London, the big romantic

Surely not, you might be wondering. Big yes, but romantic?

However London was recently voted (in one of those sponsored infotainment online quizzes) the most romantic destination in the UK. It's also bigger than its ever been, surging past the previous peak in 1939 of 8.6 million to hit a record population and growing strong.

I was going through my top hundredish photos from last year and it was noticeable how many of them either were of the Thames or of buildings on its banks. A large factor of that was due to sickness restricting travel but it did show how photogenic this much visited city is.

The Thames, whether glittering in the sun or a flow of grey, winds its way from west to east, delighting with its reflections (above).

Here the wake of a passing RIB disturbs the reflection of a crane, building yet more homes for some of the millions more predicted to move here.

Happy Valentines Day, London.