Postboxes and Creature

I have posted pictures of mailboxes here before. I have even posted pictures of Danish mailboxes before. But I have never posted one that includes a crocodile -or is that some kind of other creature down there? (Incidentally, being British, I'd usually call them postboxes but then there would have been too many "posts" in my first sentence. Whatever. The boxes are cute even though they've been desecrated with inane graffiti. I hope the creature, whatever it is, bit the perpetrators sharply on their shins. I never found what exactly it doing there, but I am very fond of idiosyncratic little bits of street furniture like this.

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Bicycle Time

I thought a picture of a bicycle would be appropriate seeing as this year's Tour de France is just about to begin. Of course, this particular bicycle has nothing to do with the race (other than that the yellow wheels may presume to desire a yellow-jerseyed rider), and this is Denmark not France. But I liked the colours, the casual way the bike is parked against the wall, and the potential for adventure it holds... Who wouldn't want to jump on and take a ride. Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Railway Platform

I never cease to be captivated by railways stations and trains –any train, and I have probably photographed them more than is good for me. This is a sleek carriage of the Danish Railways fleet, rearing to go. I wanted to capture the speed and excitement of the train, even though it was waiting at the station. The bright sun shone a sharp white shaft of light along the platform that echoes the white line along the side of the train. And all the lines draw us to a distant focal point. I was also pleased with the contrast and cleanliness of the picture –the colour is muted, and aside from the blue of the sky and its reflection in the windows the image is more or less monochrome. All aboard! Location: Odense, Denmark

If You Have a Sweet Tooth...

There's something about candy, lollipops, sweets – especially if they are just out of reach, or behind firmly closed windows. I don't think one has to be a child to be drawn into the hypnotizing world of such treats – we are all attracted to colour and patterns, and temptation is easily awakened. For me the temptation was more to photograph than to indulge - except in my imagination. But had this window been open... Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Danish Mail Trio

Letter boxes (or mail boxes if you prefer) are a bit like taxis at the weekend – you can never find one, but when you do there's always several of them. Actually letter boxes seem to be a bit of a dying species, along with telephone boxes, public scales and various other bits of street furniture. It's understandable, I suppose, since the number of letters being posted has dropped dramatically since email became part of our daily lives. But I am always cheered at the sight of one of these boxes, and three of them together... Well, I can only assume that since I took this picture in the picturesque town of Odense, birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson, there must be a whole lot of people still sending postcards – remember them? I liked the bright, cheerfulness of this little trio, taken after a rain shower that made them shine and appear as if brand-new. And huddling together they seem to cry out to the passer by, "We're here for you, use us, give us your letters ... please..." - a sentiment that Anderson himself could easily have expressed... Location: Odense, Denmark

Retired Merry-go-round Horses

These horses, that once carried children of all ages on countless revolving journeys on a merry-go-round or carousel, appear now to have now been "retired" and stuck up on display but are certainly no less prominent, energetic or delightful. Indeed, they seem to be cantering still, dancing and leaping in the air and beckoning new generations of visitors to partake of the pleasures of one of the world's finest and most beautiful fairs: the Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen. I love it when things get a second lease of life like this - the horses, I feel, do too! Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Unclaimed Pram

There is a story to this picture. There must be. But I don't know what it is; I can only speculate, guess, or let my imagination conjure up a tale. Why has a perfectly good pram been left in a Copenhagen back street, with no occupant, owner or indeed anybody else nearby? It would of course have been rather distressing if it had been occupied and left so forlorn, but I was intrigued by its emptiness. Did someone no longer want the pram? Or need it? Did the baby die suddenly? Had the pram been stolen, or the baby kidnapped? Or was there some much plainer, more ordinary explanation? Was it just left here because whoever owned or used it happened to be visiting the people living above? Yet, if so wouldn't it have made more sense to park it near a door? The mystery remains. But I think it makes for quite an intriguing picture; there are some interesting lines and patterns, with the scrawled, careless graffiti along the whole wall creating some weird kind of life-line. Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Danish Letter Box

I've always liked letter boxes –or mail boxes, if you prefer. Perhaps because I've always liked letters – sending them and receiving them – but also because these pieces of street furniture are so unique to each country, and are somehow like familiar friends who never change, but who discreetly represent their country whenever we think of them. Telephone boxes, buses, currency and stamps do the same, but letter boxes are far quainter –almost refuges of a former age; who knows how long they will last in this email and instant message era. The Danish letter box is, like Denmark itself, bright, matter-of-fact and cheerful. Its red and white colours nicely mirror the Danish flag, and I found the combination of the chic box and the fairly tired-looking wall most pleasing, in a very Danish way! Location: Copenhagen, Denmark