Tottenham Court Road

One of my favourite photos of London so far. It was taken at Tottenham Court Road, near the tube station, during the long twilight that makes summer here so delightful.

QEII Courtyard at the British Museum

Until recently, the British Library was located in the same building as the British Museum. The round building, at the right of the photo, houses the round Reading Room. The Reading Room is at the centre of a square courtyard in the middle of the Museum complex. Until 1998, this courtyard was filled with the Library's book stacks. When the library outgrew the location, it was moved a new purpose-built complex at St Pancras. With the stacks removed, the courtyard was capped with a spanking new glass roof. It is a sensational space. There are more pics in my British Museum set of photos.

The Elgin Marbles

I went back to the British Museum on Tuesday afternoon, with Dr Tim a fellow Vegasian who worked at Centrla Brunswick. We checked out the Elgin Marbles, but I have to say that I was quite underwhelmed. They look to be in poor condition from thousands of years of weathering, and frankly are totally out of context for me to appreciate them. Maybe one day, when they are restored to the Parthenon, I will then be able to truly appreciate them. There are more pics in my British Museum set of photos.

Deep Level Shelter

During WW2, the tube tunnelling machines were used to build 8 deep level shelters throughout London, to house civilians and military personnel, safe from the bombing that was devastating London. Many of the tunnels, and their ground level entrances like this one, still survive. This entrance, near Goodge St tube stop, housed General Eisenhower. It was from here that he radioed his D-Day announcement.

The London Eye

The London Eye is the world's largest observation wheel, different to a ferris wheel because one walks around on an observation deck as the wheel rotates. It actually rarely stops, but is slow enough for most people to get on without too much difficulty.