Crossrailed Again!
I have a feeling London is going to have to learn to live with CrossRail. Not content with causing chaos in Oxford Street, the construction work has now effectively removed Hanover Square from being a useful thoroughfare between Fenwick and John Lewis.
An Unfriendly Hanover Square
But it still doesn’t stop idiots driving through to make matters worse for buses, taxis and pedestrians.
Traffic Jams Towards John Lewis
I must say that I might miss driving at times, but not in Central London.
I should say that I walked to John Lewis, a couple of minutes quicker than the Ferrari! But perhaps the driver was a learner, as this driver was.
To a Reception at the House of Lords
Last night, I went to a reception for Liverpool University alumni at the House of Lords.
It was an excellent do, with drinks and nibbles, some of which were gluten-free, in the Peers Dining Room hosted by Lord McNally.
In some ways afterwards was the highlight, as a small group of about eight of us, walked out through an empty, except for one security guard, Westminster Hall. We asked if it would be OK to take a picture and several of us did.
An Empty Westminster Hall
It really is a magnificient building.
Never when I was lying in hospital in Hong Kong, did I think, I’d ever be able to go to something like that again.
So never give up on life! You might miss the good surprises it has in store for you!
Boadicea Stands Guard
Standing guard opposite the Houses of Parliament is Boadicea, or as she is more normally spelled these days, Boudica.
Boadicea Stands Guard
She may or may not have defeated the Romans, as whatever happened they remained in Britain.
Her spirit lives on, especially in East Anglia. She probably came from that region, although no-one is sure quite where! I have heard several people say, including my father, that if the Germans had landed in Suffolk in the Second World War, they would have got similar treatment to that meted out by Boadicea and her ragbag army of upwards of 100,000 men. When questioned as to the legitimacy of this treatment under the Geneva Convention, a common reply was “What would Boadicea have done?” I don’t know the truth of all these reports, but I know Suffolk people well and they wouldn’t have taken an invasion lightly.
Some also say that her tribe, the Iceni, were the supreme horsemen, who when their horses were suffering from horse sickness, looked for a new and healthier place to raise them. They found this valley in the chalk downs and moved there, calling the place New Horse Market. In time this was corrupted to Newmarket. The town is the world centre of horse racing and breeding, known amongst racing people as Headquarters. Every thoroughbred can trace their ancestry back to this small town in Suffolk.
Carve Her Name With Pride
I was walking along the Albert Embankment yesterday opposite the Houses of Parliament, when I saw this statue.
SOE Memorial
It is of Violette Szabo GC, who was one of the best known of the 170 SOE agents who went to France to as Churchill put it “Set Europe Ablaze”. 117 of those sent died including thirteen women. Violette Szabo was just 23, when she was executed in Ravensbruck.
A film was made about Violette in 1958 called Carve Her Name With Pride starring Virginia McKenna. Hence the title of this post.
A Dent In The Olympic Rings
I took this picture yesterday at St. Pancras International station.
A Dent in the Olympic Rings
I wasn’t tall enough to get the clock in the centre of the ring.
House Fires Are a Problem of the Young Affluent
This may seem strange, as headlines often say fires are caused by stupid smokers and others, but this report on the BBC, says those that cause accidental domestic fires are often young, have a degree and a good job, and may well have just been down the pub.
A Bendy Bus Takes Early Retirement
The bendy buses on route 73 are going in September, but this one couldn’t wait to retire.
Luckily no-one was hurt and I don’t think anybody except fare dodgers will miss it!
Pictures of the London Wetland Centre
I took quite a few pictures and some are shown here.
Note the Nene or Hawaiian Goose, which is the state bird of Hawaii. It is the world’s rarest goose and was once down to about twenty individuals. But these were collected by Sir Peter Scott at WWT Slimbridge and now there is a healthy population that has been reintroduced to its original home.
Sir Peter was the son of the famous Antartic explorer, but in my view was the much greater person, as he excelled in so many different fields. Everyone should read more about this remarkable man. Start at Wikipedia.
Remember though that people of my age are biased about Sir Peter and Sir David Attenborough, as they were the people who did more to shape intelligent television about the planet and its wildlife in the 1950s than anybody else. People forget that there was only one channel and when the BBC started a second one to compete with ITV, Sir David was one of its first controllers.
A Visit to the London Wetland Centre
I’d been wanting to go for some time and felt that as this morning was hot, it might be a bit cooler to stand amongst the old reservoirs, that now make up the London Wetland Centre. So I took the North London Line to Gunnersbury, then a few stops back on the District line to Hammersmith and then a 283 bus to the centre.
283 Bus at the London Wetland Centre
It wasn’t a difficult ride and using the Overground to go from North East to South West London is preferable than the Underground, as the views are better and the trains are a lot more comfortable in hot weather.
The Peter Scott Visitor Centre
The centre is impressive and very much worth a visit. I stayed for a couple of hours and walked around the site observing the various birds. Not that I know much about what is what without a book and some binoculars, which I had forgot to take. Although the signage was good and very much in a style that Sir Peter would have approved of. Ponds are laid out by habitat and country or continent, with a large wild area that attracts all of the birds that either live in or visit London.
When it started to rain, I had a coffee in the excellent cafe, which I checked as to whther they knew their gluten-free or not! They did incidentally.
I then left on the bus to Hammersmith, before taking the Metropoitan line to King’s Cross to get the bus home.
Hammersmith Station on the Metropolitan line
The picture shows the Metropolitan line station at Hammersmith, which has been refurbished since the Undergound reorganised the Circle line. It certaining looked better than it did, when I went with my father from Wood Green to Earl’s Court avoiding the deep Tube lines. Anybody in their right mind would have used the Piccadilly line all the way. But my father had a phobia of deep lines, so went by steam train to King’s Cross, Metropolitan line to Hammersmith and then back to Earl’s Court on the District.
Above The Connaught Tunnel
I mentioned that the old Connaught Tunnel in London’s Docklands is going to be reused as part of CrossRail.
I took these pictures above it today.
To get to the area you take the Docklands Light Railway to either Prince Regent or Royal Albert stations.
The Anonymous Widower 