Sunday's Walk

As I promised myself, I went for a walk with my camera in one of the grunkier parts of the East End. I had to take my other half to work in The City so I parked the car outside her office and proceded to zig-zag my way through The City, passing through The Barbican's towering edifices,

Barbican. Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

nipping down alleys and eventually made my way onto Cable Street, heading for Canary Wharf.

Never Mind the Bollards, Here's the Barbican. Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Cable Street has a fine resonance with me as The Ghosts of Cable Street by The Men They Couldn't Hang is one of the few songs I can play on my guitar. I found a fantastic old building with a superb mural on its side, depicting the riot that kicked off when Mosley's Fascists were confronted by just about everyone. A good thing too!

Cable Street Mural. Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Cable Street Mural detail. Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

I picked up the DLR at Shadwell and got off at Canning Town where I began phase 2 of the afternoon: The Ghetto Walk! Sort of.

Millennium Cafe.
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Millennium Cafe II.
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

It didn't take me long to find the sort of pictures I was after - and the edginess is, as hoped, there in the pictures. I think its amazing how some unintended 'symbols' really do affect one's feeling of security, broken window panes being one such symbol.

Crazed Lock-up.
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Twilight.
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

Not knowing the area that well did mean that couldn't navigate my way to exactly where I wanted to go. After daring to enter the meanest, darkest, smelliest and most scary-stuff-strewn staircase,

The Meanest, Darkest, Smelliest and Most Scary-Stuff-Strewn Staircase. It looks quite tame, but all two-hundred-and-something pounds of me was spooked and almost gagging with the stink. I didn't hang around to do a clever set-up; shoot and run!
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative.

I ended up walking along the North Woolwich Road cursing my bad judgement - it was all a bit sterile. The light was fantastic and there were some lovely clouds - I got a few keepers but wished I was nearer the Thames, on some properly mean streets.

Millennium Web.
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative

As the sun was setting I managed to get a few more quite acceptable shots although my camera battery did die. Thanks to a trick I taught myself, I managed to eke out a few more shots.

Fisherman's tale.
Copyright 2008 Paul Davey Creative