The Anonymous Widower

The Hydraulic Accumulator Tower From The DLR

I took these pictures of the Hydraulic Accumulator Tower yesterday to compliment those I took from the ground at Open House.

I was on the eastbound platform at Limehouse station, except for the close-up, where I was in the front of a train.

One of the problems with the DLR these days, is that it is too popular with site-seers and sometimes getting the front seats to take pictures can be almost impossible.

October 3, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , , | 1 Comment

To Brighton via Cable Car And A Lot More

And a few other things too!

I had plenty of time yesterday to get to the Ipswich match at Brighton, so I thought, I’d see how many different forms of transport I could use.

1. A 21 Bus to Bank


I started the simple way by getting on this 21 bus to take me to Bank station for the DLR.

A 21 Bus To Bank

It didn’t actually go to Bank, as southbound buses have to take a detour at Moorgate because of Crossrail.

2. Docklands Light Railway to Royal Victoria Docks

I then took the DLR to Royal Victoria Dock station for the cable-car.

DLR Train At Bank

I did take a pause at Limehouse station to take pictures of the Hydraulic Accumulator Tower.

3. Emirates Air-Line To North Greenwich

I’d actually come this way to give me a good title to the post.  But, as I had a gondola to myself, I was able to take good pictures of the Crossrail site at Limmo.

The Crossrail Site On The Limmo Peninsular

Work seems to be proceeding at speed and hopefully Elizabeth and Victoria will be dropped in the big hole soon.

4. Jubilee Line To Canada Water

This was the point, I realised I hadn’t got an SD card in the camera, so I purchased one by the O2.

Jubilee Line At Canada Water

At least the Jubilee line was working properly.

5.Lift To The Overground

This might seem like blatant cheating to get my count up. It is!

Lift To The Overground

Although it was a nice clean lift!

6. Overground To West Croydon

Those who know London’s transport system can argue that I should have taken the Jubilee line to London Bridge station and got a train from there.  But hey! That would not be fun.

Arriving At West Croydon

But even the Overground takes you to wrong station at Croydon for Brighton. But at least, West Croydon station now has a quick exit to the tram.

7. Tram To East Croydon

At least when you’re going West to East in Croydon, the Tramlink is simple.

Tram at East Croydon

In fact, if say I’m coming from Brighton to my home, I will probably go direct to the London terminus. But going south, I tend to take the Overground from close by my house and then the tram to East Croydon station, as I did here.

8. Train To Brighton

I bought my first ticket of the day.  a senior return to Brighton for £11.70.

My Train To Brighton Arrives

I arrived in Brighton on time.

I then walked down the hill to Carluccio’s for an early supper.

October 3, 2012 Posted by | Sport, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The CrossRail TBMs At Limmo

I took these pictures today of the two CrossRail tunnel boring machines; Elizabeth and Victoria, at Limmo today from the DLR just before the Beckton branch gets to Canning Town station.

If you want to see them, you’ll probably have to be quick, as they’ll be dropped into the hole there soon.

September 30, 2012 Posted by | News, Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Around The Limehouse Basin

From Ilford station, the one for TUCA, I took the train to Stratford from where I took the DLR to Limehouse station, where I walked around the Limehouse Basin.

My goal was to find another building open today in Open House; the Limehouse Hydraulic Accumulator.

September 22, 2012 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

Is This London’s Ugliest Tube Station?

I went to West Ham station today and took a few pictures.

It really is truly awful, unless you like piles of bricks. It isn’t correctly named either, as it’s nowhere near the Boleyn Ground and I suspect on match days, staff are for ever rounding up lost away fans. Crystal Palace station is another badly named one, as that is nowhere near Selhurst Park.

September 19, 2012 Posted by | Sport, Transport/Travel | , , , , | 5 Comments

Whoosh At Langdon Park

I stopped yesterday at Langdon Park DLR station to take pictures of the so-called Whoosh sculpture.

I couldn’t find any details of who designed and made it, at the station. I shall go back for a look. I found nothing on return, but there is a bit here.

I aways think that works of art should be acknowledged.  When I went to see England play in Belarus, Minsk was full of unattributed modern statues.  But that’s communism for you!  Someone who is very good, might get some credit for it, when it should all go to the leader.

September 19, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | 5 Comments

Pudding Mill Lane Station – 18th September 2012

I went to Pudding Mill Lane DLR station to see how things were progressing with CrossRail and the construction of the new station.

A senior person in the DLR told me, that it will be two years before the new station is fully open.  But then it will be a double-track line all the way past the station on the way to Bow Church station.

September 18, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | 1 Comment

Poor Signage At Greenwich

I had intended to get to Deptford, by using the DLR to Greenwich and then changing. It sounds easy, except that the signage at Greenwich wasn’t the best.

In the end I made it, but I just missed one train and had to wait fifteen minutes for the next.

August 27, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | 2 Comments

Who Nicked The Seats?

I took this picture this morning at Shadwell station on the DLR.

Who Nicked The Seats?

I did ask and they’ve been removed to make more room during the Olympics.

August 26, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel | | Leave a comment

Has London Got Friendlier?

Every Sunday morning, I take the Overground to Shadwell, where I switch to the DLR and go to Royal Victoria station, from where I get the Emirates Air-Line over the Thames to the O2.  From there, I go to Canary Wharf station, where I have a late breakfast in Carluccio’s.  This was my intension this morning, but I left my Oystercard behind, so I took the Jubilee line from Canning Town station to get to Canary Wharf. I’ve done it now perhaps six or seven times and it allows me to get a good view on the mood of London. Today everybody was very chatty and there was a generally friendly mood.

This wasn’t the first time, that I’ve noticed this upbeat mood on a personal level in recent weeks. One particular feature, is that I’ve had more talks with black people lately, than I’ve ever had in my past sixty-odd years. Could it be, that the Olympics is helping us to live together better, as in fact we all have more common interests, than those things that divide us?

In one instance, I walked away from a bus, with a black woman about my age, chatting about our health problems, both of us remarking that twenty years before, we’d have probably not said a word.

If this is the legacy of 2012, I’m all for it! Or is it just that finally we’ve developed a modern society?

August 19, 2012 Posted by | Food, Health, Transport/Travel, World | , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments