Wooden Underground station

Being interested in everything to do with the Underground, I couldn't resist visiting this wooden life-size station on display inside the former campus of the art school Central St Martins.

It was created by the sculptor and illustrator Camilla Barnard who recreates everyday objects in wood. " I want to try to replicate as many things as I can, so a Tube Station is quite a big iconic one to tick off the list" Barnard told  Dezeen   at the opening of the installation. Using hand painted sheets of timber, it took 3 months to construct in her studio in East London.

 All the signs and the replica newspapers are handpainted.

 The station is positioned alongside a transport for London themed cafe at Designjunction and is part of an 18 month programme of events and exhibitions celebrating 150 years of the London Underground.

Autumn in Henley

When I was walking the Thames path in 2013 I promised myself that I would return to Henley-on-Thames in the Autumn to see the beautiful colours by the river. So a couple of weeks ago, before I went to Vienna, I traveled back to Henley. However, I was too early to see all the changes of colour.



Nevertheless it was a beautiful day for a walk by my favourite river and was able to admire the many reflections in the water.

Secession building

Gustav Klimt and a number of other artists founded a new art association in 1896 called the Secession. An exhibition centre was built in Vienna to house their work.

The Art Nouveau building created  a lot of opposition when it was built in 1898 but is now a very popular attraction in Vienna. The leafwork dome (golden cabbage) can be seen from quite a distance.

Lest we forget

In Bermondsey, South London stands this statue of Able Seaman Albert McKenzie. At the age of 19 he took part in a mission to block German boats in the Belgium port of Bruges-Zeebrugge in 1918. He was one of the few from the landing party who survived the raid and the first London sailor to collect the Victoria Cross from King George V. During the raid he was wounded in the back and foot. On returning to the UK he was nominated by his fellow shipmates for the VC for his outstanding bravery in the face of the enemy.

A few weeks after receiving the award he caught flu and died of pneumonia aged 20 on 3rd November 1918 a few days before the war officially ended

The steel statue stands on a concrete plinth made from a section of the Zeebrugge harbour wall donated by the Mayor and people of Flanders.

The statue was unveiled in October 2015 in the area where he lived as a boy. Local people raised the money to honour his memory with a statue.

A few reflections of Vienna

And finally yet another cake shop and cafe.

Sharing with James at

Weekend Reflections

Scary toilet

 This is the Cafe Diglas  in Vienna, a  well known venue for its Apple Strudel and other delicious cakes. If you want to see the variety on offer, have a look at Andrew at High Riser

On visiting the toilet I wasn't quite prepared for the glass cubicles. Must be a strange Austrian custom I thought. But once inside and you lock the door the glass then becomes opaque and even has a no entry sign,

It only works when you lock the door so I had to linger in the toilets until someone came in and went into the cubicle, locked the door and then I could take out the camera!

The State Hall Vienna

This is the State Hall of the National Austrian Library in Vienna. Part of the Hofburg Palace it was built between 1723-6.

Beautiful leather bound books and manuscripts are stored in Walnut book cases.

Court painter Daniel Gran completed the frescoes by 1730

The State Hall is home to 200,000 books from 1501 to 1850.