Peabody Pigeons

Walking home through Clerkenwell, past my nearby Peabody Estate buildings. First the bright red flowers on the window cill caught my eye, perhaps because the sun was shining so strongly on them, up high above the late afternoon shadow. Then I saw the pigeon foursome perched up there and that just made the picture for me. As I found myself thinking (as I often do), "if only I had a camera right now", I suddenly remembered that I actually was carrying one by chance. Fabulous. *Click, click, click*

And while I'm here, I'll just stop for a moment and appreciate the institution of the Peabody Estate or, more specifically, its certain architectural style. There's just something I love about "functional", pared back Victorian architecture. In full swing, we all know Victoriana can be just a little overwhelming but when it's toned down for, in this case, housing estates or, as another example, industrial buildings, it just lifts an otherwise simple building out of dull depths and makes it something that enhances the landscape. And why not? After all, there's really no excuse for offensive, unconsidered and downright unattractive buildings. Simple fact is, if something's built, it's going to become part of the environment, seen by all who pass, so why not make it something to lift the spirits, just by taking a little care? No need for extra expense and over-elaboration - just two colours of bricks, as witnessed here, can be used to great effect.