The London Pleasure Gardens
I said I would go and find the tent-like structure, I noticed yesterday on my trip back from Woolwich.
It turns out it’s the London Pleasure Gardens, as described here in Time Out.
As you can see it looks all rather shut up, but then Time Out is now reporting the company has gone into administration.
Everything would appear to have been cancelled. The web site just shows a place page.
St. Mark’s Church, Silvertown
This picture shows, what I think is St. Mark’s Church, Silvertown.
St. Mark’s Church, Silvertown
It is just one of the many distinctive churches you can see from the DLR.
No visit to London is complete without a ride on London’s unique DLR. It may have been built on the cheap as a stopgap, but like Topsy it has grown and now is one of the stalwarts of London’s transport system. These are stations and local areas worth visiting.
Abbey Road for Abbey Mills and the Greenway. But not the recording studio!
Canary Wharf for the walks by the water and the shopping
Canning Town and East India for the River Lee and The East India Dock Basin
Greenwich for the Cutty Sark and Maritime Greenwich
Pontoon Dock for the Thames Barrier
Pudding Mill Lane for the Greenway and some of the best coffee in London
Royal Victoria for the Emirates Air Line
Woolwich Arsenal for the Royal Arsenal
A Crossing At The Angel Has Learned To Count
Transport for London is installing counters on some of the pedestrian crossings as they detail here.
A Crossing At The Angel Has Learned To Count
As the picture shows, one has now been installed at the Angel.
I haven’t used this crossing since the system was installed, but where they have been, I think they are a good idea.
Ten Years Of The London Congestion Charge
It is now ten years since the London Congestion Charge was brought in and it is reported here on the BBC.
Perhaps eight or so years ago, when I walked round the are covered in London, the traffic appeared to be less heavy than it is now. And as I reported in this post, the problems in Chelsea are awful. So it would appear that it is working and the removal of the Western Extension of the zone was a real mistake.
As a non-driver, I’m very much in favour of the system and feel the area should be expanded. But even most of my friends, who live in London and drive, don’t ever pay the charge, as they use public transport or taxis, when going to Central London.
What to me is the most interesting thing about the Congestion Charge is how well the technology has worked. I was very dubious, that this could be done successfully, those ten years ago. But in this case, I was very pleased to have my fears proven wrong.
Someone’s Feeding the McFoxes
I took this picture at the scruffy end of Oxford Street, whilst waiting for the bus home.
Someone’s Feeding the McFoxes
No wonder we have foxes everywhere, with customers of McDonalds putting their litter everywhere!
Another Urban Fox Attack
There is a report of another fox attack on a baby. Happily, it doesn’t seem to be too serious and not outside the capabilities of the NHS.
One of my friends is Korean and I asked him, if they get these sort of problems in Seoul. he said that they don’t and he felt, there was many wild animals in the city except for rats and mice. This is confirmed by this post from a blog.
But how many other cities in other countries have urban animals, that aren’t always cuddly?
This is a story about wildlife in Berlin.
So it’s not just a British problem!
Are Bookings At The Shard Going As Well As Expected?
I ask the question, not because I want it to be unsuccessful, but this evening, I was browsing the on-line copy of The Times and an advert to visit the Shard was displayed.
I would have thought, that given the building’s prominence on the London skyline, it really wouldn’t have needed to advertise that it was open for business.
I did check The Shard’s web site and there did seem to be tickets available for the following two Sundays, although the Saturdays are sold out.
On the other hand with weather like we’ve been having, I might even pass a trip up the building. Even if it was a gift!
But articles like this one in the Daily Mail aren’t very helpful.
I shall probably go to the cable car this Sunday, but there is a slight problem in that the Docklands Light Railway isn’t running to the northern terminal.
Congestion Charge Consultation
I have just filled in the Congestion Charge Consultation on the Transport for London web site.
I am broadly in agreement with the proposals, but the Western Extension of the Zone, needs to be reinstated to make public transport work better in Kensington and Chelsea.
One of my worries about the Congestion Charge Zone, when it first came in years ago, was that the technology wouldn’t work. It did and I think it generally works well.
So I’m rather surprised that other areas of the country don’t use it to cut congestion and pollution.
General Sikorski
General Sikorski was a wartime Polish leader.
The pictures show his statue in Portland Place.
My Father Was A Real Cockney
My father was born in Islington and although he had all the rhyming slang and other knowledge, he never called himself a real Cockney, who was born within the sound of Bow Bells. Today, he wouldn’t have been, but when he was born in 1904, he would probably have been born inside the area, as indicated by this map.
I went past the church of St. Mary-le-Bow today and took some pictures.
According to the map, I think that both my maternal grandparents and possibly my paternal grandfather, were all born in the required area. So I could be three-quarter Cockney.
The Anonymous Widower 
