"Eternal London haunts us still"

Strolling through Brixton Market, Electric Avenue, London Borough of Lambeth SW2.

I love this place!

First Capital Connect Train pulling into Farringdon Station. City of London EC1.

These trains always look out of place to me alongside all the new ones now. The front also makes me think of a friendly bee off to investigate a lot more than flowers in the backstreets of London on a summers day.

Streetart by WoodStreetWalls Walthamstow, London Borough of Waltham Forest E17.

The people of the Ray Dudley Way Estate weren't consulted about this mural and it's left some of them a bit confused. It was designed by artist Connor Harrington and it reminds me a bit of a similar much older work in Dulwich.

The WoodStreetWalls project aims to brighten up the urban spaces of the borough, and Walthamstow to me is quite alive like this already. Whether its random graffiti or sanctioned art that promotes the working lives of the area past and present.

Violent? Irrelevant? Inspiring? A reminder of London past? What does it mean?

On the London TimeToAct2015 March against climate change and austerity. 40,000 people attended the march today. Londoners and the people of the UK have had enough! This is for her future!

Buddhapadipa Temple - Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton SW19

This beautiful temple is Europe's only Thai temple and since it's inauguration in 1982, it has become one of the continent's most important Buddhist sites. The buildings themselves are striking examples of traditional Thai architecture and many of the contents have been donated directly from Thailand itself.

The Uposatha Hall was actually designed by the then first architect in Thailand Praves Limparangsi. The prime minister also laid the foundation stone. The Hall is a living and working sanctuary for Thai Buddhist monks and still provides for all their needs. Amazing statues and Shrines can be found inside, alongside murals depicting the life of Buddha himself.  .

The peaceful grounds contain an ornamental lake, flower garden and orchard. It is very pleasant to sit outside in Summertime, even without venturing into the temple itself.

The Buddhist centre here continues to be very active, both as a place where many Thai Buddhists come to visit, as well as providing education for the wider London community. You can take part in classes introducing Buddhism, meditation or religious celebrations held throughout the year.

Anyone is welcome to visit throughout the day, but if you want to get the best out of your visit and receive a warm welcome, it is best to contact the temple and book in advance.

Somers Town (Shane Meadows) 2008.

The film that brought Somers Town to the attention of the wider world, although the community has also been the setting for quite a few other stories and dramatisations. Shane Meadows is better known for the much darker 'This is England' but this has me smiling all the way through.

― Marie Brennan, With Fate Conspire

London's Council Estates : West Euston and Somers Town Part 1, London Borough of Camden, NW1.

"It's not easy to raise your children in Somerstown" Some of the older residents of this community may tell you, and they might just be right. Indeed at first glance this place does seem a little grim and it does have a long history of poverty, struggle, resistance and above all resilience. In Victorian London, Somers Town had a reputation for some of the worst slum conditions in London, with large families often cramped together in one tiny room.

However it is exactly this history that makes this tiny district so fascinating to discover. From the mud works which supplied the city, the labouring families that built and worked in Kings Cross and St Pancras Station to the abandoned hospitals and bustling Chalton Street Market, there is a whole world of overlooked secrets to investigate here. I will say more about this in additional posts!

Of course, Somers Town has changed from what it was and since the establishment of the 'right to buy scheme' more professionals have moved here. The many estates do still have their problems and poverty has not yet disappeared.  You can still find whole families who have lived here for generations. There is a lot of cultural diversity and many inspiring projects run by the local people, particularly for the many inner city children that still grow up here. Whilst so many other communities like this in London face an uncertain future, there is no doubt that Somers Town is here to stay.