BORIS'S BUSES AND A LUMP IN THE THROAT

Did you know that it's the Year Of The Bus? Until coming to London I didn't but that crazy dude Boris Johnson, the larger than life, laugh a minute Lord Mayor of London is doing his best to celebrate it. Regent Street was recently closed to traffic and  filled with buses of all vintage, and around London there are Bus Sculpture Trails. There are meant to be five, but only three have been finished and another almost done (Boris is running out of time!). One trail is around the Olympic Precinct, one around Westminster, and last Friday I walked the River trail. Each of the miniature buses is sponsored by a business organisation and painted or adorned by well known and aspiring artists - each is meant to depict the role buses have played in the life and economy of the UK - great idea, eh. Many are strategically located out the front of famous landmarks  or with landmarks as a stunning backdrop.

Dazzle Bus (Stephen McKay)

Spectrum (Kristel Pilkahn)

Ruins of Winchester Palace (12 century)

Oria Kiely (Sarah Jane Richards)

Francis Drake's Golden Hind

Route Masters (Edward Carvalho-Monaghan

 

Brollybus (Jane Veveris Callan)

New Routemaster (Candida Boyes)

Legible London (Fiona Stewart)

Punk'ed (Valerie Osment)

Childhood On A Bus (Arizona Smith)

Push Once (Sophie Green

All Aboard The Number 8 (Anna Rawles & Jennifer Rodgers)

Philanthropist George Peabody oversees

Tower Bridge Bus (Michelle Heron)

Twenty Four Seven (Deven Bhurke)

Whilst walking the trail I also discovered that around London there is also a similar trail dedicated to the iconic little bear, Paddington. There are 50 of them around London and of course, there is an angle - they are only here until 30 December and promote the opening of the new movie 'Paddington'. Why isn't there a Blinky Bill trail in Melbourne?

There is always something interesting around the next corner in London. I walk past a statue of John Smith that evokes memories of reading 'Pocahontas' to the kids when they were smaller.

And behind St Paul's Cathedral is a pocket of 'edible' streets.......

I deliberately walked the River trail on Friday on account of where it finishes. The final Boris Bus is at the Tower Of London, the real purpose of my walk. Here I joined tens of thousands of people who had come to see the sea of ceramic poppies in the moat to commemorate the centenary of the First World War's commencement (I'm sure you've seen it on the news somewhere). There are 888,246 poppies, one for every life lost by Commonwealth Forces in the Great War, each sponsored by a member of the public (with literally millions disappointed at not being able to contribute).

I don't mind admitting to a lump in the throat when I saw it, surrounded by others similarly humbled by the experience, and feeling totally overwhelmed by the sacrifice so so many made for our way of life. The enormity of the loss is almost incomprehensible. My photos don't do the poppy memorial justice unfortunately, however anyone who has seen it will certainly not forget........