London Under High Alert 2001

Wandering the City of London

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Victorian ironwork Photo - London, England

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Today is my last day in London before going off to other parts.After my morning tea I decided to walk down through the City of London, also known as the Square Mile, and gawp at the architecture and search out the remains of the Wren churches hiding among the newer office towers. The weather is sunny but not too hot, perfect for walking. I walked all around Threadneedle street, Leadenhall Market, Cornhill, King William Street, passed by Lloyd's, the newish building with all the words on the outside, heating pipes, elevators etc. Leadenhall market is a covered Victorian arcade with some nice shops and cafes though I had thought it would be a stall type market. The iron work is superb, thou...Read More

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Flying the Eye

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Fly the London Eye Photo - London, England

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After I saw pretty much everything at the Globe (see review), I left and walked West along the Bankside, stopping along the way as I felt like. The day was overcast but not threatening and there was a coolish breeze blowing off the Thames. I sat daydreaming at one point trying to decide what else I *should* do and ended up scolding myself. I didn't *have* to do anything if I didn't want to! No law says I have to go, go, go. Eventually I found myself down by the London Eye wheel. I bought a bottle of water and muffin at a keyosk and looked up at the wheel. I have been of two minds all week whether to "fly the Eye", but there was no lineup today whatsoever and that made my mind up for me. I was able to ...Read More

After I saw pretty much everything at the Globe (see review), I left and walked West along the Bankside, stopping along the way as I felt like. The day was overcast but not threatening and there was a coolish breeze blowing off the Thames. I sat daydreaming at one point trying to decide what else I *should* do and ended up scolding myself. I didn't *have* to do anything if I didn't want to! No law says I have to go, go, go. Eventually I found myself down by the London Eye wheel. I bought a bottle of water and muffin at a keyosk and looked up at the wheel. I have been of two minds all week whether to "fly the Eye", but there was no lineup today whatsoever and that made my mind up for me. I was able to buy a ticket in County Hall and walk right into a "pod" after two security guards checked my purse first. Apparently there usually is quite a lineup for tickets but the day after the Sept. 11 attacks, there was absolutely nobody wanting to go up in the attraction, fearful that it could also be a target.

It's not cheap, but you can save 10% by booking online.

The complete circuit takes a half hour to the minute nearly. The weather was more or less clearing though very little blue sky was visible. Still a decent enough day for the view. The compartments can hold 20 people each and there's a bench in the middle to sit on if you are nervous about standing too close to the glass wall. You don't feel the movement at all, nor feel or hear even a rumble from a motor! You move so slowly that the only way you can tell you are even moving at all is because your eyes tell you that you are going up.

About halfway up one side even my eyes started to fool me. The scene didn't look as if it was changing at all and I thought we were stopped. There comes a point where you are above the buildings far enough that it really is difficult to tell if you are going up or down. The next thing I knew, we were cresting over the top and my brain then told my eyes that yes, things were farther down than they were 10 minutes ago. The views were spectacular. Taking photos is possible although you will probably get some reflection of the light off the glass walls. I was even able to see a bit of the Tower Bridge between two office blocks. Night "flights" would be pretty cool too, though I think twilight, just as the lights of the city are coming on but it's light enough to see a bit of distance would be even better.

You only get the once around the circle and you're off. I walked across Westminster bridge and decided to head back to Liverpool Station as it was after 4 by this time While I waited for Nikki, I went to the McDonald's at the station and bought a milkshake and fries so that I could guiltlessly use their loo. I also had time to make a phone call to a friend who hadn't been able to make it to our get together last Sunday.

Tonight we had a delicious meal of salmon and vegetables and tiny new potatoes and I got some laundry done. Tomorrow is my last day in London before heading off to Redditch and then Manchester.
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Shakespeare's Globe

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Attraction | "Shakespeare's Globe and Theatre Museum"

Interior, Globe Theatre Photo - Shakespeare's Globe, London, England

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On the Thursday of my 2001 trip to London i decided to go to the Globe and after arriving at Liverpool Street station in the morning with Nikki, and after my usual cuppa tea first thing, I made my way to the Southbank area. I got to the new Globe theatre by about 10. There was a tour of the theatre at 10:30 so I spent a half hour looking at the first bit ofthe exhibition in the adjoining building. This part of the museum went into the history of the rebuilding of the Globe, a project spearheaded by American actor Sam Wanamaker who worked tirelessly raising money for 20 years. The original Globe was one street away from the present location but that property was not available. Around ...Read More

On the Thursday of my 2001 trip to London i decided to go to the Globe and after arriving at Liverpool Street station in the morning with Nikki, and after my usual cuppa tea first thing, I made my way to the Southbank area. I got to the new Globe theatre by about 10. There was a tour of the theatre at 10:30 so I spent a half hour looking at the first bit of
the exhibition in the adjoining building.

This part of the museum went into the history of the rebuilding of the Globe, a project spearheaded by American actor Sam Wanamaker who worked tirelessly raising money for 20 years. The original Globe was one street away from the present location but that property was not available. Around the outside of the theatre are bricks in the pavement that were sold for £300 in exchange for which the owner's name is carved in the brick for all to see. You can still buy a normal smaller brick for a pound if you wish. The theatre, which can hold 900 in the seating area and 600 in the Yard which is a bit of a squash admittedly, is entirely self supporting and the most expensive ticket is only £20.

The original Globe was built in 1599 and was actually moved to Bankside from a location North of London and was owned by Richard Burbadge along with the company of performers. A very early co-op! You would get to the theatre by ferry boat and there were no tickets sold in advance. Royalty would not have attended as portrayed in some movies. They would summon the troupe for a private performance at one of the Royal Palaces.

The tour took the better part of an hour. We were taken outside for an explanation of how the theatre was built using methods and materials identical to those from the early 17th C. This building is the only thatch building in London and they had to have special permission from the fire department to do it. It is lined with sprinklers for safety. Inside the building we heard about how it would have been to attend a play in such a theatre in late Elizabethan times. There is no metal used in the construction of the wooden theatre other than some ornamental pieces on the doors and some used in the floor and seating structure. The beams supporting it are aged oak and the plaster is a mixture of water, sand and lots of goat hair, just the way it would have been 400 years ago. The brick base is made of copies of 17th C style brick as well. Because there were no existing plans of the interior, it's a "best guess". There are however, lights for evening performances.

The stage is thrust out into the audience instead of in a picture frame sort of setting so you can see the actors no matter where you sit or stand. The "Yard" or floor is standing room only and you can buy tickets to see a play from the Yard for five pounds. In Shakespeare's day, this would cost you a penny.

The theatre is circular with pine benches in three tiers of galleries. The stage is oak and sheltered by a magnificent canopy supported by two huge oak trees painted to look like marble pillars. The boards are painted each season depending on performance or theme although this season they were left bare to see how it would work as the plays this season were mostly done in modern dress. When I was there in late September the season had just finished. The theatre is open to the sky and plays are performed rain or shine with rain slickers provided if necessary. No umbrellas as they would block the view. They also used the theatre for other types of performances from comedy to music. Every year one country is invited to do a production of a Shakespeare play in their own native language. This year's was in Brazil's Portuguese and one year there was a Zulu production of "The Scottish Play".

I went back and saw the rest of the theatre exhibition which I really enjoyed and I really recommend if you are a theatre fan at all. It details the history of theatre in London and the history of the South Bank area. There are loads of interactive multimedia displays on monitors, with interesting things like the various ways they used to produce sound and special effects in Elizabethan theatre. There was a display of musical instruments from that time, all hanging in a glass case and a nearby touch screen that you could use to find out about the different pieces including how they sounded. Downstairs there is an area that displays costumes and costume making, props, printing from that era, even a couple of sound booths with audio clips of various famous actors from this century performing. There were even scratchy sounding very old clips from the early part of the century. One modern actor was Sir John Geilgud though I was surprised that Sir Lawrence Olivier or Richard Burton weren't featured in addition.

There is a lot to see, a very good gift shop and a good café with a limited menu for a light lunch. There are lifts for people with mobility issues. The tickets are now 10.50 but include the tour. Try to go during the morning or when there is no matinee performance because the tour inside the theatre won't be on then.

http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/exhibitiontour/ Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 2, 2009

Shakespeare's Globe
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside
London, England SE1 9DT
+44 20 7902 1400

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Lost in Pimlico, the Tate and the Temple

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Side of Tate Britain Photo - London, England

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September 25, 2001I checked out of the hotel this morning and took a cab to Liverpool Station where I stored my bags in Left Luggage for the day. Pricey but convenient. Stashing them at the hotel would mean either schlepping them around on the tube or risking being late taking a taxi in rush hour traffic. Now my bags are here and ready to go when I am. I’m meeting a friend when she gets off work and spending the rest of the week with her and her partner out in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. Freed of my burdens, I caught the tube to Victoria Station, hoping to locate the post office. My tourist map had a little envelope symbol in the vicinity but I never did find it. Probably walked rig...Read More

September 25, 2001

I checked out of the hotel this morning and took a cab to Liverpool Station where I stored my bags in Left Luggage for the day. Pricey but convenient. Stashing them at the hotel would mean either schlepping them around on the tube or risking being late taking a taxi in rush hour traffic. Now my bags are here and ready to go when I am. I’m meeting a friend when she gets off work and spending the rest of the week with her and her partner out in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.

Freed of my burdens, I caught the tube to Victoria Station, hoping to locate the post office. My tourist map had a little envelope symbol in the vicinity but I never did find it. Probably walked right past it knowing my luck. I was heading south on Buckingham Palace Road. I think. Those new popular little popup tourist maps are handy but don't have the detail that my other one published by Let's Go on the inside covers of a pocket guide book does. It didn't serve me well in the walk towards the Tate Gallery which was my goal for this morning.

I turned of BPR in the general eastern direction of the Tate and found myself along some quiet streets in Pimlico, lined with white terraced houses. I passed by a church, St. Gabriel's, by Warwick Square and I walked and walked until I realized that the fold out pocket map was really only good if you were following main streets! I couldn't figure out where I was but at one point I could see the four smoke stacks of Battersea Power station looming up so I knew I was close by the Thames at least. I followed that road, which turned out to be Grosvenor Road and came to a pub called the Spread Eagle.

By this time I had been walking about 3/4 of an hour and it was about 11:30 a.m., my face was clammy and hair frizzy in the morning humidity and I was gasping for a drink. Pub. drink. plan! Only I did take the girl behind the bar somewhat by surprise when I asked was there any way I could get a cup of tea! There was, Bless her! I sat down by a window to peruse my woefully inadequate map only to discover I was about 100 yards from the Tate which was just around a bend in the road. Oh well, I did have a pleasant walk and this after all is the way you *should* see a city. Walk and see where the roads take you. You can't get that far lost in London in the long run, not on foot with a map in hand even one lacking in detail as mine. The tea was restoring and my feet enjoyed the rest.

After all the moaning I have done over the years about wanting to see the Tate Britain and the J. M. W. Turner paintings, I should have known I had my hopes up too high. There are quite a few rooms in a separate wing at the gallery dedicated to Turner but most of what's here are his unfinished works. Of the one room that had finished paintings I only recognized one of his shipwreck scenes. I thought it would be mostly works that I would recognize but perhaps most of them are scattered around galleries around the world unless this was a temporary exhibition. I ate lunch at the gallery, feeling let down a bit but the
food at least is excellent here!

After lunch I browsed in the other galleries, seeing works by John Constable and some really nice portraits by John Singer Sargent, an artist I hadn't really considered before. There were a lot of portraits that were actually very interesting although the Victorian morals were really played up in many of them with allegories depicted in others. The gallery is not really large so it's not overwhelming. Most of the modern art is now housed in the Tate Modern on Bankside near the Globe theatre and wobbly new Millenium footbridge.

After a browse in the shop I took a bus up through Trafalgar Square and got off near Aldwych. I wandered down the Strand, admiring the turreted Royal Courts of Justice, a bit too Over The Top for my taste but interesting nonetheless. Twinning tea shop is just across from it as well, a deep narrow shop filled with tea and coffee, cups and teapots.

A little farther on I arrived at Temple Bar. This was originally where the Knights Templar had their headquarters and church. There is still a very old church there but it is covered in scaffolding. The "Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon" were founded in 1118 to protect Christianity during the Crusades when they accumulated a vast amount of wealth, mostly donated by grateful followers. Power followed along with the wealth. About 200 years after their founding, however, their organization went down in flames, literally and inexplicably swiftly and without resistance, in France. Shortly after, in London, the law profession moved into the area where the Templars once reigned. This area is the Lower, Middle and Upper Temple area of London, just off the Strand near the courts. It consists of a few streets, lanes, courtyards lined with buildings of various age containing law offices and law schools and residential blocks for law students as well. When you finish your law degree, you are "called to the Bar". There are a few medieval buildings left and there is a serene Fountain court circled with benches and trees through which the rays of sun knifed through like laser beams. There has been a fountain on that spot since the 17th C. There is also a large fenced park which is not open to the public. Many of the buildings are under tarp and scaffold for restoration including the old Temple Hall.

I emerged from there and found myself on the Embankment, not far from Blackfriars. Since my feet again ached to the point of feeling like I was walking on bruises, I decided to head to the station, collect my bags and find a place to sit even though I was early to meet Nikki. We found each other at the appointed meeting spot though the tide of commuters rushing into the station after 5 p.m. It takes about 40 minutes by train to Rayleigh where she parks her car. A large strong looking bloke offered to help carry the suitcase over the platform cross over. He lifted it like there was next to nothing in it while I nursed the huge bruise on my wrist that I got that morning from wrestling it DOWN four narrow flights of stairs at the hotel! We arrived in Leigh-on-Sea around 6 where Dave had already started cooking our tea and we had a relaxing evening catching up.
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Walking tour of Richmond and Hampton Court, Part 2

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Original Walks guide, Hilary, in Richmond Photo - London, England

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September 24, 2001We are on the banks of the Thames at the boat launch, ready to go upriver to Hampton Court. The boat ride takes about an hour and a half from Richmond, about half the length the journey will take if you leave from Westminster pier in London. We had our sandwiches and a drink and watched the lovely scenery as we passed by. The weather is variable, with a bit of sun and blue sky showing now and then. There are lots of parks, businesses and a number of prestigious looking houses and apartment blocks which probably wouldn't come cheap. This follows the traditional approach to Hampton Court which was always by Royal Barge along the river. The first part of the pala...Read More

September 24, 2001

We are on the banks of the Thames at the boat launch, ready to go upriver to Hampton Court.

The boat ride takes about an hour and a half from Richmond, about half the length the journey will take if you leave from Westminster pier in London. We had our sandwiches and a drink and watched the lovely scenery as we passed by. The weather is variable, with a bit of sun and blue sky showing now and then. There are lots of parks, businesses and a number of prestigious looking houses and apartment blocks which probably wouldn't come cheap. This follows the traditional approach to Hampton Court which was always by Royal Barge along the river. The first part of the palace you see is a great gilded gate that backs the south front and Privy Gardens.

Some of the history of Hampton Court Palace: It was built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1515 as a means to show off his wealth and power. His power waned, however, when he was not able to obtain a legal method to rid Henry VIII of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon and when Henry strongly hinted that he REALLY liked the palace, it was donated although the writing predicting the fate of Wolsey was clearly on the wall. Henry
spent a lot of time here, and expanded the palace to the point where it could house and entertain nearly 1000 people, servants, court attendants, hangers on and favour seekers.

In the late 17th century, King William III and Queen Mary II planned to tear down the palace and hired Christopher Wren at the end of the 17th C. to rebuild it. About half way through the rebuilding process, Mary died and William lost heart. Lucky for us as that meant quite a bit of the Tudor section still stands albeit with renovations and alterations. The Palace was still lived in during modern times, for "grace and favour" apartments until a fire in one of them in 1986 caused a lot of damage to the King's Apartments. These were restored but I don't believe anyone lives here now.

Hampton Court would have been imposing and impressive at it's height in the 16th and 17th C. with gilded cupolas, brightly painted brickwork and a gate house that was two stories taller than it's current height. It was reduced in Georgian times for safety. All the old Tudor chimneys are different. There are about a half dozen sections to be visited including the Tudor State rooms, Tudor Kitchens, Stuart King's and Queen's Apartments, Georgian Rooms and Wolsey rooms with the Renaissance Galleries. The Privy and sunken gardens are open with the rest of the palace until 6 p.m. and the park is open until dusk.

Hillary led us first to the Tudor state rooms. We gaped up at the exquisite hammer beamed ceiling of the Great Hall, spotting the little painted faces peeking down. "Eaves" droppers! Most of the stained glass here is 19th C. but one window and section of the wall is believed to be original. The ceiling of one ante room is leather mache and gilded and there are Tudor roses everywhere in glass, in stonework and paintings and tapestries. The Royal Chapel has subdued lighting and is very peaceful. There are no photos allowed inside most of the Palace except the kitchens. There are actors/guides around in period dress who will stop to tell you about their manner of costume and what sort of person they are meant to represent for that period in time. We saw one man in a splendid doublet and tunic from Elizabethan times and another couple dressed in late 17th C. outfits and heard about the cost of their clothing and the type of people they would have represented.

Hillary took us next through the Stuart King's Apartments which are laid out identically to the Queen's apartments on the floor below though I didn't see that or the Georgian rooms. These rooms are much larger than the Tudor section with higher ceilings and wide sweeping staircases. There are lots of painted ceilings with Baroque decoration, plaster work and rich wall and bedroom hangings. My favourite room contained over 3000 pieces of armament decorating the walls in various patterns. Rifles, knives, swords, spears, etc. After this section our formal tour was over. Hillary was off with our applause and thanks and we had a couple of hours to look around on our own. I headed to the café by the kitchens first thing and then went to explore the kitchens, pretty much the last original Tudor part of the Palace, a series of rooms that are used for skinning game, plucking preparing fowl, baking, cooking etc with the old scarred wooden tables and huge ovens, high enough for a person to walk into.

There are a couple of gift shops and cafés in the complex. It's also interesting to explore some of the little courtyards. You can get an audio player to do a self-guided tour of various areas. I did go into the Wolsey rooms and Renaissance galleries as well. It's not known if Wolsey actually used those rooms but they are small, low ceilinged, and wood paneled and you can almost imagine him sitting at a desk by a window. There is supposed to be the ghost of Katherine Howard in one of the Tudor anterooms, too. On the grounds are a tennis court, a maze, the Great Vine which still produced wine every fall, the sunken garden and Privy Gardens and the huge park with it's pruned yew trees and fountains. When I was here in 1993 during a photo op stop of the gardens on the bus tour, the Privy and sunken gardens were in the process of being restored, using plants and shrubs that would have been there in the 17th C. The lowering sun cast long shadows along the garden paths and glinted off the decorated south front of the palace. I made my way to the train station across the river. I chatted to a couple on the train, two seniors who live in London. They told me about a documentary that was being aired on television, on the wives of Henry VIII. The second part was on tonight! What an appropriate way to cap off this day!

I bought a large tea and sandwich at a coffee shop in Euston station and settled in for a quiet night in the hotel after I made sure I had all my bits and pieces packed. I am checking out tomorrow and meeting Nikki
after work to finish out my week out in Essex in Leigh-on-Sea.
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Walking Tour of Richmond and Hampton Court, Part 1

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Richmond alleyway Photo - Richmond, England

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September 24, 2001Today I decided to take the full day tour of Richmond and Hampton Court through the Original London Walks. This is an excellent company with top notch guides. You meet them at various tube stations, though this one was in the Waterloo Train station as we were taking a train out to Richmond for the start. We are a group of about two dozen, which was a pleasant surprise to our guide, a short, perky woman named Hillary. Seems last week she only had 3 or 4 on her tour and in the wake of the Sept. 11 events, thought it might take a few more weeks for the numbers to rebound. The cost for the full day tour is £25 which includes £10 for the all day tour (normally £5 f...Read More

September 24, 2001

Today I decided to take the full day tour of Richmond and Hampton Court through the Original London Walks. This is an excellent company with top notch guides. You meet them at various tube stations, though this one was in the Waterloo Train station as we were taking a train out to Richmond for the start.

We are a group of about two dozen, which was a pleasant surprise to our guide, a short, perky woman named Hillary. Seems last week she only had 3 or 4 on her tour and in the wake of the Sept. 11 events, thought it might take a few more weeks for the numbers to rebound. The cost for the full day tour is £25 which includes £10 for the all day tour (normally £5 for a 2 hour tour, and these are 2001 prices, slightly more now), the cost of the river boat from Richmond to Hampton Court Palace and the entrance fee to the Palace itself. Most major attractions seem to be in the £9-£11 range so this was not out of line. We take a commuter train to the town of Richmond to start out walking tour.

A bit of history about Richmond: Richmond used to be called Shene and a Royal hunting lodge was built here first by Edward III in the 14th C. Richard II lived here until his wife, Anne of Bohemia died and in his grief, he tore the manor down. Henry VII built it again but it burned so he rebuilt a fine palace and renamed it for himself. (He was the Duke of Richmond before he wrestled the throne from Richard III in 1485 at Bosworth, thus ending the Wars of the Roses and establishing the Tudor dynasty). The palace was used by royalty for the next century until Oliver Cromwell tore it down during the Civil War. The palace was never rebuilt although many fine estates and manors were founded here, Richmond being a prestigious place to live then as well as now. Charles II gave the green to the town and it's been a public greenspace ever since. There is also a large old Deer Park where the monarchs used to hunt and where some royalty still lives. (It is either the Duke and Duchess of Kent or Prince and Princess Michael of Kent)

Hillary recounted the history of the town as we walked along the edge of the green. She pointed out the Victorian theatre where a theatre has stood probably since Elizabethan times and described how the green used to be part of the palace grounds and was partly used as a tilt-yard for games of jousting. We were allowed a short break to walk through some of the narrow cobbled lanes and find something to take with us for lunch on the river boat. She pointed out a café where she had an arrangement whereby you could order a sandwich and pastry and the staff would bring the orders to the boat in time for the sailing. You aren't restricted to that, you are free to do what you like and make your own arrangements but it seemed just as good as anything to me. After I placed my order, I resisted the urge to poke around inside a lot of the small shops nearby so that I could find a bank machine on the high street. On the way back, in one of those little lanes I passed by a florist where I spied three canny little wooden men propped outside amidst the bouquets and garden implements. They were made of spools and flower pots! After a stop at a shop along the green that made homemade chocolates, I arrived at the meeting place for the next leg of the tour.

We made our way to what remains of the old Tudor palace, a gate and gatehouse. Henry VII's coat of arms watches over the red brick gate and you can still see the black brick pattern in the building that used to store the Royal Wardrobe, that's the linens, bed and wall hangings and tapestries. There used to be arches on the ground floor that are since filled in. This was to keep air circulation so that the fabrics wouldn't become damp and moldy. This courtyard also contains some elite manors and cottages, one of which was owned by a former favourite of Queen Anne, Abigail Hill.

We followed a path to the river, passing a manor once owned by an 18th C. Lord Mayor of London, Lord Asgill. The Thames here is narrower than in the city, dotted with small islands called Aits or Eyets and lined along one side here with houseboats, reflecting in the calmer waters of the river. There is a nice park along the waterfront, a town project to beautify the area. We came across a marine repair shop under an arch by a bridge where a fellow told us he was building a wooden submarine. There was a brief silence as we all wondered if he was having us on but it turns out it's very true! In 1620 there was a wooden submarine that
made a successful underwater journey to Greenwich and the BBC is doing a documentary on it. This man was commissioned to build a replica!

The Hampton Court part is in another review Read Less

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Mass Appeal

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Westminster Cathedral Photo - London, England

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September 23The sky is dark, gray and cool today. I am meeting a group of friends for after lunch but had to decide how to fill the morning. I had breakfast and went to Euston station to get a newspaper and a large tea to bring back to my room for a relaxing start to my Sunday. I thought I would go and have a look at Westminster Cathedral. The pub where I'm meeting everyone is on Trafalgar Square at the top of Whitehall so it's within walking distance of the Cathedral if it doesn't rain. I took the tube to Victoria station and started walking in the general direction of the cathedral according to my map. I ended up approaching it from the back, past a lot of old Victorian build...Read More

September 23

The sky is dark, gray and cool today. I am meeting a group of friends for after lunch but had to decide how to fill the morning. I had breakfast and went to Euston station to get a newspaper and a large tea to bring back to my room for a relaxing start to my Sunday. I thought I would go and have a look at Westminster Cathedral. The pub where I'm meeting everyone is on Trafalgar Square at the top of Whitehall so it's within walking distance of the Cathedral if it doesn't rain.

I took the tube to Victoria station and started walking in the general direction of the cathedral according to my map. I ended up approaching it from the back, past a lot of old Victorian buildings, many of which echo the Cathedral which is constructed of red and white striped brick and stone. I arrived at the door at 11, right in the middle of High, or "Solemn" Mass. I could hear the choir and suddenly felt a need to attend Mass, something I hadn't done in 25 years without a reason (weddings, funerals, christenings etc.) I put away my camera and went in. The cathedral was heaving with people, with quite a few standing at the back or along the side aisles. I am not a church goer but was brought up Catholic and like a great number of people in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on NYC and Washington, felt the need for a little restoration of the soul. Just the sound of the choir echoing gloriously off the exquisitely painted ceilings and the thunder of the massive pipe organ making your chest vibrate was an experience not to be forgotten.

After mass I took the lift up the bell tower for a 360° look out over a gray and dismal looking London. There is a small balcony out a door on all four sides of the tower. Back down in the nave I wandered around with the other tourists and admired the friezes and sculpture and mosaics on the walls of the side chapels. You could still smell the incense closer to the altar. I had a quick browse in the gift shop for a postcard but wasn't very impressed with most of what they had on offer as far as other articles. Seemed kind of cheap and cheesy to me.

I begin the walk towards Whitehall with a stop in a department store called Army & Navy for a bathroom break but the gusts of wind soon carried a heavy misty rain so I took refuge in a bus shelter and took the bus the rest of the way to the Lord Moon on the Mall, where I was meeting my mates. J.D. Wetherspoon's owns a chain of pubs around the country and they situate them in renovated old buildings. This one was an insurance company or bank. I was early and it was crowded so I bought a pint and perched on a stool near a ledge where I could lay my glass and watch the door. I did get a table after about 20 minutes but didn't keep it very long because not long after hearing a few police vehicles screaming by, the owner came around to everyone and informed us that we had to evacuate the building out the back door. Seems there was a "suspect" car down the road and the police were evacuating the whole street! Yikes!!!! This isn't all that unusual for London but a first for me and how was I going to find my friends! I later told another Londoner friend of mine about the bomb scare and her reaction was "Oh, what a bore!!!" which puts it pretty much into perspective for me!

We all traipsed out the back door and I walked around to the corner on Trafalgar square scanning the crowds. One of my friends came across the street just then and I filled her in on the situation. She didn't seem too fazed but we hung around for awhile trying to spot the others and figure out what to do. She knew of another pub called Chandos at the Trafalgar Square end of St. Martin’s Lane, just a short hop away where we could go but the problem was, how to let people know! In the end we weren't allowed to hang about any longer so we wrote a note and hung it out of the letterbox of the pub and headed across Traf. Sq. Fortunately most of the people we were expecting and two we weren't found the note and managed to locate the pub. I say "two we weren't" expecting because two of our friends, John and Nikki from Manchester, unexpectedly turned up which was a wonderful surprise. They were on their way to Glastonbury for a week's holiday so came down a day early for the get together. Another friend had traveled up from Dorset as well! We stayed at there a few hours and then, when the dining room there proved to be full, returned to the Lord Moon for a meal. It was open and Whitehall was all clear by this time.

It was a day of moving emotions, and renewal of old friendships. Tomorrow I'm taking an Original London Walks all day tour of Richmond and Hampton Court.

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There's Always Something to Do in London

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The breakfast room in the basement of the main hotel building is very pretty, lots of china plates on a shelf that circles three sides of the room, windows on the front and back walls with plants on the sills and more china, plates and jugs. Some old cabinets. The wooden tables are covered in pink and blue with standard issue crockery. Breakfast was a bit on the meager side with one egg, one rasher of bacon, one sausage,toast, and a half of a small tomato, warmed (and fresh not canned thankfully). There was juice and tea and cereal available as well which I didn't have. I decided I would go to the Museum of London at the Barbican for a couple of hours this morning. I had been there o...Read More

The breakfast room in the basement of the main hotel building is very pretty, lots of china plates on a shelf that circles three sides of the room, windows on the front and back walls with plants on the sills and more china, plates and jugs. Some old cabinets. The wooden tables are covered in pink and blue with standard issue crockery. Breakfast was a bit on the meager side with one egg, one rasher of bacon, one sausage,
toast, and a half of a small tomato, warmed (and fresh not canned thankfully). There was juice and tea and cereal available as well which I didn't have.

I decided I would go to the Museum of London at the Barbican for a couple of hours this morning. I had been there once before in 1993 and really enjoyed it though I was in a bit of a rush and jetlagged during
that visit. I got off the underground at Moorgate and had a wander through the Barbican complex, discovering a lovely old church, St. Giles Cripplegate. It was closed but a sign I was able to read through the window in the door informed me that a church has been on that site for about 1000 years. It seemed that this church had survived the 1666 fire so aside from restorations, I think it must have been over 300 years old. The ages of buildings here is a never-ending source of amazement to me. Canada is so *new* by comparison!

The Museum of London contains the history of the city of London from Roman times through to the 20th century, all told through artifacts found from archaeological excavations and museum pieces over the years.
There is jewelry, furniture, paintings, prints, clothing, ceramics. There are reproduced rooms, dioramas and models. It's really fascinating and you could spend all day there. Admission is only £5 and the ticket is good for a year as well. I did the upper level which ends at the Great Fire of London 1666. There were renovations going on downstairs so that’s all I got to see and I wanted to get back to wait for Chris.

Only he didn't show up. There was a message at the desk so I called him and unforeseen circumstances have prevented him from making it to the city. Damn! My stomach was rumbling so I had to attend to that while I decided what to do with the rest of the day. Across the street from the hotel is a pub, the Jolly Gardener. The weather has turned out to be absolutely summery so I went across, ordered a plate of spaghetti Bolognese and took it and my beer out to a picnic table outside. The food was really good, and beer hit the spot as the sun warmed my bones and lifted my spirits somewhat. Well, it's not as if I couldn't find something to do on my own in London, is it, disappointed though I was. He promises to make it up to me next weekend and believe me. he will!

I had a brochure that I picked up in the lobby and discovered this weekend is the last weekend for an 19th century art exhibit at the Royal Academy of Art titled "From Ingres to Matisse" and also the first weekend of an exhibition titled "Rembrandt's Women". Sorted. The first exhibit, in a brightly lit gallery on the top floor, had a number of Impressionists including one that really struck me called "Coming in From the Field" by Breton. Three women walking barefoot with the taller of the three in the middle embracing the other two while the shafts of wheat are bent gently in the breeze along the sides of the road. That spoke to me of the friendship between myself, and my two best friends so I bought a postcard for each of us. The Rembrandt show was in a series of older, darker galleries featured sketches, drawings, etchings and paintings of women in Rembrandt's life. It was fascinating to see how he viewed them, from maternal to erotic, regardless of body type or age and all of them were curvaceous to varying degrees.

Leaving there I walked along Piccadilly and admired the architecture. That is a repeating theme in my journeys. I love buildings and am constantly branding myself tourist as I walk along gaping up at them, searching for ornamental touches, unusual shapes and rhythmic patterns in the structures. There are a lot of airline offices along Piccadilly and I passed the Burlington Arcade, a Victorian covered shopping center. I decided to have a browse and let me tell you, that is the ultimate window shopping experience!!! The shops are very exclusive with, no doubt, prices to match. The far end comes out on New Bond street with it's plethora of designer shops such as Armani, Ferragamo, Tiffany's, Chanel, Ralph Lauren. You name it. Way out of my league.

My quest for a cup of tea ended in a Pret a Manger shop and I bought a sandwich to take back to the hotel room to supplement the fruit I had from yesterday. I'm not all that comfortable with finding a place to dine in the evening on my own and prefer to eat in the hotel room though I don't mind eating out alone at lunchtime. Partly it's caution, making my way back to the hotel after dark alone and partly it's from sheer exhaustion, having been on my feet for hours.
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London on High Alert

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Sept. 20 - 21On the road again, or, in the sky again, late as it happened. It’s only been 10 days since the World Trade Centre attacks and the Air Canada flight was delayed nearly an hour waiting for the plane to arrive from Toronto. Because of heightened security, I already arrived over 3 hours early for a 9:15 p.m. flight. Frustrating but it can't be helped. I switched seats with a man behind me as he and his wife were not given seats together. That sorted, I settled in. I didn’t really sleep and I watched the sun rise over the wing but the cloud cover obliterated the land below. There was a 25 minute wait through the customs "corral" and then I found the Airbus, (which, at that time, ...Read More

Sept. 20 - 21

On the road again, or, in the sky again, late as it happened. It’s only been 10 days since the World Trade Centre attacks and the Air Canada flight was delayed nearly an hour waiting for the plane to arrive from Toronto. Because of heightened security, I already arrived over 3 hours early for a 9:15 p.m. flight. Frustrating but it can't be helped. I switched seats with a man behind me as he and his wife were not given seats together. That sorted, I settled in. I didn’t really sleep and I watched the sun rise over the wing but the cloud cover obliterated the land below. There was a 25 minute wait through the customs "corral" and then I found the Airbus, (which, at that time, went through London all the way to Kings Cross. It only goes to Victoria Station now) bought a ticket and landed at the Cottage Hotel, Euston Street, London by about 10:45.

The hotel is a small one, not too expensive, some en suite, some not, television, no phone in the rooms though there was an intercom in mine at least. Of course the room wasn't ready that early so I left my luggage and decided I needed more in my stomach than just the juice and biscuits that were served on the plane for breakfast. Around the corner, on Euston Road and in the same building as the Euston Square hotel is a café, Giovanni's Sandwich Bar. All day breakfast, very reviving. Had a bit of a chat with Giovanni while I sipped my tea and then headed to Liverpool street train station to sort out a week's transport. Turns out that the pass I bought to use on the train commute from Essex also included a 6 zone transport pass for the tube and bus. Very convenient!

I had a bit of a walk in the immediate neighbourhood around Liverpool Station after a quick phone call home to say I arrived safely. I noticed a crowd behind the station in a small square surrounded by office buildings. Upon investigation, it seemed to have groups of people with one in each holding a number sign. I think it might have been a fire drill evacuation (didn't want to think of bomb scare possibilities, that would come a few days later!)

I found a lovely little square called Finsbury square which had a bit of a park and a couple of bowling greens. There were flower beds and palm trees and a Canadian bank building in the area as well. I stopped for a tea break at Starbucks and bought some foodie stuff at Marks and Spencers to stash in the hotel room. By now I'm pretty shattered and it's near the time I can get into the room so I returned to the hotel.

The room was in the next building from the one where the desk and breakfast room is. I have a key for the building as well as the room. Thankfully my bags were dragged up to the room on the second floor for me. No lift, narrow staircases. Narrow continued to be the order of the day. I expected small but dear Heaven the room couldn't have been more than about 8 feet across and it held two single beds! I chuckled, thinking Chris and I would be sleeping together even though that wasn't in the plan! My friend Chris was supposed to be joining me for the weekend, arriving tomorrow afternoon, and this hotel was one where he has stayed a few times. Anyway, the room is very small, bathroom equally so but functional and with a shower door not a curtain so no danger of flooding the place. I liked the way they got the beige curtains to match the damp patches up in one corner! But over all, though the room could have used a coat of paint, it was still better than one or two I’ve been in, the carpet was clean and the sheets and bathroom were immaculate. That's really all that matters.

I had a shower and read the newspaper and soon wished I hadn't. I think I'll avoid the news for the next few days as London is now on high alert for attacks. I knew the UK was strongly supporting the U.S. in the aftermath of the attacks but hadn't realized how strongly and it's a bit unnerving just at this point. Pretty soon, with my energy flagging and my eyes starting to feel like Mr. Sandman had left his calling card, a nap was in order. There are roadworks outside but the closed window and the fact that I hadn't slept in about 30 hours made quick work of dozing off.

I revived in time to have a bite to eat, watch Coronation Street and read for a while before crashing out again for the night.
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Cottage Hotel

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Hotel | "Take It with a Grain of Salt"

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A friend of mine had stayed at this budget hotel and since he was supposed to meet me, I decided to book a room here for us to stay over a weekend. The hotel is a small one, over two buildings with 40 rooms and a breakfast room. Back in 2001, the price was about £50 for a single and £65 for a double. A bit of googling shows that the cost has gone up to about £75 for a double and the review from the person that had stayed there was not good. I didn't have a problem with it so you might want to take it with a grain of salt. There is no lift, and the stairways were quite narrow. Luckily, I had left my luggage at the desk because I was too early to get into a room and when I returned, they had...Read More

A friend of mine had stayed at this budget hotel and since he was supposed to meet me, I decided to book a room here for us to stay over a weekend. The hotel is a small one, over two buildings with 40 rooms and a breakfast room. Back in 2001, the price was about £50 for a single and £65 for a double. A bit of googling shows that the cost has gone up to about £75 for a double and the review from the person that had stayed there was not good. I didn't have a problem with it so you might want to take it with a grain of salt.

There is no lift, and the stairways were quite narrow. Luckily, I had left my luggage at the desk because I was too early to get into a room and when I returned, they had taken it up for me. The double (twin) room I had booked was very small, couldn't have been more than 8 feet across but held two single beds with barely enough room to stand between them. The walls really needed a coat of paint and there was a damp patch in the corner. Having said that, the sheets were immaculately clean and so was the small en suite bathroom. The carpet was clean too. I've stayed in worse!

No telephone in the room. There's a television with basic tv channels. I don't recall if there was a kettle, I suspect not. They also have double bedded rooms and single rooms. There are (or were) some that used shared toilet and shower facilities, and some that had ensuite. There is or was no telephone in the room either, just a phone that connected to the front desk. You're given a key to the room and to the building if you're in the second one as I was.

The breakfast room is in the basement of the main building and was decorated quite nicely. The breakfast was free, but the servings were meager. Still, it was a hot cooked breakfast and nothing to sneeze at. There's a good diner around the corner in Euston Road that serves a large all day breakfast if you have a bigger appetite.

One really good thing about the hotel is the location. It's a short stagger from Euston train station out the side entrance. Around the corner and down the block are a couple other tube stations and it's not far from King's Cross St. Pancras. It's close to Regent's Park and about a 15 minute walk to the British Musuem. There's a little pub across the road that serves a nice spag bol and there are a couple of decent curry restaurants in the area too. Being on a small side street, instead of on a main road meant it was quieter, too.

Oh, an apparently dogs are permitted in the hotel.

I'm not rating it highly as it's budget and very basic and may have gone downhill a bit since I stayed there. It does not appear to be as cheap as it was and even though it was clean and adequate, it had few amenities. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on January 2, 2009

Cottage Hotel
67-75 Euston Street
London, England NW1 2ET
+44 20 7 387 6785

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