Sweetbriar Dreams

So where shall we go on our journey today?

Tuesday 7 April 2015

Capturing a Moment in Time - Holborn Viaduct

A camera card is such a wonderful thing.  No longer worrying about whether there is enough film.  No longer checking that the subject is just perfect before clicking for that one and only shot.  However, the down side... why take 10 photos when 303 will do!!  Yes, the last trip to London shocked me when I got back and the amount of photos that were taken.  303 useable photos (there was double that before I started deleting!).

For our trip to the Museum of London, we got off at Holborn Station and decided to walk to St Pauls.  This was mainly so I could be quietly selfish and enjoy walking through the streets without being pulled and pushed around on the tube.  


There are certain places in London that are an absolute joy to walk around at the weekend as they are practically deserted.  Holborn is one of them.  The old and new are happily married here and I just love to see how the modern buildings have quietly shuffled up close to the old buildings and enhanced them, along with helping with their preservation.  We were just passing through, but when I looked through the camera card, I felt that this moment in time warranted its own blog post.  The reason?  Well just this shot!  


Isn't it amazing that with a click of the camera you capture something that just inspires you.  When I captured this building, I was really excited with the old building, Sixty London (Amazon Headquarters) and old chimney pots in the distance.  

Sixty London is an amazing modern building (which was described as a building of razors by Miss Teen) on Holborn Viaduct .  However, the old looking building was where my curiosity lay though with its restored stonework and the beautiful red lamps outside and iron work.  On the four corners of the viaduct are these particular memorials (which after researching them I understand to be step-buildings as their stairs link Farringdon Street to the Holborn Viaduct).  This one has Sir Hugh Myddleton above the North East door - Sir Hugh was a goldsmith and entrepreneur from Wales in the 1500's.  The original building was demolished after World War II due to the Blitz damage, however here it is back to its former glory made with Portland stone and the intricate carvings in place once again.


Amazon's Headquarters, even though dark on the outside, is a beautiful modern building of glass complete with some quirky curves to keep with the rule of being able to view St Pauls.  The step-building should look out of place, but it contrasts perfectly and shows that the old and new can look beautiful side by side.


On the North West corner is the Sir William Walworth step-building and behind this another modern building containing offices and shops cuddling up to its corners.  Sir William was Lord Mayor twice in the 14th Century and a distinguished member of the Fishmongers Guild, where his sword is displayed at the Fishmonger's Company.


To me this is the reason I love London.  The eccentricities of the buildings and the pockets of time all captured and living next to each other.


Behind the South West corner where Fitz Eylwin is immortalised (the first Mayor of London), lies a busy worksite which no doubt will join the other corners of modern architecture enhancing this particular step-building.


The Viaduct also has four ornate bronze statues depicting the fine arts, agriculture, commerce and science.  Behind the statue of Agriculture stood the last step-building on the South East corner - a memorial to Sir Thomas Gresham, who worked for King Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.


This walk of just a few metres above Farringdon Street made me feel uplifted and truly inspired.  The brightly painted ironwork against the white Portland stone was striking and I was lucky enough to come across a website by Patrick Baty here which shows the layers of paint through the decades and some historical facts which I found really interesting.


Even though our visit to this tiny little corner of London was just a walk through on our way to St Pauls and London Wall, the visual splendour will remain with me always.  

The camera card captures moments that make us smile, but sometimes just clicking away and then coming home you realise that that moment can teach you so much.  Next time I am here I will take more detailed shots for the memory books!


After another short walk we were playing Peek a Boo with St Pauls... but that's for the next blog post.

I hope you enjoyed this moment in time and that your holidays were full of capturing moments.


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39 comments:

  1. I'm just in complete awe of the splendid architecture there! Never seen such beautiful buildings before.
    Brenda

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  2. I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Chel! I was in London for about two weeks last May ~ the first time in 42 years. I was fascinated with the old and the new and all the nooks and crannies, not to mention thinking about the history! Love those memory cards for my camera too, although I go way overboard. Thanks for sharing these delightful photos!

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  3. London is such a city of contrasts. - that must be why we love it so much! I am trying to picture this route and wondering if we did the same one between the Museum of London and St. Pauls. I'll have to find a map and check.
    Some people believe that traveling with your eye in a lens makes you miss details along the way. I totally disagree. Your post is a fine example of how a camera lens helps you look a little deeper to see the small "bits" that many others would miss. Lovely, Chel. Just lovely!

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  4. I absolutely love following you on these virtual tours of London. You have a great eye for detail and these shots are superb. You've really caught the colour on the buildings to brilliant effect. Roll on part two!

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  5. Oh my gosh...your images are spectacular. So many wonderful things to see and photograph. The architecture is amazing.

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  6. Pockets of time, that is it perfectly...all these bits of architectural treasures tucked in between the sleek modern buildings.
    I love London!

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  7. Chel, That is some amazing photography. The architecture there is just AMAZING!!!! Wow! You have a great eye! xo Diana

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  8. Such an adventure! I love the variety of architecture in London. So many styles that work so well together. Stunning! I hope you're having a lovely week my friend! I look forward to our next adventure.

    Hugs, Vicky

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  9. Such a beautiful contrast of old and new - each one so unique and amazing! The pale stonework against the dark glass is really stunning and those carvings of what I am assuming is Zeus, are incredible. I always love seeing the gargoyles, too. The beautiful domed building in the last shot is lovely, too. I could walk around there all day! Thanks for giving us a little glimpse of some great architecture, Chel! xo

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  10. There is a wonderful mix of traditional and modern in these photos. A great tour, Chel!
    Amalia
    xo

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  11. Lovely shots, I like the combination of old and new, that is what makes a city vibrant.

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  12. The only problem I have with the mix of old and new buildings in the capital is that, probably for purely economic reasons, the new architecture is always forced to be higher than the old. The result is that buildings which were originally supposed to dominate the skyline are now made to look small and mean. I like the mix of styles and enjoy seeing them all side by side though.

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  13. beautiful building -- young or old -- never been to your part of the world -- so all your photos are a delight!
    Hugs

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  14. It is wonderful what you can see when you look for it! It is amazing too as you say that we can take so many pictures and know straight away if they are good or not. Glad you had a good time and a change of scene! xx

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  15. Wonderful photos, Chel. :o)

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  16. We stayed just down the road from Holborn tube station last week, an area of London we haven't stayed in before. Away from the tourist traps :)

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  17. Love! When I went to London and walked along the Thames I couldn't help but notice how each building in the skyline had its own extremely unique silhouette and shape, rather than the boxiness of American skyscrapers in major cities. My friend and I joked that it must be an ordinance that all buildings in London look weird.

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  18. What a great post. The last office I worked in before I went on maternity leave with DD1 was in Stonecutter Street, which is off Farringdon Street at the Fleet Street end and I've used those step-buildings many times to get up onto Holborn Viaduct and then to St Paul's tube station, so your photos brought back some memories for me :)

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  19. Thanks for the great tour! Yes, I'm the same way with digital photos - always taking way too many shots, but that's how you get the good ones. :)

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  20. All lovely shots, Chel. I'll be back to see everything in more detail in a day or two as my grandson is staying with me right now and it's all go!

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  21. London is such a city of contrasts, but your photos make the buildings look spectacular!

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  22. Totally amazing buildings. I loved your shots.

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  23. Wow Chel, I love the buildings and all the old with the new! It is so pretty in London and miss it so much! I loved looking at all of the wonderful photos you took. Thanks so much for sharing them with us as I totally enjoyed this. Hope you are having a nice week.
    Julie xo

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  24. There's a tpuch of red in most of your pictures, it's like it ties together the past and the present.

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  25. A lovely post Chel. The Amazon building is impressive. I love the detail in the old stone architecture and the touches of red are beautiful. I was very late moving over to digital, doubting that it would be any good but oh my word as you said how else could you just click away all day x

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  26. Another interesting post Chel. The architecture, both old and new, is beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I'm looking forward to your post on St. Paul's. Pam

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  27. I do love all the interesting architecture of London! It is fascinating. So much detail, which really appeals to me. I always love the old buildings, but do like the curves of the Amazon building. I know right where you were when you took that last shot. I was in that same spot a couple weeks ago. :-) Nice post!

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  28. I visited London in 1980. Had a wonderful time. It's a joy to see your photos and all the amazing architecture!

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  29. I love the underground picture! It somehow feels like a walk around the Monopoly board, now wouldn't that be a thing! love to see London through your eyes.X

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  30. That Amazon building is amazing. I love any building old or new if there is uniqueness and interesting details.

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  31. So lovely to see London like this. I think it's a great city to photograph, even when I'm there for the day with work I often wish I had my camera, but I'm just too loaded down with paper and laptop to carry any more.

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  32. Gorgeous shots. Love the first one with its selective colour!

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  33. You have captured so well the splendour of the old and new buildings side by side. Sarah x

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  34. It must have been really super hard to choose the photos you did...I have that in every little USA town we go through! I so enjoyed these pictures, never having been to London. The architecture is extraordinary. Thank you.

    And thank you for your kind comments on my last post. They mean more than you'll ever know.

    Jane x

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  35. Another wonderful tour Chel, thank you so much.

    Diana

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  36. Back again to enjoy your photography in a more leisurely manner and actually read the accompanying text! I love how you've mixed the old buildings in with the new and I'm surprised how the new ones actually do enhance the old ones. I especially like that second shot. Thank you for taking me on another interesting visit to the city of London!

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  37. The juxtaposition of old and new buildings is perfectly captured in your photos, Chel. Your images are very striking and full of contrasts. a fascinating post full of historical facts. Thank you for sharing your walk :)
    Cathy x

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  38. Amazing photos, Chel ... the Sixty London building looks amazing (you have a talent for photographing architecture!)
    I love the color pops & the res sparks!

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  39. Stunning Photography, crops, colour and processing.
    I'm rarely in London these days (last time July 2010) so it's nice to see some adventurous work here rather than the tourist eyes that I would probably have on a place like this. It just goes to show what's available in a small part of the city.

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