County Hall

 

The County Hall from the River Thames.

Thursday October 27, 2022.

I have visited The County Hall, to see the London Aquarium, The London Dungeon and other attractions housed within the building, but I had never stayed in this iconic location. So I was over the moon when Emma booked us in to the Premier Inn for the night, during a recent trip to London.

Most of the building is private property, but if you speak nicely to security, and the building isn't too busy, you can go into the main foyer for a quick look around.

The County Hall at night.

Besides that, the building is pretty much off limits to the public. Still, it was great to see inside areas not normally accessible and the view from the hotel room wasn't too bad, either.

At night the entire front of the building is lit up, making for a striking light display.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition

 

Time to get up-close-and-personal with some dinosaurs.

Thursday October 27, 2022.

Having travelled back in time, in 2018, to see Dinosaurs in the Wild, for Keilyn's 5th birthday, it was only right that we should take a trip to Isla Nublar to visit the Jurassic World Park.

We arrived at the port and took our place in the queue to have our photo taken with some dinosaurs, before we waited in line for our ferry to Isla Nublar.

Advertising for Jurassic World.

The trip to the island was uneventful, considering that the previous ferry had been attacked by a dinosaur on its return journey. We did, however, spot a flock of Pterodactyls soaring majestically through the air.

Erin and Keilyn preparing to enter Jurassic World.

Once we had disembarked we made our way through the Jurassic World gates, which were made from the reclaimed wood from the original Jurassic Park gates, and came face to face with a Brachiosaurus. 

The Brachiosaurus, a gentle giant.

There was a raised area from which to gain a better view and the entire area had binoculars, which allowed you look down into Gyrosphere Valley, where various dinosaurs could be spotted.

Looking through the binoculars into Gyrosphere Valley.

Passing beyond the Brachiosaurus and through the deep jungle we cam across an animal transport truck. The truck began rocking from side-to-side and a rumbling roar could be heard from within. Soon the head, and upper body, of a Stygimoloch peered over the back of the truck at us. 

A Stygimoloch not happy with its transport.

Not wanting to hang around, in case it escaped, we hurried into the Hammond Creation Lab. 

Information.

The lab was seriously hi-tec and was covered in screens, which showed how DNA was extracted, while others showed information of the dinosaurs on the island. Incubators were also dotted around, with some containing unhatched eggs, or sleeping baby Parasaurolophus. Other containers held various 'dino-poo', which allowed you to feel the different textures between that excreted from and omnivore, herbivore and carnivore.

Baby Parasaurolophus in the Hammond Creation Lab.

'MV Royal Iris'

A forlorn sight.

As I was wandering along the River Thames from Greenwich to Woolwich, I spotted this rusting hulk, moored on the quayside, just east of the Thames Barrier.

She looked like a ferry, but not one that I was use to seeing on this particular river, so I knew that I would have to do some research, when I had finished my walk.