Here in London

At the beginning of the year, in the month of January, the city of London was like a giant Ice Rink. Drivers, cyclist and pedestrians were sliding along to work unintentionally. What was more shocking to discover, is that though their were weather warning before hand, many councils in and around London didn’t prepare the ground with salt the night before the  big freeze. Many complaint about the slow approach on the health and safety issue that would occur prior to the weather warning and asked why other countries are always prepare for such icy conditions and how comes the UK, who are suppose to be one of the big leaders in the world, didn’t do much to protect the everyday citizens. This could be because of the financial crisis that the country is in. For example, the reason why there are cuts in the public sector, NHS cuts, employment cuts, no work for the jobless, higher utility bills during the cold snap, and the banking crisis where some are thinking of taking their business elsewhere. However, a large number of people took time of work and some schools were closed. So many kids took advantage of the icy road by having fun sledding through the streets of London and other affected cities.

One of the most legendary fights in animal history was featured on the roof of a building. Yes that’s right, it was ’Cat VS. Raven’. A very rear event to catch on video, but a camera was rolling to catch every scratch ‘n’ peck in this classic bout. Recording the action from such a distance and height, it would have been impossible to separate them, not to mention dangerous. Zooming in was the only way to get close up shots of the two noisy creatures. I believe the Raven was protection its nest and the cat was getting too close. 

Usually, the road in this video is often alive with people and a fair bit of traffic, but on this night, it was unusually empty and quiet. Nobody was around, not even a car was drive by. A very eerie feeling was in the air. As if you were the last person on the planet. Ordinary looking building that you wouldn’t normally pay much attention to, had a creepy look to them like something out of a horror movie. This was a moment that needed to be filmed because the chances of seeing this particular road empty again in the way that it was, were very slim.

The cycle super highway was an idea that was brought in by the mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Part of the idea was to give cyclists a little more road and freedom to ride on. The other part of the idea was to let cyclists ride on the same lane as buses. One cannot help but noticed that there seems to be a great deal of struggling for position on the roads. Drivers have complained that cyclists constantly jump traffic lights and are more likely to cause accidents than anyone else on the road. Cyclists on the other hand have complained that drivers, especially white van drivers keep cutting them up when making a turn. However, what has been noticeable on the streets is that pedestrians seem to be more cautious of cyclists nowadays than motorists. Though clearly a car can cause more injury than a bicycle, more and more conversation have been held regarding the concerns pedestrians have about cyclists when crossing the traffic lights. Many claim to have had a close shave with cyclists who have jumped the lights. The cycle super highway has serious mixed reviews.

The summer weather has been to a degree, non-existent. And as soon as it came, it went. What was surprising is how quickly autumn started. In fact, it was as if the weather by-passed autumn and went straight into winter. Heavy winds and plenty of rain was on the changing conditions agenda. Many parts of Britain have been battered with hurricane-like winds. There has even been talk of snow before Christmas. That hasn’t happened as of yet , but it’s better to be prepared than to be caught unaware. It seems that just as the same way the year begun, so does it end.