Bridge of reflection

On the way to a rare brunch in the rare September sunshine with a very longstanding colleague and special friend, a partial image of Tower Bridge.

We talk of water passing under the bridge. For me, Tower Bridge is my personal London landmark. I work within sight of it, and frequently drive over it. It is the last downstream crossing of the River Thames above the water that is within Greater London. Onward lies the sea.

As well as it being a geographical link, it marks a personal boundary between the East End and East London that I grew up in and the rest of the capital with all its possibilities for progression and, at times, heartbreak.

It is a place for reflection and catching up amid the daily busyness; a place to remember what has passed, sometimes gratefully, sometimes ruefully; a place to look forward with hope to what is to come.