Making up for lost time

After two days of tube strikes I was keen to make up for lost time, and cross a few streets off the map. Starting off is St. Mary Axe and the Gherkin. The Gherkin is on the site formerly occupied by the Baltic Exchange, which suffered extensive damage from a IRA bomb in 1992. After years of sitting derelict due to planning issues, the site was redeveloped and the Gherkin opened in 2004. I used to work directly opposite, at number 33,  and watched the construction progress; I also remember the whole office vibrating all day long during the excavation of the foundations. Soon to move away from the site, are the three dinosaurs named the "The good, the bad and the ugly" by the Chapman Brothers, one of which is seen below.

On the other side of the Gherkin is Bury Street.

Just off Bury Street is Cunard Place, which is a smallish lane leading to Leadenhall, with not much to photograph. The picture below shows the trading floor of the ACE group, a multi-national insurance group.

There are a few small alleys that link Leadenhall to Fenchurch Street, one of which is Fenchurch Buildings.

At the end of the the alley above, is a tiny passage which leads through to the road below, which is still Fenchurch Buildings.

There is probably more obvious images to take on Fenchurch Street, such as the "Walkie-Talkie" building, but as I came onto Fenchurch Street I was immediately struck by the tree through the arch in the picture below. I tried to get some symmetry in the people walking past, but didn't quite manage it.

The building inside the arch, seen below, is occupied by Lloyd's Register Group.

Next door to No.71 is small alley called St. Katherine's row.

This leads to the strangely named French Ordinary Court, a narrow passageway below the platforms of Fenchurch Street Station which then opens out into a much bigger space (relatively anyway). The name comes from a probably French place of eating and "Ordinary" would have referred to the fact that all the items on the menu would have been the same price.

My final stop on this particular walk was to Fenchurch Place, home to Fenchurch Street Station.

On the way to the tube after work,I managed to get one shot in the pouring rain, on my way to Moorgate; the side of a restaurant on Wilson Street.