East End Borough and West End Wall

A few days ago I set off to explore two places I’d heard about recently and wanted to photograph: Borough Market near London Bridge Station and the Bethlehem Wall in the grounds of St. James’s Church, Picadilly.  It was such a beautiful day and the environs south of the River near the City so inviting that I meandered my way between the two places.

Some photographers insist that the best approach to the art is to have a task at hand and fulfil it.  I’ve come round to seeing the worthiness of this sort of process.  But I also agree with Henri Cartier-Bresson who said: "photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event."  I take this to mean that no matter what your actual intention, you still have to be prepared for that unexpected moment or view of great significance.  I didn’t actually get any good pictures of Borough Market at all, but I did discover Southwark Cathedral next door.  And what a find.  It’s magnificent.

Then , being true to my London flaneur temperament, I wandered over the Wobbly Bridge and on to St. Paul’s.  For me all roads lead to this structure. 

 

Down the strand and on to Trafalgar Square.  If you venture off Regent Street, the world suddenly stands still in St. James Square: there’s no shopping, eating or entertainment establishments so it’s a peaceful retreat from the pulsing Christmas-time hoards. 

I finally made it to my final destination: a temporary reconstruction of a small section of the wall separating Israel from the West Bank.  Though the sun was fast retreating, the graffiti was vibrant in colour and in sentiment.