Passageway in Oslo

Several years ago I lived behind this building, but oddly never noticed this passage leading from the street to the inner courtyard until I passed through the old neighbourhood recently. There's no real reason why I should have noticed it before, but at this particular time the light was rather interesting and I was struck by the way the brightness of the courtyard contrasted with and reflected against the darkness of the passage with its many textures. The low wooden buildings that can be seen probably once housed outdoor toilets because these were common in this part of town; now they are more likely to be sheds or storerooms. I liked the way the arches created a sort of oval of light and made this the centre of the picture, drawing us in. I would have rendered it in black and white, but the effect of the thin band of gold on the innermost arch is rather nice. Location: Oslo, Norway

"He was not of an age, but for all time..."

It's William Shakespeare's 451st birthday today, so it is fitting that today's picture celebrates him. I took the picture around Christmas, when there was a fairground in Leicester Square where this statue stands. The coloured lights of the fair and on the trees seemed to my mind to frame the statue in a celebratory way. I am sure many who pass by on a daily basis never look up and read or think about the meaningful quote – "There is no darkness but ignorance" (from Act IV of Twelfth Night), but I think they should. Any number of other Shakespeare quotes could, of course, be placed here too; we all have our favourites. The one that forms the title of this entry though is not by Shakespeare, but about him – written by his friend Ben Jonson in the preface to the collected plays of the bard, published after his death. It is a fine tribute and, I think, a very true one. Certainly he lives on for me and continues to fascinate, inspire, uplift, express and surprise through his words, characters, poetry and creativity. Happy birthday, Sir!

Market Square in Germany

A church, pretty buildings, cobblestones, market stalls, blue sky spread with fairly friendly clouds. No real story here, I just liked the peacefulness and prettiness of the scene and particularly the way the church seems to look out over the square – looking out for the town. It's quiet because the market day is almost over. Time for some berries. Location: Trier, Germany

Rear Window

One of my all time favourite films – Alfred Hitchock's Rear Window – happens to be on TV tonight. It concerns a photographer, stuck in a wheelchair with a broken leg, who spends his days staring out of his window, idly observing the goings on of his neighbours (and discovering that a crime has been committed). The whole story is seen from the flat of the photographer and the film set bears some resemblance to this picture. However, this is London whereas the film is set in New York. But Hitchcock drew on something that was familiar to people everywhere – the curiosity about neighbours and the potential drama that is before us every time we look out of our window. This is the view from a hotel room I was occupying in London, and though there is little drama to be seen here the picture does hold a special significance, lending some inspiration perhaps to Rear Window itself: for one of the upper flats we see the windows of here is the former home of none other than... Alfred Hitchcock! Location: London, England

The Magic of Trains

Travel by train is – and always has been – for me the most exciting, uplifting, delightful, enjoyable, thrilling and rewarding means of getting from A to B, or from A to Z via K, R and W. Nothing relaxes me more than a long train journey, and just the sight of a train – any train, moving or stationary, long or short, old or new – sets off a whole set of excited thoughts and emotions. Very soon I shall set off again and to "warm up" I have been looking through some of the many pictures I have taken from, in or of trains. This one appealed to me both because of the locomotive and what I believe is a postal wagon of yesteryear. The clouds were moody, but resulted in some nice light effects which render well in sepia – which I think is also appropriate to the subject. Sadly, I don't think the trains I will be taking shortly will be drawn by steam engines like this, but one can dream of such things ... and there is no better place to dream than while on a train... Location: Nuremburg, Germany

Parked Cycle Taxisi

A group of cycle taxis (if that is what they are called) parked in an Oslo street. I have only ever taken one of these things in India – an invigorating but somewhat alarming experience due to the wildly creative interpretation of traffic rules there – but they have become a fairly common feature of many cities in Europe over recent years. They are a lot greener than regular taxis and certainly a lot more fun, though perhaps not always for the driver if he has a full load and has an uphill slope to deal with. What appealed to me here especially was the variety of models and colours – uniqueness and lack of uniformity in a group is alway fascinating. Location: Oslo, Norway