The Lock of Love

The Hohenzollenbrucke in Cologne, Germany is a rail and pedestrian bridge that crosses the River Rhine, linking Koln Hauptbahnhof with Koln Messe/ Deutz. Not a location normally associated with gestures of love, but since 2008 the bridge has been the site and sight of an unusual romantic phenomenon.


Lovers, young and old, have been attaching padlocks to the bridge and casting the keys in to the river symbolising their unbreakable love.


And the number of padlocks on the bridge has grown and grown...


The tradition of Love Padlocks is thought to originate from China, where lovers would secure locks to the Great Wall of China in the hope that their love would last as long as the Wall stands.The locks are now prevalent around Eastern Europe and their popularity is increasing.

(All photos by 'Roo Paprika', September 2010)

The owners of the Hohenzollenbrucke, Deutsche Bahn, threatened to have the locks removed from the bridge, but have now relented in the face of public opposistion.

What do you think of the locks? Romantic gestures, street art or acts of vandalism?

Born to Kiln

Whilst out exploring Greenwich at the weekend, we came across this unusual piece of street art set in to a pothole on the Thames path.

I love innovative street art, I love the personalisation of place. Stuff like tagging personally leaves me cold, but stuff like this I find really exciting and inspiring.

Armed with Google, I found that it is one of a series and that the person who makes them calls themselves 'Born to Kiln'. There is an interview here on the Creative Nonconformity blog

and Born to Kiln's own Flickr feed can be found here

Sunday wanderings...

A beautiful spring day led me to a pre-match mooch towards Brick Lane in search for salt beef beigels and bits of crafty/ arty inspiration at the Sunday markets.



Friends tell me the quality of the markets has deteriorated over the recent years, I was a little disappointed with the rows of identikit stalls and over-priced second hand clothes, but there were still some pockets of ideas



With a overwhelming love of Americiana my eye was drawn to these fine figures of men, on a cushion cover made from reclaimed materials.




I was also intrigued by this bit of graffiti I spotted in several locations, what is the significance of the enlightened cyclist?