My London+

There is nothing to do but walk

With lockdown extended to who knows when, there is not a lot one can do now except shop for essential food, and maybe grab a takeaway drink. The government in England has just announced that schools will not re-open for at least two weeks and learning will go online.

The weather has turned bitterly cold and I’m not keen to be outside when it is as cold as this. Nevertheless, one morning I did layer up and drag myself out of the house before 8am to take photos of the frost and sunrise in two local parks. I took short walks on both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day as well. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy.

Christmas at Canary Wharf

I didn’t expect to be blogging again this year, because I didn’t expect to be going anywhere, but on the 23rd December I helped my son take presents and food over to his girlfriend’s flat to get ready for Christmas. It was mum to the rescue as they had no food for a Christmas dinner. People had gone crazy buying and some supermarket shelves were empty. I gave him some of my vegetables and we wandered around a depleted Waitrose looking for a chicken, but there wasn’t a chicken to be had. All that was left was pheasant or partridge. He decided on the pheasant. Earlier I had managed to secure the purchase of two individual Christmas puddings for them (all large ones had already sold).

My son took me to a part of Canary Wharf that I didn’t know, and it was really pretty. The flat overlooks a basin where various boats are moored. I had to keep stopping to take photos, hoping my battery wouldn’t give up on me as it crept to single figures!

After we dropped off the goodies we did a tour of the lights before coming home. There is always some new public art at Canary Wharf to look at and my son took me to see the famous traffic lights (see below) that I’d heard about but had never seen before.

This was a rather lovely unexpected trip. We were very conscious of Covid rules, but I never felt unsafe. There were no crowds and public transport has always been one of the safest places during this pandemic.

Christmas is cancelled

Yesterday, the 20th December, the whole of London, as well as many other counties in the south and south east of England went into a new Tier 4 lockdown. With that comes restrictions that no households should mix, even over Christmas, except support bubbles already in place. Basically, Christmas is cancelled. People outside Tier 4 cannot come in, and vice versa. Families have had to change all their Christmas plans, they can no longer spend the day with parents, children, grandchildren and wider family members.

Apparently there is a new strain of the virus which is spreading faster and it seems to have come from Kent and has spread across London. What has annoyed people is that a week ago we were told it was okay, we would get to see our families over Christmas, but this decision came on Saturday night and came into force at midnight that day. There was no time to adjust. Shops shut on Saturday afternoon and will no open again until who knows when. The only shops allowed to open are essential shops, and cafes for takeaways. No hairdressers, gyms or anything else, and we’ve all been told to stay home.

Well, you can imagine this has plunged a lot of people into despair. It is hard to find anything good right now, but I’m trying to. Today is the winter solstice – the shortest day. I have to say to me it feels like the longest day because it is so dark today. It is raining and I still have my light on at getting on for nine o’clock in the morning. I have been watching sunrise live from Stonehenge on Facebook – no sun! It’s raining there too! However, after this shortest day, light will stretch out ever so slowly, but nonetheless it will. Spring is on its way, and with it thousands of people will have been vaccinated against Covid 19. It has to get better, doesn’t it?

I can tell that a lot of the people who drop by this blog, or who follow, are from other parts of the world, and I am sure you have had your share of dark moments this year. I try to keep as upbeat as I can when posting, but I have to say I am struggling right now. It will pass, I know.

I don’t want leave this post on a low, so I am posting a few festive photos. Christmas will happen anyway – it will just be very different. Thank you for reading this blog. Thanks to my followers, and thanks to everyone else who drops by now and then, or has just come across this today. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas. Let’s hope that 2021 is a better one for us all.

Arctic: Culture & Climate

On Monday, just before London moved into Tier 3 and tourist attractions (as well as cafes and restaurants) closed down again, I made it to the British Museum for this very interesting exhibition.

What struck me most was how spiritual the people living in the arctic are. They are resourceful, and when they kill, they pray and give thanks for the animal giving up its life for them. They believe animals have souls and their ceremony releases that soul. They do not kill needlessly, but use every part of the animal for food, clothing, hunting gear, and many other things.

On display are coats, boots, both adult and childrens’ wear, ceremonial costumes, hunting harpoons, scrapers, boats, baskets and musical instruments, mainly drums. There is a Shaman’s outfit, headdresses, and models of their summer festival, the yhyakh, which I found so fascinating that I had to buy a book about it.

There are several videos, including making of boots from raw materials, cooking and the summer festival.

Climate change is having a devastating effect on the people. They have, of course, experienced climate change before but over a much slower rate and longer period of time. Now everything is happening fast as we humans make our mark on the world, not in a good way. Even here plastic can be found. I read recently of how depressed some communities are as they watch their ice melting in front of their eyes. Their whole way of life is being changed and there is nothing they can do about it.

And here there a reminders of this change – maps showing how much ice has been lost, and what is predicted for the future, and that in eighty years from now there will be no more ice. This is a frightening thought because this will also have an impact on everyone, maybe not for us, but maybe for our children and certainly our grandchildren.

A very worthwhile exhibition. Hopefully, this exhibition will reopen again soon, but you may be able to catch part of it through the British Museum website.

The last remaining complete whale suit – waterproof

London into Tier 3

Tottenham Court Road Tube Station (one of several exits)

Well, we knew it was coming, but today we have been told that on Wednesday 16th London will go into the higher tier, tier 3. Cafes and restaurtants can only serve takeaways and tourist attractions have to close. I don’t know as yet how long these new restrictions will last, but I’m guessing until Christmas.

I did manage a trip out today to the British Museum (I knew a decision on the tiers was coming this week, so decided to get in quick!). I’ll post about that shortly. Meanwhile, I wanted to highlight another blogger, namely The Flashpacker. Her latest post highlights some self-guided London walks (with maps) I thought might be of interest. She also mentions some lesser known museums that I have also visited and can vouch for whole heartedly. Do check out her website and see her London walks.

And now I am keeping my eyes open for good days to get out and walk!

Shop window in Great Russell Street, London

Christmas comes to Morden Hall Park

On a gloomy and very cold day last week I met a friend at Morden Hall Park. We scurried into the garden centre shop to have a look around, but also to warm up! We then decided to walk, but it was so muddy and so cold we didn’t get far. Instead we wandered into the second hand book shop for a browse before heading to the National Trust cafe, which has reopened, albeit on a limited scale. We bought soup – I mean what else do you need on a cold day! Although sitting indoors with someone not in your household is not part of the rules right now, we found a table in the corner of the cafe underneath the open windows. So we were away from others and in a well ventilated area. It wasn’t warm enough to discard coats! It just gave us a chance to eat and have a catch-up. It was a very short get-together that day.

Now, as Covid numbers are rising again, there is talk of London going into tier 3 during the week before Christmas. This will mean all cafes and restaurants closing again, except for take-aways. I have to say I am staying away from busy shops. Parts of London are so crowded (Oxford Street) I don’t want to be there. I always try to seek out the quiet places. That’s natural for me anyway, but now even more.

I hope you enjoy these photos, most of which were taken in the garden centre.

The barns – the garden centre and the cafe are on the other side

The river (Wandle) runs along the back of the cafe and the garden centre

Wreaths and garlands are everywhere. This is the bridge between the car park and the garden centre and cafe

Entrance to the second hand book shop and another cafe (sadly closed)

There might still be time to send your letter to Santa, but you need to hurry!

River Thames, Kingston – Queen’s Promenade

With a cold but sunny start to last Saturday I took a brief walk along the river at Kingston. It seemed that many had the same idea! While some were queuing outside shops in the town centre the rest of us were enjoying the riverside. A much better option in my view.

On the other side of the river you can walk all the way to Hampton Court

There are always fun things to see on the river

In a previous post I mentioned Turk’s Boatyard and the connection to medieval Britain and Chatham Dockyard. Here you can see some of their very fine boats which leave from the pier further down the river.

Ravens Ait Island – a venue for weddings and other events

Nearly at the end of the path on this side of the river

Walking back this is quite a dominant view on the road

The Clattern Bridge (behind the blue one) built around 1175 over the Hogsmill River just before it meets the Thames. It is one of the olderst intact bridges in England. (The Guildhall can be seen in the background)

No Christmas market this year, just the Christimas Tree

Kingsdton Market with the old Town Hall and All Saints Church in the background

In the shopping precinct – The Bentalls indoor shopping mall is to the left

Old London Road is mix of independent shops, an antique shop and charity shops

Bushy Park

The day before lockdown ended the weather produced a lovely crisp day. Actually, it was very cold, but the sun was out and a walk was in order. We stopped at The King’s Field (just over Kingston Bridge) where there is a cafe and bought hot chocolates and custard tarts. Then we set off for the path that led into Bushy Park (the park is close to Hampton Court Palace). The park was King Henry VIII’s hunting ground. Read more of the history here.

The light was great and the colours beautiful. We followed the line of the ponds and briefly walked through The Woodland Gardens before coming out at the Hampton Gate. There we walked along a stretch of the River Thames back to Hampton Court. I noticed two houses I had not been aware of before, the house where Michael Faraday once lived and one where Sir Christopher Wren had lived. It just goes to show that all these years I thought I knew this area (we used to pass the houses years ago when we went to visit one of my aunts), things can still surprise you.

It was a lovely day and one has to grab them when one can because we’ve had a lot of really dull days this week.

Along the Thames by Hampton is St Albans Gardens. A house of the same name once stood here.

View around Tate Modern -NaBloPoMo – Day 30

View from the top of Switch House – Tate Modern

And so we reach the last day of the write a blog post every day in the month of November. Phew! I’ve made it.

Switch House – viewing platform at the top

It is also only two days until lockdown in England ends. However, on the 2nd December we will move into different tier systems depending on the rate of infections. For London this means Tier Two. All shops will open, as will cafes and restaurants, but you can only go with your own household, or on your own. Some non elite sports will be able to begin again, but the badminton group I play with still cannot meet unless you play singles (mixed group). No one wants to do that! Sports venues will be able to allow some supporters back into stadiums. For football that is 2,000, I think. That’s a first. No fans have been in stadiums since the beginning of March.

With talks of vaccines (doubt I would get offered one until sometime in the spring) have put hopes in hearts, but it is still a long journey. The whole of the UK has been given a five day no restrictions Christmas where up to three households are allowed to mix. However, I fear that come January we will all be back into lockdown! Some will abide by the rules. Others will not, and I fear rates will soar again. For my household none of this is a real problem as we are already in one household. However, the girlfriend of one son may well stay with us, as she lives alone, and has formed a bubble with us.

I am still going to miss carol concerts and singing at Christmas, so I shall attend some ‘virtual’ concerts.

View from Switch House, Blackfriars Bridge

Oxo Tower – upper gallery shops, South Bank

November walk – NaBloPoMo – Day 29

Gloomy. That’s all that can be said for today. It’s been gloomy all day with that blanket cloud. Even so, I decided to go for a short local walk this afternoon, a path that cuts through a golf course. No colourful little flowers here, but plenty of trees and autumn leaves.