most amazing hat

A most amazing hat (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

A family tragedy remembered at Southall Station

A family tragedy remembered at Southall Station (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

A year ago, a young mother killed herself and her two little children by stepping in front of a high speed train as it passed through Southall Station. Just weeks later, her own mother killed herself in the same way at the same spot, unable to cope with her grief.

Reunion at Paddington Station

Reunion at Paddington Station (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

I was wandering through Paddington Station on my way home, and being a Friday evening, the Great Western Railway Band was playing. I stopped for a few minutes to listen, and suddenly this couple stepped forward and started to waltz! I took a couple of quick photos, then saw that they'd asked someone else to take a photo of them on their own camera. So I asked them if they'd like another photo and showed the one I'd just taken. As we chatted, they revealed that they had lost touch 30 years ago, but recently she did a bit of online sleuthing and managed to track him down and contact him. So they arranged to meet up next time she visited the UK, and there they were! It's a lovely story, and I'm so glad I put my reticence to one side and approached them to offer them a copy of this photo, since otherwise I'd never have known why that couple waltzed to the music in Paddington Station that evening. :)

The gentle side of Diwali

The gentle side of Diwali (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

The rest of it is fireworks going off all over Southall without a break from late afternoon through to after midnight. Sigh.

The creepiest looking shop window dummy outside of Doctor Who!

The creepiest looking shop window dummy outside of Doctor Who! (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

Fireworks are BIG business in Southall

Fireworks are BIG business in Southall (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

Getting the message across

Getting the message across (view larger image)
Originally uploaded to Flickr by dms246

Wed 01.11.2006 19:16 St Pancras building, Euston Road, London.

Left the office and headed up towards Euston Road to get the Tube from Kings Cross Station.  And saw this huge sign projected onto the front of the St Pancras building!  I took a few photographs as I walked up to the corner, and was then handed a flyer which revealed that this was part of a move to publicise a "Climate Change" rally and demonstration in London on Saturday.  I also found myself being photographed taking a photo of the sign, and being interviewed on camera about how effective it was, but fame and recognition haven't followed, so I fear it must have failed to make the cut for the evening news programmes.