Lost In Clapham
Yesterday, I had to deliver something to an address in Battersea. I found the address easily after taking a 35 bus to just round the corner. But then I tried to walk through the area to Clapham Junction station to get the Overground home. There were none of the usual bus stop maps and no Legible London signs.
A Useless Bus Stop
The picture shows a typical bus stop on I think Lavender Hill. It may have had an information display, but that is not very useful, if you don’t know the routes of the buses.
I should say that I did see several night bus route maps, but I wanted to get home now, not wait until late at night.
In the end I took the first bus and got off, when it told me it was at Wandsworth Road station. I finally found a lone Legible London lith.
A Solitary Lith
But it was unnecessary for me, as I had arrived at a station, where I could get a train home.
Perhaps people only go to South London to get lost.
Through St. Paul’s To The Tate Modern
I went for a walk this morning, starting on the North side of St. Paul’s Cathedral and then over the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern.
I’d actually never been in the gardens of the cathedral before, which connect the two sides of the building. As it was fairly early, it would have been a pleasant place to sit around for thirty minutes or so.
There’s more on the blue trees here.
Do We Rely On Cars Too Much?
This story from Birmingham shows the problems you get when you close a major route through a city centre so important maintenance can be carried out.
Birmingham to me, is one of the least pedestrian friendly cities in the UK and it seems to an outsider that everything has been given over to the car. On my last visit for example, I found no walking maps at all. I also went to St. Andrews to see Ipswich play Birmingham City last year and walking to the ground was a dangerous experience.
But then nothing must detract from the experience of driving!
A Walk In Hyde Park
I went for a walk this afternoon in Hyde Park.
I had gone to see the awful statue that someone had put in the Serpentine to publicise a new TV channel. But I couldn’t find it. There’s a picture here from the Belfast Telegraph.
But I did take a few pictures.
It turned out that the statue had been removed. Judging by the quality of the statue, I hope it’s been recycled.
I did have a very nice ice cream in the Lido Cafe by the Serpentine. I t might have been a bit expensive, but it was good. And I had it in a tub.
Thinking about the walk later, I reckon it must be nearly forty years since I have been to that part of Hyde Park. We occasionally used to go swimming in the Serpentine with the boys, although, I don’t think I ever ventured in. But C did, as she was a manic swimmer. I don’t have any pictures of that time, but the park has been spruced up a lot since.
They were difficult but happy times!
Hackney Shows The Way To Go
Hackney seems to be embracing the new Legible London with vigour.
I spotted these two of their taller, narrower signs in Shoreditch High Street, last night.
I didn’t need them last night, as I knew where I was going, but in that very-visited part of Hackney, they are very welcome.
Walking In Birmingham
I knew where I was going today, as I was going to Carluccio’s in Brindley Place. The new station entrances actually made it easier, as it seemed to me, that there wasn’t such an uphill climb, as the station seemed to slope in the right direction.
But I didn’t see a map anywhere! So if you are a first time visitor, what do you do? I know the station isn’t complete but surely in the main shopping centre, there should be something to help, non-Brummies! i suppose in some ways, you get spoilt in London, which can be almost over-mapped at times.
I have also started to not where a watch, as it irritates my arm and shoulder. And I didn’t see a clock anywhere!
Birmingham needs to implement its own version of Legible London.
But like two door buses, most cities don’t like to even trial something that works well in London.
A Walk And A Taste Of Stockholm
After checking out the tickets, I went for a walk with lunch thrown in using my Walk and Eat Guide.
The pictures tell the story of the walk.
I actually had lunch in Cafe Rival, which is in the hotel of the same name. Again there was gluten-free bread. I think, if I go to Stockholm again, I’ll try the Hotel Rival first.
Welcome To Stockholm
I took the train into Stockholm from the airport at Arlanda and then walked to the hotel. I know cycling is good for you, but why do cyclists park their bikes everywhere, so that walking is virtually impossible?
Welcome To Stockholm
In fairness to Stockholm, a lot of building work was going on at the station and the walking path will probably be better in the future. There was the odd map along the route, but not as many as we now have in London. But some might say that London is overmapped. I wouldn’t!
Legible London
Legible London is described like this on their web site.
Legible London is a pedestrian wayfinding system that’s helping people walk around the Capital.
It does mean that information posts like these are turning up everywhere.
I’ve noticed these signs for some time, but it is only now, they’ve started to appear near me.
When the whole of London is covered, who will need a map on a mobile phone?
Drivers Are Being Persecuted
That’ll be the call that goes up after the government crackdown on bad driving. It’s reported here on the BBC.
Obviously, as a pedestrian, it doesn’t affect me.
But bad driving does!
I regularly cross the road at the junction of the Balls Pond Road and Southgate Road. several times, whilst crossing on the green pedestrian light, I have nearly been run over by someone turning right illegally out of Mildmay Park. Only buses are allowed to do this, but do it only rarely.
I also get very annoyed with drivers, who disobey Rule 170 of the Highway Code. This is the relevant advice to drivers.
Watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way.
Many don’t. Especially on one junction near me, where drivers think they are clever to take it as if they are entering the pits at Silverstone. Luckily, I now know the driving habits at that junction and check carefully, but quite a few drivers, don’t have the courtesy to use their indicators, so I have to wait to see their intentions.
So let’s persecute bad drivers and use the fines to improve driver education, public transport and walking routes.
The Anonymous Widower 