Admiral Beez
Superstar
Tomorrow I fly home after nearly four weeks in London and Essex.
This three week trip is just London, though we did a train ride out to tour Highclere Castle (Downton Abby). Here’s what we’ve seen here in London on this trip, not including the shops like Harrods, F&M, etc. and a fun train ride out to tour and lunch at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey).
Natural History Museum
British Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Kensington Palace Tour (and high tea)
Museum of the Home
Cutty Sark
Royal Geographical Society’s Shackleton's legacy exhibit
Royal Observatory Greenwich
National Maritime Museum
RAF Museum
Thames river Uber boat
HMS Belfast
St. Paul’s Cathedral (climbed right to the top)
London Monument (great fire)
London Transport Museum
Woolwich Arsenal (had to see https://sumpmagazine.com/amc-plaque.htm)
Museum of London
Charles Dickens Museum
Science Museum
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Greenwich Market
Portobello Road Market
Camden Market
Borough Market
Covent Garden Market
Little Venice (had coffee and a tart - not that sort - on a canal boat cafe)
Duchess Theatre (saw The Play That Goes Wrong | MISCHIEF)
I also spent a week with family in Essex. I stayed in a lovely cottage within easy walk of https://www.layermarneytower.co.uk/. Wasn’t supposed to be a week, but I caught Covid (mild cough) and had to isolate there for a week until I tested negative and could return to London. After two years of isolation and wfh in Toronto it’s no surprise I caught Covid here, as almost no one masks in England - I did on the tube. The entire clan here was previously infected so they didn’t mind joining me for country walks and garden pub pints and grub at the https://www.thehareandhound.co.uk/. If you have to recover from Covid this is a place to do it. Thankfully I was able to extend my work vacay and flight departure by a week.
A few notes on London. I saw very few bike lanes where I stayed (Kensington) and visited (see list above), and even fewer separated lanes. In fact, even though the weather is nice, I saw very few bicycles at all on the roads. Perhaps the excellent public transit system cancels out the need? In my entire time here in London and Essex I did not see a single stop sign, every intersection that’s not traffic light controlled is considered a yield, and it works. Pedestrians and drivers wave each other on. Next, everyone jaywalks, and it’s totally fine. The curbs are high to reduce car incursions onto the sidewalks. I returned to my childhood home in Lewisham and noticed that while it looks a little like my home in Cabbagetown, the entire SE neighbourhood has no trees, no front yard trees whatsoever, no canopy. What else? Almost no beggars, absolutely zero encampments, drunks or evident addicts in the parks across London I visited. And police actually on their feet! Walking the beat. When was the last time any one in Toronto saw a police officer (who‘s not on paid duty playing traffic cone) actually on their feet walking, not to a call, but just showing the flag, keeping the watch and engaging with passersby? Lastly, I love the public transit here, you have multiple options to get anywhere, for example I was in Woolwich and the DLR broke down and I walked to the British Rail station nearby and for no extra cost (due to the outage) I got myself to a tube station and home. Yesterday I just got on a bus, any bus and toured about. Lastly, there are far fewer EVs than I expected, I think 95-99% of the cars I see are ICE powered, even though curb side charging posts abound. There’s varying levels of vandalism on the tube, including scratchetti (sp?) but almost no panhandling at or near stations - though you do see the gypsy flower women chasing down tourists. The independent book stores are amazing, I spent at least an hour at Hatchards coming out with several purchases. Overall, this city just works well, getting around is easy, I always felt safe and at ease. The daily max fare on London transit is handy, as is the ability to pay with your phone or tap your credit card.
I skipped the Eye as a tourist trap (in 2019 I rode its copy in Singapore), war museum (too sad), and I’ve been to the Tower of London before, since I’ve a beatified ancestor there. So, I think I’ve done London. The weather has been lovely, not too hot but sunny most days - I sat in Hyde Park by the pond just to read a book, just sublime. Yesterday I walked for 90 mins listening to the BBC History Extra podcast from Westminster through the large parks all the way to my hotel, stopping for a tea by the pond - I wish Toronto had urban parks of this scale. My next trip to the UK will be to Yorkshire and Scotland. After a month away I’m ready to come home. My boss says sales are up since I left so I’m glad I could contribute to my company’s success, lol. Now back to work.
Today I’m attending the service at https://stjamespaddington.org.uk/ which looks beautiful inside. Then fly home tomorrow.
This three week trip is just London, though we did a train ride out to tour Highclere Castle (Downton Abby). Here’s what we’ve seen here in London on this trip, not including the shops like Harrods, F&M, etc. and a fun train ride out to tour and lunch at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey).
Natural History Museum
British Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Kensington Palace Tour (and high tea)
Museum of the Home
Cutty Sark
Royal Geographical Society’s Shackleton's legacy exhibit
Royal Observatory Greenwich
National Maritime Museum
RAF Museum
Thames river Uber boat
HMS Belfast
St. Paul’s Cathedral (climbed right to the top)
London Monument (great fire)
London Transport Museum
Woolwich Arsenal (had to see https://sumpmagazine.com/amc-plaque.htm)
Museum of London
Charles Dickens Museum
Science Museum
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Greenwich Market
Portobello Road Market
Camden Market
Borough Market
Covent Garden Market
Little Venice (had coffee and a tart - not that sort - on a canal boat cafe)
Duchess Theatre (saw The Play That Goes Wrong | MISCHIEF)
I also spent a week with family in Essex. I stayed in a lovely cottage within easy walk of https://www.layermarneytower.co.uk/. Wasn’t supposed to be a week, but I caught Covid (mild cough) and had to isolate there for a week until I tested negative and could return to London. After two years of isolation and wfh in Toronto it’s no surprise I caught Covid here, as almost no one masks in England - I did on the tube. The entire clan here was previously infected so they didn’t mind joining me for country walks and garden pub pints and grub at the https://www.thehareandhound.co.uk/. If you have to recover from Covid this is a place to do it. Thankfully I was able to extend my work vacay and flight departure by a week.
A few notes on London. I saw very few bike lanes where I stayed (Kensington) and visited (see list above), and even fewer separated lanes. In fact, even though the weather is nice, I saw very few bicycles at all on the roads. Perhaps the excellent public transit system cancels out the need? In my entire time here in London and Essex I did not see a single stop sign, every intersection that’s not traffic light controlled is considered a yield, and it works. Pedestrians and drivers wave each other on. Next, everyone jaywalks, and it’s totally fine. The curbs are high to reduce car incursions onto the sidewalks. I returned to my childhood home in Lewisham and noticed that while it looks a little like my home in Cabbagetown, the entire SE neighbourhood has no trees, no front yard trees whatsoever, no canopy. What else? Almost no beggars, absolutely zero encampments, drunks or evident addicts in the parks across London I visited. And police actually on their feet! Walking the beat. When was the last time any one in Toronto saw a police officer (who‘s not on paid duty playing traffic cone) actually on their feet walking, not to a call, but just showing the flag, keeping the watch and engaging with passersby? Lastly, I love the public transit here, you have multiple options to get anywhere, for example I was in Woolwich and the DLR broke down and I walked to the British Rail station nearby and for no extra cost (due to the outage) I got myself to a tube station and home. Yesterday I just got on a bus, any bus and toured about. Lastly, there are far fewer EVs than I expected, I think 95-99% of the cars I see are ICE powered, even though curb side charging posts abound. There’s varying levels of vandalism on the tube, including scratchetti (sp?) but almost no panhandling at or near stations - though you do see the gypsy flower women chasing down tourists. The independent book stores are amazing, I spent at least an hour at Hatchards coming out with several purchases. Overall, this city just works well, getting around is easy, I always felt safe and at ease. The daily max fare on London transit is handy, as is the ability to pay with your phone or tap your credit card.
I skipped the Eye as a tourist trap (in 2019 I rode its copy in Singapore), war museum (too sad), and I’ve been to the Tower of London before, since I’ve a beatified ancestor there. So, I think I’ve done London. The weather has been lovely, not too hot but sunny most days - I sat in Hyde Park by the pond just to read a book, just sublime. Yesterday I walked for 90 mins listening to the BBC History Extra podcast from Westminster through the large parks all the way to my hotel, stopping for a tea by the pond - I wish Toronto had urban parks of this scale. My next trip to the UK will be to Yorkshire and Scotland. After a month away I’m ready to come home. My boss says sales are up since I left so I’m glad I could contribute to my company’s success, lol. Now back to work.
Today I’m attending the service at https://stjamespaddington.org.uk/ which looks beautiful inside. Then fly home tomorrow.
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