London old and new – August 2007
One of the most endearing things about London is the way that the old and the new sit side by side, providing visitors and residents alike with a visual history lesson in the city’s past, and a context for its present. Much of this unexpected juxtapositioning is as a result of aerial bombing raids in the Second World War which sometimes left one side of a street totally decimated while across the road, the houses were fine. This meant that often there would be a vacant site in the middle of a perfectly architecturally homogenous suburb, providing planners with a chance to either try to replicate the past, or try something bold and new.
I have written before about the Barbican, a multi-use residential and cultural centre in the middle of the City of London. It is loathed by some and loved by others for its concrete brutalist architecture – but whether you love it or not, it certainly makes an imposing addition to the London skyline. Here, one of the Barbican’s residential towers is seen from Newbury Street, one of London’s beautifully preserved Victorian streets. I wonder what the Victorian residents of Newbury Street might have thought?
Saturday Snapshots is a series of non-food photographs published every Saturday on CookSister. Previously featured photographs can be viewed on the Saturday Snapshots archive pages. Many photos featured in Saturday Snapshots are available to buy as high-quality greeting cards or prints in my RedBubble store, or even as high-quality A3-size calendars. If you want a custom calendar with your own selection of photos, starting with any month (not only January), please e-mail me and we can discuss your requirements.
