{"id":1179,"date":"2011-10-13T00:10:39","date_gmt":"2011-10-13T00:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.macnovel.org.uk\/?p=1179"},"modified":"2011-10-13T19:49:51","modified_gmt":"2011-10-13T19:49:51","slug":"ready-for-the-shardpener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.macnovel.org.uk\/?p=1179","title":{"rendered":"Ready for the Shardpener"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Shard<\/a>
Shard from the Millennium Bridge 7th October 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another photo for the fans of the amazing Shard who end up landing on this blog and wondering exactly why.<\/p>\n

It’s very close to being finished on the outside. The concrete core has reached its final height and the glass panels have almost enclosed it — the impression this photo gives me is of a huge pencil with a bit of\u00c2\u00a0protruding\u00c2\u00a0lead at the top, ready to be put into the pencil sharpener.<\/p>\n

This photo was taken on a research run in London (see the Google map below to see exactly what route I took). I did some checking out of the locations in which I’m setting parts of my novel — mainly at the eastern end of the route.<\/p>\n

I can’t think of a running route that would go past any more tourist sights than this one — or at least one where you could actually get up some speed. I’m not sure if New Scotland Yard or MI5’s HQ are proper sights but they were on the first stretch, then London Eye, the Southbank Centre (where I went earlier this week to see Pipilotti Rist’s exhibition at the Hayward Gallery<\/a>), Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, St. Paul’s, Victoria Embankment, Cleopatra’s Needle, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.<\/p>\n

I even took my research so far I wanted to wander into the St. Paul’s Cathedral shop but, having just done 5km at the time, and dripping perspiration in puddles from my bright orange Nike running top, I decided to respect the decorum of the church and come back again another day.<\/p>\n

More pics from other research trips to come in the next few days.<\/p>\n

Check out my run below.<\/p>\n