The South Bank Centre is now dedicated to transforming what was once a bleak concrete space into one of continuous innovation and creativity. Good for them. 

 What the architects have done here by restoring and adding to the pathways around this Wren church is reconstruct the sacred. I do admire them. They recreate something that was always there: Wren built his church on the banks of the Walbrook. Trust the Dutch.
     New Court, Rothschild Bank London (OMA* with Allies & Morrison and Pringle Brandon) rises serenely above St Stephen Walbrook - but in a good way; this is intelligent modern architecture at its best. 

* Office for Metropolitan Architecture

Rooftop teas

Meadow flowers - in Central London

Photographed on the Queen Elizabeth Hall roof garden - see also

Fluid London http://www.fluidlondon.co.uk/venue/south_bank/qeh_roof_garden_bar_terrace_se1
Open Garden Squares Weekend (took place in June) http://www.opensquares.org/detail/QueenE.html ( )
Eden Project Dirt http://projectdirt.com/events/event/listByDate?date=2012-07-20 (for Friday 20th July))
flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/livvya/5910021357/

Being in Golden Square is bliss, how could I have forgotten it for so long? How little it takes to increase the quality of life in cities. Is Golden Square special? (well, yes it is). Does it combine the necessary elements to make it special and what are they? What do you think? It's a square crammed full of media businesses btw, fully functional economically thanks to the Internet as well as providing a quiet oasis when you need to cool off from work.

The Shard from Fish Street Hill

Urban retail humour

The staff entrance at Hamley's Toy Shop Regent Street

Contemplation on the South Bank

Someone who knows what they're doing

A little bit of abstraction

Yay: to, round and back from Little Waitrose 

in 35 minutes and home before the rain 

(just). Retailers are becoming smart.

Summer, summer

Nature in the city

Raindrops in grass

Nature in the city

The weather may be a bit dull but there 
is still the light of summer to rejoice in.

I have been visiting my wonderful
Cowling & Wilcox in Soho, always a pleasure.