The Mystery of (The Making Of) Edwin Drood

As many people in the UK may have seen, the BBC aired a 2-part made-for-TV movie this week, entitled The Mystery Of Edwin Drood.  This was the last book that ol' Chuck Dickens ever got around to writing, although he couldn't be bothered to finish it (I kid!  I  kid!  He had a stroke and died.)

Anyway, the BBC decided to film the 2-part mini-series in Rochester, as that's where the book was set, and I happened to stumble upon several days of the filming around town.  Although they shot most of the dramatisation in the Cathedral, they also used lots of other locations around town, including Prior's Gate (what you see in the shot above).  The only problem with Prior's Gate?  Well, it doesn't actually have a gate.  Technically, It should be renamed "Prior's Oversized Outdoor Granite Doorway", but I suppose that's another matter.

Anyway, the lack of a gate at Prior's Gate seemed to have posed quite a problem for the BBC team, as it would have rendered a pub and some electric street lamps (as well as cars, motorcycles, me, etc...) visible in the background of many of its shots.  So what to do?  Why, build a plywood gate top, drop some black sheeting, and tie some bushes to a table, of course!  And the effect was magical:



If you look closely you can probably see me wandering around in the background taking photos.

What a Beautiful Day in Rochester

It was such a beautiful day today in Rochester, hardly believable that it's mid-January!  I took the dog on a really long walk around town, and we stopped down at the docks for a bit.  The sun was throwing some long shadows, and the playfulness of the light was palpable.  I'm sure there will be some more photos to follow.

Photo taken January 11th, 2012, in Rochester, Kent, UK.

Rochester Cathedral, take 3

I think that sometimes it helps my creative process to look at familiar places from different angles.  Suddenly, these everyday images look fresh and new and beautiful again, like I've just stumbled upon some special new world.

If you want to try something really interesting, I dare you to turn the picture upside down and see what kinds of new details jump out at you. The brain works in wonderful ways.

This photo was taken at Rochester Cathedral, in Rochester, Kent, UK, in late December 2011.

Another Fabulous Portrait, Brought To You By The V&A

The dreamy eyes say "Yes", while the missing teeth say "Oh dear god, No."  The ancient Burmese had an interesting take on beauty.

Photo taken at the V&A Museum in London in mid-December, 2011.

No, I Will Not Give You Any Context.

But suffice to say, it did have something to do with Christmas festivities in Rochester.  Yeah, I know.

It Takes a Lot of Tubes to Make This Thing Work

What are they all for?  What do they all do? Where do they all go?  Just one of the many mysteries at London's Notting Hill Station.

Now You See It, Now You Don't.

 I was in London a couple days ago with my husband, and at one point we found ourselves at the Notting Hill Gate subway station.  What to do with 5 spare minutes on a subway platform?  Take pictures, of course!

It's hard to glamorize the London underground.  ::sigh::