The elegant, sweeping, grey/green/blue leaves of a gum tree … sometimes it takes seeing a completely incongruous stand of eucalypts in a thoroughly English garden to make you realise that it’s the little things that add up to what you miss about home
A curtain of gum leaves, Kew Gardens
Where's a koala when there's food to be had?
Still more photos of the springtime blooms of Kew Gardens. I managed to ‘catch’ the start of the bluebell blooms … unfortunately I didn’t make it back in time to photograph the carpet – in full. That’s on the list for next year 
Early bluebells, Kew Gardens
Close-up, bluebells of Kew Gardens
Bluebells, Kew Gardens
I didn’t record the name of these tiny flowers, but they were just lovely
Tiny purple flowers, Kew Gardens
Flowers in a beautiful ‘free form’ memorial flower bed – Snake’s Head Fritillary / Chequered daffodil / drooping tulip …
Close-up drooping tulips
Chequered daffodils
Mauve hyacynth blooms
Hyacynth buds, Kew Gardens
Ornamental cherry blossom buds, Kew Gardens
Pink & mauve blooms, Kew Gardens
Last August (was it that long ago?) I wrote a post about a couple of Banksy’s works in Central London, the main one being the huge ‘One Nation Under CCTV’ mural that appeared overnight in Soho (just off Oxford St).
Well, for some time Westminster Council has been threatening to remove the mural by painting over it, classifying it as graffiti reather than as street art. And I noticed this week that they’ve actually gone ahead and done just that (at the same time as the G20 protests … hmm, coincidence that something else was the main focus of the media and the vocal minority?)
So now all that’s left is photos of the very timely work. I’m just glad I took my photos when I did.
Detail of the CCTV mural
One Nation Under CCTV - Soho
banksy_soho distant view
Pre-springtime tree in silhouette, Kensington Gardens
Swans on the Round Pond, Kensington Gardens
Kensington swans in black & white
Kensington swans on the Round Pond
Cygnet on the Round Pond
Classic reflections - swans on the Round Pond
The following is the third installment of my ‘Russian winter in London’ series of posts, following on from my previous two posts (Snow in London, and Snow in London – part 2).
Australian War Memorial in London, coated in the snow
Commonwealth Memorial, Hyde Park Corner
New Zealand War Memorial, London
Entry gate to Buckingham Palace
Westminster snowman with tuppenny eyes, cherry tomato nose, and bunch of grapes for hair 
Not-so-grouchy Churchill
Pathway in Green Park
Seated snowman in Hyde Park - that's tops
To follow on from my previous post (Snow in London), here are some of the photos that I took today while ‘playing tourist’ in London. Well, I thought I may as well, since it seems that when more than a dusting of snow falls in the south-east of the UK and almost all public transport grinds to a standstill.
And we’ve not seen the last of it either – as I type / compose this post, I’m watching ever more big, fat snowflakes add themselves to the city’s new winter blanket.
The drama of a 4WD that never goes off-road ... it took almost 5mins for the driver to 'un-park' this car
Snow-bound bicycles
Snow-balled terrier on the way home from Kensington Gardens
William of Orange, Kensington Palace
Head of the Long Water, Kensington Gardens
Ice forming on the Serpentine
Life preserver and unneccessary warning sign on the Serpentine
Snowy boats on the Serpentine
