Perfect weather for giving the phone camera a test

We had a friend staying over last night, who will be with us for the week.  It made the timing for the bathroom etc that little more hectic, but we managed to all get away at a good hour, I dropped the ladies off at the station, took Olive to nursery, and then went home to get the bike out for the ride to work.

I'm now going to venture down a particularly English avenue, and discuss the weather, if you'll forgive me.  Personally, I like the colours as nature blossoms in the Spring; the relentless sun and the warmth of the Summer; and the colours in the woodlands that only Autumn can bring.  However, for me, there is nothing like a true Winters day.

The sun was as low as can be when I got home, no blemish tarnished the perfectly clear blue sky up high, there was a nip in the air, with no breeze.  Everything was calm, and your shadow seemed to stretch to infinity before there was an end to it.

Shrewsbury Park

Consequently, I thought this would be a good time to test out the camera on a new phone I got through work just before Christmas.  Some results were good, others were appalling (it certainly cannot handle being pointed anywhere with this sun in front of it), I learnt it could even do 180°.  

So avoiding the urban jungle, and tower flats of South Bermondsey, I thought I'd share some of the images from a cycle that made me late for work.  It was a shame the view from London Bridge didn't work, I must save this for the ride home when the nights get longer.  I did compensate by legging it up Charring Cross Bridge for an alternative view looking further west.  

To start, here's a South London resident up in the tree.  The woodlands south of the river Thames are home to Parakeets.

Shrewsbury Park

Entering Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park

 Riding Beside the Greenwich Park bandstand

Greenwich Park Bandstand

View to the Isle of Dogs... Canary Wharf is the pyramid topped building in the middle.

Isle of Dogs from Greenwich Royal Observatory

Greenwich Royal Observatory, where I like to say, time was invented.  Certainly the home of the Prime Meridian

Greenwich Royal Observatory

180° view from the Greenwich Royal Observatory, L-R... Observatory; London City; National Maritime Museum (foreground); Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf (background); Greenwich Power Station; O2 arena aka the Millennium Dome (you probably need to know it's there to see it beside the power station). Click photo for larger image.

180° view from Greenwich Royal Observatory

180° view from Charring Cross Bridge, L-R... London Eye; Westminster Bridge and the Palace of Westminster; PS Tattershall Castle (blue boat on the river); Savoy Hotel; Carring Cross Station.  Click photo for larger image.

180° view from Charring Cross Bridge

As a quick aside, the PS Tattershall Castle is an old ferry that was used to cross the River Humber, along with its sisters PS Wingfield Castle and the PS Lincoln Castle.  The ferry service was made redundant after the Humber Bridge was built and opened in 1981.  The PS Tattershall Castle is now a riverside bar moored on the Thames.  The PS Wingfield Castle is now preserved at Hartlepool's Maritime Experience.  The PS Lincoln Castle used to sit on the River Freshney at Grimsby, until it was scrapped in 2010.