South Bank

[floppybootstomp]

Last Tuesday I travelled to St Thomas' Hospital on London's South Bank for a routine checkup. 9am appointment. The Oncologist was a guy I hadn't seen before, he gave me a visual inspection and felt my head and neck area for any swellings - there were none and in the limited scope of the checkup I was proclaimed fit and well.

My checkups with this particular department (the other one I have to see is ENT - Ear, Nose & Throat - next appt with them is on the USA's Independence Day) have now been changed from every three months to every six months, which I guess is a good thing

Walking back it was a gloriously sunny day and I rattled off a few pix - here they are.

The camera used was my Nikon S500, a budget compact model. These pix were taken on the walk back from St Thomas' Hospital,which sits on the South Bank next to Lambeth Bridge, to Waterloo Railway Station.

Pix show Westminster Bridge; Salvador Dali sculptures; The London Eye Ferris Wheel; A Goose and Waterloo Railway Station.

The very last shot is of the Stationers W H Smith which is where I bought my very first Captain Beefheart Album 'Safe As Milk' in the summer of '69.

I was surprised to see the goose (if it is a goose, lol, I'm no ornithologist, it may be a big duck for all I know) as all my life I've never seen these birds inhabiting The Thames. It looks as though the cleanup program is working and attracting wildlife back.

So there's one in the eye for all you doom and gloom merchants (did somebody say Daily Mail readers? ) there is actually, sometimes, some good stuff going down

Anyway, snaps, which do actually tend to mimic some touristy postcards on sale in this area, now there's a thing.

 

[muckshifter]

Nice selection of pics

... some seem a bit dark?

The goose is a Greylag Goose, quite common ... we have more on my local park pond than the WWT has on their whole wetlands estate.

 

[Taffycat]

I enjoyed your pics Flopps, these "virtual tours" around London are always so interesting The Thames always looks busy with boat "traffic." and seeing the London Eye in close-up, makes it seem even more like a giant bicycle wheel. Those "spokes" look terribly slender Must be some great views to be had up there though. Have you ever been on it Flopps?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks for the comments

No, I've never been on the London Eye. Haven't ever been in the Tower Of London either, I think that's the way it is when things are more or less on your doorstep.

Must get round to doing the London Eye thing though.

Mucks, some of the pictures are dark, they seem even darker when viewed in their raw form (not on the BBF server, which is where they are).

I get this on the Nikon Coolpix S500 when it's bright and sunny. On my D40X I don't get this as it has a solar UV filter (a gift from James, incidentally) but of course this compact camera can't be fitted (as far as I know) with a filter.

The next time I'm out and about in bright sun, I will consult the manual and experiment.

On a side note I was getting poor results in 'house party' conditions until I noted from the manual there is a 'house party' setting. Now those pix are a lot lot better.

Yes, I know, consult the oracle, it helps

 

[Ian]

Nice pics Flops, I really enjoy seeing photos of your travels

You're really fortunate to live in such an interesting area, it must be good to have all of that right on your doorstep Could you ever live outside London?

 

[floppybootstomp]

I lived in Sidcup for almost four years - it was dull

I also lived in Watergate Bay, just outside Newquay, for a year - that wasn't dull

Other than that - it's always been SE London.

 

[crazylegs]

Your travels are always great to see flopp's and like you say I'm only about 20 miles from there but never seem to go into town to see things..

 

[Anon_F]

Glad to hear the appointment's are now every 6 months.

Oh and nice pictures by the way.

 

[Me__2001]

was down there a couple of months ago, wasn't quite this nice though, went into the aquarium, unfortuntely its being redone so was missing some of its tanks, still good a good couple of hours well spent

didn't manage to get on the eye, all the tickets were taken for the time we were there so just went back into town and down oxford street etc shopping and for dinner

great pics as always flopps

 

[Abarbarian]

6 Month looksees are good . Nice pics . I like London for a short hectic holiday .