London Photo Walk

Tom Lee
Nov 19
3 min read

You know what they say about the best-laid plans… they usually go awry. And ours certainly tried their best.

Long exposure London bus speeds through city street with high-rise buildings. Sign shows bus lane hours. Overcast sky above. — London Buses - (c) Tom Lee

Our London Photo Walk began with a well-organised plan: routes mapped, trains booked, hotel sorted. Six of us were set for a photo-filled weekend in London - until Anthony called the day before with a medical issue and had to drop out. Not the start we’d hoped for.

Still, the remaining five of us met at Lime Street, hopped down to Euston via Crewe, and made our way straight to Spitalfields Market. I’d prepared three route maps to guide our wanderings, but after pairing up and exploring a few streets, those maps quickly became “loose suggestions.” I’m not sure the western section was touched at all.

Man vaping at Old Spitalfields Market, London. Colorful pottery and hats on display. Large red sign above. Mural with text in background. — Smoker - (c) Les Pickstock

Barista at "Chai Guys" stall pours tea into cups. Vibrant market scene with steam and colorful decor. Menus display chai and coffee options. — Chai Guys - (c) Tom Lee

Green bikes lined up in front of a historic church with a tall spire. People walk nearby. The sky is partly cloudy, adding to the scene's charm. — Spitalfields Church - (c) Les Pickstock

People sit around a table in a bustling indoor market. A man eats, a woman holds a baby, and another looks concerned. Strollers are nearby. — The Gathering - (c) Barry Quatermass

Mannequin with a braided headdress and sunglasses in a cluttered vintage store. A person in a coat examines clothing. Black and white setting. — Brick Lane Underground Market - (c) Barry Quatermass

Colorful graffiti wall with texts "Bricklane is the best gallery" and "Not today Satan." Features vibrant patterns and a red mannequin figure. — Graffiti Relief - (c) Dave Newby

We regrouped on time at our basic-but-clean hotel in Whitechapel, freshened up, and headed out for food and a well-earned pint. Afterwards, Dave and Rob wandered towards the Thames while Barry, Les, and I explored around St Mary Axe and the Gherkin. Everyone eventually found their way back - ready to tackle the next day.

Train crosses graffiti-covered bridge with "Palestine" text. Colorful murals feature figures and vibrant art. Overcast sky above. — Passing By - (c) Dave Newby

Motorcyclist in helmet reclines on scooter, checking phone. Urban street with cars parked. Background: graffiti-covered buildings. Monochrome. — Between Jobs - (c) Barry Quatermass

Nighttime city street with lit buildings. Red car trails blur on the road. People sit inside a glowing eatery. Text: "there is naan like us". — Night Scene - (c) Dave Newby

Fountain with a statue of a girl and dolphin at night, with Tower Bridge lit up in blue and white lights in the background. — London Bridge - (c) Dave Newby

Tall, illuminated skyscraper with a spiral pattern at night. People walk nearby, surrounded by buildings and parked cars. Monochrome tones. — The Gherkin - -(c) Les Pickstock

Illuminated glass skyscraper at night, showcasing intricate reflections and patterns. The street is empty, creating a serene urban scene. — Night Work - (c) Barry Quatermass

Breakfast, however, delivered its own chaos. The café we’d been told opened at 7am was firmly closed, so we tried an Italian-looking place that turned out to be Arabian-run and serving fiery curry sandwiches. I managed a coffee and croissant; Dave and Les needed metaphorical fire extinguishers.

People walk on Millennium Bridge bridge toward St Paul’s Cathedral under dramatic clouds. A lone person stands on the left, creating a moody atmosphere. — St Paul’s Cathedral from Millennium Bridge - (c) Tom Lee

With some relief, we learned that Anthony’s condition wasn’t as serious as feared. Spirits lifted, we set off for the Lee Miller exhibition. Dave, Rob, and Barry took the Underground while Les and I walked along the Thames. Five minutes before our entry time, I proudly rallied the troops - only to realise I’d taken us to the wrong Tate. We needed Tate Britain, not Tate Modern.

Person lying on a black couch in a modern room with wooden floors and high ceilings. Large windows reveal the "BLAVATNIK BUILDING" text. — Tate Modern - (c) Rob Devenish

View of city skyline with modern glass buildings, a boat on the river, and bridges. Golden railing in foreground, under cloudy sky. — Millennium Bridge - (c) Les Pickstock

Cue Barry, hero of the hour, who secured us spots on the Uber Boat to Millbank - dropping us almost at the Tate’s doorstep. Crisis averted… almost. We were then turned away at the entrance because I needed to collect physical tickets from a desk downstairs. By the time we finally entered - over an hour late - the exhibition was heaving. Frazzled or not, I still managed to soak up some truly extraordinary images.

Close-up of Lee Miller's Rolleiflex camera in front of a dark uniform with shiny buttons. Monochrome setting, evoking a historical mood. — Lee Miller’s Camera and Uniform - (c) Tom Lee

Man in a blue suit checks his phone at a subway station. Red and white train in the background. Indoor setting, focused demeanor. — Man with Phone - (c) Rob Devenish

Escalator ascending in a subway station, surrounded by metal walls and overhead lights. The setting is empty, with a futuristic feel. — Tower Hill Escalator - (c) Rob Devenish

After a quick coffee, we dashed for Euston via Pimlico, made our train with 15 minutes to spare, changed at Stafford with five minutes to sprint, and finally relaxed on the last leg to Liverpool.

Why do we put ourselves through all this? Simple. Because we love photography - and we’ll go to almost any length for the images we bring home.

Yellow-brown maple leaf on textured gray pavement, showing intricate veins and a hint of decay; evokes autumnal mood. — Autumn Leaf - (c) Rob Devenish

5 Comments

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Nov 19

Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Excellent blog.

Great humorous story about the days events.

Great time had by all and looking forward to our next #photography trip.

les@lespickstock.co.uk

Another great blog, Tom. Thanks for both organising trip and producing the blog. Some great images by the boys.

BarryQ

Excellent Tom, its a great city, a good time was had by all, and some wonderful images captured

Very enjoyable read, it sounds like you all had a fun and busy trip to London with your cameras. Love the photos in the blog, thanks for sharing your trip with me...... keep on exploring with your cameras.... Ron

Tom Lee

A smorgasboard of images from the group on a recent trip to London. Only two (half) days and an overnight but compelling trip nontheless. Well done to my fellow contributor's.