The title speaks for itself.
This is most definitely a photo blog, but I will probably feel moved to comment on pics in passing.
I’m writing this in the early house Bank Holiday Monday in N.W London. The stragglers from Carnival are still dribbling by on this sultry, late summer night. I just had a joint on the balcony, accompanied by a V&T. So I’m feeling creative, having just up-pixellated (I think I invented that word) all these pics using the iResize App.
2014 was an interesting year. In August, I’d literally moved-up-in-the-world (to an even better loft apartment in the same complex but one floor up!) and had a brief but wonderful autumn holiday in Barcelona with my mum (aged 86 at the time), Mike, Sylvie and Thibault Swindells, and my teen nephew Leon Bahar. I also released my pretty-damn-rocky album The Hanging Baskets Of Babylon (why not click to listen to it, as you peruse the pics?), which is available to stream and download on all the usual digital suspects. Most of it is collaborative, with some cool high-caliber American musicians: Jay Tausig, Ralf Lenz and former Captain Beefheart (yes really!) drummer Robert Williams, amongst others.
I’m just going to post the photos in the order that they appear in the desktop file.
Ten
Abandoned Morrocan Pouf
Grand Union Canal Towpath, Harlesden.
Allotment Artichokes
Bath.
Arches
Parc Del Clot, Barcelona.
Autumn Glory
Roundwood Park, Harlesden.
B4 It’s Begun
Elephant and Castle. These bleak and strangely evocative subways no longer exist.
Park Guell
The view of Barcelona from Gaudi’s surreal, pleasure garden is quite breathtaking. You can see the scaffolding around the towers of his ever-evolving masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia, in the centre of the pic. It looks like the great man also invented ‘upcycling’ with his imaginative and creative re-use of broken crockery. Mind you, he probably broke it on purpose.
Marina Marinara
Barcelonetta.
Metro Windows
Barcelona.
Barchitecture
Barcelona is full of architectural and visual contrasts and surprises at every corner. It’s such a great walking city too. And there are cable cars, a funicular railway and even escalators (up to Park Guell) to help with the hills.
Billy Fury Way
I find this so evocative. It’s over the road from West Hampstead Overground Station.
Wharf
Grand Union canal. Harlesden.
Hidden Tiger, Surpised Cat
I found the kid’s tiger bike in the street. I thought one of my neighbour’s children would appreciate its retro, wooden charms. JJ, my wonderful cat (he passed earlier this year aged 19) looked somewhat taken aback by this territorial intruder.
Lemon Grey Horizon
Cawsand Bay, Cornwall.
Chiswick Mall Sunset
Hipster Hangout, Hackney Wick
Damnation Alley
West Hampstead.
Derelict Sunset Reflection
A beautiful 50s block overlooking Hammersmith Bridge which has since been demolished (criminal!) to make way for yet more tiny, anodine, dreary unaffordable apartments (with river views) and no architectural merit whatsover.
Alfresco Dining Afloat
What a cool invention – that’s the first time I’ve seen such a sliding/canvas roof thing! Sydney Gardens, Bath.
Diversity
Summer Rites. Tobacco Dock.
Ella Ella Ey
Soho.
End Less
Soho.
Save
A TV interview with… a homeless woman? A drug abuser? Or maybe both. Outside Poundstretcher in Harlesden.
You lookin’ at ME?
A fox in a derelict site by the canal at Ladbroke Grove.
You’ve Been Framed
The view from Mike and Sylvie Swindells’ terrace in Larkhall, Bath. Thom Topham is my Bowie-esque alter-ego. Double album coming soon.
Park Guell Gatehouse
Barcelona.
Happy Daze
Me and Lex on holiday in Kingsand, Cornwall in May 2014.
All photos © Steve Swindells. Part 11 coming soon.
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Tags: 2014, album, Barcelona, Bath, Canal, Cornwall, countryside, Diversity, family, Fox, gay, Harlesden, Holiday, London, Mother, Music, photographer, Photography, Seaside, singer-songwriter, Summer Rites, Urban
