My London Pride

Due to the terrible events that unfolded on Wednesday at Westminster, I wasn't going to post this week.  Too upset and angry that my home town had become vulnerable in a brief moment, a mindless act of violence taking the lives of innocent people, and a devoted policeman at the first line of defence.

Anyone who knows Westminster Bridge, or indeed has been a tourist there, will know just how frustratingly busy the bridge and the pavements are along here.  Tourists, workers, street entertainers, artists, as well as London traffic both on the bridge and the Thames boats beneath.

Within moments this iconic area of London was dealing with the aftermath, all races, all faiths pulling together to help those who were dying and injured.  My friends who work in the area were in lockdown, kept in their buildings, but safe.

My Grandparents lived through the Blitz, my parents and I lived through the IRA bombings, and now my children are growing up in an era of uncertainty of randomness of terrorist targets.  There is nothing more incredible than the resilience of Londoners.  Yes we get tarnished for being unfriendly, just worried about ourselves as we dash around the City, but that's because we're busy, we have places to get to and try and fight our way through the crowds.  But, when the going gets tough, we pull together, dust ourselves down and just get on with it, helping, talking, taking time to make sure everything that can be done is done.

As I watched events unfold, as well as being in shock, I was proud.  Proud of the strangers who helped each other and the emergency services carrying out their numerous drills of such an eventuality.

I am a proud Londoner, and always will be. No matter how often others try to beat us down, we just get stronger.

So, What's Your Favourite Museum?

I am one of those people who just loves a good museum.  The anticipation of going into one for the first time and exploring all they have to offer.  My favourite by far will be no surprise to you, the Museum of London and I try to visit each time I am in the area, if only to see a couple of the exhibitions.  So, do you want a glimpse of my favourite museum?  Grab yourself a custard cream (or maybe the packet, it's a long post!) and a delicious cup of rosie lea and let's go and see this little corner of London... 

Just a hop, skip and jump from St Paul's Cathedral and you come across this little gem...

Full of history and beautifully presented, so let's start with the wall... London Wall...

This is a very small part of the remains of the original Roman London wall built between the 2nd and 3rd century, a defense built to protect Londonium.  It blows my mind how old this wall is, and the hands that built this never knowing that their craft would still be standing today.  The Museum can be found down the road called 'London Wall' and this shot was taken from the glazed viewpoint within the Museum.

With the London Museum you need a day to visit, unless you want to just concentrate on one era of this magnificent city's history.  There is so much to see and read, including entering a room containing the Lord Mayor's Coach.  The opulence of this exquisite coach and the six horses (fake when on exhibition) that pull the coach through the crowds each year is certainly a feast for the eyes (even though a little bit over the top!).  The Museum have special doors that allow them to remove the coach when needed or if the Museum caught fire, without going through the building itself.

Now, if you follow the Museum all the way around, you will start with the very earliest history of Londinium right through to the present day.  Your visit to me today will just have some snippets so I have included just a finger nail of  incredible history that this time capsule of a building contains.

100 - 50BC... yes, that's right!  The Sunbury Hoard.  The largest find of high tin bronze coins ever found and made, they think, in north Kent.  This kind of exhibit has me looking for far too long.  The hands that have touched these, the things they have bought.  Mind blowing, and to be found while building a new housing estate in 1950, so incredibly lucky.

Do you want earlier history?  How about 3640 - 3100BC?  This is the Shepperton Woman...

... and with a little reconstruction...

The exhibit on the Romans is vast and incredibly interesting to see rooms set out as they were.  It's as though you are walking in their shoes, and surrounded by so many items.

Thank goodness for the progression on grooming through the centuries.  Modern day soft make up brushes, hair curling tongs and straighteners!  A whole different affair back in Roman times!

Now, what is your vision of St Paul's Cathedral?  I'm guessing you are thinking of the dome.  Well, this is the previous version...

Not a dome in sight.  Four Cathedrals have stood at Ludgate Hill for 1,400 years and this particular building was completed in the 1320's with a spire of 400 feet high.  This beautiful piece of gothic architecture was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666, and then it was the turn of the current Cathedral to be constructed with the vision of Sir Christopher Wren (and the help of the stonemasons having a drink in the Old Bell Tavern in Fleet Street!)

From large models to the smaller exhibits.  This badge was one of many that would have been brought back from a pilgrimage to see Sir Thomas Beckett's tomb at Canterbury Cathedral.  It shows his tomb, the sword that killed him and also the ship that brought him to England in 1170.

And now onto Oliver Cromwell.  A man who even now can divide a room on whether he was a good or bad man, either way I wouldn't want to cross, or maybe not even be in the presence of for fear of saying the wrong thing, but to lay my eyes on Oliver Cromwell's death mask was something that I was fascinated by.  Actually looking at something that was placed on his lifeless face after his death.  A true likeness, the beard, the closed eyes, the nooks and crannies created by his life.  Things like this are macabre but this is history at its finest.  Oliver Cromwell, his face, right there, which is lucky in a way as after his death he was posthumously executed and his head severed and displayed at Tyburn.  This type of  exhibit cries out to me with its immense importance.  And there I am, just a couple of feet away from a true image of him.  A friend of mine who's love of history is incredibly infectious, sent me the following link which for those who are equally passionate about this time, might like to read.  The link is here.

Moving on and you come to other fascinating exhibits.  The Wellclose Square Prison Cell c1750.  Walking into this 'box' surrounded by the scratchings of those who were held in this Cell was incredibly powerful.  The prison was to the east of the Tower of London and was used for insolvent debtors.

The writing of the debtors so beautiful, and I have to say, Edward Burk featured quite a few times in this cell.

Sometimes as I go around this museum, something new catches my eye.  I can't remember which section this was in, but the sentiments on this plate really sung out to me.  Simple but romantic words.   1661 and a gentle saying from one to another.  I wonder if it was from her to him and as he ate his dinner, the words appeared?  However, after researching this, I found that its discovery was not as romantic!  It was excavated from a London sewer!

One of the exhibitions that I love to walk around is the Victorian Street, my favourite era.  Various shops within this corner of the Museum which I need to revisit and write a blog post in its own right (for another day!).

... and then onto Selfridges, or rather just the lift.  The splendour of that shop is beautiful, especially as you enter the front revolving doors, but can you imagine how beautiful it would have been at the beginning and requesting one of the tempting floors in one of these lifts?

So, that's a little taster of this amazing piece of London.  My favourite Museum? It's this one.  My favourite exhibit?  The one where my Grandad speaks about the Blitz and St Pauls.  A truly magnificent and free Museum.  (if you would like to see more, please click on the link in my side bar).

I'll leave you with the coat of arms of the City of London - Domine Dirige Nos which translates to Lord Guide Us.  The cross is St George with  the sword of St Paul in the top left corner.

The only guidance I needed was to get on the train again, unfortunately!  We'll be back again soon for another visit

I hope you are keeping warm in this colder weather wherever you are.  Have a lovely weekend and week ahead.

Seasons Greetings from London

I must apologise for being a little absent over the festive period.  I made the terrible mistake of changing my camera which drained my inspiration, my patience, my love of seeing things differently.  For such a small piece of technology, it surprised me how much the sap was washed away from my limbs.  So, to cut a very long story very short, my tried and tested Big Bertha is now back with me and my sense of rhythm has been restored!

So, how were your holidays?  Did all your weeks (or months) of planning work out for you?  Have you come out the other side unscathed?  I have decided to change my outlook on this festive season now that the teens are older, and make things a little easier.  How?  I don't know yet, but I have plenty of time to rethink over the next few months!

Now, enough of the talking, let's get to some shots I took with my mobile phone on the 23 December in London!  Am I mad?  Yes, said my friends, and No we won't be joining you!  Well, let me tell you, the best time to visit Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus in December is the last office working day!  I kept thinking that it was a bad idea to book theatre tickets for Miss Teen and Miss B so close to Christmas, but it really was the best thing in the end.  Once they were safely inside, I then took off on my own, stopping off at places, sitting down on the steps of Trafalgar Square, drinking coffee, shopping, watching street entertainers... it was absolute bliss!  So, here we go, a visual festive treat for you... (just hover over the photo for the description)

Once the girls were out of the theatre, we decided to leave early for the Tube as we thought it would be an absolute nightmare down there. I was more than pleasantly surprised...the carriages were half empty!  Empty carriages at 6pm?!  Kings Cross, busy but still plenty of seats on the train home and in plenty of time!

The moral to my madness?... We're doing it again next year!!  To have those three hours of 'me' time was incredibly satisfying and a little Christmas treat to myself.

Sorry again for taking so long to post, hopefully life will calm down a little now that I have been reinstated with my camera, and I can now soak up the inspiration from those special and cherished people who surround me.

Revisiting Camden Town and Santacon in London

On Saturday 10 December, something special will be happening iaround the world in towns and cities... 

Santacon 2016

(you can find out more here)

An event organised by the power of social media and one that I loved coming across a couple of years ago in 2014.  So, my blog today is going back in time and revisiting December 2014, when we were pleasantly surprised by the fun and festive feeling of Camden Town and Trafalgar Square in London.  Full santa outfits have to be worn (not just a hat or Christmas jumper!) and details of where the events being held are only told the night before.  Unfortunately I can't get down to London for a couple of weeks but reliving this day from 2014 was still as fun as it was then.  So, mince pie and a glass of sherry my dear readers... here we go again...

Well the year is nearly over and this would be my last trip to London for now.  A little bit of Christmas shopping was to be embarked upon, along with some sight seeing in the City to see the Christmas decorations sparkling in the night time.  What we were not expecting to see along the way were Santas.  Many, many, many Santas.  Now, if your little ones are reading this with you, can I explain that these are being interviewed to work in the North Pole next year in the real Father Christmas' workshops!  To the adults- this was one massive pub crawl!!!!  So as I take you around our visit this time, you may see quite a lot of Santas' in different shapes and guises along the way!

Just a quick hop onto the tube to Camden Town from Kings Cross and we joined the crowds.  Yes, people were saying that we were mad to go Christmas shopping in London, so seeing the Mad Hatter as we came out of the tube station really didn't help!!

Camden Town is full of markets, individual unique shops and friendly staff - unrushed and very happy to please.  Yes, it was full of shoppers but we didn't feel as though we were being pushed along, instead we were able to take our time and handle things at our leisure.  What is also so different is that the signs for the shops are accompanied by huge examples of the wares they are selling inside.  So instead of seeing a typical barber shop red and white column, you can see boots...

...clothes...

in fact anything from a distance.

As we walked along there were more and more Santas walking along to Camden Lock.  Santacon was obviously in full swing!

Now to some I suppose Camden Town can look a little shabby with its individual style, so if you are into sleek and shiny High Streets then Camden is not for you.  However, if you like things that are a little different and especially if you have teenage kids, then this is a MUST see.  Miss Teen and her friend Miss B felt totally at home and were happily soaking up the young, vibrant atmosphere and were surprised at just how long the stallholders spoke to them and let them try things on without getting all huffy.  It was a new experience for them.

My happy places though were capturing the ghost signs on the sides of old shops...

... taxi cabs outside good old fashioned fish and chip shops...

... lamp shops...

... boots...

... dresses...

... candles...

... necklaces... (a favourite for Miss Teen and Miss B - the stallholder was amazing with his knowledge of TV shows and film).

Then there was the food, and what a huge choice there was.  All freshly prepared and cooked.  Yes there are the typical fast food places, but most people head to the stall holders where cocktail sticks are handed out to try the different flavours of the world.  Even Octopus is freshly cooked and served.

We went for the Turkish option with succulent chargrilled chicken, perfectly cooked rice, fresh salad and a flat bread!  Perfect!  For dessert we went along to some more stalls and spotted this one with oozing cakes.

I truly wanted that sticky toffee cake but passed, however Miss Teen and Miss B enjoyed the brownie pops.  I was allowed a little taster and they were heavenly!

Lunchtime here is very busy but again we didn't feel that we were being rushed along, everyone just taking their time.

But hey, do you want to see where all the Santas went?  They were at Camden Lock...

Streams of them, all very merry.

One had obviously already been down a chimney!

Another had already been to one of the corset shops.

The atmosphere was fantastic and the girls were so happy to be part of it.

But to keep on track we needed to get back over the bridge.

Passing this great looking shop called All Saints where you can just see all the antique sewing machines in the windows

Can you make them out?

Time was knocking on so we needed to say a reluctant goodbye to Camden Town.  I feel that this will be a regular trip for my daughter now!

Another tube journey to Charing Cross and a short walk to Trafalgar Square next.

When I was younger I used to have a regular Christmas trip here with my Nan and Grandpa, just to see the Christmas Tree which is a gift from Norway.

The lights were on as the sun began to set over London town.

Including the star at the top!

Yes, you guessed it.  Santacon was here too!

If I was prepared I think we would have stayed to see the whole square full of Santas, which is what happened later on.  But we needed to walk to Westminster before our train back.

We walked past Downing Street on the way.  Long gone are the days when you could stand next to the famous front door with a policeman!

Westminster was full but we managed to get near the railings of the Houses of Parliament.

Then along to Westminster Bridge to see the London Eye at night.

County Hall looks beautiful when it is lit up.

London at night is my favourite time to see this magical place.

Everyone dashing here, there and everywhere!

It was now time to say goodbye to the Thames...

And let the ghostly carriages pass us by!

Sorry, couldn't resist, the photo could have come out A LOT better but it was a quick turn round to see them going past me.

Back to 2016 and my last London trip of the year will be coming up in a couple of weeks when I hope to capture the tree at Trafalgar Square while Miss Teen and Miss B enjoy a West End Show.  I can't wait to get down to my old home town and breathe in that air again and have a couple of hours of selfish 'me' time.