black and white photography by rob gardiner.

In the background a billboard advertises regentstreetonline.com. It was news to me that “the famous curve of Regent Street, between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, is wholly owned by one organisation, The Crown Estate.” Their slogan is “Regent Street - Where Time is Always Well Spent”. Nothing subliminal in that slogan of course. They are currently holding a competition, “Could you be the face of Regent Street?”

I walked past this gent and suddenly it all seemed to click into place. Time is always well spent on Regent Street, and could this man be the face of Regent Street?

Trafalgar square has a plinth in each of its four corners, intended to hold statues. But during construction almost 200 years ago, money ran out and the so-called ‘4th plinth’ has remained empty for more than 160 years. London has a strange obsession with this, visit fourthplinth.co.uk to see just how seriously Londoners take it. Finally, after decades of debate, it is going to be finished. The statue? An 8 month pregnant woman with no arms, Alison Lapper.