The Much-Improved Trafalgar Square
When I was young Trafalgar Square was rather a tacky place, where you went for New Year’s Eve, if you cvould brave it. Traffic rushed everywhere and the central part was completely cut off from everywhere else. But look at it now.
It just shows how things can be improved by removing the traffic.
Is there a more impressive important square in a European capital?
The only problem, is that some Ipswich Town fans might protest that the admiral on the column is from Norfolk.
I do have some happy memories of the place from when I stood on the Fourth Plinth.
Back To The Future?
Fedex were delivering a parcel nearby and parked their driver parked his van outside.
Fedex Modec Electric Delivery Vehicle
It is totally electric and called a Modec. It would appear that the manufacturer no longer exists.
The reason I used the title was that I can remember the electric Harrods vans that used to trundle all over Central London until about the late 1960s. They had been built in the 1930s in the basement of the store. I think I once read that the rolling friction was designed to be so low, that it was possible for one man to push them on his own. I also think there were about sixty of them.
We need a lot more of this type of delivery van in big cities. London is probably an ideal place, as it is fairly flat, but perhaps San Francisco would be less so.
Bill Turnbull Calls It Eastfield
On BBC Breakfast this morning, Bill Turnbull called the new shpping centre at Stratford, Eastfield. He argued that as it was in East London that should be the name.
Why Not?
I found this telephone cable cabinet behind Waitrose in the Barbican.
A Painted Telephone Cable Cabinet
Perhaps all of these cabinets, which are always getting damaged by metal thieves should be painted in other designs. After all, it would make them very traceable, if they were stolen.
Queen Elizabeth Visits Liverpool
Not the person, but the cruise ship. Read about it here.
There is rather a war growing up about attracting cruise ships to the various ports in the United Kingdom. Liverpool is particularly well placed in that cruise ships come in directly in front of the Pierhead with the Three Graces and within a short walking distance of the major shops and museums. London’s cruise terminal is forty kilometres down river. Even Edinburgh, which has a deep water port at Leith, hasn’t got its act together and has even discredited its position with the farce over the trams.
Tourism is going to be one of the things that help to grow the economy. Are the various ports around the country, up to scratch?
Are The Welsh Preparing to Invade?
Dai Greene yesterday won the 400 metres hurdles in Daegu.
With a name like Dai, he has to be Welsh and of course is.
So when the his event takes place at Stratford over the 3rd to the 6th of August next year, will there be a shortage of leeks and daffodils in London?
The big question is where are they going to park the dragon? The problem is that East London and the Olympic Park in particular, has lots of rivers, canals and water in general. So will this put the fire out? Or do dragons have waterproof fire?
Along The River Lea To Lea Bridge
The River Lea has the reputation of being a rather stagnant open sewer in the east of London.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The Markfield Beam Engine
The Markfield Beam Engine sits in a park in Tottenham with a cafe and a rose garden.
It is well worth a visit.
The National Cafe at the National Gallery
I had a good lunch with a friend at the National Cafe at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.
They were quite happy to check the menu and modify it accordingly to make what I ate gluten-free.
Double Busing
It is easy for me to get to IKEA at Edmonton, as I just get a 341 from the Balls Pond Road. However lately, when I go that way I get a 141 from a stop closer to my house. I find that the two routes seem to race themselves up through Manor House and if you time it right you can change to a 341 without delay. I cuts a couple of minutes off the journey and avoids a few minutes walking to the stop.
This is the great advantage of very frequent buses.
I believe Transport for london are going to allow bus tracking over the Internet. This will mean, I can choose the route before I leave to meet a bus at the stop.
The Anonymous Widower 