London street scenes – tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, Nov 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Here’s a selection of street shots taken around central London late yesterday afternoon. For those who like to know these kind of things, the photos were taken with a three year old Olympus OM-D EM-5 camera with a 17mm f1.8 lens in aperture priority mode.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

I’ve always been a big supporter of the Photographers’ Gallery, but I’ve not a big fan of their new, multi-level premises in Ramillies Street, near Oxford Circus.

Originally set across two buildings in Great Newport Street, the gallery moved in 2008, and immediately lost a lot of its appeal when the long-serving Billy and his popular cafe staff were unceremoniously hoiked out of the building and replaced by something far more corporate.

My heart sank a little further yesterday when I realised that they’ve now introduced a compulsory £3 admission charge after noon every day.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

At least the downstairs bookstore is still free, and there’s usually an interesting small exhibition going on in the print room.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Broken sign.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

A short walk away from the Photographers’ Gallery at 46 Eastcastle Street, W1W 8DX, is the rather splendid Getty Gallery which is always worth a visit. As ever, there was some great work on show

Running till 28th Nov is the Renaissance Photography Prize 2015.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Christmas is coming soon, so it must be time to stock up on the Party Shirts.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Understated decorations on Oxford Street, thankfully free from the awful corporate branding seen three years ago.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Air con units.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Ramillies Street.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Oxford Street is stuffed full of vendors selling tourist tack. This football themed one has been here for years.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Crossrail work.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London t-shirts galore.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Buying London souvenirs.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Street cleaner revs up his space-age steed.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

British Museum at night.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

I was delighted to see this horse drawn bus slowly making progress on Shaftesbury Avenue.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Shiny glass and steel at the overwhelmingly soulless Central Saint Giles Piazza.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Smiley face on phone box, St Giles High Street.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

The musicians’ Mecca of instrument shops, Denmark Street (aka Tin Pan Alley), still lives on although under increasing pressure from developers. Tragically, the life was crushed out of the wonderful 12 Bar last year.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Drum stores replaced by heritage tomatoes.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Crossing Oxford Street.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Evening Standard and umbrella, Tottenham Court Road.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

A Christmas tree. Already. In the middle of November. Just wrong.

London street scenes - tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, November 2015

Phone repairers’ booth.

More London photo scenes here.

One Comment on “London street scenes – tourist tack, horse-drawn bus, photo exhibitions and the first Christmas tree, Nov 2015”

  1. The 12 Bar will forever be immortalised in the Cormoran Strike novels (Strike’s fictional office is two floors above the 12 Bar). Probably the fourth or fifth novel will mention it closing.

    As for Christmas, I for one will start observing it this year on the proper date — 29 November, Advent Sunday. (To me, Christmas starts on Advent Sunday or 1 December, whichever is earlier.)

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