This is a series I took last October of the swans that are often found at the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens, and have been meaning to post for ages. They always seem so serene and at peace with the morning – a very different mood than when they are scrapping for the bread crusts that the children and tourists distribute of an afternoon.
Just cruising
Welcoming the autumn morning
Serenity
Swan yoga
I have a feeling that there will be a number of future posts on a similar theme – depending on whether I manage to get to all the locales one my list with lovely Christmas lights. There’s something quite romantic about the dark afternoons and the fairylights brightening open spaces.
Well, that’s my take on it, and perhaps because I grew up knowing hot Christmases I will always feel that a cold Christmas is something akin to living in a Christmas card. So there you have it – I’ve outed myself. I am a Christmas tragic, and am proud of it 
Swarovski snowflake at Scotch Corner, Knightsbridge
Swarovski crystal snowflake, Knightsbridge
Christmas Harrods
Bedecked Museum
The Christmas markets in Hyde Park are a fabulously almost-kitsch hybrid between temporary mini theme park and Anglecised Weihnachtsmarkt.
But having said that, the lights are lovely, and they make for a good photography subject. Here are some of the photos I took on the weekend:
London Eye-style wheel in Hyde Park
Whirligig - Winter Wonderland
Weihnachtsgeschaft
Dancing lights
Red fairy lit avenue pointing the way to the outdoor ice rink
Looking through my photos just now, I spotted a neat duo that I thought I’d share. Hope you like them
Statue of Freddie Mercury in Montreux
This first photo is of the statue that stands in tribute to the Queen frontman, who lived his final years in Montreux. The flowers are to celebrate what would have been his 60th birthday on September 2, 2006.
The next photo is outside the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End, where the musical We WIll Rock You has been playing for years.
Freddie Mercury dressed for Christmas
I like the birthday version …
Some snaps from an afternoon stroll on a mid-summer’s afternoon around Kensington and Notting Hill Gate:
What was a candy store's doorstep, and is now an estate agents' ... much less charismatic ...
Some views of Portobello Road:
Oversize pub lamp outside the Earl of Lonsdale
Portobello Rd markets
The late afternoon sun through the Italian Fountains
Taken in January, ’08 with my Nikon D40X
Urns on the ornamental wall of the Italian Fountains, Kensington Gardens
Taken in January, ’08 with my Nikon D40X
Winter sunset on Bond Street
Taken in Feb, ’08 with my Nikon D40X
Banksy
Banksy’s statement in the underpass at Marble Arch
Banksy
Both taken with my Nikon D40X
I took this photo in October, 2007 on a frosty Sunday morning. I love this photo!
Winter dawn over the Albert Memorial
