Nova ac Vetera - Now and Then V

For New Year's day, views both ancient and modern. The older photograph was taken from the Campanile of the Cathedral in 1911; the newer was taken yesterday, as close to the original position as I could manage. The view is westwards, towards Buckingham Palace. Indeed. almost the only recognisable item is the Victoria Monument in front of the Palace, with St James Park stretching off to the right. In the recent picture, some of the Palace is still visible, but mostly obscured by the modern development of Cardinal Place. The large shopping and office complex replaces the Stag Brewery, lower left, which itself was an historic link with the medieval brewery of Westminster Abbey.

The curve of Buckingham Gate, running away from the viewer off Victoria Street, is still very clear, and those with eagle eyes will see another survival - the yellow brick Westminster City School (centre right), nestling behind the ugly office blocks of Victoria Street.