News Blaze: You’ve Heard of Pickpockets, Putpockets Slip Money Into Unsuspecting Pockets

The only downside I see is that the people who are being rewarded with free cash are the ones most likely to have it removed by actual pick pockets shortly after.

An excellent example of how mapping and other media can be combined in a very usable way.

Today I found a new site thanks to Read/WriteWeb which offers a different apporach to city guides. The IFeel series lets you browse maps of London, New York and Toronto finding things to do and places to go depending on how you few. Choose your mood from energetic, chilled, manly, sophisticated, romantic, naughty, manly and broke. The site is invite only so far but has some good potential to find hidden gems and personal favourites you may have missed around you.

Enjoy: ifeellondon.com, ifeelnyc.com and www.ifeeltoronto.com

In summary he explains why there are cattle grids on sections of the North Circular, something which confuses friends of mine who visit from greener areas as the last thing they’d expect to find on Londons original orbital road. As I grew up in the area I thought that all major roads had cattle grids on and they had something to do with their importance. It’s funny the assumptions you make as a child.

It started in London last wednesday and reached it’s peak in Brussels at the weekend. I’m enjoying being engaged a lot.

Now there’s the little matter of planning a wedding.

So here’s my Ten places to wonder about, taking photos. I couldn’t put them in an order.

- The City – It may be my favourite but I don’t go there often enough. I love the mix of old and new.

- Borough Market/London Bridge – The market is great for photos of people and the stalls. So much is on sale here by such a mix of people you can wonder around for hours.

- Southbank/Bankside – The Thames is one of the thing I love most about London, and apart from the parks one of the few places where there’s open space. There’s a great mix of architecture along bankside and it offers some great views of the city, St Pau’ls Cathedral and other landmarks.

- Embankment – Opposite Southbank, again there’s some great views east towards the City and west to Parliament, as well as the Millennium Wheel.

- Shoreditch – A great place for graffiti and posters, run down buildings and trendy bars. You can walk around the streets many times but something different will always catch your eye.

- Farringdon/Clerkenwell – Along with Shoreditch this is creative central with media and design firms around every corner. Some great architecture too such as Farringdon Viaduct and Smithfields Market.

- Covent Garden – Great for people watching. The performers and entertainers as well as the crowds of tourists watching them. You need to keep an eye on your gear though, pickpockets are everywhere in the west end.

- Trafalgar Square – Another great place for people watching. The buildings on the boundaries are all superb and with the mix of statues and the tourists there’s always a good shot to be had.

- Southwark – Particularly around the railway arches running into London Bridge. Some great little lanes, archways and old buildings with faded signs

- Waltham Forest – My part of London. So much going on – Walthamstow Market, Walthamstow Village, Leytonstone’s Hollow Ponds and the edge of Epping Forest – Something for everyone.

It’s such a big city though this is just areas I know, feel free to add your in the comments. Where should I go next time I fancy somewhere new?

It turns out the London Transport Museum has a very impressive library of books on everything tube and train related, and it doesn’t stop there, they have a decent sized display devoted to DVDs. What particularly caught my eye was the series of “Driver eye view” films for each of the tube lines, with a running commentary of dark tunnel followed by dark tunnel of tube track. Now that is a niche market, and they’re got it fully covered. Don’t tell Gorden Brown though or he’ll ban them for being a terrorist threat.

On my way to Covent Garden I also noticed a very nice looking whisky shop which I had a quick look in on. Whisky was stacked floor to ceiling and it reminded me of a cachaca shop in Paraty ‘d been to. In a complete coincidence the London Daily Photo site features the same whisky shop in today’s photo. Which is nice.

A recent post by a Canadian called Adrienne about the tube is an excellent example of this as she talks about standing on the right on escalators. It’s something which never crosses my mind as I naturally slip in to standing position or march past the other commuters. Good to hear we do some things right here.

More at: old.tomsteel.co.uk/photos/0612-darklondon/

More at: old.tomsteel.co.uk/photos/0611-mayorsfireworks/