London On Fire?
These pictures were taken with my camera as we took off last night.
I think a lot of the effects were because the camera didn’t get the range right.
Heathrow Express or Not
From where I live, Heathrow Airport is not the easiest place to get to. If I was going for a week or so, I’d leave my car with the valet parking and drive. C and I once went by bus from Newmarket and that was fine, except that they are every two hours. When will they learn that to get people to use public transport, you need a decent frequency.
I will take the train from Whittlesford and then the Victoria Line into London. But instead of taking the tube to Paddington, I’ll do a cross-platform change to the Piccadilly Line at Finsbury Park and go straight to the airport. London Transport say it is 20 minutes slower than the Heathrow Express, but it won’t involve any humping of baggage up and down steps.
Victoria Line Delay
Yesterday, I left Selfridges about five with the intention of getting to Blackhorse Road by five-thirty and home in time to see England play South Africa in the Twenty20 World Cup.
But I hadn’t bargained on the signalling problems that happened at Seven Sisters, that effectively meant that no trains could run through.
Now one of the things that works on public transport in London is that there are a lot of different ways to get from A to C, even if doesn’t mean going by B.
Eventually we gave up at Euston, where we had sat for about five minutes. The driver had told us to try to find alternative routes, but to get to the further parts of the Victoria Line is not easy. Especially as the Circle Line to Liverpool Street was shut as it was being upgraded. Why Liverpool Street? You can get a Chingford train to St. James Street in Walthamstow.
I was talking to an Aussie, who wanted to get to Pickett’s Lock, where he had planted his tent for about three pounds a day. That must be the cheapest bed in London, although these days it must be pretty cold. But then he was going walking near Inverness and was wearing shorts on quite a cold day. I was actually wearing a T-shirt under my shirt!
So we legged it and immediately caught a Northern Line train to Kings Cross St. Pancras. A long walk through that station brought us to the Piccadilly Line, where we immediately caught a train towards Finsbury Park, where the aim was to see if we could get a bus towards Seven Sisters and Blackhorse Road. Or in fact rejoin the Victoria Line, but that now not running at all.
It was there that I made my first mistake. All the world and his wife seemed to have the same idea and masses were scrambling towards the exit and the buses.
So it was back down to the Piccadilly Line and back on the next train to Manor House.
We were in luck and a few minutes later we were on a 279 bus to Tottenham Hale for myself and all the way to Edmonton Green for my travelling companion. He would be exactly where he wanted to be and I would be a short bus ride away from the Lotus Elan at Blackhorse Road. Note that buses are so much better today, now that they actually tell you where they are going!
It was all very complicated, but at least I had a someone pleasant to talk to. I arrived about forty minutes later than I would have done directly by tube.
Incidentally, one thing that was very good was the attitude of London Transport staff. My companion’s tickets didn’t work the barriers as his was just a simple return, but they just waved him through.
The whole journey could have been one hell of a lot worse!
New River Walk
The New River is one of London’s hidden treasures. It could be argued that the growth of London owes just a bit to this early seventeenth century feat of engineering to bring clean drinking water to London.
It is still used to bring water to London and most of the route is an easy walk. But from Stoke Newington onwards the river is now not used to provide water and in some places it has been converted into walks and parks. One such is the New River Walk at Canonbury.
New River Walk
Note the bamboo!
Melville Hotel, Kings Cross
I booked this hotel on Late Rooms before I went to Holland.
Melville Hotel, Kings Cross
The hotel was cheap and was best described as a building site. My room was comfortable though and this would have been fine, except for the fact that there were doors banging all night.
Breakfast looked appalling and I chose the option of eating in St. Pancras at Carluccios.
I shall not be staying there again.
A Cash Box Robbery in Hampstead
I’m nearly 63 and I’ve never been at a real crime scene, except for our three burglaries in the South of France, that prompted us to sell Les Ondes.
But I came across a cash box robbery in Hampstead last Friday.
Cash Box Robbery in Hampstead
Here’s the report of the robbery in the Ham and High.
We all fear crime, but is it that common?
Old Names Never Die
Hampstead Station on the Underground used to be or was going to be called Heath Street. Wikipedia states that it was only given that name before opening, but was always called Hampstead. If anybody knows the truth let me know.
Heath Street Sign at Hampstead Station
The tiles have been restored and they have still left the name.
But Gillespie Road still lives!
An Australian Boat
The Thames Clipper that brought me down the river was built in Australia. You may find this strange, but that country does have a reputation for building large and/or fast catamarans.
Thames Clipper
Here’s the maker’s plate.
Cyclone Clipper Nameplate
Note the builders were bscship.
Cleopatra’s Needle
On the Embankment, you’ll see Cleopatra’s Needle.
Cleopatra's Needle
The British example is not in such a prominent place as the one in Paris. But then it’s location doesn’t have such a bloody history.
Note the high flood protection walls on the Embankment. I can remember, when at Cleopatra’s Needle, they were perhaps almost a metre lower and you could walk down steps to the river.
The Anonymous Widower 