A London Scene

I will shortly be going to London again, and I have been looking through my album of pictures I have taken there over the years as a sort of aperitif. It is one my favourite cities, and it never ever disappoints. One of the streets there I like most, is a little alley between Charing Cross Road and St. Martin's Lane called Cecil Court. It is a place of rare delight: a treasure-trove of ever-changing magic for collectors of books, photographs, coins, maps, prints and theatre memorabilia –like myself. And as it is a street without motor traffic, it has retained its Dickensian charm, and every time I pass through it I tremble with anticipation as to what I may find. Perhaps that is why this picture, taken there, is a little unfocused. I was going to trash it, but then realized that it captured something essential about London, and about this place in particular, and now I rather like it despite its technical faults. I find that many photographs that are "perfect" lack soul, whereas this one seems genuinely to capture a mood as well as a moment. I identify totally with the browsing gentleman, and am drawn to the bright allure of the interiors and the varied goodies on display, but it's that fish skeleton, hovering incongruously above, that really makes the image fascinating and compelling, and what makes London so utterly a city of delightful little surprises. I can't wait to return! Location: London, England