When its not too hot or too wet a favourite route of mine, on arriving at Gatwick, is to get the train to London Bridge rather than the expensive express to Victoria. Then walk up the river, to the Royal Festival Hall, use the footbridge to Charing Cross station, across Trafalgar Square, up Haymarket and then into the large Waterstone’s bookshop to get a much needed drink on the 6th floor. Two and half miles.
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A day that started off disappointing but got better.
I had decided to have an easy day, I thought a day exploring all the stuff that the British stole was the perfect morning. The British Museum is only a block away from my hotel, so off I set…
There were queues and a man shouting, “…ticket holders to the right, non ticket holders to the left.” I asked him if this was for the Bayeux Tapestry but it was not, I found out that you can no longer just turn up to the British Museum and wander round, you have to book a time on line.
Ho Hum, what to do?
Took a trip on the Victoria Line for old times sake to Brixton.
The markets seem to have got Up Market, all the higgle di piggle di stalls are now in Electric Avenue and the undercover market is very refined.
To be frank I really only recognised the town hall, the library and the rail bridge
BTW Brixton Library had the best collection of spoken word LPs I ever came across
Didn’t go to look at the place I lived in the climb up Briston Hill was probably beyond me.
Then a trip up the Victoria Line where I lived on Seven Sisters Rd. My place is still there - the attic room with a window.
Very surprised to look opposite and find that the Finsbury Park Astoria, later the Rainbow Theatre seems to have been taken over by Religious Nutters
Finally time to visit the Tate Modern - what a bloody difficult place to get to!
The exhibition was much bigger than I expected, not only did it have Frida Kahlo’s work but also that of her contemporaries and lovers.
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I walked back through it after the theatre
This is my first visit since 2011 before that 1989
You’re not wrong. I was knackered
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A bit of a funny story.
When I went to Scotland my cousin’s wife took a picture of me, my brother and my cousin, they are a couple of years younger than me but both walk with a stick. I put the picture on my family Whatsapp page.
It naturally drew comments about, “where was my stick?”
Anyway when I walking to the Tate Modern I rolled my ankle on some cobblestones and fell over, a very gentle fall but enough to graze my knee - I have no control over my left ankle since my back operation.
(Warning - horror shot to follow)
Foolishly I posted it on the Whatsapp to show how little damage was caused. I was then bombarded with messages from both kids and grandkids telling me to get a stick!
BTW I have been wearing shorts everyday since I got here.
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Lucky it was only a graze.
I note that, counter to some right wing commentators either side of the Atlantic, you seem to have been able to walk all over London without danger. No gangs of thieves, no hordes of violent foreigners, no sharia law preventing you from doing things. Just strolling around a great city. (Unless your bodyguards were conveniently outside of the photos!)
Some excellent photos Bruce and good explanations of some of the sights you frequented as a young man. I used to love visiting London as a courier, but it was mainly in and out. The parking was atrocious and expensive. On my return to the M1 and the drive home I would stop at the services called ‘London Gateway’ the first services you come to on the M1…It was like jumping off a roundabout and always left me thinking…“What just happened?”
Not necessarily right wing commentators, the majority of people who don’t live or visit London are at the mercy of the news organisations who give the impression that the capital is full of knife crime, terrorists and protesters. Most of whom are foreigners, or are student lefty’s and deface monuments and artwork and support them.
As a kid, our family lived very close to the old Rainbow theatre. We lived very close to Manor House tube station, so it was just a 10 minute walk up the Seven Sisters Road to the venue.
I remember when the Rainbow closed its doors and then became the Universal Kingdom of God, so many years ago now - very sad to see, as the Rainbow was one of the most exciting venues for all the great bands and artists back in the 70’s.
I went there with my very first boyfriend to see a band called Focus in the early 70’s.
Prior to that, in the 60’s, my older sister went to see the Beatles perform there when it was still the Finsbury Park Astoria.
Great memories for me.
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‘hocus pocus’ by Focus, one of my top ten records of all time Anise…
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I used to live in Green Lanes, very close to Manor House station. If memory serves sometimes there’d be live music at The Manor House pub, also very close to the station!
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Brilliant - as i recall they played it several times that night, Fox!
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Oh yes i remember the pub very well.
My parents were fairly strict with us girls (our brother could do anything) but we were warned to keep away from that pub, as it had a ‘dodgy’ reputation!
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London is probably the safest place in the country.
I saw Rainbow at the Rainbow back in the early 70s.
How much longer are you here for, Bruce? Can I buy you a lunch?
By the way Chilli, in the 80’s, i had a flat just off the Green Lanes, between Manor House, and Turnpike Lane - loved living there.
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Yep, that was around the time I was sharing a flat with my girlfriend and some student buddies. I’ll always remember The Greek bakeries in Green Lanes. Sometimes we’d stroll down to Sainsbury’s in Wood Green for provisions. Usually beer etc for parties! 
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Today’s adventure.
Took the tube to Green Park to discover it is not so green but in fact my favourite shade of drought brown (no mowing)
Then on to see if Charlie was home.
Alas he was not in so I didn’t get to say hello.
A slight detour to visit what I hope was @Besoeker 's pub. They’d even put out cones for me.
Had a couple of pints of quite strong lager (by UK standards) before staggering back to Green Park.
A quick lie down before it was time to head off to the theatre.
A strange comedy but I quite liked it, The star was a very talented lady, I think she wrote it too.
The problem is that both shows I went to had West End stars who were obviously well known to the rest of the audiences but completely unknown to me.
Tomorrow morning I catch the train back to the wilds of Macclesfield after a very enjoyable (exhausting) few days in London.
BTW I have never felt unsafe anywhere in London bearing in mind I lived in Brixton in the 1960s when it had something of, shall we say, a reputation.
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Bruce you don’t have to wonder how the Kangaros are doing back in Australia without you looking after them
Hi Bruce. Thank you visiting the Adam & Eve !!
All the current data shows that London is safer than ever (which does not mean it is crime free, of course). See below.
There is however a massive issue of disinformation and fake outrage on social media - a good bit of which has social media pundits getting clicks & earnings from false claims about London. Another failing from social media companies.
Today started well but went downhill.
I was returning to Macclesfield by train, in the morning went out for coffee and a bite to eat before checking out of the hotel and walking up to Euston station.
Was a bit early so found a seat to watch the massive departure board.
When I was here last (2011) they charged 30p to use the toilet, I am pleased to report it is now free.
Finally my train popped up
And as promised by 10:40 I was seated.
The train left exactly on time but that was as far as it went. The train crawled out of London until a message came on the PA saying that due to an “incident” at Nuneaton the train was being diverted via the west Midlands (Birmingham)
To cut a long story short I finally arrived in Macclesfield at 2.35pm about 2 hours late. So much for me praising British Rail, I should have kept quiet . 
BTW I think I caught a glimpse of the new Wembley Stadium in the distance. (?)
