I got a text from Kevin "Found a high rooftop access, interested?" Of course I gave the sensible response. And So it was that on a Friday night, i put the dayglo raver outfit to one side, and dipped into the black outfit of the pipe ninja. Whizzing through the empty pre-turning out time streets, the lovely ladies of Chelsea sat outside 'the' nightspots in high heels and short dresses. Then the welcome warm blast of air as I pass under the Waterloo monument and up into Piccadilly. The wealthy sons of arabs race up and down the street in their Lambos and Koeniggthingyjigs, pausing to leer and lull women into their cars. Then comes the nightmare of Shaftsbury Avenue, the most dangerous street in London, as drunks and tourists leap out the way of my bike like startled gazelles. "I did not expect to find a bike riding up the road, London is crazy no?!" Across the Fleet valley, and i'm into the Barbican centre. I always hate this place, as i seem to always get lost. Luckily our normal meeting spot for this area is easy to get too.
Kevin wants to check out Shakespeare tower, his main target tonight, but the lights are too bright, and I can sit watching the secca while he attempts to beat a camera. So we go to his backup, Lauderdale tower, which doesn't present the same problem. It presents another problem. Luckily the combined strength of the two of us, and we are shooting up to the 39th Floor. All is going well, and then we reach the top. The doors are locked, and the windows are sealed. Shit! So this was the best view we were going to get, through the meshed window.

The stairs down present an interesting view, and the potential for a heart attack.

This looked like the best we were going to do, so I grabbed a momento shot of the top floor door. The sign on the wall teasing us.

However, I was with Kevin, who is a pitbull among explorers, and his tenacious attitude is such that he rarely gives up. And so it was that, he managed to get us out onto the balcony. And we set about snapping away with an unobstructed view. A former explore, The Shard dominates the skyline, with Guy's Hospital to it's side.

The City, with it's newcomer the Heron on the left.

Zoom & cropped shot of the tops of Tower 42 and The Swiss Life buildings.

Kevin lent me his samyang fisheye for a couple of shots.

As daylight approached, a shot of the Barbican centre below.

Shakespeare Tower hugs the left flank of this pic. The Thames can be seen swirling off in the top right corner.

Skyscraper City, all 3 skyscraper zones present here. Canary Wharf in the distance beside the Heron tower, The City of London in the centre, and the London Bridge area on the right.

Keeping safe, and out of the wind. The gap below the mesh is where nearly all the photos on this page are from. Kevin went up higher, but was chased off by a mentalist female seagull, protecting her nest which was up there. I didn't bother as it was too windy.

Profile shot of Shakespeare Tower, and Ropemaker place with it's fringed roof.

This was my favourite pic of the night, as it has a very New York City vibe about it. I think it would have been better if taken 15 or so floors lower, but sadly all the lower balconies were locked.

Not quite sure what the building in the centre of this one is, but it caught my eye as rather unusual looking.

Canary Wharf seen through the City of London. I like the 50's (?) style office block that has Nido building (between Gherkin and Heron) poking over the top. It's complemented by the Ropemaker building on the left of the pic.

A departing shot of where we'd just been.

Ground floor.

A good start to the day, followed by a ride home through the human flotsam of a night downing copious amounts of alcohol and drug induced states.