Ciao Ciao, Europe

Today, January 31 2020, is Brexit day. At 11pm tonight the UK will leave the European Union. Like with all goodbyes to relationships that have meant something to me, I feel sad. I’d like to mark the day with a few thoughts and images. I was thirteen years old when I discovered the BBC drama … Read more

Religious iconography and the everyday in Lecce

Coming from London where religion, when visible, tends to be multi faith, I’m struck by the abundance of Catholic imagery and iconography when visiting Italy, and how this imagery coexists with other signs and visual expression.  As a young teenager I developed a love of art history and associated images of the Madonna as something … Read more

Let it all hang out: observations on washing & identity

I take a lot of pictures of building facades and over the years some of these have been because of the juxtaposition of the architecture with the personal  artefacts displayed. On a recent trip to Venice my eye was drawn to what seemed a quite surreal combination of an old weather-beaten apartment and professional, ultra-modern … Read more

Smoking in Japan

Unlike in Britain and the USA, smoking is still permitted in bars, hotels and restaurants in Japan. However, things are beginning to change. Here are a couple of images I took in November of designated smoking areas in Shinjuku, Tokyo I liked this bilingual pavement sign seen in the Chuo ward of Tokyo, and found … Read more