Striking doctors on picket line outside St Mary’s, Paddington. Support from passing vehicles and pedestrians was acknowledged with waves and shouted thanks. A model of a peaceful protest with support from their public: us, the users of the NHS. A huge contrast with the blockade by the taxi drivers of Marseille on Mardi Noir last month.
Many outpatients clinics were cancelled so the patient area was uncannily quiet. This is the second strike by junior hospital doctors in protest about major changes to their working hours and contracts. We haven’t experienced doctors strikes since 1975. St Mary’s has been more often in the news as one of the hospitals favoured by the royal family: Princess Charlotte was born here in May 2015, Prince George in July 2013.

Regency Brighton continues to benefit from investment and construction. There’s a bold new development at the Marina, which unfortunately dominates the view towards the white cliffs of the Severn Sisters. And in the westerly direction the steel column (162 m.) of the nearly-completed Brighton i360 viewing platform replaces the Victorian wrought iron of the much-loved West Pier, long since ruined first by fire and latterly by prevarication.
The Brighton Pavilion North gatehouse dates from about 1774.

France is having a day of strikes, «Mardi Noir» (Black Tuesday), the actions protesting against a number of separate grievances, including changes to employment law and education standards.
Place Castellane is a busy roundabout, a large group of taxis converged on the monument at a snail's place, a movement known as an «Operation Escargot». They don't like apps like Uber.
Schools shut. Government offices, social security etc just the Welcome desk manned, no-one actually talking to clients. Not much public transport running. 3/4G internet flaky and working half speed. Maybe because of the traffic jams or maybe surveillance. At least 20% of today's flights show as cancelled in advance but direct experience shows the reality is more than that.
Graffiti in several places with the slogan which translates as "Demos don't work any more: SABOTAGE". Nearby, a fire at an employment office. No evidence of any connection but either way, it's not good for democracy.
Is anything going to change? I wonder. Meanwhile businesses and individuals suffer.
Apparently also in Paris as in Marseille. Welcome to France!

Mistletoe in trees silhouetted against the pale winter sky.
This picture from North Somerset, where there is no shortage of mistletoe this winter.