12 of 12 (v3.0) - October

My first 12 of 12 from my new home of London! I moved last week, and so I'm just getting used to living here.

As always, credit goes to Chad for coming up with the 12 of 12 idea. You should all know the drill by now - take 12 photos of your day on the 12th day of each month. Post them online, and leave the permalink in a comment on Chad's Blog (against that month's 12 of 12 participant list post), along with your name and location.

OK, let's get going!

1) 3:32am - Stratford, London

Last night when I lay on my bed after finishing a DVD, I fell asleep. At around 3:15am, I woke up, lights still on, teeth unbrushed, etc. And I could hear a banging noise, like a hammer on metal. It was annoying, and I was trying to work out which of my neighbours had a penchant for DIY in the wee small hours of the morning. I got ready for bed, and the noise stopped. Then started again, but with a power tool noise, so I opened my balcony door (oh yes, I have a balcony!!), to see if I could at least work out which floor it was, so I could call security.

Then I saw the source... three workers in fluorescent orange clothes, working on a railway line on the opposite side of the track to me, with sparks flying up. God knows what caused them to have to do it at 3:30am by this point, but it shut up soon, thank goodness!

Night time photography usually means slightly blurred - but I like it here, it looks a little like a painting effect.

2) 9:55am - Stratford, London

I didn't take advantage of the beautifully warm and sunny day yesterday, as by the time I'd gone into Stratford centre and managed to get all my shopping needs (iron, ironing board, clothes rack, bin, toilet brush) and a few extras (some books and toiletries), and lugged it all back to my flat, I was hot and tired and with no need to go out on a day Tube ticket, if I was going out on a day Tube ticket today, to show y'all London for 12 of 12!

So this morning, seeing it was the gorgeously sunny and warm day the weathermen had forecast, I Googled events and got my Tube map out to see where I could go (given the Central line was closed between Stratford and central London, and the Jubilee line only ran from Stratford to Waterloo... I needed to take a skirt back to Next and rather than leave it til next week during a lunch break, I decided to head for Oxford Street. So the Jubilee to Waterloo, then the Bakerloo line to Oxford Street. Plan sorted!

3) 11:26am - Stratford Tube Station, Stratford, London

I do like black and whites of ordinary, day to day scenes. About to get on the Jubilee line.

4) 1:32pm - Oxford Street, central London

Who says London doesn't have pretty buildings amongst all the tourist signs and attractions?!


**I had intended to walk around and show you London, but I made the mistake of setting foot in the GAP next to the Oxford Circus Tube station, and they had a sale. I came out with 2 pairs of jeans, 1 vest top, 11 tops, 2 shirts and some underwear. Most of it in the sale, apart from some of the tops (which are so cheap anyway, they might as well be sale prices). I had a huge bag, which put paid to any ideas of traipsing all over London!!**

5) 2:32pm - Starbucks, Oxford Street, London

I'd intended to stop for a Pizza Hut late lunch/early tea, but a) couldn't decide what I wanted and b) my waitress disappeared never to be seen again, so I upped and left to get something cheaper - Starbucks! This is also showing the book I'm starting (I've not quite finished the previous book, but there's not much left, so I didn't want to carry it with me and end up finishing it mid-journey). So far, I'm not liking Yossurian at all. However, he has helped me create a new book category.

I already have the "sorbet" - one which is totally different to the book before and after it, e.g. chick lit in between two thrillers. Something to cleanse the palate, just as a sorbet does. Then there's the "Shackleton" - based on the explorer Shackleton's famous last words before he left his tent, never to be seen again; "I may be some time". Aka the book that doubles as a housebrick.

Courtesy of Yossurian (and the forward by Heller, in which he admits the reviews have always said you either love or hate the book), I now coin the "Marmite" book, which like the famous sandwich spread, you either love or hate. So far, I hate it.

6) 3:15pm/3:18pm - Shaftesbury Avenue, London

A twofer here, as I just couldn't choose which I liked best!

I was aiming for Covent Garden and then Leicester Square, but had no map with me, and I got to Cambridge Circus (just off Charing Cross Road), and turned right instead of left. This is down Shaftesbury Avenue, at the side of the Palace theatre, where they are playing Monty Python's Spamalot. I was looking at the sunlight on the pavement, and how it reminded me of this photo I took in London a while back - one of my real favourites out of my photos. This time, I ended up with more of a Brief Encounter feel, I think, especially with the second photo. Don't ask me to explain why ;-)

7) 3:37pm - Oxford Street, London

Walking down Oxford Street towards Oxford Circus Tube station, I spied this floral addition to a bike chained against a lampost. Got an odd look or two as I took the photo. C'mon, I thought the sheer number of tourists photographing everything/people trying to be arty with photos in London/anywhere would have jaded people enough that they don't think it odd to see someone photograph something like this!

8) 3:40pm - Oxford Circus, Oxford Street, London

Interesting stickers left on the outside of a street box of Evening Standard newspapers.

9) 3:42pm - Oxford Circus, Oxford Street, London

No sign of Leicester Square or Covent Garden on this signpost, right outside Oxford Circus Tube station, and besides, I had my big bag of GAP clothes and a pair of Skechers shoes, plus my handbag and camera bag... so I headed into the Tube station and on home.

10) 3:47pm - Oxford Circus Tube station, London

In Oxford Circus Tube station, waiting for the Bakerloo line to Waterloo. I wondered who the flowers were for. And if you look closely, you can see the Grant & Cutler shopping bag - they are a foreign language bookshop in London, where you can get grammar books, dictionaries and novels in all number of languages. French? Pfft, easy. Italian, Polish, Hindi, Turkish, Russian, Finnish, Latin? Yep, anything!

11) 4:33pm - Stratford, London

Autumn colours in the trees, just outside Stratford Tube station. And the lovely blue sky we had today, along with sunshine and something like 20C temp!

12) 5:26pm - Stratford, London

Another twofer, as I turn fashion photographer for a second, with my new shoes! Pretty, non?

My new Skechers shoes - pretty AND comfortable! And fairly work-friendly too, being black and fairly professional. OK they have trainer/sneaker undersides, but that's the underneath, if you look at the tops/sides, they're quite respectable. I quite like how these photos turned out! The shoe's balanced on the metal handrail of my balcony (there's the actual balcony outer panel behind it, the handrail is a few inches inside the balcony).

BONUS) 5:41pm - Stratford, London

My sales/non sales bargains! Look at how much stuff I got!And so cheap - the most expensive things I think were the jeans at £20 each. The tops were around the £10 mark each, I think. Tat's my work wardrobe complete now, bar a few skirts I'll try to get in the Next sales, and a pair of work trousers maybe. I might try for a pair of knee high black boots too - I have brown and black ankle, and brown knee high already. I have trainers for working out, and now I have my Skechers for comfy walking. Maybe another pair of comfy/casual shoes, that's it. I don't know what Christmas parties are coming up, or if my little black dress will still fit me...

I think this 12 of 12 has been one of my favorites in terms of photos - I'm rally happy with them, and think they're some of the best I've had for 12 of 12. A good way to start my London 12 of 12s! Hopefully y'all liked them too! Make sure to head over to Chad's Blog to see everyone else who's taken part!