This weeks PhotoFriday theme is “Constructed.” Unfortunately, while this picture may look appropriate I should probably tell you that I’m cheating. This image is, in fact, of the demolition, the deconstruction, of a car park near where I live.

It’s dark when I get up in the morning and it’s dark when I leave work in the evening. I’m not a huge fan of this time of year… But, it did mean that I was in central London yesterday for a lovely sunset. Sunset, of course, being the traditional segue into “Evening,” which is this weeks PhotoFriday theme.

For most of the last year I have been in an office with no natural light. Well, I say office. It was really a conference room with a dozen of us crammed in, two to a desk in my case. Cables everywhere; at one point they almost shut the project room down for health and safety violations.

But — getting to the point — a couple of months ago we moved. And not only was there natural light but I got a window seat. And what a view.

I look down right over London Bridge. Shortly after I get to work I see a non-stop mass of people crossing the bridge from the train and tube station. There are a few gaps in this image — taken with my rarely used 300mm lens — which takes away some of the effect. From 8.30 to about 9.00 it would probably have been non-stop (but I had a job to do).

I can also see The Shard.

It’s not to everyone’s taste, but I think it’s a great building. At least from a distance… I’ve not been in it yet.

And, with the Olympics still on, there are still a lot of Union Jacks around, including on the very building that I work in. Luckily, many of the nearby blocks are made of glass and work handily as a mirror.

This was a much easier option that asking security guards to let me in to take a few pictures…

But whatever you think of the view, you have to think that it’s better than what I had before.

I’d walked across this square, in the City of London, for weeks before, one evening, I went past at dusk and saw that the pavement was “Glowing,” which, by strange coincidence, is this weeks PhotoFriday theme.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Near.” I’m entry number 164.

• Vintage 80s: Life on the streets – Images from London in the 1980's.

I’ve missed the New Year celebrations on the 31st December for about fifteen years now so it’s getting beyond the point where you could consider it an accident. Indeed, the cold and the crowds both in Trafalgar Square and afterwards on the Tube don’t exactly encourage me to make an effort. Luckily Chinese New Year is at a more civilised time, is less busy and slightly warmer.

Still, it’s the first time I’ve ever made it!

The crowd was pretty diverse, with people wearing everything from Vans to colourful umbrellas to traditional Chinese outfits. (Well, I think.)

The main stage had a constant flow of dance and music, and between acts these two women provided banter.

Many in the crowds has purchased mini-drums and dragons from the many vendors found a short walk away in Leicester Square. Kids (of all ages) entertained themselves throwing caps to the ground to make them go “bang.”

After soaking in the atmosphere for a while I headed out of Trafalgar Square into Leicester Square and towards China Town. Lanterns were everywhere!

Overall, it was a nice way to spend an otherwise dark and grey February afternoon.

• exactly – "What if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?" Looks like we're not going to find out because of a few hold-outs…
• A Typeface for the Underground – Design and typography on the London Underground. Fascinating stuff.
• Britain to Levy a One-Time Tax on Banker Bonuses – "To a large extent the levy underpins a quite broad understanding here — even among those generally sympathetic to the industry — that bank profits this year were largely subsidized by the government due to historically low interest rates." The best discussion I've seen of today's pre-Budget speech is, bizarrely, in a US paper.

• Mind the staff – A photo of a member of staff at every London Underground station. Neat idea.
• The Pain of Being a Redhead – Green is not the only colour that it's not easy being…
• Government rubbishes ID card hack report – "This story is rubbish." A not very reassuring response to yesterdays story that it was possible to both clone and change the details on the new ID cards.

Swiss Re Building (Gherkin), London

In fact this isn’t the first “Cameraphone Shot” that I’ve entered as an entry to PhotoFriday. This shot isn’t perfect but I think it makes good use of the available light. It kind of goes back to the old adage that the best camera is the one that you have with you. I could have done better with my 50D but that was at home.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “In Shadow.” I’m entry number 210.

Why, you might ask, is a ride on a large ferris wheel called a “Flight“? Your guess is as good as mine but I think it might have something to do with the London Eye’s original sponsor, British Airways. Whatever the reason, I thought this image made a good candidate for this weeks PhotoFriday. It was taken on my second “flight,” the first being a couple of years earlier.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “The Office.” Mine is number 133.