What I'm calling a Job Shop in Bloomsbury specializing in placing catering workers. It's so nice! And there it sits, invitingly, at street level. I can quite see the idea of boutique premises for various job sectors taking off after seeing this.

Revolutionary New System (Well, I Think So) That Keeps You Dry in Rain and Shaded in Sun

It's known as a parasoleil, a rainproof parasol, and it's for those despairing of this endless rain, followed by sun, followed by rain . . ..

Hat tip to @SpeigelPeter of the @FT Brussels office whose earlier tweet gave me the idea of rewriting what I posted earlier.

The parasoleil is British (all fall down). It's made from waxed cotton - just as good as an umbrella but feels much more summery to carry around - and with an Ultra-violet Protection Factor of 50+ for those hot blasts of sun.

A quick look at the Fulton web site reveals they don't seem to employ this genius design for men's sun brollies: you'll have to contact them directly if pink, yellow or cyan are not your colours.


From earlier today: the famous roundel design of TfL, first used at Underground stations in the early 1900s, as furniture, from London Transport Museum.

© Transport for London

Pleasantly italianate: with a nice bit of brickwork

The Royal Academy Piccadilly: Definitely Keeping Something Under Wraps

If you're in Lower Covent Garden - the area north of the Strand - and love the architecture of James Gibbs, John Nash, William Wilkins, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott (St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, the Nash Pepperpots and the National Gallery and its Extension respectively), you will also find the wonderful Mexican Market Eating in Chandos Place.

Thinking of the People of Oklahoma

Shop Where You Buy Your Garden or Window Box Ready Made

It could only be London.

A Container Street Tree Shares its Moment in the Sun

More Fancy Gable-work

London is one of the most architecturally diverse cities in the world. Apart from stretches of beautiful Georgian, which is uniform, every building is different. This building, located between Soho and Covent Garden could be part of a Little Brussels at least.

The Architectural Greats All Work with Light

The architecture of James Gibbs revealed in all its classical beauty at St Martin-in-the-Fields

Architects Are Not (Yet), But Architects Should Be, At The Forefront of Bikeability and Walkability for London: Both Modes Allow Uninterrupted Views of Their Beautiful Buildings

The famous John Nash 'pepper pots' and the buildings opposite Charing Cross Station have been restored. The area is now so beautiful (thank you, Westminster) that I just want to take my work and a sandwich and spend all day there in silent admiration.

In a Plant Tub at the British Library . . .

refreshment for the mind and spirit.

Canary Wharf Underground Station: reaction shot to the stunning architecture at the bottom

Blog Post: Bride for Sale (made me laugh anyway . . .)

Urban Grit With Magnolia and Sun Splash

Back to Work

Don't forget to check in to today's proceedings from #EMUBlueprint #EMU #EC

Don't Forget Your Greens

Taken almost a week ago, the trees will be responding to the light and pushing their leaves full out. The Forest of Epping can be reached by taking the Victoria Line to Walthamstow Central and the overground to Chingford. 

But if you're stuck in London, life is not too bad: here's the blossom on Victoria Embankment.

The Green Lawns of Epping, E4

Back to these shores after our media excursion to Amsterdam for Koninginnedag and the Inauguration. This is the hunting lodge at the Forest of Epping. It was much used by our Tudor monarchs for the purposes of filling the larder. The lodge was built as high as possible to enable guests to watch the hunt, not to mention shoot the animals (which were often penned in below for their convenience) from the upper windows.

Another pic of one of our grandest rail stations, Liverpool Street, gateway to Stansted Express and the East of England; WW1 war memorial in the background. Liverpool Street also connects with Harwich and Hoek van Holland.