Sunday, October 19, 2008

Shameful

Another Saturday and another walk with my camera: I set off much later than I intended to thanks to a hangover that interfered with the fairly simple design job that I had to do for a client. I then decided I’d mark up a website design that I’d done and now thoroughly late, realized that my phone’s battery was just about flat and had to be charged.

Eventually I managed to set off down the Bakerloo Line to Embankment, intending then to take the circle line to Tower Hill to meet Ian and go to the fine craft butcher he’s discovered in the area. Well, after waiting for a Circle line tube and not even attempting to board the packed train, I decided to walk along Embankment to meet Ian and his girlfriend who were walking back from Docklands. Needless to say, I started dawdling stopping to take pictures.

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

It was one of those walks when I just didn’t quite manage to get anything good. The weather was okay – and there was a time when some dramatic clouds were looming over west London, but I wasn’t in the right place. I took a couple of pictures anyway but they don’t have much merit.

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

I need to go somewhere more gnarly. I think the River Lea might be calling – and I definitely want to shoot the old Lesney Products (Matchbox cars) factory by the canal. But I think mainly that I want a break from shooting famous landmarks. Yesterday I found an interesting shot at Tower Bridge, shooting through a tunnel onto the river.

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

No doubt I was the thousandth person that day to do the shot, but the light was good for me and I thought I’d try and “make a photograph” rather than snapping a picture. Stupid move. The minute I put my tripod down and started setting up everyone else seemed to think it would be a great place to take a picture. It pissed me off. I was jostled, and had my personal space invaded. Most of all though, I’d been idiotic enough to think I was “being original”. Clearly I wasn’t. Or maybe it was my tripod, camera bag flashgun and big fat 15-35 mm lens that marked me out as a pro and therefore worthy of emulation? I don’t know but I spent this morning on DP Review checking out Canon’s Powershot G10, a delicious little unobtrusive pocket sized camera.

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

One of the highlights of the walk was seeing Will, a Thames Sailing barge motoring out through the lock at St Katherine’s dock. It was one of those wrong-lens-on-the-camera moments, but I cracked off a couple of shots – unfortunately there was a bloody great hotel casting its shadow over the grand old barge.

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

When I eventually got to Ian’s place (he’d already gone to the butcher) I did some swift and decisive damage to some beers, some wine and some cider. And one of the finest legs of lamb I have ever eaten. Mary, it sucks to be you, but your little lamb was delicious!

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative


Ian is an excellent cook. By that I mean properly outstanding. And he also has a fine music collection. We listened to James, Had a fairly long Pink Floyd episode (Dark side of the Moon and Animals) and then too full and too pissed I wandered off to get the tube home. And that’s when things begun to unravel.

My son. He is chaos personified and has on numerous occasions come to my home to pick up his phone charger. And has always forgotten to take it with him. But he’d phoned when I was in town urgently needing it so he could arrange meeting his bandmates for their US Embassy interview (They are off on a US tour). Anyway, I got home, drunk as a lord and then decided It would be both kind and clever to take the phone charger to my first born at The Regent where he works behind the bar. Why?

To cut a long story short, a couple of pints, a tequila (which I cannot stand) and a shot of Sambuca (euuuuurgh!) later I was tattered. But I do recall this even more trashed woman who sat next to me and ordered a pint. I was amused to note that when she took a sip, her decidedly beaky nose dipped into her beer. She then spoke to me thus: “Bwab-bbblurrrrb bzzzp bammmmp”. I was transfixed! Not so much by her fluent use of drunkspeak, but by the fact that the tip of her nose was decorated with beer foam. Special.

Fortunately I was prevented from having any more to drink by the closure of the bar and I somehow made it home…

Shameful behaviour!

1 comment:

  1. Happy days, I get to a blog in its early stages and can catch up on all the posts.

    There are some fantastic pics here Paul, the languid liquid, car club, the crane, underexposed hi-rise are some that struck me.

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