Random Stroll through London leading inter alia to Wonder Drug and Rude Clock

Monday was a crisp bright and free day so we walked out of the hotel and along the Marylebone Road towards Paddington Green in search of a canal boat where coffee was served.

Everywhere we went we saw Boris Bikes

Tucked underneath the Edgeware Road to the left is a treelined avenue running alongside the Regent canal

Blue plaques are displayed all over London - allegedly there is even one for the silly walks sketch.

I had never been here in all my time living and growing up in London! Evidently there are many hidden waterways to explore --->see here

Time for elevenses.

Browning's island

We then decided to walk along the canal towards Paddington to visit the FLEMING MUSEUM THAT WAS PROMINENTLY MARKED ON MY MAP.

We emerged from the Paddington waterfront into Praed Street  expecting to find the Fleming Museum indicated by queues of Japanese tourists.

There is some encouraging stone work but no obvious entrance.

Here is a plaque too.

We are unhindered in our wandering around St Mary's Hospital (a scruffy old hospital).

Fleming is under Bed management obviously.

Many corridors and alleys later the signage becomes more racy.

Unmanned reception!

And here is the lab where Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin in 1928.  It took World War 2 to find the resources to produce the drug. Photography forbidden!  Read about it here ----->Sir Alexander Fleming

I have never mastered the bus system in London - for some reason there appears to be no coherent bus map published and tourists tend to use the underground system as it's simple to follow the map with all its coloured lines.  So we hopped on a bus direction Oxford Circus.

Here is the view of Oxford Street from the top deck of a "doubledecker" - marvellous really!

Moving on, we walked down Carnaby Street.  Verdict: Disapointing and over touristy.

Avoid like the plague.

Rather nice - worth a visit for organic English spelt flat breads -->here

Building a new railway across London.

We are going to see this musical next visit.

The British Museum

A rather rude and vulgar clock in the art deco style

Greek students discussing their Elgin Marbles.

This sort of thing causes much confusion to immature English schoolboys snigger snigger

We had tickets for a concert at the Alber Hall.  In fact this was the main reason for spending the weekend in London.

Pre concert Italian cuisine: I order the platter to share starter

Bryan Ferry in concert in the Albert Hall - shame about the terrible acoustics.

Brighton for a Day

Brighton on the South Coast was much favoured by George IV for his gout and horse riding.  Later Queen Victoria was not so amused. The Royal Pavilion is definitely worth a visit, the Lanes are a little trendy and the pier warrants a stroll around.

Go by train from Blackfriars station and save over 100% on the day return fare.  This is a recently reconstructed station which straddles the River Thames

The Royal Pavilion

A Royal Throne N.B photography is strictly forbidden insdie the Pavilion

The Lanes - antique shops are being displaced by cafes.

 

Today was the annual London to Brighton veteran car run.

Ooops - the wrong hole.

There is an amusement park at the end of the pier.

Remarkable Findings of a Tourist in His City of Birth - Down River to Greenwich

It cost me less than £20 to catch a Virgin train to London from Cheshire and no worry about parking and bluebottles.  An oyster card allows a journey on a driverless DLR train to Greenwich nestling south of the River Thames near docklands.

Slow shutter and no driver!

Naturally there is a queue for the Cutty Sark covenience - fancy that.

The Cutty Sark tea clipper now restored and turned into a cafe.  The sleek hull is encased in glass to stop passers by looking at it.

A telephone box often traditionally used as a convenience by Public school boys in ealier times. I thought that these had all disapeared now. This couple (Mother and daughter presumably) have appeared in 3 of my photographs completely by accident - I'm sorry if I'm vicariously stalking them.

The new city - Canary Wharf

What it says on the tin

The Mary Celeste in a bottle outside the National Maritime Museum

0 degrees longitude meridian line

Fishy sun dial at the Royal Observatory

View of Greenwich from the top of the hill where the the Observatory is - to the North is Canary Wharf and immediately below is the National Maritime Museum adjoining the Royal Naval College to the right. 

The meridian again looking due south

Walking through the park we stumble across a comedian giving a guided tour. (Arthur Smith in high viz feathers!)

Not a Freddy Mercury Radio Gaga vehicle but the superb Napier Lion powered Miss Britain 2 in the revamped and rather good National Maritime Museum (admission FREE).

The entrance to the secret foot tunnel to Island Gardens - a friend of mine of old (he is now) pushed his broken down motorcycle through here.  This was naughty - some hoohah about the petrol apparently.

Under the Thames and reasonably dry.

Back on the North Bank - a new to me DLR station

To be concluded....