London Skyline at night

London is my home town and it can look stunning at night.

Below are shots of St Paul's Cathedral taken from Tate Modern

St Paul's seen from the Millennium bridge

St Pauls

St Paul's seen from the Millennium bridge

The millennium bridge seen from the window at Tate Modern

Yellow Lightning - Catford's New Comic Superhero

Deion my nephew is really a superhero and lives his life as an ordinary school boy in South London.


When trouble strikes Deion jumps into action and becomes Yellow Lightning....and for Red Nose Day, Deion brought fear into the hearts of Kill Joys and done something funny for money instead.


Now due his heroic deeds, a comic has been published documenting his Red Nose Day.


Check out the 1st Comic... I hope you enjoy it!

If you would like to see what Comic Relief does or would like to make a donation please go to: http://www.rednoseday.com/ Do something funny for money!

Chumba which simply means Prickly Pears

As many of you may know, I've visited Spain a few times over that last year or so. On my first visit I was introduced to Chumba's or Prickly pears plants which are widely grown in Spain.

Prickly pears were brought by the Spanish to Europe, possibly accompanying Christopher Columbus in his first return to Lisbon in 1493. The species was called ficus-indica in confusion with its supposed similarity to the Indian fig.

Prickly pears are found all along the Spanish Mediterranean coast though their consumption is almost entirely reduced to local markets in the south, where they are eaten as a dessert.

I haven't tried the fruit yet, but hope to in my next visit, I have been told it taste simply divine!

Pictures taken by Trojan Gayle & GCF

Disney World - The Parade through Main Street

I have been visiting Orlando, Florida for the past five years. My first visit to Florida I was with Sally and her family and they took me to Disney Land which I loved.

Bening able to see and take pictures with Mickey and co was really good and made me feel like kid again. Aaron loved meeting the characters and it was a prefect family day. Unfortunately the pictures that I took on that day was accidentally lost.

On my visit to Orlando in 2007, I returned to Disney land and these are some of pictures I took during the parade down Main Street. The parade is great as you get to see all the famous Disney Characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

As for the park itself, the rides I would recommend are:

• Splash Mountain
• Space Mountain
• Mickey's Philhar Magic
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Disney World is great for kids, but needs much more rides for adult thrill seekers.

All Pictures taken by Trojan Gayle

Tunnel of Death

The 3,150 meter long Lefortovo tunnel, in Russia , (near POLAND ) is the longest in-city tunnel in all of Europe .

It is nicknamed 'The Tunnel of Death'. See for yourself why.

There is a river running over the tunnel and water leaks at some points.When the temperature reaches nearly 0?C like it does in winter in Russia, the road freezes and becomes as slippery as ...well...ice.

The result is the attached video which was taken during a single day with the tunnel surveillance camera.

Congratulations to the bendy- bus driver.....imagine the passengers in the back.... what a ride!

Grangewood Park - South Norwood - Flowers

Today it's Friday and I am so thankful the weekend is just hours away. The signs of spring is becoming more and more apprent, with flowers and trees bursting into colour. Below are a few examples of the emergence of Spring in my local neighbourhood.

Enjoy your weekend wherever you may be.

My First Award

I have been presented with my first award from my fellow blogger Sally from Sally's World - No according to the rules you have to award it your favourite blogs (8 maximum). I thought it would be really easy but like with most things in life it wasn't as easy as i first thought.

After much thought here are my winners:

1. Sally's World - A woman on a mission to bring awareness to lives of people who live with special needs showing that they like the rest of us love, laugh, cry and scream!


2. my name is Erin - a fellow photographer who can take some great pictures and give some great feedback!


3. Gavfitness.com - a fitness blog - giving some great tips on how to get the most of your workout.


4. Downtownlowranking - another photographer - great pictures of London (my home town) showing London's Urban's side. Checkout the site as it's great.


5. Ray's Bleu Juice , a great entertainment blog - keeps up updated on the latest news from the States (music, TV, Film and fashion).


6. magicpolaroid&holga - yes another photography blog - the blogger is from Italy- however this photographer use a POLAROID camera.


7. Scottsdale Daily Photo - this blog showcases images from the Arizona valley - great pictures with some great commentary.


8. My last winner is Charcoal Ink - great commentary regarding black issues especially from the the UK point of view. Not afraid to be controversial and pose those difficult questions.

Please visit my winners and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. Have a great day and happy blogging!

New Video - Ciara feat Justin Timberlake - Love, Sex and Money

This is the new video from Ciara from her up coming album Fantasy Ride.

Love Sex Magic is featured and produced by Justin Timberlake. The one was selected as the lead single from the new album from Ciara in the UK while it was the second one in the United States. The song has reached the peak position at number four on U.S. Bubbling Under R&B/hip Hop Singles Chart. The music video was premiered today. The song will be included into the third studio album by Ciara which is going to be out on the stores at the beginning of the next month. The rest of the confirmed tracks are: Go Girl and Never Ever.

Daffodils in March

Spring is here and the daffodils are everywhere.

These pictures were taken from my local park called Grangewood park.

The Narcissus flower is perceived quite differently in the east than in the west. Whereas in the west, the Narcissus flower is seen as a symbol of vanity, in China, the same flower is seen as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. The ancient Greeks believed this plant originated from the vain youth, Narcissus. He died after becoming so obsessed with his reflection in a pool he could not leave. The Greeks say that the gods turned his remains into the Narcissus flower.

In ancient China, there is a legend about a poor but good man, who was brought many cups of gold and wealth by this flower. Since the flower blooms around this time of year, it has also become a symbol of Chinese New Year. Narcissus bulb carving and cultivation is even an art akin to Japanese Bonsai. And if your Narcissus blooms on Chinese New Years, it is said to bring you extra wealth and good fortune throughout the year. On top of that, it has one of the sweetest fragrances of any flower. So it is highly revered in Chinese culture.

The daffodil is the national flower of Wales. One species, Narcissus obvallaris, grows only in a small area around Tenby. In Wales it is traditional to wear a daffodil or a leek on Saint David's Day (March 1). This has led to suggestions that the word "daffodil" may have been influenced by the name "Dafydd," a Welsh form of "David" (see Etymology).In some countries the yellow variation is associated with Easter.

All pictures taken by Trojan Gayle

Ananda Nahu

I discovered this Brazilian artist the other day while reading Cocolounge blog . I love the vibrate colours and the retro 70's look.

The artist name is Ananda Nahu and her work is an explosion of color. Ananda Nahu is a Brazilian artist born in Juazeiro, a quiet city in the interior of Bahia. She grew up in Petrolina, an arid city in Pernanbuco state, separated from Juazeiro by the Sao Francisco river. This land is plagued by poverty; legacy of an unjust and racist system. She often portrays those who have been marginalized by society in her work.

Walk the streets of the city and you’ll see her work on the walls of decaying buildings, rusty train cars or underpasses. She brings beauty to forgotten places and joy to those who gaze upon her work.

What's The Best TV Show Ever?

Battlestar Galactica last episode air tomorrow and brings to an end a fantasic show that I will be truly sad to see come to an end. I am a true sci-fi fan and been watching Battlestar since it aired on SKY1 a few years ago. I have also started to watch the Wire on FX (also airs on BBC2) and it is truly a remarkable complex programme showing the fight against crime in Baltimore from the point of view of the streets, the criminal justice system and the political system. As I have just started watching the programme, I am not in a postition to judge with programme is better. But I always liked the way Battlestar refleceted topical polictical situations, from torture, terrorism, fighting for political befliefs and exploring the human tendancy to self destruct. Battlestar updated the typical SCi fi genre and made it reflect current issues facing society today.

I came across this article from the from the Empire magaizine website, debating which show is better, Battlestar Galactica or The Wire? Read on and let me know what you think?

A terrible schism has split the Empire office. Brother is ranged against brother, editor against sub-editor and workie against tea lady. We've had to lock Sam up, lest his rage cause serious property damage and hamper our ability to put the mag out on time, and James has barricaded himself in the kitchen with the coffee machine, and is refusing to come out until everyone accepts his way of thinking. And the terrible controversy that has sparked this war? It's the eternally thorny question: which is better, Battlestar Galactica or The Wire?

Both have been called the greatest show on TV, both have proponents who argue for their status as the greatest of all time (many right here in this office). The Wire brings an unprecedented level of detail, realism and nuance to what could have been a police procedural; Battlestar Galactica turned a old Star Wars rip-off into maybe the most intelligent, layered and philosophical show on TV.

One has drug dealers, one spaceships; one offers characters like egotistical but idealistic cop McNulty or drugdealing businessman Stringer Bell, while the other has tragic heroes like Kara "Starbuck" Thrace and flawed genius Gaius Baltar. In The Wire, the characters have to deal with the corrosive effects of the drug trade at every level of Baltimore society; in Battlestar, it's the near total genocide of the human race and the question of what it means to be human that preoccupies the show. Both have astonishing performances, great writing, incredible music and so much more.

The Wire finished its five season run just over a year ago, so those watching it now are catching up on DVD; Battlestar finishes in the US on Saturday, with its fourth (or fifth, depending on how you define a season cut in half by the writer's strike) season coming to a mammoth finale. So now's the time to hold a (spoiler free) discussion of the relative merits of the two: does The Wire really transcend all other cop shows? Does Battlestar really emerge from the sci-fi genre as a show really worthy of mainstream contention? Or do you still adhere to the West Wing / Sopranos / Deadwood school of thought?

Where do I stand on this issue? Well, let's just say that only one of these shows has received a retrospective at the UN, with the Twelve Colonies in attendance, and cast members and creators discussing the show and So Say We All-ing all over the place (see the video of that Battlestar Galactica evening here), and that I reckon there's a reason for that. Much as I love The Wire, I adore Battlestar because it's reinvented sci-fi, because it manages to be both sweeping and intimate, because it fraks with my head, and because Kara Thrace may be my favourite TV character ever. James disagrees, and I'm hoping he doesn't see this blog or I may lose my watercooler privileges / job / life.

But where do you stand? Let us know: the battle lines are drawn, and Empire lives may depend on your views.

South Norwood - Sunrise

Spring has began in South Norwood and I have captured a beautiful sunrise from my bedbroom window.

All pictures taken by Trojan Gayle

Mothers Day - A Song for Mama

Today is Mother's day in the U.K. I decided to post this video and dedicate it to my mother.

The video is by Boys II Men and its called A Song for Mama taken from the hit movie Soul Food.

Wishing all the mothers across the world, a very Happy Mothers day!

Loving you is like food to my soul.

Love you mum x

Captains Cabin Pub - London

The English Pub, is a traditional feature across the UK cities, towns and villages. over the past few years there has been a move towards a chain pubs like Witherspoons and the slug and lettuce. Below is a picture of traditional pub near Piccadilly Circus and the Haymarket in London.

All pictures taken by Trojan Gayle

Misty Morning In London

We have been having some great sunny weather this week in London.

Hopefully this is a good sign for a great British Summer, I guess I am allowed to dream!

Any how took this picture earlier this week as it was a particularly misty morning. I thought it looked pretty good, hope you think so too.

Collection of oil paintings by Pierrick Allemand

The Royal Opera Arcade – (ROA) Gallery is in Pall Mall London between Lower Regent Street and Haymarket Street opposite the Institute of Directors and close to the Theatre Royal.
The ROA Gallery has three floors of exhibition space at the south entrance to the Arcade. I pass this gallery everyday on the way to work and thought these pieces of art are great.

I chose a few of the pictures that really like and i would encourage those who live and visit London to go and see the pictures. Also you should visit your local gallery to enjoy art in whichever form you like..

PIERRICK ALLEMAND

City Emotions
Collection of oil paintings by Pierrick Allemand
Pierrick Allemand is a French figurative portrait painter. His pictorial universe has been influenced by the 1950’s old Europe and the contemporary America. Pierrick’s inspirations are clearly town-dwellers. We can see New York in his work, with its dynamic streets, Barcelona with its retro style and of ourse Paris where he lives and works. The link with all these cities are the women he watches and glorifies in his paintings

Royal Opera Arcade (ROA) Gallery

5b Pall Mall

Units 1- 2 Royal Opera Arcade

London Sw1y 4U Y

www.roa-galleria.com

Tel 0207 930 8069 - roagallery@lagalleria.org

All pictures belong to Pierrick Allemand

Egg Falling Into a Small Bottle

This trick is pretty cool and I am still trying to work out how it was done.

Watch it and see if you can work it out!

Egg Falling Inside a Small Bottle Intresting Watch This - video powered by Metacafe

World of Coca-Cola - Atlanta, Georgia

The World of Coca-Cola is a permanent exhibition featuring the history of The Coca-Cola Company and its well-known advertising as well as a host of entertainment areas and attractions. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place (named in honor of John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola), a 20-acre (81,000 m2) complex located across Baker Street from Centennial Olympic Park that also includes the Georgia Aquarium. It opened to the public on May 24, 2007, relocating from and replacing the original exhibit.

Below are pictures of my visit to World of Coca Cola in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Lounging on cola cola furniture

Coke art

Just for the taste!

Coke advert

Outside World of Coca Cola

Coke Art

Listening to the Coke Cola presentation

Different versions of the classic coke bottle around the world

Having a coke with John Pemberton

Pictures taken by Trojan Gayle & JLS