London – Page 4 – My London+

Titanic Exhibition, Surrey Quays, London

This is the third Titanic exhibition I have been to. The first two were in Liverpool and Belfast. I just couldn’t resist! All the exhibitions are slightly different. Here there was an audio guide I downloaded to my mobile (or you could borrow a headset for an extra £3). It takes you round the exhibition picture by picture and cabinet by cabinet, telling the stories of the people who travelled on the liner through photos and finds, postcards or telegrams sent and diaries kept. We have all probably heard about the orchestra who played as the ship went down. In the exhibition there is a picture of those men.

A lot of the stories are sad, heart-breaking, but there were stories of great gallantry and of people who survived, some by sheer luck. The tour takes about 90 minutes and it was well worth going. I took loads of photos, so here I will share just some.

The ring in the above photo slipped off the finger of a lady as she drowned. Her husband managed to climb into the lifeboat, but there was no more room, or the boat would have capsized. Someone held onto the lady’s hand, but eventually she slipped from his grip. The ring came off her finger as she went under and landed in the lifeboat. The ring wasn’t discovered until some days later. Her husband died of hypothermia shortly after the lady drowned.

It is possible this is the first discovery from Titanic

Shoes of a little girl who escaped with her family

The ice wall. Here you can put your hand against the ice and see how long you can bear it. This is what it would have been like in the water for those overboard.

The men of the orchestra who went down with the ship

The last display is a list of all the passengers and crew who set off in Titanic

The piped music is the theme to Titanic, though not the Celine Dion version. The film characters were fictional, but the events were based on facts.

When I returned home, I thought about where Titanic sailed from, which was Southampton, and that got me thinking that there might be a Titanic exhibition there. I looked it up, and yes, there is one. Looks like a trip to Southampton sometime!

This exhibition finishes soon (later this week, I think). The nearest tube station is Canada Water.

Other links: Titanic Experience, Belfast

Titanic Liverpool

Surrealism Beyond Borders – Tate Modern

I came to Surrealism through Salvador Dali’s work and realised that some other painters I admire had ventured into it, like Paul Nash, so I began to look more into this form of expression. Attending this exhibition at Tate Modern I realised knew very little about it!

This picture is devised using photo negatives and a special way of manipulating them.

I found artist used surrealism to express political views or events that happened to them or family. I guess you can say that all art is a form of that, but this is a subversive reality. The image below tells the story of the artist’s grandparents who were killed in the holocaust. I find this painting moving.

Not unexpectedly there were a lot of political/war works here, but also what I call the ‘dream’ art. Finding a meaning in some of this sometimes hard, and with me that doesn’t always matter. I’m not a big fan of Duhamp (he of The Urinal found art, or ‘readymade’. See here for more on that piece). However, this piece below did rather fascinate me. The way he uses readymade here – a metal cage, a piece of cuttlefish, wooden perches, and sugar cubes represent stone boulders – I rather like.

I never really know what I’m going to like in art, which means I am always surprised. I can admire the painterly fashion of old masters. Their technique is mind blowing, but do I like them? Not usually. All those portraits, dark backgrounds aren’t to my taste. My preference is for art from the Pre-Raphaelite’s onwards. The Victorian era holds a particular fascination for me. All the artists and writers I admire seem to converge there for me. If I could live in another era, though, it would be the 1920’s because of the fashion, dancing and music! I think watching Upstairs Downstairs on TV in the ’70’s has something to do with that!

Anyway, I digress. The next piece is by Roland Penrose, whose house I went to see in October last year. I adored that house. I wanted to go exploring in all the nooks and crannies. It was so interesting. So many quirky things, and to my delight Roland had painted on some of the walls. The house was light and airy, the sort of place I could easily live in.

Picasso is another artist I admire, and another I came to gradually. Sometimes attending an exhibition you are not sure about turns out to be enlightening, and that was what happened when I went along to a Picasso exhibition.

Diorama art is another fascination for me. Putting 3D scenes into boxes. What is there not to like? I can remember making little underwater scenes using an old shoe box back when I was younger. So, I photographed this just because it is a diorama. See here for more about that.

This will explain the above picture

This piece is by Ted Jonus and on every page is a drawing by a different artist. It is called Long Distance.

There were many paintings about people fleeing and the one below shows women fleeing.

I loved the art of Remedio Vara. There were three here together, I suppose you call them a triptych.

I’ll end with this one. It’s a bit scary. Entitled Central Park, NY, the little pictures around the edges are things that could be happening in various corners of the park!

Surrealism has the power to shock, to say WTF! and to surprise. It makes you think in a different way. It might be like Marmite – you either love it or hate it. That’s okay. That’s art for you. The images I have chosen are my choices, the art that said something to me. For everyone, that will be different. And that’s okay too!

The exhibition is until 29th August.

Two visits to Richmond in a week

The weather here last week was dreadful. That and a tube strike in London on two days meant I had to change my plans both days and meet friends where we could both reach either by national rail or bus. That place ended up as Richmond.

The first visit was on the Tuesday. It was raining when I left home. My telescopic umbrella refused to go all the way up, so there I was trying to get my arms into a waterproof while walking to the station with my rucksack. I was not happy! Luckily, by the time I reached Richmond, the rain had almost stopped, and then it did.

We chose a short route from Richmond Bridge to Kew Bridge. It was a lovely walk, despite the overcast sky and the threat of more rain. A little way along, we encountered a path with a lot of puddles and lots of mud. It was a case of walking around the edges and trying not to get a foot full of water or mud.

This is a particularly nice walk as you have Old Deer Park (no deer!) on the right with a stream, and the Thames on your left. To the right, across the river is Syon House and Park. You can see both the boathouse and the house itself. The painter, J.M.W. Turner, rented a house nearby and painted scenes of the Thames.

The pink Pavilion is the boathouse in Syon Park

At Kew we came off the path, eager to find somewhere to eat. The Cricketers was all we hoped and more. The staff were friendly, the pub had atmosphere, and the food was excellent. We lingered a long time over lunch and splashed out on a second cup of tea. We know how to live!

We decided to walk back the same way, as Richmond has more transport links. Gradually, the drizzle returned and then became heavier. At least most of the walk had been rain-free.

Kew Observatory in the background. I am told the Obelisk is the old meridian line

My second visit was on Thursday. This was a lunchtime meet in a cafe with a friend combined with a ‘free-write’ session. In my other life, I write short fiction and poetry.

Afterwards, we took a brief look at the river. The water had flowed over the banks in places, due to all the rain, and possibly a high tide. I believe I am right in saying that the River Thames becomes a tidal river from Teddington.

*The Tide is High* as Blondie would say”!

So, there we have it. Richmond has very pretty walks, and is close to Richmond Park. I wrote not long ago about a walk I took through the park, down Richmond Hill to meet the Thames. I am lucky to live close to such lovely and interesting walks.

The World of Stonehenge – The British Museum

The exhibition at The British Museum follows life before Stonehenge, Stonehenge at its height, and the waning of its popularity. It is a very detailed exhibition with much of interest.

The exhibition is also popular. It was busy and tickets for that day had sold out. I thought I knew a lot about Stonehenge, but I hadn’t realised it was the most important place in Europe or that so many people had been buried there (the more elite, of course!).

Stonehenge was built around 5,000 years ago in what is now Wiltshire, close to the city of Salisbury. These days you cannot touch the stones on visits. The whole site is cordoned off with rope. Only Druids are lucky enough to worship there at the Solstice these days. When I went years ago, the best view is coming down the road on the bus with the henge in front of you. Magnificent. But there were too many people to get a proper atmosphere. The nearest I got to one of those was at Avebury standing stones. My ideal would be to wander the stones alone, but there is no chance of that at Stonehenge. To learn more about Stonehenge read here.

On view were many axe heads. Some were so smooth. Flints, masses of those too, so well knapped and sharp. I find it fascinating how our ancestors tried to make sense of the world they lived in (much as we do today, really). They worked out moon phases and sunrises and sunsets, and of course, the seasons.

Cattle were important to them. They were valuable, so sacrificing them was never taken lightly, but in the photo below two have been sacrificed, possibly for fertility. The image shows what they would have done in life, pulling a cart.

I joked about this set of wooden walkways. I called them Black & Decker workbenches! They built these walkways over boggy places so they could get from one place to another.

No, not Black & Decker workbenches, but a walkway

Stonehenge is just one of many henges. Seahenge in Norfolk is another. I read a lot of books by author Elly Griffiths. She writes crime. Her books are set in Norfolk and the main character, Dr Ruth Galloway, is an archeologist who works with police when old bones are found. Seahenge appears in one of her early books. I find the world she writes about fascinating, so I was thrilled to see Seahenge here in the exhibition.

Grave goods feature in lots of prehistoric finds. Here we find some gorgeous trinkets, finely carved. The eye is important here – possibly to see in the afterlife?

Art and music was also important to these people. They carved what they saw and what was important to them. Spirals feature highly, as do images of the sun.

No one really knows what these are, but they beautiful

Here you can clearly see arrow heads and the sun

These objects are related to the Divine Twins often depicted as horses or related to celestial Castor & Pollux in Greek mythology

Gold – so much gold! This must have been heavy to wear.

Ear piercings. Sometimes you see people today with sort of piercing.

Mapping the sky, moon and stars – Nebra Sky Disc

Burials and grave goods. Tbe woman on the left was buried clutching a baby wrapped in cloth

Men and war. I cannot comprehend that in those days 20,000 men died in battle and their remains scattered like this image below. We never learn!

Weapons were sacrificed into the water. In the photo below, these items of war were discovered in the River Thames at Battersea.

Sacrificed weapons, possible as part of a funeral

Another Thames find – you could make a large stew in there!

This was a really interesting exhibition, and I’m afraid I got carried away in the shop afterwards. I bought a replica of the Sky Disc, a t.shirt, notebook and a book on Druids! The exhibition runs until 21st July, so there is still plenty of time to see it.

The Hogsmill River/Bonesgate Stream

A bus ride took me to my starting point at Tolworth Court Farm Fields. I wrote about this place last summer when I first visited with a friend. Today, it was rather windy across those fields, and I was still no nearer working which field I was in, and I didn’t end up quite where I thought I would (direction not being my strong point). In fact it was a day of wrong turnings, but wrong turnings can lead to interesting discoveries.

The sun was trying to break through the clouds. I was out early and met mostly dog walkers. Underfoot the fields were a quagmire. Mud soon caked my shoes, and I had to watch where I was walking.

Eventually I found the river, and here was my first error. I turned right instead of left. I was heading along the Bonesgate Stream, not the Hogsmill. If I had followed that track I would have ended up nearer Chessington. There is nothing wrong with Chessington. In fact, I have crossed the Bonesgate on a previous walk through Chessington and Ashtead a couple of years ago. But this wasn’t my plan today. So retraced my steps. But before I move on I will tell you a little about the Bonesgate Stream. One part of it rises in Horton Country Park and the other in Chessington Wood. It joins the Hogsmill at Tolworth Court Farm. The Hogsmill is, of course, a tributary of the River Thames, and it meets the Thames at Kingston at Clattern Bridge, built in 1175, and is one of the oldest bridges in England.

Back on the right track I found where the two rivers meet and followed the Hogsmill. Again, I thought I knew where I was and where I would come out. But no! I have walked this river before in two sections in the past – Toworth to the source at Ewell, and Tolworth to Kingston where it feeds into the Thames – yet none of it seemed familiar!

I came out on a dual carriageway and crossed over by the lights. It took me a little while to locate the way back to the path, but from the bridge (which turnes out to be Tolworth Court Bridge!) there is an excellent view of the river.

This was a lovely path, and I was following a group of walkers who had probably walked from Ewell.

I thought this was a bridge at first but there is a pipe running over the river.

By now the sun was out and, being more sheltered, I wasn’t buffeted by the wind. On this stretch it passes by Surbiton Raceway (GoKarts), and I felt this section was familiar.

And here was my second confusion. The path ended on a main road with the Hogsmill Pub on the corner. I crossed, but it wasn’t long before I realised I was walking away from the river. I doubled back and consulted Google Maps. The only way to follow the river was to walk along the main road. The road had no pavement either side. It is a twisty turny road, and I felt rather unsafe walking along it. On the left Wimpey Homes are building new houses and apartments. Twice I came off and walked down pathways hoping to get back to the river. One turning led only to a health club, and the other was a private road, but at least there were some gorgeous ponies in a field to make friends with.

I finally found the path back to the river and saw my second heron of the day. Trying to take a photo of it proved difficult. Only my bridge camera could get that close, but even that refused to focus on anything but the foilage around it! And then it flew. Below is the best shot (nothing to write home about!)

I was now definitely on familiar ground and walking across Six Acre Meadow. This is famous for John Millais‘s painting Ophelia. The setting is here, though the model for Ophelia (Lizzie Siddel) was painted in a house lying in a bath of water lit by candles to try and keep her warm. That didn’t work. She got hypothermia!

I recenty found out that another Pre-Raphaelite painter, William Holman Hunt, also painted here. There is a great booklet that can be bought from Kingston Museum all about the Hogsmill River and the link to the Pre-Raphaelite artists.

Under the railway bridge by The Hogsmill RIver

I was on the final stretch I had planned for today. My exit point was St John’s Church, Old Malden. But before we leave this lovely river behind, I would like to direct you to the excellent website of Paul Talling where you can find the history of this river and some lovely photos of the whole route. Do take a look.

The delights surrounding St Pancras/Kings Cross Station

Let’s face it St Pancras/Kings Cross station is somewhere you pass through, an interchange for trains out of London. You might exit here for The British Library, which is just across the road, but there is much history here to see if you just wander….or in my case plan!

I’d heard about the Hardy tree for ages and seen photos of it online. I knew it was part of St Pancras Old Church gardens, but I had no idea where that was, and how many times I’d skirted around the edges of it without ever knowing. It was time to seek it out.

The location is easy to find. Depending on which exit you take from St Pancras you need to find Midland Road, general exit for The British Library. Here you cross a road and then turn right into Midland Road. St Pancras Old Church stands with its back to the rail lines and once stood alongside The Fleet River, one of the ‘lost’ rivers of London. There are many lost rivers. Most are now built over, but there is still evidence of them and there are many walks you can take to follow lost rivers. The Fleet was a big river in its day. People fished here, the wealthy lived alongside parts, but eventually everything ended up being thrown into it – animal carcases and other food waste, human waste and so on until it became a cess pit. There have been calls for parts of the Fleet to be uncovered. Sounds great, but I’m not sure how they would do it. The river began in Hamsptead, where also the Westbourne River originates (I have walked the length of that one!). Both rivers join the River Thames. Do read this fascinating article about the River Fleet here. There are some great photos.

St Pancras Old Church stands on the right hand side of Midland Road. I decided to walk around the gardens (former graveyard) first and find the Hardy Tree. And there it was! The story behind this unique place is down to the railway. St Pancras was always looking to expand. They needed more land. To do that they encroached onto the graveyard. Thomas Hardy (yes, the Thomas Hardy, famous author and poet) was overseeing the removal graves for this purpose. He ended up with lots of left over headstones. What to do with them? Well, he had this idea of of placing them around one particular tree. They have sunk into the ground a bit, but they are still there. It is quite a sight and photos don’t do it justice.

However, this is not the end because there are famous people buried here. John Soane, architect and collector (see this link for his museum) has quite a large tomb with what looks like the first phone box on top!

This is also the burial place of Johann Christina Bach (youngest son of composser Johann Sebastian Bach) and Carl Friedrich Abel, and at one time Mary Wollestonecraft was buried here. Her remains have been removed to Bournemouth, but her headstone is still here, and people still come to leave offerings on top of the headstone. Mary was the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. She died just ten days after giving birth to her daughter Mary (Shelly) who went on to write Frankenstein.

Offerings are still on top of the headstone

St Pancras Old Church is a small Anglo Catholic Church. Basically, it’s as Catholic as you can get without actually being Catholic. It is the highest form of Anglican Church of England. This means the church is highly decorated with statues, and there is an altar to Our Lady of Walsingham. I loved the atmosphere here, I think because it is compact. The organist was playing and I sat down to listen and to make a short video. Before leaving I bought some postcards and a booklet.

If you cross the gardens to the far end (heading towards the bridge where the trains go over), you can take a short cut to Camley Street Natural Park. On the other side of the bridge, the gardens are just across the road. I came here some years ago with a friend, but it has all changed. Run by the London Wildlife Trust, they have given it an overhaul. There is a new centre with classrooms and cafe. A group of schoolchildren had not long been pond dipping, as their equipment was still out by the pond. They were now in the classroom. I walked the pathways. Staff were busy moving mulch from the front of the building to a plot near the back, so wheelbarrow loads of chippings were being wheeled along the narrow paths. It’s early in the season, so not much plant life about, though I found a group of snowdrops.

The park runs alongside Regent’s Canal. There has been building works going on here forever, it seems, around the station and Coal Drops Yard. They are still building. Before crossing over one of bridges to the busy side of the canal, I stopped and had lunch at the cafe in Camley Street Natural Park. Lovely food and great recycling!

Another view from the park. I love the way the gas works have been re-purposed

Over the bridge there is Coal Drops Yard. This is the former warehouse site, and a train used to come in from the other side (you can still see the tracks if you know where to look). Now it’s all eating places and designer shops and businesses. However, on ground level there is an outdoor Curling venue where you can have a go at the sport that’s popular at the Winter Olympics.

Taken from the bridge – Cafe and classroom

If you are in the mood for a nice walk, there is the canal. But I was getting cold now and it was time to return home.

This is why I love London so much. There are so many places to seek out. London is not all theatres, Buckingham Palace, museums and art galleries. There are quiet spaces just a stone’s throw away from major rail stations, or a trip on the tube.

I must just mention the toilets at Kings Cross. They are some of the best rail station loos I’ve ever used, and they well deserve their award for the best station toilets. Well done. These things are important for travellers and make such a difference after some of the crappy (pun intended) toilets I’ve had to endure in the past.

Two Thames Path Walks

Near St Saviour’s Dock where Dickens set scenes from Oliver Twist

(1) Tower Bridge to Greenwich (south bank)

It was a crisp (okay freezing) day, but the sun was out, when I met a friend at London Bridge for our walk along the Thames Path. Although I have walked this section before, it’s amazing how much I’d forgotten. Well, it was several years ago when I last walked it.

We walked through Hays Galleria to join up with the Thames Path where we had to go carefully in the beginning as the frost hadn’t all melted. The smooth paving slabs were slippery and we both almost fell over. We picked our way through, choosing drier patches or rougher slabs until eventually walking became easier. I love walking along Shad Thames where the old warehouses have been converted into apartments, their walkways crossing the path above you and festooned with plants and flowers. I failed to take as many photos as usual, so please have a look at this website for some great information and photos to do this walk justice. There are some stunning shots and a handy map.

Just off the path is a square with a lovely fountain, the edges of which have little bronzes (maybe bronzes…frankly it’s a guess!) of a camera, a notebook, a pen etc. There is also a handy cafe here if you need a warm up.

Back on the on the path we next encounter Dr Salter. His statue, and that of his wife, his daughter and cat all occupy this little park. Dr Salter did much for the poor in Rotherhithe, only to lose his own daughter, Joyce, to scarlet fever. Read all about it here at the excellent Look Up London website (who run fantastic walks too).

Cloud covered the sun as we walked further. All along the route there were little gardens with benches which, in better weather, make a nice resting place. The path occasionally takes you off the Thames where new apartments now stand, but you never away from the river for long, nor far from it.

A good stopping place in spring would be Surrey Docks Farm. Only the cafe was open last week, and they stressed there were no toilet facilities (these are in the farm which as I said was not open). Please see the website for opening times. I have been in before, and it is delightful and really worth a visit.

In Deptford there used to be docks from where James Cook set out to discover Australia. But other famous names are associated with these docks too. Have a read of this short article and this excellent website talks about the connection of John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys to the docks.

All that is left of the original docks are these stone pillars.

Walking out of Pepys Park we came across a mile post. It’s not often one sees these type with long distances recorded. I was wondering how one got to Dover from here, but I no doubt there is a pathway somewhere as you head out to Kent where you leave the Thames Path and join another pathway to Dover. Oxford, of course, is on the Thames Path, one of many sections I have not yet walked.

Now it was possible to see Greenwich in the distance. At some point on the walk I had changed my socks because my original pair were chaffing. I believe they were too loose so that my foot was sliding in them. It is always a good idea to have spare socks (and plasters) on long walks! The change helped, but it was good to know we weren’t far off our main stop.

Greenwich in the distance. The tide was in and lapping the wall. It was like being at the seaside if you closed your eyes.

The sun was out again, and our thoughts turned to food and toilets! For lunch we found The Old Brewery where we had a most excellent soup in wonderful surroundings (see photos). It was a chance to sit and recover. We talked about walking on to the Thames Barrier, our original destination, but having studied the map (and knowing there was a long haul around the O2) we decided to end our walk in Greenwich. Besides which, I don’t think our legs were quite up to another three to four miles. We’d walked near on eight miles already. That was enough.

From Greenwich it is an easy journey back into London using the DLR and changing at Canary Wharf to the Jubilee Line.

If you enjoyed this, do take a look at a walk I took in 2014 – a circular walk from London Bridge to Tower Bridge incorporating both sides of the River Thames with a couple of stops to view inside churches. You can read it here.

(2) Putney Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge

I was meeting a friend in Hammersmith and decided to take the bus to Putney and walk there along the Thames. The day was brilliant, but freezing (again). I know this section well, as I have walked along it many times, as well as having visited Fulham Football Club, which sits along the edge of Thames. My youngest son has a season ticket to Fulham but got me and my other son tickets when Spurs were playing Fulham. So we were there on the same day, but he was in the home end and we were in the away end. It was too far across to see him and wave!

Fulham Palace and its gardens sit to the right of the path. Always a delight to visit if you have time. The house is interesting, and it is easy to get lost in the gardens, or maybe that’s just me! Along the Thames Path is Bishops Park Riverside Walk, another lovely diversion. The gardens have a lake with a pretty bridge and lots of wildfowl can always been seen. There is a children’s area and huge sand pit.

Below is one of my favourite parts of the walk. I love to see the trees, winter or summer, hang over the path. It reminds me a little of the walk along Chelsea Embankment.

The gardens along Bishops Park Riverside

The walk to Hammersmith takes a little over half an hour, depending on the speed you walk. I had to speed up as I realised I was going to be late! Soon I could see Hammersmith Bridge in the distance. The bridge has been closed for a long time due to structural defects. It is now open to pedestrians and cyclists. This is the second long term closure to traffic I remember. I do hope this time whatever they do works this time. However, these bridges were not meant to carry the volume or weight of traffic they now do.

Five Sleeps until Christmas

Well, it could be a challenging Christmas again this year with threats of further restrictions and potential lockdowns. But all is not lost. With all my Christmas events finished now, I am using this week to get baking. Mince pies have just come out of the oven and I’m making some snacks using chickpeas, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg and baked in the oven.

Tomorrow is the shortest day, which means days will begin to get longer. Spring (as my dad would have said) is just around the corner. The tree outside our house has buds. Another clue to the coming spring. It’s good to have something to look forward to.

Lockdown or not, there will be walks to take, and I will have more time again. But for now, let the carols continue and the lights blaze. May the magic of Christmas be with you.

Here are a few photos I’ve taken out and about. Whatever you are doing this Christmas, I wish you a very Happy Christmas and thank you for dropping by here this year. I hope to share more walks and places of interest in the coming year.

Someone has decorated the holly bush in our road.

Just one tree as part of All Saints Church Christmas Tree Festival

Hokusai – The Great Picture Book of Everything

Self Portrait

This exhibition is currently on show at The British Museum until 30th January 2022. The drawings (103 recently acquired) were drawn between 1820-1840 were meant for an encyclopedia entitled The Great Picture Book of Everything. However, the book was never published. The pictures depict creation stories, myths, religion and Japanese subjects. Many of the drawings feature flowers, medicinal herbs, animals and birds and people wearing traditional clothing from countries such as China, Mongolia and Vietnam.

There are also cabinets where are there are open books to view and another with ‘tools of the trade’ of printing pictures from wood blocks, including a video demonstration.

Of course, Hokusai is best known for his painting Under the Wave, more commonly known as just The Wave. There were many versions of this, and a video tells the story of how so many came to be produced. There are two versions on the wall with a ‘spot the difference’ instruction.

The drawings in the exhibition are small and you need to get up close to see all the detail. If might be worth taking a magnifying glass with you! How Hokusai managed to get so much detail into such small drawings I do not know. The majority of the drawings are black and white, but as you come out of the exhibition you enter the Japan Room and there are some coloured paintings of Hokusai’s there, along with various paintings by other Japanese artists. The room has many other exhibits, such as swords, costumes, ceramics and a portable shrine.

After the exhibition, I headed down Charing Cross Road and had lunch in Foyles cafe before exploring all five floors of the book shop! I don’t know how I came out of there without buying a book.

From there, I walked to the River Thames, crossing to the other side, and walked along the embankment to Vauxhall, stopping for a cup of tea at the flat of my son and his girlfriend. It was a chance to take a few more photos of London – do I need an excuse?

Christmas is coming – Charing Cross, towards Embankment Tube station

Outside the International Maritime Organisation, Lambeth

Decoration – Former Royal Doulton Factory

Richmond Park – A Royal Park

The last time I was in Richmond Park we were in partial lockdown. This time I saved all my walking until I reached the park by taking the bus! I entered by the Kingston Gate and walked to the Isabella Plantation, exploring parts I hadn’t explored in years. I regularly used to come with mum and dad. This is, of course, a Royal park, and the biggest in London. The park is also the local haunt of Sir David Attenborough

Watch a short film about the park narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

The day I walked was sunny with blue sky and the autumn colours were beautiful. I took with me my bridge camera, which is better for zooming in on subjects. These photos are a combination of mobile and bridge camera shots. Choosing a weekday meant that the park was quiet (I’m a great getter-away-from-people person!). After leaving the Isabella Plantation, I walked towards the car park where there is a small takeaway cafe. Here I was surprised to find that I could buy a vegan sausage roll and a soya hot chocolate. Things have really improved for me these days! I’m not sure how long the takeaway cafe has been here, but it wasn’t here when I was a teenager. It is a great spot for it.

May be an image of tree and nature — Bridge

Autumn reflections – Isabella Plantation

After fueling up, I considered my options. To return the same way I had come, or walk to the Robin Hood Gate and catch a different bus home. The latter seemed a good option, and that is what I did.

Looking towards Roehampton from Richmond Park

The park is well known for deer, but I didn’t see any. There were plenty of parakeets!

I think next time I should explore a different part of the park. Years ago, I walked around the perimeter of the park on a sponsored walk for Wildlife Fund for Nature. That stretch is around ten miles. I remember how easy that seemed back then. Nowadays my legs really know it if I walk that far.

It is wonderful to have such a gorgeous park almost on my doorstep. I have grown up with it, and hope I will continue to enjoy it for many more years to come.