Boris' London Hat Walk

How many has she found?

Dr Anne was listening to Radio London and heard that the Mayor of London had arranged a Hat Walk this week.  Dr Anne set out to find them.

Brunel

Sir Arthur Sullivan and The Lady

Robert Burns

General Sir Henry Havelock

King George 1V

Nelson 

The weather was dull and rainy.

Nelson has a Union Jack Hat.

Beau Brummell

President Roosevelt and Churchill

Captain James Fox

Young Lovers

Queen Victoria in the middle of the Blackfriars Bridge

Gardening at the Olympic Park

Grey Granite, this is straight up your street. All the flowers were in meadow garden form.

This is a wall of hebe or sedum.

Olympic Games - Day 5

There was a change of shifts today.  Dr Anne had a 0500 start.  She got up at 0345 and was out of the flat by 0400.  She walked down the road to St Paul's Cathedral and was there by 0410.  Three guys were asking Dr Anne some questions when the bus came and it did not stop!  Dr Anne ran to the traffic lights and knocked on the door of the bus but the driver wouldn't open the door.  She ran to the next bus stop but he didn't wait for her...  Dr Anne was not a happy bunny.  She waited for the next bus and it was a good journey.  She got off at Wick Road and headed for Victoria Park.  The gate at the top of the park was locked so she had to hike down the road to find a security guard.

More was waiting for her.  The powers that be had decided that the volunteers be taken off the Victoria Gate as the volume of traffic was low and send them to the Stratford Gate.  Dr Anne and the crew had to walk up to the Victoria Gate and then walk through the Olympic Park to an underground carpark near Westfield Shopping Centre.  

Dawn in the Olympic Park

The car park at the Stratford Gate

Three and a half hours after arriving for work Dr Anne and her colleagues went on duty at the entrance to the Stratford Gate.  There Dr Anne remained until 1400 when she went off duty.

The Co-ordinators @ Stratford.

At 1400 Dr Anne headed into the park to have a wander. Below are some pictures.

The Orbit

The entrance to the Olympic Park

The World Square

The World Square

The Crowd at the Big Screen

Cycling on the Big Screen

The Basketball Stadium

The Athletes' Accommodation

Day 4 - day off - Damien Hirst Exhibition

Dr Anne had the day off today as she is changing from the late shift to the early shift.  It is a 0400 start tomorrow.  Whatever will one do so early in the morning?

Dr Anne headed down the route for the night bus.  It takes 10 minutes fast walking to St Paul's Cathedral.  

Dr Anne then crossed the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern.

Dr Anne had read the review of the Damien Hirst Exhibition in the Saga Magazine.  

She had it on the to do list for this fortnight.

The exhibition was mind blowing.  It was more interior design than art but it was amazing design.  Dr Anne finds it difficult to describe.  It was birth, it was life, it was death.  It was light, it was dark (mood and colour).  It was positive, it was negative.  It was science, it was art, it was religion.  

What did Dr Anne see?

• Hirst's mother had absolute faith in pills but scepticism in art.
• so - 
• rows and rows of medicines on shelves
• rows and rows and rows of pills on shelves - pink pills, turquoise pills, cream pills
• the innards of the human

• The Gold Room
• rows and rows of diamond on gold and silver shelves

• Love of nature
• maggots giving birth living and dying
• two sheep (pickled?)
• a cow and a calf cut in half so you could see the outside of the animals and their innards
• a shark

• Love of butterflies 
• butterflies in humid conditions flying around
• collages of butterflies with religious themes

• Painting
• spots
• swirls of paints

• Cigarettes
• rows and rows of tabbies
• enormous ashtray with spent cigarettes. 

Olympics 2012 - Day 3

Day three turned out to be bright but cool.  Dr Anne set off in good time and decided to enter the Olympic Park by the Stratford Gate which is the main entrance.  She arrived in good time for her shift and headed into M&S which is at the entrance to Westfield Shopping Centre.  

She decided to buy some tea and digestive biscuits for the team. She remembered that one of the team leaders did not like the milk so bought some fresh milk.  That was a bad idea as one cannot get into the park with liquid over 100ml. 

Dr Anne had to retrace her steps on the underground come off at Bow Road and walk the mile up to the Victoria Park.  The early shift had reorganised the marquee again...

The team for the afternoon shift was Chris from Yorkshire, Libby from Somerset and the boss Meghan from Vancouver.

After the team was signed in, divided into teams and sent out on the last mile to the Victoria Gate, Chris, Libby and Anne set about organising the marquee for the day. This done they set out on the last mile to rally the groups.  It was a happy crew that they met.

Foam hands were much in evidence.  When they come out of the the cellophane they expand.  They are much sought after. 

There are high chairs and megaphones.

Happy faces

Friendly people

Beautiful smiles

Visitors being shown the way

Chatty people

Focused directions

Which way is the right way?

Great camaraderie

The pearly kings and queens who took part in the Opening Ceremony stopped for a chat.

Eric coming out of the tunnel with Libby

The transport guys were more interested in their iPhones.

Is that the way to 2012?

Meghan on the 2012 bike comes racing towards the group.

Well guys and girls, that is the majority of today's team.  The rest were probably having a tea break.  You can tell that they were a happy team.

Tomorrow Dr Anne has a day off.  She has not decided what she is doing.  She may go to the Olympic Park for a look around as a visitor.  She has free entry.  She may go to the Tate Modern.  

Watch this space.