I SMELL HER LONG BEFORE....

I smell her long before i see her as a trail of her perfume still hangs on the staircase as I start to climb the stairs... the giddy mix of spices engulfs me followed by flashes of seduction which sweeps through me as my senses go into overload. Nearly out of breath, taking two steps at a time, images of her and i fill my head. Images of us; The darkness of her skin clashing with mine, pasty and lilly white; The curve of her neck as she lifts her mouth to kiss me; the tiny silken curls of hair that gently tease me to touch the softness at the her nape of her neck; the urgent desire that suddenly overwhelms us as our mouths meet, wet, warm and exploring. My heart is now racing, thundering in my ears as I reach the door.

Opening the door I hear the sweet murmur of Billie Holiday which whirls around my head pulling me to where she is sitting, Her back to me on the floor bathed in the glow from the mac which sits in her lap. She is lost, not hearing me enter the room. I remove my shoes and put down my bag.

She is sitting cross legged in the semi-darkness of the room, wearing her favourite huge blue faded sweatshirt surrounded by papers and empty cups that litter the thick fur rug. Quietly I kneel down close behind her. Coldness radiates from my body suddenly making her stiffen and wait. I slide my hands down the front of her sweatshirt, absorbing the soft warm contours of her. Her nipples harden almost immediately as our skin touches, my frozen lips on side of her neck, burn. Closing her eyes she leans into me as her breathing quickens. Holding both my hands on her nipples which are now rocks beneath my palms she pulls me gently forward. I am now eager to find her mouth. Our mouths lock, firm and hungry kisses with a knowledge of what is to come..

Arching her back into me, my hands trace the shape of her now rhythmic body, slowly warming to her temperature. Still her nipples remain hard as my fingers brush over them. She reaches up and wraps her arms around my head wanting more of my tongue inside her. I gently reach to lift the sweatshirt over her head, not leaving her mouth until the last possible minute, gasping seeing her naked skin glow in the light of the mac, I throw the sweatshirt over my shoulder and reach for her.

PETRICHOR:the smell of earth after rain

PETRICHOR:the smell of earth after rain.

I feel you first
Behind my ear
Gentle
But there

Second; hesitantly touching my arm
Then more intense
On my shoulder
Back
Eyelashes

Warm
Teasing me
Promises
I don’t see you
Then suddenly you explode
Heavy now on my skin
As you fall
Running down my bare inked arms

Heavy drops landing on my head
Beads of water forming on strands of my hair
Trickling down the nape of my neck
Tracing their way down my back
My skin lovingly embracing you
As you warmly make your mark on me

Summer rain

Elizabeth and her House Of Women... Bethulie, Karoo Southern Africa

Elizabeth 24, single lives in a large house in the heart of Karoo with her family her Mother, Grandmother, Sister and her nieces. She became pregnant while still living at her home with her father, head of a local Tribe in the area. The shame of her pregnancy out of marriage, her father told her to move out. She moved into her Mother's home filled with corgies. I was invited to come and meet the family... a real royal treat. 

Their next door neighbour wanted to be included in the photos, so he was.

ELIZABETH AND HER DAUGHTER.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethulie

Fka Twigs.... nothing can quite prepare you for what is Fka Twigs.

HACKNEY EMPIRE. LONDON.

BALFRON TOWER, Poplar East London

I have been drawn many a time to the overpowering Trellick Tower in Notting Hill so when there was an opportunity to visit sister, Balfron Tower, it was a must. The tour was informative but I just wanted to run off and explore this huge concrete mass. The two tiny lifts designed to fit 'a coffin' in, left you wondering how the hell modern furniture would find their way into the waiting flats, took us to the top floor. (Good thing for Ikea). The beautiful bleak tones of the structure and the bridges that took you into the flat areas, provided me much temptation to linger and look into the vacant flats. I was told off. Artists now reside until such time refurbishment commences. 

The power of the pound has changed the history now for the Balfron Tower as developers start their work. 
'Brutalist'... indeed.

Balfron Tower is a 27-storey residential building in Poplar, a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It forms part of the Brownfield Estate, an area of social housing between Chrisp Street Market and theA12 northern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel. It was designed by Ernő Goldfinger in 1963 for the London County Council, built 1965-67 by the GLC, and has been a Grade II listed building since 1996.

History

Balfron Tower was designed by architect Ernő Goldfinger and is associated with the Brutalist style of 1960's architecture. Goldfinger himself was pleased with the design and moved into flat 130, on the 25th floor, for two months in 1968. He and his wife threw champagne parties to find out what the residents liked and disliked about his design.^[7] He applied what he learnt to his design for the similar and more famous Trellick Tower in West London. Goldfinger's studio later added Glenkerry House on the same estate, complementing Balfron Tower and Carradale in style.

The building was given Grade II listed status in March 1996,^[8] followed by Carradale House in 2000.^[3] Carradale and Glenkerry Houses were also included in the Balfron Tower Conservation Area, designated in 1998.^[2] The listing continues to attract comment, especially in view of the failure of another nearby Brutalist estate,Robin Hood Gardens, to obtain the same protection.^[9] In recent years Balfron Tower has been popular with visitors during the annual Open House Weekend.^[10]

In December 2007, following a ballot of residents in 2006, Tower Hamlets Council transferred its ownership of Balfron Tower, Carradale House and the surrounding Brownfield Estate to Poplar HARCA, a housing association.^[11]

Refurbishment

Poplar HARCA is currently carrying out a full refurbishment of the buildings. The architectural firm PRP which has taken up this project is looking to restore these Brutalist structures to their original form as required by English Heritage, and also to bring the buildings up to modern specifications and 21st century living standards. The refurbishment is technically challenging, due to the need to install new services without disturbing the listed exterior. The solid concrete design also suffers inherently from cold bridging, which has to be remedied by internal wall insulation.

Residents were to have the option to keep their flats in the blocks, or to move into new low-rise homes nearby, in which case the vacated flats would be sold to finance the works.^[12][13] However, in October 2010 the residents of both blocks were sent notice that the refurbishment would require all residents to move out, due to fire safety and other risks, with no undertaking on whether they could return.^[14]

The first phase of the refurbishment started in November 2011 with the lower block, Carradale House, and the works are due to finish April 2014. Key features of the refurbishment include:^[5] replacement of existing windows with high-performance examples matching original pattern; upgrade of thermal performance using materials to provide insulation and vapour barriers; efficient gas-fired boilers for replacement communal heating system; and new wet services, incorporating water conservation measures. Internally, communal spaces and flats are sensitively refurbished in keeping and without altering Goldfinger's original layouts and heritage features. These embody key considerations related to restoring the key elements of the original scheme, undertaking repair and replacement on like-for-like basis, ensuring a lifespan of at least 30 years, taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to scaffold the entire building and upgrading as far as possible to accord with modern standards. This will ensure its future effectiveness and desirability as a place to live. The Housing Association (freeholder) Poplar Harca's budget is in the region of £10.000.000 and leaseholders are asked to contribute around £50.000 per flat for all the major works that are taking place during this refurbishment.

Works at Balfron Tower are due to start after Carradale House is completed in May 2014. Poplar Harca is to enter a joint partnership with Londonewcastle, a luxury residential developer, to refurbish Balfron Tower.  Pending the works to Balfron Tower, some flats are temporarily occupied by artists, who contribute to the community and put on displays in "heritage flat" number 123. A major photographic project was undertaken in November 2010