The Millennium Bridge has always been a bit of a drama queen – first it wobbled so much they had to shut it down, and now it’s serving up some of the most atmospheric shots in London.
This long exposure captures something almost supernatural about the daily pilgrimage across the Thames, with ghostly figures drifting like spirits between the sleek modernity of Norman Foster’s steel and glass creation and the timeless majesty of Wren’s baroque masterpiece. The blurred pedestrians become streams of human consciousness, each person’s journey reduced to ethereal wisps against the solid certainty of St. Paul’s dome.
The Millennium Bridge earned the nickname “Wobbly Bridge” because it swayed so dramatically when it first opened in 2000 that it had to be closed after just three days. The problem was “synchronous lateral excitation” – when large crowds walked in step, their footfalls created a resonance that made the bridge sway side to side by up to 7 centimetres, causing people to walk in sync to compensate, which only made the wobbling worse.
In 2019, Cork’s riverside scene took on a rare and almost surreal quality as the beloved Shakey Bridge, or Daly’s Bridge, vanished for the first time since 1927. Locals strolling along the Lee were greeted not by the familiar wobbly walkway, but by its ornate white tower standing alone, flanked by colourful houses and lush gardens. The river, ever calm, mirrored the absence and the anticipation, while the city buzzed with stories of the bridge’s famous shake and the engineers’ promise to bring it back just as lively as ever.
The bridge is back now, and we visited recently. It still has its famous shake!
It’s the only suspension bridge in Cork City and the only surviving pedestrian suspension bridge of its kind and age in Ireland.
The interior of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on a bright, sunny day in July, 2018. I visited again recently but these are from my first visit.
I visited the cathedral with the aim to photograph it, but I forgot to bring my tripod! It was sitting in my suitcase in my hotel room. I did my best, using tables and benches and the floor instead to hold my camera steady.
This was on the morning after I spent the day in bed recovering from food poisoning, so I didn’t take a whole lot of photos and had to go back to bed afterwards as I was so tired from the walk. This page has a number of photos showing what it’s like. Definitely try to avoid the busy times. It’s thronged with visitors.
Chicago in 2005 was a city in flux, and nowhere was that more obvious than at the Trump Tower construction site, right on the banks of the Chicago River. I was walking at the edge of the site and took a bunch of photos, some of which I’ve posted over the years.
What you see in front of you appears to be the open area next to the “new” tower. Over to the left is the Wrigley Building and looking at Google Street View gives a good view of what it looks like now, from across the river.
I haven’t been back to Chicago in twenty years. I’d love to see it again.
I last visited Chicago in 2005, when I took this photo of the Wrigley Building, and this “We’re glad you’re here!” banner.
Did you know the clock faces of the Wrigley Building are each almost 6m in diameter? The two towers of the building were completed just over 100 years ago!
A single, solitary table inside an empty office. A glass jar sits on the table, waiting for the next business to come and rent the room. Maybe a parting gift from the previous occupant?
The Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle is a popular part of the castle, with visitors milling around throughout the day.
Here’s some info about the hall that I got from Perplexity. Sources are linked and makes for an interesting read. I was surprised it didn’t mention that Oliver Cromwell preserved the roof when he had it plastered over. That was something the guide mentioned.
History of the Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle
The Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle is a remarkable structure completed in 1511 for King James IV of Scotland.236 This medieval wonder measures 29 by 12.5 metres (95 by 41 ft) and served as the chief place of state assembly within the castle.5 While historians have occasionally disagreed about its exact dating, it is generally attributed to the early years of the 16th century during James IV’s reign.5
Architectural Features
The hall’s most distinctive feature is its magnificent wooden roof, considered one of the most superb in Britain.236 It features giant beams resting on stones carved with heads and symbols such as the thistle, a national badge of Scotland.236 This is one of only two medieval halls in Scotland that still retains its original hammerbeam roof.5 The decorative carved stone corbels supporting the roof display Renaissance detailing comparable to works at Blois, France, from around 1515, indicating that Scottish arts were relatively advanced for the time.5
Historical Timeline
James IV had little opportunity to enjoy his new grand hall, as he was killed just two years later at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, fighting against the forces of his brother-in-law, King Henry VIII of England.236
During its early years, the Great Hall hosted grand banquets and state events, though there is no evidence that the Scottish Parliament ever met here, despite some common misconceptions.2356
A significant change came in 1650 when Oliver Cromwell’s army captured Edinburgh Castle and began transforming the Great Hall into a military barracks.2356 By 1737, the hall was subdivided into three storeys to accommodate 312 soldiers.5
Following the construction of New Barracks in the 1790s, the Great Hall was converted into a military hospital.5 It continued in this function until the troops finally left in 1886/1897 (sources vary slightly on the exact date).2356
After its military use ended, the Great Hall was restored to its medieval splendour by architect Hippolyte Blanc, who worked according to contemporary Victorian ideas of medieval architecture.5 Today, the hall displays weapons and armour that reference its military past, including distinctive pole arms like the feared Lochaber axe.236
In modern times, the Great Hall is still occasionally used for ceremonial occasions and has served as a venue for BBC Scotland’s Hogmanay Live programme.5
I had hoped to go up Calton Hill this evening, but the Beltane fire festival is happening there tonight. I have to be up early in the morning, so I decided not to go, but now I already regret not going! I’d have stayed far too long taking photos and be so tired for my flight in the morning.
It’s been a few years since I’ve been in Malaga. This one is from November 2018 on a lovely sunny day. I love the “Palmeral de las Sorpresas” pergola is an eye-catching structure along the promenade.
These days, it’s so unusual to see a cyclist who isn’t a delivery person on the roads in Cork City that this man caught me by surprise as he turned into Industry Street from Evergreen Street.
Consider installing a browser extension that blocks ads and other malicious scripts in your browser to protect your privacy and security. Here are a few options.
uBlock Origin is a free, open source, ad blocker for your browser.
Use pi-hole if you have a spare Raspberry Pi on your network.
Set the private DNS settings on your phone to dns.adguard.com to block adverts and trackers.
