Come with me as I explore London's history, hidden gems and unusual places. "Not all those who wander are lost..."
Thursday, October 31, 2024
'Peter Pan' by Sir George Frampton
Monday, October 28, 2024
Christmas lights switch-on, 2024
Thursday, October 24, 2024
'Lea Bridge Bubble Curtain' by ISS-Flowthrough
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ISS-Flowthrough Lea Bridge Bubble Curtain. |
On the River Lea Navigation, close to the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir, there is a stream of bubbles that rise in a line across the width of the river. This is the ISS-Flowthrough Bubble Curtain.
I found it to be quite calming and therapeutic as I gazed at it from the Capital Ring, that runs along this part of the River Lea.
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Middlesex Filter Beds Weir. |
However, it is not unique, as there is also one at Shadwell Basin and at Paddington Canal, plus many more around the country and internationally, but each one is bespoke to the area in which it is used.
The Canal and River Trust, who manage the watercourse, committed vast personnel and resources, that they could barely afford, being a Charitable Trust, in the collection of debris and litter, which would have ended up in the River Thames and, eventually, the sea. They approached ISS-Flowthrough in the hopes of finding a solution.
The solution was a bubble barrier. This barrier would arrest issues that were impacting this navigable channel. These issues included, excessive growth of aquatic plants which interfered with river traffic, saline intrusion from the tidal River Thames, of which the River Lea is a major contributory, water quality from storm overflow discharges and, because of its urban setting, a large amount of floating debris.
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Bubble Curtain. |
The bubble barrier was designed with a rubber membrane disc diffuser and had to meet specific criteria for the area. This included, ensuring that the River Lea Navigation was still accessible to river traffic, be highly robust and be low maintenance and prevent the downstream movement of litter and facilitate its collection.
The bespoke bubble barrier, installed in May 2020, was set at an angle across the river, thus ensuring that any litter or debris, coming upstream, would be redirected to a collection point. This collection point was created by using the existing bridge buttresses and the channel wall.
So, if you are ever passing this way, stop and take in this calming bubble curtain that helps to keep this waterway clear of litter and excessive plant growth, while still keeping the channel open to boats and other river traffic.
Monday, October 21, 2024
'The Southwark Tavern'
Thursday, October 17, 2024
'Jacob' by Shirley Pace
The inscription on the plaque states:
"Jacob
The Circle Dray Horse
The famous Courage dray horses were stabled
on this site from the early nineteenth
century and delivered beer around London
from the brewery on Horselydown Lane
by Tower Bridge.
In the sixteenth century the area became
known as Horselydown, which derives from
'Horse-lie-down', a description of working
horses resting before crossing London Bridge
into the City of London.
Jacob was commissioned by
Jacobs Island Company and Farlane Properties
as the centrepiece of The Circle
to commemorate the history of the site.
He was flown over London by helicopter
into Queen Elizabeth Street to launch
The Circle in 1987."
As a little footnote, I am not entirely sure that this is the actual derivation of Horselydown.
Monday, October 14, 2024
Walking with family and friends: Mile End to Old Street... and beyond
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Regent's Canal. |
Saturday October 12, 2024.
Keilyn and I set off from home at just after 09:05, for a short walk to Watford underground station, where we met my friend Steve. We boarded a train to Baker Street, changing to an Aldgate train at Finchley Road. We alighted at Liverpool Street and headed into the depths to catch a Central line train to Mile End, from where our walk would begin.
Leaving Mile End station we immediately headed to a small independent coffee shop, Coffee London, for some refreshments.
Across the road we noticed a mural and murals would become something that we would see a lot of on this walk, although we were yet to know this.
With hot drinks in had we crossed Mile End Road, to check pout the mural, before we turned onto Grove Road and began our journey.
Ahead of us was a railway bridge that carries the mainline from Liverpool Street over Grove Road. It is this mainline that we plan to follow back towards the City of London. However, this bridge was severely damaged on June 13, 1944, when the first V1 'flying bomb' to fall on London destroyed it and severely damaged homes on nearby Antill Road, to the east, and Burnside Street and Belhaven Street to the west. The latter streets were later demolished and a small park is now in their place. Walking through this park we could hear skittering sounds in the undergrowth, which turned out to be mice that seemed unperturbed by our presence as they darted from tree to tree.
The path led us to the Regent's Canal, where we spotted three metal portraits by the towpath, so we went down to investigate. One of the metal statues was of a Towpath Horse, which were essential to pull boats along the canal, bringing trade and business to the area. The second was of Sylvia Pankhurst, who was a leading member of the suffragette movement and who worked tirelessly for better living conditions in the East End. The final statue is of Ledley King, an East Ender who would go on to play for Tottenham Hotspur FC and represent England at the World Cup.
Meath Gardens has an interesting history, too. It originally began life as one of the eight private cemeteries that sprung up in the 1840s. However, Victoria Park Cemetery, which opened in 1846, was so poorly run that it couldn't make money in this poverty stricken area. By 1856 it had fallen into such a state of squalor that calls for its closure soon rang out. It finally closed to burials in 1876, after 1000,000 interments, the majority of which were children. Nearly all of the monuments and gravestones were cleared and the grounds landscaped, with it opening as Meath Gardens in 1894. The bodies were never removed.
Continuing our walk we crossed beneath the mainline and continued west along Bancroft Road, before heading back under the mainline to Three Colts Lane. We crossed Vallance Road, where I took a photo of some newish houses that stand on the spot of some now demolished homes, one of which, 178, was home to Ronnie and Reggie Kray. A little further and we reached 'The Carpenter's Arms'. once the local pub of the Krays.
From here we headed north along St Matthew's Row where we spotted various mosaic designs, affixed to the walls of William Davis Primary School, and a Watch House, opposite, attached to the grounds of St Matthew's Church Gardens.
This is a much larger Watch House than the one I had previously seen in Rotherhithe. We soon found ourselves on Bethnal Green Road which followed westward, before turning down Chilton Street and onto Cheshire Street. Here trendy cafes and vintage shops filled both sides of the road, which brought us out to Brick Lane.
On Sclater Street a few market stalls were beginning to unpack their wares, so we stopped for a browse. Keilyn picked up a small 'bum bag', while I purchased two old London bottles and a couple of whisky miniatures, one of which I gave to Steve. Sclater Street soon rejoined Bethnal Green Road and we found ourselves beside Shoreditch Boxpark.
We headed south, along Shoreditch High Street, before heading west along Great Eastern Street until we reached Leonard Street. It was here that we stopped for some refreshments at 'The Griffin'.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
'Dick Whittington's Cat' statue and the 'Whittington Stone'
Monday, October 07, 2024
23-24 Leinster Gardens (False Houses)
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A real house (left) and a fake house (right). |
Thursday, October 03, 2024
'Athena' by Nasser Azam
I spotted this large bronze statue, in the centre of a roundabout, outside London City Airport and was immediately struck by its size. Unfortunately, as it was a cloudy day, I couldn't get a photo with the sun lighting up the silver coating that covers this giant bronze statue.
Standing at 12 metres (39 feet), it has to be one of the tallest bronze statues that I have ever seen. In fact, it is the tallest bronze statue in the United Kingdom.
Newham Council's Strategic Development Committee were the ones who commissioned the statue, stating:
“London Athena will face east towards the airport and its approach road with her head looking up at the sky and her arms outstretched about her as if greeting or waving to aircraft in and out of the airport.”
Nasser Azam, who designed 'The Dance' on the South Bank, was commissioned to design the figure and it was unveiled in 2012.
Athena is the Greek Goddess of war, handicraft and practical reason.
London City Airport objected to the statue, who had requested to use the roundabout for signage and advertising related to the airport. They lost their objection, which I am glad about as this statue is definitely an improvement for the area.
Nasser Azam, who was originally from Newham, had the bronze cast at his foundry, Zahra Modern Art Foundries, which he had purchased in 2010. This foundry, originally called the Morris Singer Art Foundry, was the one that cast the Trafalgar Square Lions.
Because of the finish, applied to the statue, many people forget that it is made of bronze.
A small disc states:
"Athena
by
Nasser Azam
bronze
2012
with the support of
Elan Corporation, plc"
Wednesday, October 02, 2024
Walking with family: London Bridge to St Katharine Docks... and beyond
With the Metropolitan line completely closed and the London Overground (Lioness line) not going beyond Finsbury Park, uncle Martin, Keilyn and I took the 09:24 fast train from Watford Junction to Euston, then a Northern line, via Bank, to London Bridge.
From here we crossed Tooley Street and took the stairs down to the Contorted Tunnel, which would lead us to Hay's Galleria.
Our first stop was Café Piazza, where we sat and had hot drinks. Vanilla latte, for me, Cappuccino, for Martin and a Hot Chocolate with cream and mini marshmallows for Keilyn.
Suitably refreshed we headed out of Hay's Galleria and headed to HMS Belfast.
With tickets in hand we boarded this historic vessel and begun our exploration. Our first surprise was seeing a German Navy Corvette-class ship, named Magdeburg, moored on her port side.
Across nine decks we clambered, exploring every inch of the ship that was open. The boiler room and one of the gun turrets were closed for maintenance.
We made our way from the Quarter deck towards the Fo'c'sle, before we headed up the decks sitting in the Admiral's chair, the Captain and Navigating Officer chairs, before reaching the Flag deck.
Then we headed down to visit the Mess decks, Sick bay, the Galley, the Engine room, the Chapel, Operations room, the Lower steering position, Gun turret and everything in-between.
Two and a half hours later we disembarked HMS Belfast and stopped for some lunch from one of the street vendors, that had setup along The Queen's Walk.