travel – Page 3

B264 – UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY

December 24, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Well… where to start. I just wrote a whole post and then pressed delete by accident, well done josh.

I’m writing this post as I navigate my way around London with a million bags and just try to get to my cousins in one piece. I don’t really know how to write this post, but I suppose I’ve just got to give it ago and see where we end up.

Yesterday I had a Christmas meal in Norfolk with all of Amy’s family and friends, as per usual they put out an absolute spread and a good amount of cheese, but by that time I’d had a few beers so forgot to take any photos, but I did get one of the pre dinner snacks. I don’t think I embarrassed myself at all last night and pretty sure I was sensible, so that’s also a pulse.

As I said I’m now on the train to My cousins on the other side of London, I’m a place called Petts wood to see my family. It’ll be good to see everyone, Christmas is a good time of year to catch up with people you haven’t seen in ages so that’s what I’m most looking forward to and also giving flo all the presents I got her.

I’m also going to a pub tonight with my mates, so I’ll try and take some photos of that but I’m not sure if they’ll be any good.

also for some reason WordPress won’t let me add captions to these photos. So the top one is from a dog walk yesterday afternoon along the beach park cliff bit.

2nd picture is of the pre dinner snacks, Christmas food is the best food.

3rd photo is from a quick pub drink we had after the dog walk. I love country pubs.

And also I want to say thanks to Amy Family and co. It was a really good food and an pretty fun evening.

B263 – SHE DOESN’T WALK… SHE RUNS!

December 23, 2017December 22, 2017 joshfspear3 Comments

Christmas has kind of officially started I think, for some reason today was just about ticking jobs off my todo list from having to wait nearly two hours to get my hair cut, no joke I was there 10 minutes before my barbers had opened and already it was a two hour queue, how is that even possible?

After getting my hair cut it was time to take a trip over to the city to see my favourite little human, she comes in the form of a 4 year old who literally cannot walk like a normal person, she’s either running, skipping or up to no good. Her name is Flo and she’s my niece. I tried to get a good photo of her but the best I could get was of her running towards another shop looking for a place to hide or climb. but she’s family so i suppose I’ve just got to love her.

anyway enough of the ranting I’m now sat on my sofa, beer in hand watching movies and basically being a slob.with all my christmas shopping done and wrapped I can safely say that I am off to a flying start. tomorrow I take the on the mission of getting to Norfolk with all the train cancellations and bus replacements. I’m sure it wont be too difficult, my question is just about how good this whole bus replacement service is going to be but I suppose Ill just have to take what Im given. so as the french would say “C’Est la Vie”

My thinking for todays photos was not three photos from my running around and then sitting on the sofa being a slob but to use one from the day and then show you some more photos from my trip over to the Barbican. I was thinking about this earlier and I take quite a few photos when I go to those types of places and it silly not to show you more photos from my trips.

so please see below my photos from the other day and also a photo from today!

Merry Christmas to all of you.

B261-1-6 — – you see that little platform in the middle of the river, I really want to try and get a photo from on that, its not as easy as you may think from this photo –

B261-1-9 — – this place is just cool to walk around –

B257 – THEY ARE BACK

December 17, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Firstly I want to apologise for this post being late, I was trying to put it up earlier but after last night my brain just could focus and the laptop screen was hurting my eyes. I don’t think its got anything todo with the amount of beer I drank or even the because of the time we started drinking, I think its because I was up early and in the shops. Any other time and i would probably had said we started to early but our friends of Switerzland have come over so we had a mini party. so I don’t really remember much of the afternoon or evening. but what I can say is that we are having a proper Sunday evening now and you can read about it tomorrow.

We have a few plans this evening and thankfully none of those involve alcohol which is definitely a positive, im also not scared to brave the weather and travel because Im now in the doc martin boot gang and I cant wait to put them through their paces and see what these babies can do. I love buying products like doc martins because its fun to see what you can actually do with them before they break. I think I’ve got a few years in them yet before I need to replace them.

today might seem likes a bit thin on then writing and but its days like these where posting every day for 365 is hard but I need power through. Ill try and make some cool posts this week, I really want todo more portrait photography so I might try and find a model or someone to practise on and see if I can take a decent photo.

Anyway heres my photos and enjoy your Sunday. Also can people please read my post from yesterday and let me know what you think and if its actually any good? I really want to write more music reviews but not really sure if its helpful.

B257-1-2 — – Welcome back to london Pauline and gigi –

B253 – MUSIC NOT FOR RENTAL !

December 13, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Yesterday I watched an interview with Noel Gallagher, where he talked about streaming music and how now days music is for rental, where as music should be for sale. a Transaction between the artist and fan willing to part with money to buy the music and art that comes on the front cover, its a way of telling the real fans from the one time listeners. and I kind of agree with that, but I do have a Spotify account and I do use it daily, who doesn’t?

With my project I’m currently doing focusing on London’s music scene it would be wrong of me not to explore the world of record shops and the passion that goes into them, in todays market owning a record store is like putting two figures up to the internet and counting on those passionate music fans who will trek out to you store during a cold winters night to buy a record or CD, when they could just as easy stream it on Spotify then go an buy it off the Amazon App and have it at their house the next day.

But once you step into the a record store like the one I went to yesterday you soon realise why people do it, its an experience. your welcomed by thousands of actual objects all of which have a story, most have bumps of signs of wear but that just adds to the fact your standing in a musical archive flicking through all those years and years of history and culture. its this weird thing that makes you feel closer to the artist or band, your now physically scrolling through their work, trying to find that gem that no ones else has found yet, and not only are you not sure if its worth it but you cant listen to it till you get home.

My trip yesterday took me to Music and video exchange in Notting Hill, just by the Russian embassy, I wanted to go to some where out of central London, where the shop has no choice but to let the music do the talking. my first thoughts where to head into Soho or even Brick Lane but they would of been busy with people and most are pretty new shops, where as this one in Notting Hill is like stepping into a time portal and heading back 50 years.

If you have a chance go to your local Record store and just say Hi and listen to some music, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it and might even find something you weren’t expecting. I ended up buying a CD by The Manic Street Preachers and as I write this I’m listening to it, and trust me its a whole different way to experience music, before it was an automatic thing, just stream it on my phone and listen to hours of music going in one ear and out the other. Now its a physical thing and its something that has much more of an impact. Oh and I literally paid £1 for it! you cant even get a bottle of water at the shop next door for that!!!!!!

Heres my photos from inside the store, I hope you like them.

B253-1-3 — – this is Neil, he works in the store and is the vintage version of Google. he is your answer to any music related question –

B253-1-2 — – trying to find a gem inbetween all of this, its all about investing time to get the result you want –

B253-1-4 — – most people would walk past this store, but make the trip inside –

B252 – BANG BANG CHICKEN

December 12, 2017 joshfspear5 Comments

8am Monday Morning. temperature, 5 degrees. weather, rain / snow. What better way to start the day?

Thats literally what I said to myself as I walked out my front door and headed to Camden yesterday for a meeting, its hard to find a positive about the weather yesterday when the snow didn’t even set but I do quite like the rain in London, especially when I have my camera mainly because taking photos of people when its raining becomes so much better, everyone literally walks around like the are allergic to water and that makes for some cool photos. Don’t get me wrong I love to sun and the summer and would much rather be taking photos from a beach in the Mediterranean but that wasn’t an option yesterday.

After my meeting I decided to take a long walk back to the train station and grab some photos of the area, Camden is this cool part of London, which kind of feels like its separated from the rest this city and made its own set of rules and its own way of life. its kind of where punk rock has decided to plot up and fight the likes of TopShop and River Island and to some miracle punk rock seems to have won.

Josh’s Top Tip: If you ever find yourself in Camden that chances are your going to want to eat some food, now what most people would do is end up at the world food market and grab some sort of pizza of Naples or maybe a burrito for Korea but what I think is by fast the best option is to head down to the original camden market and pick up some of that Bang Bang Chicken, the food isn’t really fried chicken that you might get at KFC its more Chinese but possible the best Chinese you can get hold of. that stuff is completely out of this world and the guy who sells it might even sing you the Bang Bang chicken song. Trust me, there is a song.

B252-1-3 — – on the bus toward to Camden –

B252-1-2 — – Camden Market, the home of Bang Bang Chicken –

B252-1-5 — – the snow yesterday unfortunately it didn’t settle –

B249 – AN UPSIDE DOWN TEMPLE TO A COIN LAUNDRY

December 9, 2017December 9, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

From North Carolina to Shanghai, every build is different, foundations change, tactics differ and people’s ideas get thrown around. If you stand on the street in North Carolina, not in the city of Raighley, but on the outskirts in the suburbs. Things you take for granted like shops and restaurants are built quick and for maximum capacity’s. They are basically practical places to get done what you need to get done, they do what they say on the title. No messing about.
If you travel to some where like Kensington in London, that little part of the UK where a flat will set you back £1M or will all of a sudden be standing in a building that’s meant to not only stand the test of time but built to look like something from Mary poppins. Red brick the works.
Then you travel 12,000 miles to China and end up in Shanghai and all of a sudden you starring up at an upside town temple that looks like it’s been carefully put together out of 100 meter look match sticks. It’s literally like something that a baddest budist has dreamt up.

What I like about that all these buildings is that they all serve the same purpose really and that’s for people to use to eat a task done. It doesn’t matter if that task is to pray, live in or some where to wash there clothes. A lot of the time, I’ll just get from city to city and not really look up, even in London a place I’ve lived my whole life, I just walk around and don’t really take it all in. but if you actually just stop for a second and look around, everything is actually pretty cool in its own weird way.

Here are some photos that I’ve taken from the places I’m talking about. It’s a bit of a rushed post today, but we all have days like this right?

– the Mary poppins buildings around Kensington, London –

– a coin laundry by the side of a road somewhere in North Carolina –

B243 – IM BASICALLY A CHEF

December 3, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Yesterday Amy and me had the family come round for some food and for a little catch up, I haven’t really seen any of them since my birthday which was like two months ago, so it was good to see them all, even Esme.
It wasn’t all straight forward, amy and me had a lot of pressure planning today, from what everyone was going to eat ( I cooked a banging curry) to the most important thing the orange cushion that WE (Amy) had to get.

Yesterday was the first time we played host to my family and I think I was a success, apart from being a bit short of cutlery and plates but who’s counting anyway.

I’ve normally always been the guy sat in the sofa drinking beers and watching TV so never really worried about what’s going on in the kitchen, I’ve just worried about what time it’s been served. My hat goes off to anyone that’s ever cooked a large meal I’ve eaten, it’s 100% pure stress.

The cooking isn’t the stressful part, it’s the washing up that’s the stinger, you fill your face and then all of a sudden you’ve got a million plates and hundreds of glasses to wash up, and I don’t even have a dish washer, proper 1950s stuff.

Anyway, it’s now 5am on Sunday and I’m up and out the door off to work, so I’m going to keep this one short and sweet. Here’s some shots from yesterday.

– I know it’s weird for dogs to wear clothes but I think Mooney pulls it off –

– mum and flo haven’t a moment, or in reality. Mum trying to get flo to sit still –

– she was scared to the Xmas tree pines –

B235 – 5000 CALORIES IN ONE NIGHT

November 25, 2017November 25, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Yesterday was the first time in ages that ive had “that friday feeling” and today being saturday morning I have that “horrible hangover feeling” but I cant stop and moan I have a proper ikea mission first.

Any way back to yesterday, it was a bit of a gamble to be honest, I had been stuck at my kitchen table all day working on my laptop, just getting stuff done, even though its a day not at work I try to treat everyday like a work day, other wise ill spend the time watching a Netflix series or something which is never good. my aim is to always be out of bed by 9am and always do something productive and yesterday was no exception apart from the afternoon bath, which by the way was amazing.

It got to around 4 / 5pm and I started to think about my plans for that evening, there was talk for Winter wonderland in hyde park, I was adamant that its still to early to celebrate Christmas so it was a No from me, I would just meet charlotte and stay in East London.

After a few beers and a few more phone calls, we are all on our way to Winter wonderland, who would of guessed! and what a great decision that was, I hadn’t seen a lot of the people there in ages and im not really sure what happened after the first hour or so it gets abit blurry. I do know how ever I eat way to much food, 1 hot dog, 1 Calzone Pizza and a Mcdonalds and some Pasta. What was I thinking, this morning I feel like ive put on about 2 stone and eat like 5000 calories in the space of 4 hours.

anyway here are my photos from last night.

B235-1-4 — – I think Aaron was happy to see me –

B235-1-3 — – just dave drinking from a bird bowl or maybe a water tap, im just not too sure –

B235-1 — – this is the perfect meeting place for anyone at Winter wonderland –

B233 – BACK TO LONDON LIV’N

November 23, 2017November 23, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

I have literally just slept for like 12 hours, i cant remeber the last time I spelt for that long and now I feel amazing. Im pretty sure Ive beaten jet lag and now back to normal. my plan for today was to spent the day sleeping on the sofa watching netflix but after a quick phone call with my mate anders im on my way to south london to go rock climbing at some place called the Arches. what happening to just chilling on the sofa.

Its been a bit of a productive day, I also put some blinds up in my living room this morning, but ill show you those tomorrow. I need to get hold of some velcro to finish them off, im not about to show pictures of half a job!

it feels good to be back in London and Im now motivated to get on with what I started 233 days ago! since I’ve been doing a lot of travel recently Ive had time to think of some cool projects I want to start, so I’m now going to spend the next few days seeing if I can put them into practise. work has started to slow down for christmas so Ive now got quite a lot of time on my hands, which is actually quite exciting. I really want to get a lot done in the flat and get it up to a level Im proud of.

Ive had a week of not being able to post and now Im finally back on track and ready to pull my canon 5d out and take some cool photos but first I have 4 episodes of the new Peaky blinders to catch up on, I didnt even realised that it had started again!

here are some photos from yesterday and also a shot from the Grand Hyatt hotel reception, Im struggling to get over this view.

B233-1 — – climbing yesterday, I think I could have a new hobby –

B233-1 copy — – welcome back to london, the best city in the world –

B232 – GOOD BYE SHANG HAI!

November 23, 2017November 23, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Today I leave shang hai and head back to london, im looking forward to getting home and looking back at all these photos Ive taken and getting the posts online, I hope you all are still reading these and wont abandon me.

this place is pretty cool and completely different to anywhere Ive been before, its a completely new culture that ive kind of seen, I wish I had more time to see this city. im now on the coach to the airport and looking out the window at the Bullet train tracks. the bullet train is chinas answer to high speed rail way travel. this thing goes like like 200 mph and travels along these futuristic train tracks which use like 1 mile long bends. its literally a thing of the future, I love the idea of the future and people creating inventions to make life easier and more exciting. the next few years I genuinely think china will over take the west and lead the technology race, if you have over 6 billion people in one country how can they not.

this country is a place I still cant work out if I would like to come back and visit on holiday or if I would only come here for work, I just cant decide. china is a massive place and I like to think ill be back to explore but truthfully Im just not sure. I think ill only know a few weeks down the line when I think back to what its been like and what Ive experienced. right now im pretty hungover from an amazing wrap party 87 stories up at the top of the hotel and all I want todo is eat a mcdonalds and fall asleep on the plane home.

for now heres some photos from my past week in this amazing city!