Waterloo sunset

I came home early from work last Tuesday. My route takes me over Waterloo Bridge, which offers some of the finest cityscapes in the world. Downriver is the National Theatre, St Paul's, Tate Modern, and in the distance Canary Wharf. Upriver is the Eye and the Palace of Westminster.

Travel guru Simon Calder has cited Waterloo as his favourite cycling bridge - and, of course, on a bike you have the chance to take the view in at your own pace.

And last Tuesday, I just happened to be cycling over at dusk on a crisp, cloudless evening, at the orangest angle of sunset.

There was a buzz, like being at some once-in-a-generation natural event such as an eclipse. Commuters were stopping to grab it on their mobiles, and at least two well-prepared snappers had their tripods and interchangeable backs at the ready.

I didn't have a tripod, just the bridge railings, and it was very, very cold.