London Photos: London life in images by Kim Gilmour

One of the things people are finding harder to do, not only in London but in other cities, is to take photographs in public. Officials ignorant of the law – including some police officers, sometimes seize cameras, force people to delete images or worse, even detain them. The only worse scenario is that this type of thing will actually become legal.
It’s a small step, but I’ve signed Adam Jones’s petition (you can too, if you’re a UK resident or citizen) to ask Downing St to clarify photographers’ rights.

Edit: My mate Mike Slocombe at Urban75 has posted a good guide to
Photographers’ Rights and the Law. Check it out!

While shopping in the King’s Rd on Sunday, the hot newly sealed road coupled with the sudden downpour of rain caused a steamy delight.

Disclaimer: an annoying bin was obscuring the on the first shot, frame and I photoshopped it out. You may not notice it in this small version. But I know it’s there!

Hundreds of people gathered around St Paul’s Cathedral today before the Olympic Flame made its way down Fleet St to St Paul’s Churchyard.

There were all sorts of people here: children welcoming the flame, peaceful pro-Tibet protesters here to voice their anger with China’s hold over Tibet, families, tourists and Chinese students waving Chinese flags. There was music from the Scots Guards and random religious clergy.

But whatever the reason for being there, the flame unfortunately didn’t make it off the bus and to St Paul’s after all. Police decided to shove the flame on a double decker bus (after dallying about for 15 minutes) and whiz it past everyone as they apparently thought it safer.

I didn’t see any immediate cause for concern from the protesters, who even had floats. The Chinese students next to me were tentatively/coyly saying “China… China!” in response to the “Free Tibet” chants across the road, but not in an aggressive way.

Very underwhelming. Here are a few random photos. In the first widescreen shot you can see in the middle background the Tibetan flag. The bus is holding the flame.

Woke up this morning to see more London snow (yes, it’s April!) so I walked around the city so see what I could find, and took some photos at the Barbican and around Aldersgate St…

Oh, and today the Olympic torch has been moving across London amidst much controversy and it’ll be passing by my way in a couple of hours, so who knows what’ll happen…