London Marathon 2005

© Andrew Or

On Sunday Paula Radcliffe won the Women’s race in the 25th London Marathon in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 42 seconds which is also the third fastest marathon time for a woman in any race.

This photo of Paula was taken on Birdcage walk a few seconds before she won the race and she came really close to the barriers as she followed the corner of the bend. She was so close in fact she must have been no more than an arm's length from me hence the interesting angle of the shot.

In addition to the elite men and women and wheelchair races over 35,000 runners took part in the marathon watched by millions all over the world.

Earth from the Air

© Andrew Or

A passer by admires one of the many giant photographs displayed in the "Earth from the Air" outdoor exhibition at "The Scoop" in More London Riverside which has been transformed into an an amazing outdoor gallery.

I discovered this exhibition by chance when walking home from London Bridge today. The photographs are by photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The exhibition is open 24 hours a day and will be on display at "The Scoop" until September.

© Andrew Or

The pictures depict everything from human settlements to breathtaking geographical landscapes such as deserts and volcanoes, all taken from a helicopter.

If you are in London this summer then I highly recommend this free exhibition. For details of how to get there, click here.

The official Earth from the Air website is http://www.earthfromtheair.com

St Mary le Strand

© Andrew Or

The baroque St. Mary le Strand was built in the 18th century (1714-17) and designed by James Gibbs. Today it sits in the middle of a traffic island in the Strand which is one of London's busiest routes from the City to the west end of London.

According to the church registers, Charles Dickens' parents were married here on June 13, 1809.