Brompton Tube Station To Reopen

Now I do not know about you but I find the London underground fascinating and also rather creepy. Creepy in the sense that there are parts of it that have been closed off, disused or are being changed. We do not know really what goes on down there as we are sealed off in a train that darts so quickly through the tunnels (well usually unless there is a delay) the surroundings are all a blur and aren’t usually taken in. When it comes to disused stations, there are a couple that come into mind that are usually talked about in one way or the other. The stations that come to mind with me are York Road (just next to Kings Cross) Brompton Road (just next to Knightsbridge) and Aldwych station (on the strand) all of them have had rumors about reopening and to be completely honest, I think they are in desperate need of being revived into this day and age (more so Aldwych and Brompton road) as they are in areas that have great congestion at times and could be used to ease the manic rush. In the last couple of weeks it has been confirmed that there are plans to reopen Brompton Road tube station, just not as we know it. It looks like there are plans to reopen it as a museum. Ajit Chambers is the man behind the talks to change the station into a tourist attraction and has said that he has more tube stations in his eye that he would like to transform also. Whilst I think that it is such a great idea to open up and reuse all of the old tube stations, a part of me is a little sad that they are not being reopened in the correct way and being used as train stations once again. In the long run I  guess that as long as they are re opening then it can only be a good thing. Whilst there are still not concrete plans about the development of York Way, which remains extremely intact externally, I think with the development of the Kings Cross site and the views of all these tall buildings going up, it will only be a matter of time before this station will be needed once more to help filter people around. Aldwych on the other hand still has a use as an intact station that is used for filming and tours. Whilst it is not in my own opinion the best use for this station, it is still an option that has kept this station alive until today so I can not speak too harshly on it. What ever plans come out of these three and the other eighteen or so other disused stations, it is nice to know that all these years later they are still there. They may need lots of work but they all still have the potential. 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling

22nd April 2012: Photo Of The Day

I took this photo and uploaded it on instagram and it reminded me so much of the apprentice that I watched it after. I love the way that the buildings are displayed in that program and you really a get a feel for how the city is moving. It is my photo of the day because I love the prescence that this building has (and how shiny it is!) 

The Only Way Is Essex: Series 5

Last night, The Only Way Is  Essex returned to our screens after a short hiatus with series 5. I was watching with little hope after such a disappointing series 4 was broadcast earlier this year. I was not expecting much at all for the show but I will honestly say that TOWIE managed to come back in full force and it had me laughing all the way through. Early figures show that the premiere of series 5 was watched by an audience of about 1.16 million so the show is still holding in strong. It is because of characters such as Lydia, Gemma and my new found love for the show, Charlie that are keeping this program at top form. One thing that I have to admit that I was disappointed with was the axing of the twins Dino and Georgio. I understand the reasons for this as they were not very dominant characters and barely had an impact on the program, but they were fantastic to look at and they just seemed really lovely people to have as the cast. Arg has returned and is looking slimmer and “reem” to the rafters which is fantastic but, I can not help and think that they are trying to fill that gap that Mark left with someone that really is not naturally comparable. The moment that stole the show for me was the “Titanic” evening between Charlie and Gemma. Charlie is so lovely and I think that many of us can relate to him, he is funny, cute, romantic and genuinely nice but putting him with Gemma, who just wants some nookie by the looks of it now is going to keep me gripped all season. Whilst I was very impressed, there were things that I would change. I love Joey Essex but I feel that he is becoming boring now, he is very repetitive and seems to do the same thing in ever episode of the show. I am not a fan of Georgina Dorsett so it was fantastic not to see her in the opening episode (lets hope it stays that way) and the final person that gets my back up that I think would be better to leave the show is Ricky. I just do not see him as a real person. He seems fake, contradicting and just a little weird. For any of you that are thinking about watching the show then I would recommend it, it has improved (and yes it is not the best show in the world) life is short though so we should laugh as much as we can. I really hope that TOWIE can continue to be as funny and entertaining as the first episode of this series. It was so lovely to see it being “Reem” again. 

  

Above: Two people that I think put the downers on the last season (Ricky & Georgina) 

Above: Goodbye to the cute little twins :( (Dino & Georgio)

Look reem, Smell reem, Be reem, Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Facebook purchases Instagram

I am somewhat miffed as to why it is such a huge thing that Facebook bought Instagram? Is it the amount of money that Facebook paid for Instagram? I mean $1billion is a huge amount but then I convert it to £600million and then it does not seem as much. Is it because we all use Facebook and they have purchased something that most of us do not use? There are many reasons why the news story has been told and I accept that however, the media seems to be rather bored and are spinning this into a massive story when I do not think that it is that amazing. Maybe I was not taking much notice at the time but I did not see the story of the Youtube takeover by Google being as huge as this? Instagram has acquired a strong following of supporters and was nominated by Apple as app of the year in 2011 but it still does not even take a chip out of the amount of followers that use Facebook. In my personal opinion I think that only bad things will come out of the purchase of Instagram as Facebook is very commercialised and has far too many adverts, constant changes and things going on. What I love about Instagram is that its pretty silent when it comes to the social media side. You take photos, you add vintage effects, you like and follow with no other complications. I feel that even though Facebook has stated that it will barely change the app, I can’t help but think that it is a big lie. What is done is done and we will just have to sit back and see how this one rides out but I do not have the best feeling about this. I do hope that this news story disappears very quickly though as it is boring already (says he writing about it!) Do you think that the takeover will be a good thing? 

To check out more of my Instagram pictures then have a look at my Tumblr: http://thatmfeeling.tumblr.com/

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Will They Ever Raise The Titanic?

Titanic fever has hit most of the world recently as it is has now reached 100 years since the Titanic set sail on her first and last voyage. A question that always comes to mind when thinking of the Titanic is, can it or even will the Titanic be raised from the sea and taken back to land? In answer to the first question, the ship could be raised from the sea bed but with huge difficulty. Even if the ship was raised, there would be great risk of it breaking up and settling back down on the sea bed. After reading numerous documents and articles on this magnificent ship, it was very clear that it will forever more remain in the location that it has settled for all of these years. My initial opinions on this was rather sad as I liked the idea of the ship returning to the United Kingdom so it could at least complete a journey before it was preserved. After reading all of these articles however, my opinion has changed. What changed my mind was the thought of all the people that had died in this catastrophe. Why should the Titanic return to land when all of these people will forever remain out in the ocean. The Ship is a marking for a grave and I personally believe that it should always remain on that site until the sea finally finishes her off. If the ship was no longer there then people would forget about the place she come to rest and with that we would loose all the memories of the people that traveled with her on her maiden voyage. Because the Titanic remains on the ocean, these people have a grave but without her they do not. In an article with BBC News, the man suggested that the ship should be preserved under water. It could be cleaned up and repainted which would protect the ship from decay for many years to come. If preservation does not happen then this ship is nearing the end of its recognisable life. Rust has set in, submarines have weakened the remains and it is only a matter of time before the sea erases her. So in answer to the question I initially asked. Yes there is the ability to raise the Titanic to the surface however, it will never be. We should focus on the preservation so the memories of those who died that day and the great ship itself will last with us into the distant future. 

What do you think should happen to the remains of the Titanic? Signing out, Thatmfeeling

8th April 2012: Photo Of The Day

I thought that this photo would tie in very well with the day. There has been a huge egg hunt going on in London recently. You may now this if you have been following my blog previously, the eggs are all designed by different artists or celebrities and are being sold in auction to raise money for charity. I think that the idea is such a good one from many angles. It also opens up peoples findings of London, going to places that they may have never been before. It creates great art and more importantly it has created so much money for charity. I hope you all have a fantastic Easter and rest of the year, 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling

Why Do We Have Easter Eggs?

I thought to myself this morning “Why do we have easter eggs?” after seeing all the adverts in the shops and adverts on television and so, decided to look it up. For those of you that did not know, Eggs are a forbidden food during Lent so it is a welcome return to the menu on Eater day (more so in the olden days) Easter as we know is a Christian holiday and the giving of eggs over easter celebrates new life as Jesus rose from the dead.  Easter has become a very commercialised holiday for some and we give chocolate eggs without thinking about where they have originated from. The first types of eggs given at Easter were painted birds eggs in bright colours and patterns  (I have been told they were painted and decorated to further their meaning as a gift) Some people still give decorated birds eggs no, however they are now only chicken eggs. Whilst this had explained the reason for the eggs, there was another question that I also had on my mind relating to easter “Why do we have the Easter Bunny?” and after some research I also discovered that it is an Anglo-Saxon legend. Anglo-Saxon tells of  the Saxon goddess Estre. She found a wounded bird and transformed it into a hare, so that it could survive the Winter. The hare found that it could lay eggs, so it decorated these eggs every spring and left them as an offering to the goddess. Now all of this, I found on the internet so it may be true or it may be a complete lie so please so not quote me on anything. I found it rather interesting so I thought that I would share my new found knowledge with you over this Easter break. If you celebrate Easter then have a great one and do not eat too much chocolate, 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

The Shard Tops Out!

At long last, the time has come for some amazing news relating the Shard. Today the Shard has officially topped out which means that the building has ever so nearly been completed externally (but is not at full height). An interesting fact that I have learnt today is that there is a reason as to why the Shard may have a rather dull, Matt appearance to it. The reason for this is that it is covered in a layer of protective plastic that now has to be removed ready for the windows to be cleaned which will be a painstaking process.This means that the Shard will actually have a more reflective, shiny appearance compared to the lesser one that we have now become accustomed to. I personally like the Shard’s look already so this is amazing news on top of the completion as I think the structure will look extremely super sexy being reflective. The building’s exterior is due to be completely finished, washed and looking sexy by June, ready for the Olympics. The interior will not be complete officially until mid next year. As you can imagine, there is a huge amount of work to be completed inside and what is great is that the inside will again slowly transform what we see on the outside. Once the building is complete however, the building fascination is far from over as there are two other breathtakingly amazing towers that are also rising at a rapid pace. Both on the northern side of the river, we have 20 Fenchurch street, the building that leans over itself and finally the ultra quick growing Leadenhall building that will nearly reach full height at the end of this year. If you have not already familiarised yourself with these buildings then never worry as they will become ever so popular as they start reaching for the sky.

So here is it.... here is is going to stay. Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

31st March 2012: Photo Of The Day

This is the photo of the day because as I look back on the amazing week that I have had, I have managed to capture it through this camera. The sun, the parks, the fountains and the architecture. I have such a fantastic week to look bac on and I really hope that there are many more for this year also. 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Pouring Petrol Indoors with the Hob on

It has been on every cover of the newspapers, all over the news channels and I just can’t seem to get away from it. A woman has managed to get 40% burns because she was pouring petrol from one container to another using a jug. It gets worse. She was pouring it in her kitchen with the hob on! Now whilst I feel very sorry for this woman, because I would not wish anyone to go through what she is going through, I do have to stop and question what on earth she thought she was doing!? I can not believe that someone would firstly have petrol in their own home. Petrol is extremely smelly and if you have it exposed in your home then apart from it being extremely dangerous, it is going to fill up your house with gross smelling fumes. Also you just would never have the hob/oven on when you were doing it. The thing that comes into mind when you are at a petrol station is not to have any flames, no smoking and nothing that causes sparks. We know this because petrol can ignite and blow up. Why on Earth this lady thought that in your own home there is an exception to do this. On top of this what really frustrates me is that the government have asked people to fill up jerry cans and fill up their tanks just incase. That is fine and to me is a very reasonable thing to do but then people go stupid and panic buy far too much and you hear stories of men filling up washing up liquid bottles, women filling up jam jars and I just have to wonder to myself has this country gone insane.  I loved a comment that someone has written on a news website saying “if the government asked you to swing from wet towels on power lines would you do it?” The worrying thing is that I am sure that there are some people out there that would! People need to start thinking for themselves and use the government as a prompt for ideas rather than strictly following silly suggestions in silly ways. We should all use this as a lesson to ourselves. 

I hope this lady recovers well and that she NEVER messes around with petrol again, Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Battersea Power Station: All Beauty, No Beast

Yesterday I managed to go somewhere that I have been wanting to go for a long time. It was beautiful and sunny so I decided that the day had come for me to go and explore Battersea. Whilst I have wanted to see the park for a while, the real reason for my visit was for one particular building and I think you can guess exactly which one it is. You hear on a yearly basis about the Battersea power station redevelopment plans and nothing ever seems to come from it. Either the companies involved seem to go bust or the project just gets so expensive that no one can cope with it. What fascinates me with the power station is exactly that of what I find fascinating with the West Pier in Brighton. It has a sense of love about it yet it is starting to decay and fall down. What would usually be classed as an ugly building just doe not even come into the picture with this power station. For some reason I find it so beautiful. I think to myself that it is an old dilapidated brown brick factory with four decaying chimneys on top but I just can not see its ugliness. This is another building that I really feel sorry for. It stands there year after year just screaming for help, looking sad for everyone to see yet no one can do anything about it. Many people want to as you can see for the support for this structure but I can understand what people mean when they say it is just simply too big. I mean if this place was converted into anything it would be massive beyond belief. Just walking down one side of the building was like walking down about for our five blocks in New York. Street after street pass and the building just continues. To imagine how many apartments and shops could fit in it would be crazy. I really hope that in my lifetime I see this building restored into something greater than it was originally. I do not want to wake up one day and hear that one of the chimneys has fallen down or that they just have to knock the whole thing down, it would break so many peoples hearts. Now that the building has finally gone onto the open market for no less than a small 500million pounds! I will be interested to see who or what will be willing to take on such a catastrophic project. I would like to see the project completed in three stages. (I am no architect or building planner of this scale so I have no idea even if it would be possible) I think that firstly the exterior should be restored and repaired with the chimneys painted a new gleaming white colour. After this I think that work should start on extending the London Underground to Battersea. It is not like people will not use the tube there as there are still so many people that live around that area. Finally I think that they should then start to build around the station to fill up the area and get the space lived in with works on converting (or adding as there is not much station left) flats and shops to the actual station nearer the end of the project. As we all sit here though I am sure we all know that we have no control over the project whatsoever unless one of us has a spare 500million to throw around. Go and enjoy this beautiful landmark and let your curiosity take control because sadly, one day it may not be there for us to admire anymore. 

signing out, Thatmfeeling

Team GB Olympic Kit: Good or Bad?

The Great British olympic games kit, or is it? This is the question that seems to be on many peoples tongues at the moment. With a rather impressive reveal of the kit on the 22nd, some people have instantly responded with negative criticism. Most of the criticism has been that the kit is predominantly blue which is not the main colour of our flag. Other negative criticism is that it does not display our flag clear enough. One comment that I must mention however was from a general member of the public that stated “The Union Jack is so iconic, the beauty is that you can mess around with the colours and you can always tell what flag it is” I have to say that I completely agree. On closer inspection myself I have to say that I am rather disappointed that the kit is mainly blue, however I also need to say that the team do look great in it which I am not sure they would do as much in a red kit. I am proud of our country and like many other people, if asked what colour represents the United Kingdom, the top answer would be red. It does seem rather odd to leave the colour out but that may be the whole entire point. In an advert about the new games kit, there is a union jack logo in the background that is made up of only blue colours. This logo looks amazing and very catchy which also makes me like the it more. My only worry about using so much blue is it seems to look like the Scottish flag. This is the London games. London is an English city. If it was the Scottish games being held in Glasgow then I could understand but why should be be representing a country that wants a separate olympic team (I understand that many Scottish people want to stay part of the United Kingdom but there have been so many stories of Scotland wanting to be separated in so many ways that it is just getting annoying) Something so simple as adding red incorporates both England and Wales into the kit and everyone would be happy (well most people!) 

I will stand by my original answer and I have to admit that I like the it. If it was up to me then I would have added more red however I think it represents us in a modern and positive way. The  people wearing the kit look amazing (and rather sexy too!) so as it was said, if they look good, they feel good and if they feel good they play good. Team GB has a kit now everyone just get behind it and cheer our team on! 

not long unti the Olympics now! signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Canary Wharf: The Visit

There had been somewhere in London that I have wanted to go for a while but it was one of those places that I just hadn’t got around to visiting in such a long time. Canary Wharf is a guilty pleasure to me. I have no need to go there yet I just love visiting because I find the place so beautiful. When I visit Canary Wharf it is like I have been taken out of the London that I have been living in for all these years and taken into a new, perfect, architectural paradise where everything sparkles, is equally spaces and just planned to be exactly how it is suppose to be. I know that many people will not agree with that statement but it is just the way I feel about the place. What is also great is that it changes depending on the time of the week and the time of day that you go. If you go during the week then it is full of shirts and ties, the money and there is a very professional feel about the place. If you go during the weekend then you will see that it is full of tourists and that the place is much more relaxed. For my birthday week I decided to go on a Sunday. Last time I visited Canary Wharf, it was known that if you visited over the weekend then it would be dead and completely silent. Oh how things have changed and it was nice to see that this area is now being used seven days a week. There were tourists everywhere, the shops were open, restaurants buzzing and it just had such a different feel compared to the times that I have been during the week. Architecture in Canary wharf as you will already know by know is mainly glass towers. What I love is that this is a contrast to the towers in the main city. Whilst I love buildings like the Shard and Leadenhall, it is lovely to go to a place where all the buildings work together to create a space because none of them are fighting for attention. Apart from One Canada, Citigroup and HSBS, I think it is almost impossible to think of a tower that really stands out of the crowd (and even Citigroup barely manages to do that) By the towers all being similar and merging together it creates a place rather than split buildings and this is what really gets my creative juices flowing. The day that I visited the area was the day that many tourists were going on the London egg hunt. I decided that I would join in with my friend and have a look around for these eggs. There are some great designs out there and these are very picture worthy. There are also some horrible ones and some of these should be pushed to one side. It was freezing and we must have picked the coldest and wettest day to go. Taking photos did not last as long as I would have hoped but when your hands are falling off there really is nothing you can do. I could not even press the shutter button to take the photos so after a few hours me and my friend decided to call it a day. I did on my way home, manage to make one more stop off and that was to the O2 arena. I had not been here for years so I wanted to see how everything was progressing as buildings and areas seem to shoot up all the time around this place. I was surprised to find some new buildings, restaurants and shops that had opened up, one of the buildings being rather photogenic so as you can see by some of my photos, it is in there! (the one with the tiles!) Sadly it had gotten to the point where I needed to leave because it was the most unfriendliest day and my body was shutting down due to all the rain and wind. I really loved the visit and I can not wait to visit again when the sun is shining. If it is a place that you have never been then I would recommend that you go. Its very different to normal London and even if you do not like it, its an experience and a taster of a very different side of London. 

20th March 2012: Picture Of The Day

I had to use this photo to represent today as I am blogging about my visit to Canary Wharf. What I love about this photo is that it was completely unplanned I am moving in it yet it has manage to capture the best part of it. It was so windy, wet and gross yet the photo looks amazing. I also love the photo because I am in it! haha! It just reminds me of Singin' In The Rain and I really want to see it in the theatre!

The New Kings Cross Station

Well today was the unofficial opening of the new Kings Cross station. Officially opening to the public tomorrow, the new departures concourse can hold and will see many more people ass through it. As you can tell by the pictures, the new glass canopy is stunning. When visiting the canopy was lit purple but you can tell that this can be changed easily as they were still working on the lights when I was there. The canopy frame work visually leads you straight to the main entrance which is the restored victorian ticket hall and has a contrasting feeling to the new concourse. With a new selection of restaurants and shops now available around the outsides of the station, there is now even more reason to go and visit the station. On it’s first day there were so many people standing and taking photos. I felt like I was part of the crowd doing it which is the complete opposite feeling that I usually get when I am taking pictures in public with a bustling crowd around me. This is the completing phase before the olympics start with the entrance being at the new concourse and the exit being where the old green canopy still remains. After the Olympics the final phase will be completed when the ugly green canopy is removed to make way for a public area full of benches and trees and the original victorian facade of the building will be restored to its former glory. This will be the first time “in living memory” that people will be able to see the original facade of the building, which I have to add is more beautiful that you think it is! As I could tell by everyone there, I am not the only person that has been taken away by this magnificent station. Go and have a look at it yourself, you will be impressed. 

have fun exploring! Signing out, Thatmfeeling