So, Where Shall We Go On Our Journey Today? - Greenwich, London

Oh where do I start with this post?  My emotions are running high so I am sorry if I ramble on.  The air was so charged when I said the question in my title to my two teenagers that I had to fight back the sort of sob that gets stuck at the back of your throat.  You see, this is what my Grandad Tom used to say as we came out of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel and I am ashamed to say that Greenwich is the one place I have never taken them.  They have come close by coming to the Docklands Museum with me and I have pointed over the river to Greenwich, but this place has been personal to me - it's 'my place', the place that is embedded in my heart.  This place holds the dearest of sweet memories to me as this was where I spent a huge amount of my childhood, teenage years and into my twenties exploring places with my Grandparents, especially my wonderful Grandad Tom.  We would travel from Seven Kings in Ilford to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, walk under the Thames and come out at Greenwich looking straight up at the Cutty Sark.

The year that he died the Cutty Sark had a fire which was of huge upset to those with such a love of the place - I am so glad he never lived to see this happen as it would have been such a hefty blow.  Thankfully, this has now been restored and visitors can now walk beneath it.  So Grandad wherever you are, do you remember this question you would ask me as soon as we came out of the tunnel? "So, where shall we go on a journey today?", well let's start with the Cutty Sark like we used to and I can lead you by the hand to see something you never saw...the underneath, and I can show your Great Grandchildren the places you taught me about, the history this place encapsulates, and the detail that you wrote about in your papers.

The Greenwich Foot Tunnel?  I hear you ask, yes, it runs under the Thames from Canary Wharf to Greenwich.  A small tunnel with a lift (or stairs) that is visible either side.  Now, when I used to go under this it never appeared to be that wet - bearing in mind that you have the Thames above you.  This time I didn't feel as safe, and I have to say that the news from people was that you can never tell if it is open or not - the good news is that for the first time since it's finished construction at the beginning of the last century, it is now being looked at.  Even so, the smell of the damp cellar type mustiness and coldness of the air sent my memories dancing.  The last time I walked under here was with Grandad Tom.

As you come out of the Victorian building that holds the lift and stairs you are greeted with a slightly different scene of the Cutty Sark.  She has been fully restored and risen from her dock and looks as though she is riding the seas once more.

Then for a family ticket of £29.00...and worth every single penny in my book!  You get to see the restoration works that have been painstakingly completed.  The raised ship with its new sheathing of metal alloy made from 70% copper and 30% zinc.  The original metal of Muntz would have originally covered the hull below the waterline to stop barnacles from attaching themselves and helped the Cutty Sark sail smoothly through the water.

Isn't she impressive!!  How his heart would have burst to see this.  The happiness that would have cloaked him.  I felt he was with me every step of the way and when I asked one of the guides if I could touch the hull, she was more than happy for me to do this - and I did...for him!

Once on board I realised this was not the old dark, tar smelling ship that I knew of old.  This had now been cloaked in technology, imagination and linking itself to a knowledge thirsty audience.  After all, I used to have an expert guide in my Grandad taking me around but now the audience wants interaction.  He would have loved this and he would have fully embraced it.   This was a brilliant interaction piece!  You type in a name to see if they were ever on board.  Well, we knew he wasn't but had to take a photo of his presence on board this ship today!

There were tea chests as flooring (The Cutty Sark was a tea clipper).

And tea chests on the ceiling.

 The new rope that was tying the rigging looked wonderfully fresh against the old structure.

How on earth did they know which one to climb up and deal with?  Along with how to unleash the lifeboats if needed?

While we were looking over to the Isle of Dogs we saw a wonderful sight, another ship going down the Thames - without sails.  Oh and see the whitish dome on the right?  That's the other end of the foot tunnel!

I took LOADS of photos, and if you want to see more, there is a link at the bottom of this post that will take you to my Flickr album of the day.

OK, you still with me?  The view of the Isle of Dogs is one that I have seen grow over the years.  The places we walked taking photos of buildings and roads that were about to be demolished for the regeneration, long before the Olympics was even a glimmer for that area to be renewed.  You see, the Isle of Dogs used to be what my Grandad would call a slum.  He lived there with his family until the 1930's when once again the Thames flooded and a huge exodus was moved to the new houses in Seven Kings.  His neighbours all along the road in Seven Kings had lived there since that time!

So I have watched the gradual rise of this area from slum to millionaires paradise.  My ancestors would never believe me if I could tell them, they'd just shout out "You What? Yer 'aving a larf!"  So Grandma, Grandad and all my ancestors that lived in the Isle of Dogs...look how it's grown!  The views of the Isle of Dogs with the Canary Wharf Tower and major banking businesses filling the once productive dock yards of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

And, look how your Great Grandchildren have grown!  The two of them looked down from The Royal Observatory and were silent...taking in this amazing view - in my opinion, the best one of London.  I was proud, I was happy, I was sad, so many emotions that I fell silent too, using my camera to hide my tears.

This hill holds so many happy stories but the best one has to be my Great Grandma.  She was not your normal, conventional little old lady.  No, she hated old people and the fact she had become one herself! She was a little terror when smaller, knocking off policemen's helmets and getting into all sorts of trouble.  One fine day when I was very small, we all came onto this hill and she said to me to come and roll down it with her.  My Grandad took firm hold of my hand and said no, but that didn't stop this elderly lady dropping to her knees and promptly tumble down the steep hill.  I can still remember her skirt having no baring to her modesty, my Grandad's horrified face of embarrassment and my Grandma promptly running and shouting after her to get up.  The problem was, she couldn't, she was going so fast and laughing so much she couldn't hear!  When she reached the bottom she straightened herself up still laughing at the negative comments from my Grandparents but with a mischievous look at me and wink.  I noticed while we were up there that there has been a railing strategically placed to stop any further temptation!

The day took on so many sights and experiences and one that the teenagers enjoyed was standing either side of the Meridian Line - East meets West.  OK, warning shot coming...my hobbit feet on the east and west of the hemisphere!

Are you Ok? Not too shocked?...deep breaths, right I'll carry on.  Now, for a £15.00 family ticket you can wait for 45 minutes to stand for a few seconds on the Meridian Line with a nice big fancy modern structure behind you while your nearest and dearest jostles for space to take the photo.  OR, for FREE, you can get to the top of the hill and bear right through a little black turn style gate.  On the wall you will see this...

A direct continuation of the Meridian Line which runs down the wall and where my feet were (don't worry I won't show this again).  Also what was so sweet was these little love locks that had been placed on this line on the railings...

And so, back down the hill we headed towards The Royal Naval College and The National Maritime Museum.

The Museum would wait until another day but I wanted to show Mr and Miss Teenager The Painted Hall.  Miss Teenager loves her art but was saying that she was sure it wasn't going to be her thing.  Then...

'WOW' was her reaction when she walked in the front entrance to see just what those domes in The Royal Naval College hold.  They both stood not knowing what to look at next.

We went into the main hall where the paintings were even larger.

And then through to the back.

Here there were lots of tables but not elaborately decorated and adorned as they were when I last came.  Instead, very Harry Potteresque...

 And so, I decided that this had better be it for the day as Greenwich is too big to cram this all in.  I had seen the reflections of my life that was now past but I had two wonderful kids who had supported me with this trip and had loved it as much as I did with my Grandad.

 And thank you again Cutty Sark for starting the journey once again as you did with me and my Grandad.  Your  Great Grandchildren didn't want to go home...just like me!  And the next trip here is already planned.

If you want to see more of our trip, please visit my Flickr Set here

I hope you have enjoyed this little trip to Greenwich.  If you ever get to come to London please make the trip as you will not be disappointed.  It is not your usual tourist trap where you are jostled around, it is more sedate, open spaced and SO much to see and do.

Have a lovely weekend and week with you and yours.

Take care.

♥Chel♥

(Remember that if you want to see a larger version of my photos just click on one and a slide will appear)

This week I am sharing with:

Memories by the Mile

Sundays in my City

Weekly Top Shot

Our World Tuesday

You're Gonna Love It

Tuesday Around The World

Time Travel Thursday

Weekend Reflections

The Places I've Been