Central London...really!

This must be one of London’s little-known retreats…well, it was unknown to me before today.  The building in the background is The Natural History Museum and this photo is taken from their Wildlife Garden.  The museum has created a number of UK lowland habitats in this small garden, including wetlands, a meadow, bog garden, and woodland.  The trees were breaking into bud and there were primroses, celandines and bluebells coming into flower, if you could shut your ears to the constant traffic roaring past it really was a lovely haven away from the concrete and buildings.
 
B and I joined M and D on a trip to the museum to see the always excellent ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ exhibition.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the grounds of the museum near the wildlife garden occupying a wooden bench and enjoying the suddenly mild temperatures and blue sky.  Then we were enthralled while we looked around the exhibition, especially when I found myself admiring a wonderful image and then read that the photographer was only aged between 11 to 15 years old!
 
This exhibition always has a category about man’s influence on our wildlife (usually to its detriment) and the photo this year that really affected me was of a tiny seahorse.  Apparently, they often cling to seaweed or other structures in the ocean to rest from the currents and to anchor themselves.  This particular photo ably demonstrated the topical subject of plastics and rubbish dumped at sea.
The seahorse was clinging to a used cotton bud!  Such a simple picture, but so powerful.  Goodness knows if it’s too late to clean up our oceans, but I sincerely hope that we can.
 
It was a fabulous day with our friends and so great to spend time with them and have a catch-up, thank you ladies for a wonderful day…even the sun shined for us!
 
The extra is a pretty, translucent dragonfly panel on the gate to the Wildlife Garden (excuse the unintended selfie!).  If you go the Natural History Museum on a sunny day, then do take a look at the garden.