Day One Hundred and Twenty-Five - Maberley Road, SE19

Cultural stereotypes, part 684.

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Four - Victoria Station, SW1

"Attention all customers on Platform 19. An attachment or detachment is about to take place and the carriages will move."

Attachment in this case.

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Three - Bennett's Hill, Birmingham B5

Stopped in for a cheeky one at The Wellington (mentioned previously) on my way home from a meeting at one of our Birmingham offices and was greeted by this sign at the door. How can I swing a meeting in Birmingham on Thursday (or early Friday) next week so I can take advantage of this? Bostin!

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Two - Crystal Palace Station, SE19

Self Portrait II.

(I was ill Thursday and Friday last week, hence no commuting and no pictures)

Day One Hundred and Twenty-One - Anerley Road, SE19

The dreaded flash again, so that you can (just about) read this. Maybe I'm turning into my Dad, but I'm not sure I agree with half-price fares for those on income support. Like giving kids free travel, which happened two years ago, it sounds like a good idea, but there were at least two downsides to that particular initiative:

(a) kids get the bus instead of walking, meaning they get fatter, e.g. the kids from the school behind where I live now get the bus two stops to the main road at lunchtime, pick up fried chicken and chips, and then get the bus back. If it cost them 90p each way they wouldn't. Surely this goes against all government health policies? Get the kids walking!

(b) kids now hang out on buses more than they ever did, contributing to a 55% increase in youth bus crime in the first year since free travel was introduced.

But the thing which baffles me most about the half-price bus fares for job-dodgers initiative is that it is funded by an oil deal with Venezuela - you can see their flag at the bottom of the picture. Socialist solidarity or propping up a virtual dictator? Hmm.

Day One Hundred and Twenty - Anerley Road, SE19

The bathroom shop gets a refit and a new sign. Their website is similarly not-quite-ready.

Day One Hundred and Nineteen - Maberley Road, SE19

Scarily human-looking tree. It's Lord of the Rings all over again.

Day One Hundred and Eighteen - Maberley Road, SE19

Still there.

Day One Hundred and Seventeen - Outside Streatham Hill Station, SW16

I put "outside Streatham Hill station" as that's where I took the picture, but if I'd taken it anywhere else from Victoria to Crystal Palace it'd have looked the same as he didn't move a muscle all the way, just snored lightly from time to time. Who'd have thought the 2105 London Victoria - London Bridge (via Crystal Palace) could be so peaceful?

Day One Hundred and Sixteen - Cardinal Walk, SW1

Amidst all the crazy 21st century glass curves of Cardinal Place, I have a real soft spot for the brutal lines of this outbuilding, an electricity generator or boiler room or some such thing. It should be on the Thamesmead Estate.

Day One Hundred and Fifteen - Maberley Road, SE19

Rain, rain, rain. So much that the drains can't cope and Maberley Road is flooded again. I love the effect the light, rain and high ASA have had on this picture - looks even better bigger (click on the photo to enlarge).

More abstract tomfoolery from the same spot (this time with a bus, just after the driver stopped to ask me if I was alright, taking pictures of a puddle in the pouring rain as I was) here.

Day One Hundred and Thirteen - Cardinal Place, SW1

Hang on, Christmas has only just finished...and since when has Valentine's Day become just "Valentine's"?

(possibly the first use of flash here. Don't like to but it's the only way I could make it readable)

Day One Hundred and Twelve - Highgate Station, N6

A diversion on the way home to spend money (and have a chat) at Sound 323, my favourite record shop in the world. Back down in the tube they've taken all the adverts off the walls, leaving a series of nice framed plaster works of art.

Day One Hundred and Eleven - Crystal Palace Station, SE19

The cheap alternative to actually having staff on the station.

Day One Hundred and Ten - Holborn Viaduct, EC1

On the way to Haberdasher's Hall (which may be "a twenty-first century venue of the finest quality and highest standards" but was bloody freezing all day) this morning for a very tedious event I passed this, the oldest drinking fountain in London, set up by The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association.

Day One Hundred and Nine - New Street, Birmingham B5

21st century nannying from "Bullring", or the Bull Ring as it used to be called before they demolished it and started again. Blimey, it used to make the Elephant and Castle shopping centre look good, didn't it?

Ooh, Adnams' Tally Ho - good job I only had one of those last night.

Day One Hundred and Eight - Upper Dean Street, Birmingham B5

The view from my window at Premier Apartments, my Birmingham pied a terre. I'm here for an early meeting tomorrow morning, so that makes this the last stage of today's commute in my little rule book.

I like coming to Birmingham as it means I can have a couple of pints in The Wellington, the only pub I know that has its beer selection on a TV screen and invites you to order them by number.

Day One Hundred and Seven - Victoria Street, SW1

Part of the outside of Westminster Cathedral, commemorating the first Archbishop of Canterbury, St Augustine. Wonder what he'd have made of the pigeon spikes below his plaque.

More Archbishops commemorated here.

Day One Hundred and Six - Petty France, SW1

The very start of my commute home - the shopping list for tonight's dinner. After the excesses of Christmas I'm making this. Although I'm making it with haddock, as Sainsbury's didn't have any cod. Or lemons, amazingly enough, but I managed to get one of those nearer to home.

Day One Hundred and Five - Maberley Road, SE19

A Happy New Year to all our readers!

In the last year or two they've put these new timetable boards on lots of the darker, more secluded bus stops around here which, when it gets dark, glow slightly and can be illuminated by the touch of a button. On drunken evenings I've been known to press the buttons recklessly, with no thought of catching a bus. Ah, late-thirties rebellion!