Up Too Early

I am not a morning person, I never have been and doubtful ever will be. Even getting up to go on holiday requires several alarms and launching myself from the bed, hurtling myself through a maze of post-it notes so I remember to do everything I actually need to. Some people are natural owls, and I am one.

One morning I didn't mind being up so early, watching the sunrise over Lake Päijänne near Padasjoki, Southern Finland, beautiful but so many mosquitoes!! © Beki Cowey (2013)

I used to think mornings were best viewed from behind sunglasses, and last night's red wine glow... Travelling back through the still sleepy city to crawl into my bed and hibernate, those were always my favourite mornings.

Regent's Place, Euston Rd... All the pretty lights to distract me from freezing at the bus stop. ©Beki Cowey (2015)

My body just doesn't work on mornings, I can't eat breakfast because it makes me feel sick, maybe a square of dark chocolate or a handful of nuts but real food? No. Once I have been awake four or five hours, then breakfast seems civilised, I guess most people would call that lunch though.

Street lights, fog and trees. ©Beki Cowey (2014)

About a year ago I took a job which meant prizing myself from my duvet just after 4am. An ungodly hour. It has taken a bit of practice, a bit of becoming more organised. I now have my routine pretty much down. It relies heavily on several black coffees.

The gates of hell... Life going down the tube. ©Beki Cowey (2015)

Station to station... Kings Cross to the North. Bleary eyed travellers on their marks for the dash to the trains. All eyes on the boarding announcements. ©Beki Cowey (2014)

Over this time though I have started to grow an, albeit somewhat bleary eyed, love of the early morning. The deserted streets, the empty tube... It lets you appreciate the city to yourself, lets you see things without having to wrestle your way through throngs of slow-moving tourists.

You try getting an unobstructed shot of Sherlock at any other time of day! Form an orderly queue behind the other 80 people also trying... ©Beki Cowey (2014)

I decided to write this post partly as an explanation of why I started a blog and then didn't post for over a week... My early mornings can throw me into a state of semi-permanent jet lag, 3 nights of sleeping for 4 hours or less because my natural sleep-wake cycle is trying to win out against the one I am trying to force on it, and then a marathon 15 hour sleep because I am by this point struggling to function. This plays havoc with trying to schedule anything, blog posts included.

The violinist is by far my favourite busker in King's Cross station, aside from being an improvement on the bagpipes or tin whistle (who approves this stuff??) he is actually a very good musician and has a great line in shirts which go with his instrument. ©Beki Cowey (2014)

Anyway I started keeping a record of these early morning adventures on my way to work. Looking at them here, all together is interesting, the same streets through the seasons, different viewpoints. The violinist on the underground, probably my all time favourite busker. Weird objects lost and found... A toaster graveyard and maoist playing cards.

Discarded cards ©Beki Cowey (2014)

The toaster graveyard of Marylebone High Street... Why so many toasters, where did they come from and who lines them all up like this? Too many questions for 5.45am!! ©Beki Cowey (2014)

The majority of these pictures are from my phone so apologies for the quality of some, I should pack one of my better cameras in my handbag but at 4.30am, purse-keys-phone is enough to trouble my foggy head with. 

Dead leaves and the dirty ground... maybe you notice more on a morning, you get to see the first fallen leaves before they are trampled under someone else's feet. ©Beki Cowey (2014)

And avoid slipping over on the icy roads... Mornings can be so cold sometimes... After heading out in -4 this day I made a donation to Shelter, I cannot even imagine having to spend the whole night out there like this, 15 mins waiting for the bus was more than enough for me! ©Beki Cowey (2015)

Even now "spring" is upon us and the blossom is out there's still a cold wind blowing some mornings, making me wish I was still tucked up in bed fast asleep. ©Beki Cowey (2015)

If you follow my instagram (where these have been largely culled from) you will probably see relatively frequent posts with #uptooearly. If I can function enough to post coherently, otherwise I might save them until later in the day when I can think of something more interesting to say.

And then one morning I couldn't get up as early as I might have wanted, someone blew up the cash machine at the post office near my flat, I slept through the explosion and woke up to the street cordoned off, unable to leave... ©Beki Cowey (2014)

Even outside of London on a visit to my mum's place in the countryside, no chance of a sleep in because hungry horses need to have their breakfast, I have started to stop, to look at the dawn not just as the enemy, the end of the party...

And Yorkshire, with it's big skies does a mean line in sunrises and sunsets. The view to the nearest neighbours, North York Moors. ©Beki Cowey (2014)

So, mornings, you might not be my best friend, you still need to be gentle with me, but sometimes when you get it right you can put even a confirmed grumpy owl like myself in a good mood all day...

And then sometimes it all feels worth it... this happens... ©Beki Cowey (2014)

Rise and with a little effort, shine!!