Signs of the Times

When I take little walks around London,  I like to snap things on walls  - posters, notices, adverts.   Thought you might like to see some of what I've seen lately.  

I happened to get off the train at South Croydon, a small old fashioned station.  In the old fashioned waiting room I saw this old fashioned poster. I suppose it's a reproduction or perhaps it's a new piece of art work. I wonder.  Anyway, I thought it was rather clever. Except when I got far enough away to see the picture, I was too far to see the writing. Oh well. 

 A set of brilliantly coloured, lively murals celebrating the Notting Hill Carnival by Fiona Hawthorne, who is described as "Barack Obama's Portraitist".  Her picture of him apparently hangs in the Library of Congress (I haven't seen it).  But she has lived for many years in Notting Hill, the area of London made famous by "Four Weddings and A Funeral".  And she has created these huge murals on a long stretch of wall. They're almost life sized. and even though I'm an old grouch who doesn't like carnivals, I did love these. 

I liked this poster at the entrance to some beautiful gardens on Hampstead Heath. I'm hoping to write about them soon, as they're very interesting. Nothing like softening an order with a smile, is there?

I saw no dogs in the gardens, so I think the notice must have worked.   This bossy poster, by contrast,  has been comprehensively ignored.  

I loved this shot.  It shows some 1950s posters which have survived in a garage in Soho. I thought the girl suited them very well, somehow. 

And finally, here is a sign from Athens, with an unofficial addition.   A donkey lane.  I like the idea!.

PS and talking of animals I'm waiting another few days to see if anyone else wants to go into the draw for the dog book in my last post. Not that I mind if you don't - it's not my book - but it is actually quite a nice one! :)