hkskyline's LONDON photo thread

[hkskyline]

The V&A East recently opened in Stratford, offering mostly free exhibitions and complementing their storehouse facility, also free to enter, nearby. From the terrace, I got a nice view of the Olympic Park with skyline views in the distance.



































My London photo gallery : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Complementing the Storehouse that opened the previous year, the V&A East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opened in April 2026. It's a small space compared to their main site in South Kensington, with more modern topics such as environmentalism and social justice on display.





































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-vaeast2.htm

[hkskyline]

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the first of its kind Pokemon collaboration with a British museum opened in early 2026. It was impossible to book a ticket to visit the pop-up shop until late April, when the booking system stopped and visitors can enter freely. Perhaps it was because those early visitors got a free trading card for the crossover.





















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-exhibit202605a.htm

[muppet]

TRIGGER WARNING

Let me take this opprtunity to vent, if I may.

I CANNOT begin to tell you what a headache running a Pokemon shop is like, which is a swearword in our office -If I ever see a Pokemon I'll kick it to death, I dont care it's a rare Squeegee Beebee. We did a similar operation back in the day, for another site.

160,000 applications for a ticket on the first day, when far less than that was available. Endless crying sob stories when they couldn't get one, the seven stages of grief manifesting -mentioning disabled kids, dying relatives, expensive flights and hotel rooms booked. To discourage scalpers and ensure fair allocations, Pokemon rules said they needed ID, couldn't book more than once and couldn't change their tickets and times. Cue outrage, manipulation and depression when ticket holders were told they were not getting in. Some incidents where we had to call the police -grown adults screaming on the floor with flailing limbs, their kids watching then being taken away. It was terrifying, compared to the world of calm that shop shows in the pics.

[muppet]

...

Then the palaver that was the online shop when that launched a few weeks later, and the worst company I've ever, ever heard practice in any professional capacity. I wont mention names but it was an American warehousing one, using a den of thieves out in Essex.

16,000 online orders, while they only processed 15-30 a day. It wouldve taken over 3 years to deliver all.


When I play Pokemon Go now, I take a crossbow and aim for between their buggy, soul-less eyes.

[muppet]

Sorry, rant over. Please carry on.

[hkskyline]

It must've been quite insane when that Pokemon shop first opened at the beginning of the year. I could not find availability at all for a ticket for months. I guess the most attractive items have been sold out already so you can walk in freely.

[hkskyline]

The Battersea Power Station has improved its public realm as temperatures creep up. Many people were enjoying the sunshine on the beach chairs facing the river. It does seem quite relaxing and comfortable.

























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[ColDayMan]

I adore the Battersea's transformation. Thanks!

[hkskyline]

Westminster Cathedral was a vision for a new Catholic church. Cardinal Vaughan appointed the "best" Catholic architect in the country for the job, John Bentley. He set off in 1894 on a Grand Tour of Italy to seek inspiration, but Hagia Sophia in Constantinople won him over.

Rising 284 feet, the Campanile has a viewing deck with elevator access so you don't have to walk 300 steps unless there is an emergency. The views are quite nice on all sides even though there are taller, more modern buildings across the street. There are large openings on the metal grills installed so you can poke your phone or camera through for an unobstructed shot. At 10 pounds, the price is reasonable and the vantage point is quite unique.



















































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-westtower.htm

[hkskyline]

Chelsea in Bloom took place between 18-24 May 2026 featuring floral feasts with botanical heritage with the theme "out of this world". Many retailers have decorated their storefronts with dazzling displays of space travel and aliens. Perhaps because I visited on the last day, the displays didn't seem so dazzling compared to last year's edition.













































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-chelsea7.htm

[hkskyline]

Delcy Morelos created this installation made of soil, water, clay, organic plant matter, and fragrant spices in the heart of the Barbican. Inspired by ancestral Andean and Amazonian ideas, it symbolizes the life-sustaining power of soil. This is the material from which everything starts from and ends.





















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-exhibit202605c.htm

[hkskyline]

This exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery combines Jock McFadyen's Tube-themed paintings with field recordings from the Northern and Central lines by Jem Finer so you can see and hear the Tube in an air-conditioned gallery setting.











Continuing on, 2026 is the 250th anniversary of American independence. In several glass cabinets are a few documents and objects on display from the London Archives. These include the parish register where John Quincy Adams married Louisa Johnson in 1797. There is also a silk bookmark cmmemorating Lincoln's assassination.





There are 2 letters from 1775 that acknowledged the City of London's links with America prior to independence. At the time, the City was opposed to British government policy on import taxes in the American colonies for commercial reasons.





More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-exhibit202605b.htm

[hkskyline]

Located in the north eastern suburbs, Walthamstow Market's history goes back to 1885 when the first mention of stalls appeared. Development accelerated during the railway age and by 1871, Walthamstow's population reached about 11,000. Traders congregated around Marsh Street, which was renamed High Street in 1882. Regulations were then put in place to govern the site in the early 1890s after fights broke out over real estate.

























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Located in the eastern suburbs, Barking's River Roding has a number of new residential developments.

Weston Homes is building Abbey Quay, which is named after a monastery whose ruins are now across the street in a large park. The abbey was founded in the 7th century and held great influence in the country, hosting William the Conqueror.

In modern times, the site was a retail park before regeneration. Now, construction continues and over 1000 new residential units are expected in towers up to 29 stories tall. Neighbouring Town Quay was built by the same developer along the riverfront.



































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Mayfair's serene back streets are increasingly seeing change with new construction projects everywhere. I start my walk from the arcades near Fortnum and Mason and made my journey north along New Bond Street, the premier luxury shopping street in the area. No, Oxford Street is for mass retailing. This one is for the truly wealthy folks.







































































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

While I'm not a big fan of shopping at the mass retailers along Oxford Street, the further east I go and as the street changes name to New Oxford Street and High Holborn, the architecture starts to get more interesting.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

I was lucky to score the right window seat flying into Heathrow, with the city emerging right beneath me under sunny skies.







































































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Construction continues in the Nine Elms neighbourhood, which already has a sizeable community of new residential highrises. When the dust settles, expect 20,000 new homes in total. There is plenty of green space within the site and it's also a short walk to the Thames riverfront walking path.





























































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[tdawg]

My husband and I are heading to London this weekend for my first real visit in almost 20 years and this thread has my excitement level through the roof.