An Evening Bimble Around Canary Wharf ~ 28May18

[Pen Pusher]

Another Bank Holiday Monday, the Travelodge London Kings Cross Royal Scot hotel had rooms for one night at £39 and the forecast was looking good for a decent sunset although there was a late notice weather warning for rain/thunder/lightning between 7 & 8pm. With the central part of the Northern Line Underground closed for engineering works, I had to take the scenic route via Waterloo and the Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf which scuppered my plans to go overground on the Dockland Light Railway. True enough, the weather warning held out and just after 7pm spitting rain, lightning and then thunder that has to be heard reverberating off the glass sided office blocks to be believed, then a torrential downpour for about 10 minutes. All gone by 8pm. Plus point, the rain did clear away the tourists, a bit. I didn’t go to Canary Wharf for the skyscrapers/office blocks as they are just vertical walls of glass, but more for the public spaces and amenities around the development. Apart from a blood blister under my left heel, new walking shoes-ouch, thoroughly enjoyed my little 3+ hour bimble and will be back for a night shoot when the season starts. In the order taken.

A pair of preserved Stothert & Pitt DD2 travelling dock cranes, dating from the mid 1960’s, on the north bank of the North Dock.


The Traffic Light Tree stands on the roundabout on Trafalgar Way that leads to Billingsgate Market and Canary Wharf. Designed by French sculptor Pierre Vivant, it has 75 sets of traffic lights on it and although it dates from 1998, it has been in its current location since 2013.


The futuristic looking Adams Place Bridge pedestrian walkway leading from North Colonnade at street level into Crossrail Place.


‘Two Men on a Bench’ (1995) bronze sculpture by Giles Penny currently on display on Wren Landing with the North Dock Footbridge in the background.


The underside of the Adams Place Bridge from Adams Place on the quayside.


‘Draped Seated Woman’ (1957/58) a bronze sculpture by Henry Moore in Cabot Square.


The west end of Crossrail Place with the Adams Place Bridge from Adams Place.


At the top of Crossrail Place, there are two restaurants at either end but in the middle is a 300m long enclosed roof garden that is open to the elements, and this was the second rainstorm that night.




View taken from Fishermans Walk across North Dock with the Marriott Hotel behind the two Stothert & Pitt cranes and the original dock warehouses, now mostly cafes and restaurants, to the left and ‘The President’s Yacht’ floating in the dock .


West India Quay Dockland Light Railway Station.


Stothert & Pitt cranes on North Dock with the Financial Conduct Authority building on the other side of the DLR bridge.


Although Crossrail Place is open with lots of shops and restaurants and other amenities the actual Crossrail Tube Station, which is 18 meters below the water level on the new Elizabeth Line, will not be open until December 2019,


North Dock Pedestrian Footbridge with 5 North Colonnade, which is occupied by Barclays Investment Bank, behind it on Fishermans Walk.


‘Six Public Clocks’ (1999) by Konstantin Grcic in Reuters Square are based on Swiss Railway clocks.


The underside of Heron Quays DLR station.


The 180 meter long South Quay Pedestrian Footbridge, spanning the south dock, can pivot on the central point to allow boat traffic through.


Sony a6500 APS-C Camera + Sony FE 24-70mm f4 ZA OSS Vario-Tessar Carl Zeiss T* Lens

Brian

[gyvespa]

Went there a year or two back to see the Tall Ships.
An impressive and slightly surreal place.

The Docklands Light Railway is a bit of a thrill ride if you’ve never done it before :-)

I can also recommend the Cable Car and the Shard for odd experiences (especially if you’re not a fan of heights).
Go on, do it.

[Pen Pusher]

Been quite a few times to the viewing gallery but spent the night in the Shangri-La Hotel in the Shard on my 60th Birthday. Not traveled on the DLR before and the cable car is on my to-do list. I believe they slow it down after dark so you get a longer 'flight' as they call it.

Brian

[Hunter49]

Great pic,s as allways! ROB