Memories of The Monument

The Monument, the worlds tallest free standing stone column at 202 feet re-opens after some major refurbishment work. Before the "eye" it was the way to see London. Now the viewing gallery is well protected, but many years ago it was not. Just the railings between you and the tarmac 200 feet away.

The monument was built as a memorial to the Great Fire, which so nearly destroyed London in 1666.

When I visited in the early 1960's I just a child, maybe 6 or 7. I remember being excited at the prospect of visiting London, and also keen to go up the (seemingly never ending) spiral stair case.

"NO RUNNING"

Of course we would count the steps, but after a few hundred, and probably some corrections in the 70's and 80's we soon lost count. Apparently there are 311. Ever onwards, ever upwards, it was dingy, I would say now, but then, that didn't matter. The top was getting closer, so just a few more steps for my tired legs.

I think this happened during the summer holidays, because I remember Dad being with us, but it could have easily been at Easter. Either way it was not a nice day, and we were firmly strapped into our rain coats.

Just before all of my legs turned to lead we came through the door and out on to the viewing platform. Almost the same second I was caught by a gust of wind and slammed into the little fence around the edge. My mood changed, I looked around and over London, but all I wanted to do now was return to the ground the slow way. I walked around looking out with my back to the wall and was relieved to be allowed to once again enter the darkness, and more importantly stillness of the spiral staircase.

Southwark Bridge

After the lunacy that was happening last week I needed a walk, so I strolled over to the Tate Modern. For once it wasn't the art that caught my eye. It seems there is work going on to narrow the bridge. Southwark bridge is one of the few places in London where the traffic flows reasonably freely. Not true of the road it feeds on the North Bank of the Thames though. That's more congested now than before the infamous congestion charge was applied. The congestion charge is exactly what it says - a charge to sit in congestion - rarely has anything been so accurately named.

I digress - and I shouldn't do that.

Where this photo was taken there has often been a string of coaches parked. The passengers are visiting the Globe or the Tate. Apart from the steep steps down to the Thames its ideal. Close to the attractions and easy to find when you have to return. Where have the coaches gone? Where will the visitors have to return to? I have no idea.

I'm just convinced, in my grumpy old man way, that the people who lead London are doing their very best to remove cars from the city altogether, and with them of course the lorries and coaches. There will be only bendy-busses, cyclists and pedestrians soon.

Perhaps I should phone the number and ask WHY?

I will try to remember to get another picture at the end of February so you can see the effect its had on the road width.

Anyway back to the art. I was very pleased to see one exhibit in particular. Sorry no picture - mainly because I don't think its allowed, and the guard was rather suspicious of me as I looked really very closely at the exhibit. What was it?


A piece of marble - remarkable similar to one of the work tops we are thinking about for the kitchen. Really remarkably similar. Too square for my purposes though, and probably too heavy to carry on the train, and then there's that guard of course looking at me suspiciously. Perhaps now I know why.

Signs of Christmas

This is the development at Walbrook, between Bank and Cannon Street, where the picture was taken. It may be old news, but I worked from home all last week because I wasn't feeling too good, so the first I saw of it was yesterday. Today the lights are on. There's another very similar tree at the Bank end of the sight. This is NOT the site with the restaurant I wrote about the other week. That is on my left as I take the picture, and the bar is to the left, up Walbrook, and immediately left again.

Mobile Piano

Cameras in phones have their uses. Tuesday lunch time I went to my usual shop to get some lunch. On the way I could hear music - a piano. There he was, playing tunes and driving his piano up and down Queen Street, and when he came to a road - directing the traffic too. Its the City of London Festival, and there are artists at all sorts of places around the city. I can only assume he's part of the festival. Whatever the case, it's good to have some entertainment and brightens up the day.So I got my food and went the the old WWII bombed out house, where I eat my lunch. It is open again after some serious refurbishment. The Fred Cleary garden. Follow the link for more details on the garden.
The refurbishment has added vines, and aromatic plants. Since I've been eating there its always been a quiet little corner away from the traffic - but packed with people eating lunch.
Here are the vines - just to be sure you really believe it:
What's going to happen when they are ripe?

Armed Police

Nothing in the news. I went for a walk at lunchtime, across the millenium bridge and followed a couple of armed policemen - sub-machine guns, flack jackets - the works. When I got to the station coming home from work there were three there as well.

If this is supposed to make the public feel safe it is having the opposite effect on me. I don't generally worry about the terrorist threat - there's nothing I personally can do, but get on with my life. All these police just keep the concern at the front of your mind. They can be at least as dangerous as the terrorist, if they get carried away.

London is buzzing ....

I went for a walk at lunchtime, and passed a few things that I thought were worthy of note. London is buzzing with activity, there are people everywhere - tourists, commuters, and I expect some locals. There is activity everywhere, performance artist, musicians, and of course sales people. The atmosphere is amazingly relaxed, people are joining in the dancing, and clapping to the music, or just sitting tapping their feet, and drinking - juice or water mainly. There are people talking and laughing without a care in the world, it seems. Great place to be today.