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London, United Kingdom: Twenty years of it, from the Eye to the Olympics

Twenty years of London in one place: student years with a bad camera, volleyball gold and basketball bronze at the 2012 Olympics, and the summer of 2015.

Twenty years of London, gathered up in one place. It starts with students and a camera doing its best, runs through an Olympic summer, and ends with the year we photographed absolutely everything.

2005 to 2007: the student years

This is the bottom of the London box. Three years, a handful of frames, and cameras that were doing their best. We were students then, London was the big city up the road rather than a place we knew, and the pictures we bothered to take were the ones that mattered: a birthday, a festival, and the day the studying finally stopped.

A birthday on the Eye

Close selfie of Dileep and Inga cheek to cheek high on the London Eye, a glass capsule and the city stretching away below behind them — September 2005, Inga's birthday ride on the London Eye. Cheek to cheek at the top of the loop.

Chinese New Year at Trafalgar Square

Inga and Dileep wearing camouflage helmets with goggles while sitting in an open army vehicle at Trafalgar Square, red lanterns strung overhead — Chinese New Year 2006 at Trafalgar Square, where an army display and the red lanterns shared the same sky. The helmets weren't optional.

Graduation day in Greenwich

The one fixed date in this whole page: 20 July 2007, graduation day at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, with Dileep's parents and brother over for the occasion. The student years that led up to this day are over on Greenwich.

Graduates in gowns and mortarboards lined up with academics in colourful robes along the stone colonnade of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich — The whole year lined up under the colonnades of the Old Royal Naval College, academic robes bringing the colour.

Dileep in cap and gown shaking hands on stage with an academic in a dark blue and red ceremonial robe — The handshake that made it official. Years of study, one scroll.

Dileep in graduation gown and mortarboard holding his scroll, posing with his mother, father and brother for a studio portrait — The official family portrait: one graduate, two proud parents, one brother already planning where to eat.

Dileep in cap and gown with his scroll standing beside Inga in a black coat and white scarf for a studio portrait — And the unofficial one. Inga attended every all-nighter by phone; the scroll is at least a third hers.

After the scroll came the gap: a few quiet years, then London pulled us back properly. The next chapter runs from a Hampton Court autumn to a front row seat at Fashion Weekend.

2011 to 2014: the Olympic summer

These are the years London stopped being a day out and started being a habit. An autumn weekend of palaces in 2011, then the summer the Olympics landed on our doorstep, a West End night in the middle of winter, and a February spent watching a catwalk from about four feet away. It's four visits and four completely different cities.

Palaces in the autumn

October gave us cold light, short days and almost nobody else in the gardens. We spent one of them at the gates of Buckingham Palace and the rest of the weekend out at Hampton Court.

Inga standing on the red tarmac in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace on a sunny day, the Union Jack flying above the roofline — October 2011, Buckingham Palace with the flag up and the forecourt crowd in session.

Stitched panorama of the long baroque south front of Hampton Court Palace with potted trees along the terrace — October 2011: the baroque front of Hampton Court, stitched from a whole pocketful of frames.

Inga and Dileep standing in front of a round fountain pool in the Great Fountain Garden at Hampton Court Palace — Borrowing a fountain for a portrait in the Great Fountain Garden. The gold gates on the far side approve.

The palace front at Hampton Court under a pink evening sky, with clipped conical yews lining the gravel walk — Closing time light over the gravel walk, yews standing to attention.

Inga standing at the base of a giant cone-clipped yew tree in the gardens of Hampton Court Palace, for scale — One of the great yew cones, with Inga for scale. The yews have been winning this size contest since the 1700s.

We liked it enough to come back in August 2015 and do the whole palace properly, wine fountain and all.

Our London 2012 Olympics

In August 2012 the Olympics came to our doorstep and we threw ourselves at it: the Olympic Park early in the Games, a trampoline final under the dome at North Greenwich, then a finals weekend of volleyball and basketball.

Dileep in a Union Jack t-shirt on a staircase in the Olympic Park, with the Olympic Stadium, the red Orbit tower and the rings on a pink banner behind — 4 August 2012, flag shirt on, stadium and the Orbit behind. Super Saturday, as it turned out.

Inga with a Team GB lanyard in the Olympic Park, the Olympic Stadium and orange banners soft in the background — Inga in the park with the stadium over her shoulder. The camera queue for this exact shot was Olympic in itself.

Trampoline under the dome

The same day we crossed the river to North Greenwich, where the O2 had been rebranded the North Greenwich Arena and painted Olympic pink inside. Trampoline was on, and it turns out that if you sit high enough you can watch an entire routine without the gymnast ever leaving your frame.

Inga in a London 2012 t-shirt with a Canon camera outside the O2, its white tented roof and yellow masts behind her, hung with pink London 2012 and Olympic rings banners — Outside the dome on 4 August 2012, camera already out. For two weeks the O2 answered to North Greenwich Arena.

Dileep in a Union Jack lion t-shirt and Inga in a Team GB sweatshirt standing under a hanging sculpture of pink and orange balls inside the O2, a Union Square Restaurant and Bar sign to the right — Team GB tops, two cameras between us, and a ceiling full of pink balls. The whole building was dressed for the occasion.

Close portrait of Dileep in a Union Jack lion t-shirt on the O2 concourse, the hanging pink and orange ball sculpture blurred behind him — The concourse gave everyone the same soft pink lighting. We weren't going to argue with it.

View from high in the North Greenwich Arena over the pink London 2012 field of play, two competition trampolines side by side and a long bench of press positions below — The field of play from up in the gods: two trampolines, one very pink carpet, and a press bench already at full stretch.

A line of women trampoline gymnasts in national leotards walking out onto the pink London 2012 floor past television cameras — The walk out, a dozen leotards and a dozen flags in single file. Nobody looked up.

A trampoline gymnast in a red and white leotard upside down in mid air against the London 2012 branded wall of the arena — Somewhere near the top of a bounce. They get about eight metres above the bed, which is roughly two floors of a house.

A Russian trampoline gymnast standing on the trampoline with arms raised at the end of a routine, her coach in a Russia tracksuit applauding on the pink floor behind — The salute at the end of a routine, with the coach doing the quiet applause of a man who already knows the score.

Dileep in a Union Jack t-shirt holding a Canon EOS 600D with a long white telephoto lens, looking down at the arena bowl full of spectators — Dileep and the long lens, doing the maths on how far away the trampoline really was.

Inga in a Team GB hoodie standing arm in arm with American trampoline gymnast Savannah Vinsant in a white USA team jacket in the arena concourse — On the way out we ran into Savannah Vinsant, the USA trampolinist, who stopped for a photo like it was nothing. Best souvenir of the day.

Brazilian women's volleyball players in yellow huddling and reaching for the ball courtside at London 2012 — 11 August, the women's volleyball final. Brazil's huddle before the storm.

Brazil's players in yellow celebrating across the court at the London 2012 women's volleyball final, coaches embracing at the side — Match point: Brazil beat the USA for gold and the whole bench piled on.

Japanese volleyball players in navy tracksuits waving flowers with bronze medals around their necks at London 2012 — Japan collecting bronze, flowers up. The medals didn't stop smiling all ceremony.

Brazilian players in yellow jackets showing off gold medals and bouquets after the London 2012 women's volleyball final — Gold for Brazil, phones already out for the podium selfies. Some things are universal.

The flags of the USA, Brazil and Japan hoisted under a red London 2012 banner at the volleyball medal ceremony — Flags up, anthem on, and an arena that had been screaming all evening went completely quiet.

Crowds beneath a pink London 2012 banner and an orange Basketball sign at the arena entrance, a Union Jack draped over one visitor — 12 August, the last day of the Games, following the signs to the basketball.

The scorers' table at the London 2012 basketball, officials with headsets in front of a pink London 2012 branded court — The scorers' bench mid-shift. Everything at these Games came in that same pink, including the paperwork.

Argentina in white and Russia in red contesting a shot under the basket at the London 2012 men's bronze medal basketball game — Argentina against Russia for the men's bronze, our farewell fixture of London 2012.

Singin' in the Rain

London Fashion Weekend

A year later, almost to the week, we took our seats at London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House, the weekend where the catwalk opens to the rest of us. One camera for the runway, one eye on the front row.

Dileep with a lanyard and tote bag in the cobbled courtyard of Somerset House, London Fashion Weekend boards and a sign for the gold and silver tote bag collection around him — Dileep, accredited and armed with the event tote. The signs point to the Gold & Silver Tote Bag Collection; we point to the catwalk.

Inga in a knitted cardigan and blue jeans stepping out of a row of red London telephone boxes in front of black iron railings — En route, a costume change courtesy of the most photographed red boxes in Britain.

A model on the catwalk in a blue and green printed dress with black sleeves and nude heels, a spectator checking her phone at the edge of the runway — First out: blue and green print at walking pace. Front row already multitasking.

A model in a pale pink top with sheer sleeves and dark panels carrying a gold clutch, the photographers' stand visible behind the white catwalk wall — Blush silk and a gold clutch, with the photographers' gantry working overtime behind the wall.

A model in an embellished white short-sleeved jumper and striped pencil skirt walking the white catwalk past a security guard — Embellished knit over stripes. The security detail stays completely unmoved by fashion.

A model in a white pussy-bow blouse and sparkly silver trousers on the catwalk in front of white double doors — A white pussy-bow blouse doing the talking, glitter trousers doing the walking.

A model in a silver v-neck top with a dark green waistband and white trousers with a silver stripe, audience members filming on phones from the front row — Silver on white, and a front row of raised phones. 2014, when everyone had just discovered filming everything.

A model in a monochrome lace top and striped cropped trousers carrying a small blue clutch on the catwalk — Lace, stripes and a cobalt clutch: three patterns, zero hesitation.

A model in a dark sleeveless dress scattered with pink and orange flowers walking past a seated audience — Dark florals for spring. Groundbreaking or not, it earned the phones-up treatment.

A model in sunglasses wearing a red rose print cardigan and mint green trousers, hands in pockets on the catwalk — Roses, mint trousers and indoor sunglasses: catwalk rules are different rules.

A model in a peach floral top and white broderie anglaise skirt with a front split, photographers massed at the end of the runway — Peach florals over broderie anglaise, walking straight into a wall of lenses.

A model in a yellow lace shift dress with a scalloped hem on the catwalk, the venue wifi details printed on the wall beside her — Sunshine yellow lace. The wall behind lists the wifi network LFW2014, password February14: security was more relaxed back then.

Close-up of a model in aviator sunglasses wearing a black and red raglan tee with a large crystal and flower necklace — Sportswear tee, cocktail jewels. The necklace got its own close-up.

A model in sunglasses wearing a turquoise leather jacket over an orange top with grey jogger trousers and black heels on the catwalk — Turquoise leather over orange, joggers with heels. A 2014 forecast that mostly came true.

Close-up of a model in gradient aviator sunglasses, a bright turquoise leather jacket open over an orange shirt — The same look up close, all zips and aviators.

A model in a sleeveless coral dress with a wide black waist belt and white heels, audience members seated along the runway — Closing note: coral, belted, unbothered. We left convinced we understood fashion. It wore off by the Tube.

Fashion Weekend closes this chapter, and the year that followed turned into the busiest London year we've ever had.

2015: the summer of everything

2015 was our first big London year, and the camera barely got a day off. Between May and September we worked through the palaces, the gardens, the West End and one very wet carnival, and we didn't turn down a single invitation. Here's the whole summer, by chapter.

The Natural History Museum

The run started on 4 May at the Natural History Museum. We were in there from mid-morning until late afternoon and still didn't see half of it. It's free, it's enormous, and it's essentially a cathedral with dinosaurs parked in the nave.

Dileep standing at the foot of the steps in front of the Romanesque terracotta facade of the Natural History Museum — Outside: one small human, a great deal of terracotta.

A mounted Stegosaurus skeleton with the row of plates along its back, lit against a large red planet backdrop in a dark gallery — A Stegosaurus with its plates up, parked in front of a red planet. Nobody explains the pairing and nobody asks.

Inga standing beneath a large fossilised marine reptile skeleton mounted on the gallery wall, its long flippers spread wide — Inga for scale under a marine reptile that used to have the whole sea to itself.

Inga resting a hand on a huge polished ammonite fossil displayed on a plinth in a bright white gallery — A polished ammonite about the size of a car wheel. It's impossible not to put a hand on it, so we did.

Cut sapphires mounted on thin stands in a museum case, with labels reading yellow sapphires and padparadscha from Sri Lanka — The gem case, where the labels kept saying Sri Lanka: yellow sapphires from 1874 and 1878, and a padparadscha of 57.26 carats. Dileep felt quietly represented.

A small grey mineral sample in a dark museum case below a label headed News flash, Superman's super enemy found — Our favourite label in the building: a mineral dug up in Serbia turned out to share its formula with the kryptonite invented for Superman Returns. The curators clearly enjoyed writing that one.

The Tower and Tower Bridge

The twin Gothic towers and pale blue walkways of Tower Bridge under a summer sky, a Union Jack flying between them — Tower Bridge in July sunshine, flags up, doing its best postcard impression.

A Queen's Guard soldier in red tunic and bearskin standing at his sentry box against the brick wall at the Tower of London, red geraniums to one side — On sentry at the Tower of London. We watched for a blink. Nothing. The geraniums moved more than he did.

Selfie of Inga and Dileep in sunglasses in front of the walls and White Tower of the Tower of London — Windblown outside the Tower of London. A thousand years of history behind us, sunblock on.

Lucha Libre at York Hall

On 11 July we went east to Bethnal Green for masked Mexican wrestling in a Victorian boxing hall. It's the least likely double act in London and it works perfectly.

A banner reading The Greatest Spectacle of Lucha Libre, York Hall London, 9 to 11 July 2015, strung across the stone front of York Hall — The banner made the pitch for us: the greatest spectacle of Lucha Libre, York Hall, 9 to 11 July 2015.

Three masked luchadoras in blue, red and pink costumes squaring up in the ring under red lights, a Jose Cuervo banner behind — Three luchadoras sizing each other up under the red lights, with the tequila sponsor watching from the balcony.

A referee in a striped shirt crouching low to count a pin while one masked wrestler holds another down on the canvas — The count, delivered with total conviction by a referee in the full striped shirt.

Several masked wrestlers in the ring, one of them mid-air being thrown while the others wait along the ropes — Physics briefly suspended. The whole hall made the same noise.

Dileep holding a drink and standing between two masked luchadoras in red and blue costumes in a red lit corridor — Dileep, one drink in, flanked by opponents he sensibly didn't challenge.

Inga pointing at the camera in the crowd at York Hall beside a masked wrestler in torn black trousers striking the same pose — Inga and a wrestler landing on the same pose. Nobody was going to argue with either of them.

Tea tasting at Twinings

On 22 July we squeezed into the shop at 216 Strand for a tasting. It's about the width of a corridor and tea has been going out of that doorway since 1706.

The white Twinings shopfront at 216 Strand with a golden lion and two seated painted figures above the door and Est. 1706 lettered on the glass — The doorway at 216 Strand: a golden lion on top, two seated figures either side and Est. 1706 on the glass.

Dileep sitting at the tasting counter inside Twinings with glass teapots brewing in front of him and a wall of tea caddies behind — The tasting bar at the back, glass pots brewing along the counter, a wall of caddies keeping score.

Shelves of labelled glass jars and tins of loose leaf tea under a World of Teas sign inside the Twinings shop — The World of Teas wall. We went in for one thing and didn't leave with one thing.

Inga in sunglasses stepping out of the Twinings doorway on the Strand carrying a paper shopping bag — Back out onto the Strand, suitably supplied.

The Gothic stone frontage and spires of the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand under a grey sky, a red bus passing on the left — Straight across the road, the Royal Courts of Justice doing a very convincing cathedral impression.

A black winged dragon statue on a stone plinth marking the City of London boundary, the Royal Courts of Justice rising behind it — A few steps along, the dragon that marks the edge of the City of London. Wings out, thoroughly unimpressed by us.

Insects for lunch at Archipelago

The same afternoon we sat down at Archipelago and ordered things neither of us had eaten before. It's the kind of menu you want to keep, so we photographed it.

A hand holding the Archipelago menu, listing dishes including pan fried chermoula crickets, smoked python carpaccio, love-bug salad and chocolate covered locusts — The menu in full: chermoula crickets, smoked python carpaccio, a love-bug salad billed as mixed greens with added wild life, and chocolate covered locusts to finish.

The small red dining room at Archipelago crammed with gilded statues, masks, mirrors and curios above turquoise tablecloths — The dining room sits somewhere between a bazaar and a Victorian collector's attic.

Two plates on a turquoise tablecloth, a long dish of green salad scattered with whole insects and a board of grilled skewers — Lunch lands: salad with extras, plus a plate of skewers for anyone losing their nerve.

Close-up of a bowl of rocket salad topped with whole roasted insects on a patterned plate — Close up, there's no pretending about what's in there. We ate it anyway.

Dileep lifting a spoonful from a small bowl of the insect dish to his mouth at the restaurant table — Dileep went first, as agreed. He also went back for a second spoonful, which we're logging as a review.

Kew Gardens

The red brick Dutch-gabled front of Kew Palace with white sash windows and a lawn in front — Kew Palace, the small red brick royal residence hiding inside the gardens.

Inga standing in a Georgian drawing room in Kew Palace with powder blue walls, a card table and gilt framed portraits — Trying the Georgian drawing room on for size. The blue walls got a firm yes.

Dileep grinning in a white powdered Georgian wig in a dim room at Kew Palace — The dressing-up basket claimed a volunteer. His Lordship regrets nothing.

Beds of tall columnar cacti and prickly pears inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens — A desert filed neatly under glass in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

A pond of giant round waterlily pads with upturned rims inside a glasshouse at Kew Gardens, visitors watching from the walkway — The giant waterlilies, like a fleet of pie dishes at anchor. Everyone quietly wonders if one would take their weight.

Inga in a denim jacket photographing the giant waterlily pond at Kew with a long Canon lens — Inga and the long lens, hunting waterlilies. This blog doesn't photograph itself.

Inga on a white spiral staircase winding up between palm fronds inside the Palm House at Kew Gardens — Up the white spiral stair into the palm canopy, where the air is pure greenhouse.

A carved terracotta urn on a stone plinth at Kew Gardens planted with red geraniums, purple lobelia and a young fan palm, a brick building blurred behind — Outside the glasshouses, the planting is just as deliberate: red geraniums, purple lobelia and a small fan palm sharing one carved urn.

Inga standing with a camera on the gravel path in front of the curved glass Palm House at Kew, formal flower beds either side — The Palm House from the parterre: curved glass and Victorian confidence, still winning.

Dileep standing beside a tall aloe in a wooden planter outside the angular sloping glass roofs of the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew — Outside the Princess of Wales Conservatory, guarded by an aloe in a crate.

A round metal plaque reading Princess of Wales Conservatory, opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, 28th July 1987 — The plaque by the door: opened on 28 July 1987, so we'd missed the ribbon by almost exactly 28 years.

Close-up of purple cardoon flowerheads with their spiky silver bracts in a border at Kew Gardens — Cardoons in full purple, the thistle's much grander cousin.

The other Kew evening belonged to a film. On 22 July, after the tea and the insects, we came back with a picnic for an open air screening on the lawn.

A large open air cinema screen on the lawn at Kew Gardens with hundreds of people sitting on picnic blankets, the red brick front of Kew Palace visible through the trees — 22 July 2015: a screen on the grass, Kew Palace over to the left, and The Grand Budapest Hotel once it got dark enough to start.

Inga wrapped in a blanket on a picnic rug on the grass at Kew among other film-goers with their bags, bottles and food — Blanket claimed and picnic deployed just before eight, because the good patches of lawn go early.

Hampton Court Palace

This one was a return visit. We'd walked the gardens on a cold October weekend in 2011, further up this page. In August we came back and did the inside properly.

Costumed Tudor courtiers walking through a cobbled courtyard at Hampton Court Palace led by a fiddler — Court in session: costumed Tudors sweeping through the courtyard with a fiddler in tow. You just fall in behind.

A gilded ceiling at Hampton Court Palace, deep gold coffers studded with painted heraldic bosses — One of the gilded ceilings. Necks ache; worth it.

A vast historic tapestry hanging floor to ceiling in a state room at Hampton Court Palace — Tapestries by the acre. Each one took a workshop years; we gave each about ninety seconds and still ran out of day.

A painted royal coat of arms at Hampton Court Palace with angels above a scroll reading Dieu et mon droit — Dieu et mon droit, in full colour with a supporting cast of angels.

Inga sitting on the lawn in front of the baroque east front of Hampton Court Palace, pink flower beds and clipped topiary behind — The baroque side of the palace, with flower beds in full August form.

Inga and Dileep together on the gravel walk in front of the long garden front of Hampton Court Palace — Both of us on the Broad Walk. Tudor in front, baroque behind, tourists everywhere: the full Hampton Court sandwich.

The sunken Pond Garden at Hampton Court Palace, tiered beds of white and red planting leading to a white garden building — The sunken Pond Garden, trimmed to the millimetre since the 1500s.

Inga and Dileep at the doorway of the glasshouse of the Great Vine at Hampton Court Palace — Paying respects to the Great Vine, planted in 1768 and still filling its own greenhouse.

Inga sitting in a golden carriage prop in front of the turreted Tudor west front of Hampton Court Palace — The golden carriage out front. When in a palace, travel accordingly.

The blue and gold astronomical clock set into the red brick gatehouse tower at Hampton Court Palace — The astronomical clock in its gatehouse, still keeping its own elaborate version of the time.

Inga holding one of the green and white striped heraldic poles in the Tudor knot garden below the tall windows of Hampton Court Palace — In the knot garden, borrowing a heraldic pole. It didn't seem to mind.

A grand painted stairwell at Hampton Court Palace with an enormous mythological canvas above moulded walls and a lantern topped with a gold crown, Inga at the foot of the stairs — Down the painted staircase, under a canvas the size of a small house and a lantern wearing its own crown.

Inga wearing a red royal livery coat with a gold crown and Tudor rose badge and a white ruff, standing in a panelled room signed The Georgian Story — The dressing-up rail in The Georgian Story rooms. Inga went straight for the state livery, ruff included, and took her time handing it back.

Inga leaning on the stone balustrade above the sunken garden at Hampton Court, with beds of purple and red planting and clipped topiary cones below — Above the sunken garden, where the planting is arranged with the precision of a seating plan.

One more thing the ticket bought us: membership came with a quiet green door, and behind it a members' room that nobody else seemed to have found.

Dileep standing beside a dark green door lettered Members' Room in a stone Tudor archway at Hampton Court Palace, next to a Historic Royal Palaces membership banner — The green door marked Members' Room. Membership has its moments and this was one of them.

Dileep sitting in an armchair in the peach-walled members' room at Hampton Court Palace, with a fireplace, bookshelves, a low table and a patterned rug — Inside: armchairs, a fireplace, bookshelves and no queue at all. Somewhere on the other side of that wall, several hundred people were shuffling through the Great Hall.

Theatre nights, summer

That same summer we worked through the West End at a rate of roughly a show a fortnight, and when we ran out of theatres we found a tent.

Selfie of Inga and Dileep under The Importance of Being Earnest marquee outside the theatre, crowds behind — July 2015: The Importance of Being Earnest. We were, briefly.

Collage from a War Horse theatre night in London: the poster, the horse puppet on stage, and a selfie of Inga and Dileep — War Horse in August. You forget the horse is a puppet inside about four minutes.

A performer on a spiegeltent stage sending a fountain of sparks from an angle grinder under blue and green stage lights — August 2015, a big-top cabaret on the South Bank. Somewhere between theatre and metalwork.

The lit facade of the Victoria Palace Theatre at night showing Billy Elliot The Musical — Billy Elliot lighting up the Victoria Palace on an August night.

Inga beside the Phantom of the Opera poster with its white mask outside the theatre at night — September, and the Phantom's mask gets a companion portrait before curtain up.

Here's the rest of that summer's stubs, roughly in the order we collected them.

Inga standing beside a Miss Saigon poster reading The Heat Is On in the red art deco foyer of the theatre, holding a paper shopping bag — 12 June, Miss Saigon. The helicopter poster, an art deco foyer, and a shopping bag that gives away how the afternoon went.

Inga and Dileep in the crowd outside the Apollo Victoria theatre at night, the illuminated Wicked sign above them — 27 June, Wicked at the Apollo Victoria, a couple of hours after a full day of Formula E in Battersea Park. We didn't pace ourselves in 2015.

The stage before Wicked begins, a huge mechanical dragon mounted above the proscenium arch and a golden map of Oz across the curtain, the auditorium filling below — The dragon over the arch and the map of Oz on the curtain, before a single note has been played.

The painted art deco sign of the Fortune Theatre showing a dancing figure inside a circle above the entrance at night — 2 July, The Woman in Black at the Fortune. The painted sign outside gives away nothing about the next two hours.

The Gielgud Theatre lit up blue at night, its curved facade carrying signage for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — 4 July, the Gielgud lit blue for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

A West End auditorium filling up before The Phantom of the Opera, the stage hidden behind a huge draped grey curtain under the lighting rig — 12 September, Phantom. That draped curtain hangs there looking like it's already keeping a secret.

The full company of The Lion King on stage in animal costumes and masks gathered around Pride Rock against an orange sunrise backdrop — 13 September, The Lion King with the whole savannah on stage at once. That's roughly when you give up trying to look at one thing at a time.

Notting Hill Carnival

August bank holiday, we joined the crowds and rain ponchos at Notting Hill Carnival. The weather did its worst; the costumes won anyway.

A carnival dancer in a towering red feathered headdress and gold costume leading the parade past spectators in rain ponchos at Notting Hill Carnival — Red feathers versus grey drizzle: no contest.

A dancer in a jewelled pink and gold costume and teardrop headdress mid-step in the Notting Hill Carnival parade — Every costume a year of sequins, every dancer completely unbothered by the rain.

A dancer in a black top hat with red roses and a huge fan of red pheasant feathers smiling in the parade at Notting Hill Carnival — Top hat, roses, and a tail of pheasant feathers wider than the road.

A carnival troupe in silver and red tattered costumes posing around a giant black winged creature float on a wet Notting Hill street — A giant winged thing and its very committed handlers, mid-roar on the wet tarmac.

Inga and Dileep in coats posing with two carnival performers in red and blue feathered headdresses and jewelled costumes on a wet street — The traditional carnival photo: two of us in coats, two of them in feathers, everyone equally committed.

Dancers in blue and pink costumes with orange feathered headdresses and masks advancing down the road in formation at Notting Hill Carnival — A whole troupe arriving in formation, masks on, arms out, road entirely theirs.

A dancer in a turquoise and gold costume performing on a carnival float beside a large blue winged angel figure, trees behind — Up on a float with a blue winged figure for company, working a crowd that stretched both ways down the street.

A performer in an elaborate green and gold gown waving a large green and white flag in the middle of a wet Notting Hill street — The flag bearer in green and gold, holding the middle of the road on her own.

A dancer in a black costume with a huge fan of red and black feathers walking up the wet street past band members dressed in white — Red and black feathers, a soaked road and a band in white behind. The rain lost that one too.

A dancer in a jewelled costume and tall purple and silver headdress smiling mid-step in the parade, spectators close behind her — Sequins, spikes and a smile that didn't drop once all afternoon.

More from the 2015 archive

At the end of June 2015 Formula E brought its first London ePrix to Battersea Park, and through the rest of that summer and autumn the city kept handing us reasons to stay out.

A purple and red Virgin-liveried Formula E car at speed behind catch fencing lined with Formula E app banners — June 2015: electric single-seaters whispering past the catch fencing at the first London ePrix.

Inga and Dileep posing with race helmets on a fan podium in front of a Formula E and Visa branded wall — The fan-zone podium. We both claimed the top step and the stewards let it slide.

Dileep crouching and Inga standing beside a Formula E show car on a white display plinth inside the fan village tent — Close inspection of the show car. No, they wouldn't let us keep it.

Four men lifting trophies on a podium under a banner reading 2015 FIA Formula E Visa London ePrix — The real podium, a few metres from the one we had been posing on.

Alain Prost raising a trophy beside Richard Branson with his arms spread wide on the Formula E podium — Alain Prost with the silverware, Richard Branson conducting the applause. Decent supporting cast for a park in Battersea.

Three drivers in race suits spraying champagne on the podium in front of a Visa and FIA branded wall — Champagne physics: as mandatory in Battersea as anywhere else in motorsport.

A Formula E car on the circuit seen through overhanging leaves, with catch fencing and a recovery truck along the track edge in Battersea Park — The circuit ran through the park, so most of the race came framed by leaves.

Inga standing on the grass in front of a large white sail-shaped Visa pavilion in the Formula E fan village — The fan village on the grass, sponsors' tents pitched like a small regatta.

A line of grid hosts in white Visa dresses holding numbered blue grid boards, with marshals in red overalls standing alongside — Grid boards lined up in order: 9, 11, 87, 6, 3, 56, all waiting for their cars.

Inga beside a poster for the National Theatre production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, with a bust of John Gielgud on a shelf nearby — July 2015 at the Gielgud Theatre, with the man himself in bronze approving our ticket choice.

A wooden board of sliced steaks with gravy boats, grilled vegetables and wine glasses on a dark restaurant table — September 2015: a steak board that required strategy, and got it.

View from high up across the Thames to the Shard, with HMS Belfast moored on the river below — London from above: the Shard across the water and HMS Belfast holding its spot on the Thames.

Inga and Dileep in the Covent Garden market hall beneath a huge cloud of white balloons filling the glass roof — Covent Garden in September 2015, when a cloud of white balloons filled the market roof and everyone forgot to look at the shops.

Plates of pastel macarons, a large pink macaron topped with fresh raspberries, and silver teapots on a wooden table at Laduree — Tea at Laduree: macarons arranged by diplomacy, eaten by force.

Inga and Dileep at The Lion King official souvenir stand inside a theatre foyer — Interval economics at The Lion King. We escaped with our wallets, mostly.

A dark auditorium lit red from above, the stage bare except for two chairs and a table, and a big screen showing a stylised portrait of comedian Jimmy Carr in a purple jacket — May 2015: a comedy night, red lights up, two chairs on an otherwise empty stage and the headliner watching us from the screen. Warm-up material only from here.

Nothing since has matched that run of months. For the London we came back to a decade later, there's a rainy weekend of roasts, scones and red buses.

When we need a bed in London rather than a train home, it has been the Hilton London Olympia. They honoured our Hilton Honors benefits even though we had booked through Trip.com, which not every Hilton does, and the breakfast was good enough that we would have paid for it separately.