Science Museum: Star Trek Warp Trail

2026 marks 60 years since Star Trek first hit television screens across the world. Although the original series was short-lived, it became a cultural phenomenon spawning an animated television series. Then, in 1979, it hit the big screen with Star Trek The Motion Picture. More films and television series have followed to the present day, making it the largest science fiction franchise in the world.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary, the Science Museum has partnered with Paramount to produce a special season of Star Trek events. 

This includes screenings of all the big screen adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew, while costumes and props from the franchise have been spread across the museum for everyone to discover. 

You can also explore a 360° immersive simulation of the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge, where you can take a selfie. Plus, you can sit in the Captain's chair from Star Trek Discovery.

A special pop-up shop is also selling exclusive Star Trek at 60 merchandise, much of which has been developed by the Science Museum.

You will see a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, various costumes from the franchise, medical gadgets, tricorders, comms badges, Tribbles and much more.

Star Trek 60 runs from March 27 until September 8, 

with all of the events and activities being free.

Star Trek Warp Trail

The Star Trek 60 Film Season, which showcases all thirteen big screen outings, 

has special screening dates and requires tickets, with prices starting at £20.

Star Trek 60 Film Season

Fleet Street: London's printing heart

A map of Fleet Street, circa 1680.

Fleet Street was for centuries synonymous with the popular press. 

In about 1500, Wynkyn de Worde, an assistant to William Caxton, brought printing to Fleet Street. Other early printers soon joined him, which began the tradition of printing in this street, which continued until the late 1980s.

Following William Caxton's death, Wynkyn de Worde inherited Caxton's presses and moved them from Westminster to a house opposite Shoe Lane. Once Wynkyn de Worde was established he became a prolific printer, transforming Caxton's scholarly printing business into a thriving business. This was due, in part, by de Worde's move into the market of reasonably priced publications.

Wynkyn de Worde also introduced the world to the publication of romantic novels. He also developed the early newspaper market, where he published shorter works which were sold for a penny or two. He also became known for sensationalism as a way to sell his papers.

He became aware of what the public were reading and, using this knowledge, began printing volumes that were easy to handle and were quite cheap. These included children's books, instructional guides on good manners, husbandry, marriage and medicine. He also produced religious books, cashing in on Fleet Street's abundance of religious clerics and ministers.

In the 1500s Fleet Street was a road of houses and was more like a country village than what we know today.

Walking with Keilyn: Kensal Green to Holland Park... and beyond

Sunday March 22, 2026.

Cloudy skies with light winds, brightening in the late morning to hazy sunshine, 13°C (55°F).

It was a cool 4°C (39.2°F), with light mist, as we left our house and began our gentle walk to Watford High Street station, where we boarded a Lioness train, that took us to Kensal Green. Keilyn and I sent a selfie to Dyan, who responded with a photo of Harrow & Wealdstone station. We informed her that we would be passing through in a few minutes and Dyan managed to take a photo of our train approaching, while she waited for the train that would take her to work.  

On leaving Kensal Green station we crossed Harrow Road and entered Kensal Green Cemetery, via its main entrance. Keilyn, always the inquisitive one, wanted to find the graves of Isambard and Marc Brunel, while I was interested in seeing Harold Pinter's grave. So, off we went in search of the graves. 

Kensal Green Cemetery was the first of London's eight garden cemeteries to open, which was back in 1833. It covers an area of 72 acres and has many famous people buried within the grounds. These include Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his son Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, Harold Pinter, Steve Peregrin Took, Wilkie Collins, Prince Augustus Frederick The Duke of Sussex, Erich Fried, Medi Oliver Mehra, Marigold Churchill, Charles Babbage, William Makepeace Thackeray, among countless others.

It didn't take us long to find the grave of Isambard Kingdom and his son Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, before we continued our search for other graves of interest. Peculiarly, the grave of Steven Ross Porter, better known as Steve Peregrin Took (member of the band Tyrannosaurus Rex), was fairly easy to find, while that of Harold Pinter took some searching.

After a good exploration we made our way out onto Ladbroke Grove, heading south. We crossed the Grand Union Canal and continued following Ladbroke Grove, buying hot drinks at an independent coffee shop, called Mowgli Coffee. 

Grave of William Ellsworth Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo

East Sheen Cemetery, opened in 1905 or 1906 as Barnes Cemetery, on what was originally rural woodland.

The cemetery is home to many notable interments, including over seventy Commonwealth war graves, the Buxton Memorial, the Lancaster Memorial and notable actors, artists, diplomats, entertainers, sculptors, writers and many more.

However, the grave that I had come to see was that of someone I had heard about when I was growing up, as he was mentioned on 'The Paul Daniel's Magic Show'. 

The grave for which I searched was that of the American William Ellsworth Robinson, who the world of the early twentieth century would come to know as Chung Ling Soo.

After passing rows of graves and tombs I found it.

So, how does an American, born with Scottish ancestry, become known by a Chinese name?

Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks & Memorial Garden

Hidden away on a small piece of woodland, in the middle of a large industrial park, is a well kept lawn and some interesting memorials. This is the Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Garden.

It is hard to imagine, now, but this entire area that comprises the memorial park and new industrial park was once marshland. 

In the 1800s, William Congreve built his rocket factory here. His rockets were based on an Indian design that had proved effective against the East India Company. He would go on to develop three types of rocket that travelled various distances and had different warheads. 

London's River Lights

If you walk along the Thames Path, east of Woolwich, you will discover these small red lighthouses. They can be found at Margaretness (or Tripcock Ness), Crossness and Coldharbour.

They are not lighthouses, in the traditional sense, but more like navigational light masts.

The Margaretness Lighthouse was installed in 1902, by Trinity House (the General Lighthouse Authority for England), but has been operated by the Port of London Authority, since 1993. 

In 1566, Queen Elizabeth I empowered Trinity House to set up "so many beacons, marks and signs for the sea whereby the dangers may be avoided and escaped and ships the better come into their ports without peril."

On Tour: York, Day 4

Monday March 9, 2026.

For the first time this weekend, I slept in, so I didn't go for a walk before breakfast.

However, after breakfast we went to Shambles Market and had a quick wander around the city, before heading back to the hotel to pack.

The rest of the morning was spent relaxing, before we headed to a bus stop so that Emma could catch a bus to the station, while I completed a final walk.

So, I headed south along 'Foss Island Road' and onto 'Paragon Street', keeping outside of the city walls, until I reached 'Skeldergate Bridge', which I used to cross the 'River Ouse'.

On Tour: York, Day 3

Sunday March 8, 2026.

Another morning and another early rise... for me.

Again I went into ninja mode, leaving Emma to sleep as I quietly left the room and made my way into the cool morning air. 

I headed south, along 'Foss Islands Road', before turning onto 'Navigation Road', then along 'Hope Street' until I reached 'George Street'. I entered 'St George's Churchyard' and found Dick Turpin's grave, having not been able to see it from the Necrobus the night before. 

On Tour: York, Day 2

Saturday March 7, 2026.

As per usual, when I am away, I awoke early at around 05:40. 

So, I quietly made my way to the bathroom, where I washed and dressed making sure not to wake Emma. I then made my way down to reception and out into the cool dawn morning, heading into the city.

I barely saw a single person as I made my way through the darkened streets, snapping photos of old churches and historic buildings as I made my way towards 'Shambles'. On our visit the previous night 'Shambles' had been full of visitors, but this morning was completely deserted. The early morning light giving it an otherworldly countenance.

From here I headed towards the Minster, with still no one in sight. More photographs were taken, before the light brightened and people began to appear, heading to their workplaces.

I followed my feet, confident that the layout of the city was stored correctly in my mind, as each lane, street or alleyway twisted and brought me to another wonderful building. 'The Golden Fleece' pub would become a landmark for the entire weekend, as it always seemed to be where we would end up.

On Tour: York, Day 1

Welcome to the first in a series of blogs about my visit to the historic city of York, this past weekend.

Eboracum was originally founded in AD 71, by the Roman Ninth Legion who had conquered the Brigantes Tribe. On its founding it became the Roman capital for Britannia inferior. 

Following the Roman withdrawal from Britain it became the capital of the kingdoms of Deira, Northumbria, and Scandinavian York.

During the Middle Ages, AD 735, York became the centre for the northern England ecclesiastical province, covering the northern third of England and the Isle of Man, consisting of 14 dioceses.

During the nineteenth century York became a major railway hub and a centre for the manufacturing of confectionery.

Today, York is a bustling Cathedral City covering an area of 33.7 km2 (13.0 sq mi). To put this into context, my hometown of Watford has an area of 21.5 km2 (8.3 sq mi), while London has an area of 1,572 km2 (607 sq mi). It is home to many historical buildings, streets and the Minster.

For the long weekend of Friday March 6 to Monday March 9, York would be where Emma and myself would be staying, as it was a place that neither of had visited. Our friend Steve was looking after Erin and Keilyn, at our house, for the weekend.

Friday March 6, 2026.

We left Watford via Watford Junction, taking a National Rail train to Euston. From there we walked the short distance to King's Cross station, stopping to grab some food from the Market on King's Cross Square.

We then made our way into the station and waited for the platform allocation to be announced, before heading through the ticket barriers to platform 3. After stowing our luggage we took our reserved seats and sat back and enjoyed the smooth ride to North Yorkshire.

Walking alone: Bromley-by-Bow to Aldgate... and beyond

Bow Creek & The River Lea (left) and Limehouse Cut (right).

Wednesday March 11, 2026. 

Clear skies, with light winds, 13°C (55°F).

Having spent the four days exploring York I was eager to get back to exploring London. 

Up early I accompanied Keilyn to school and then continued on to Croxley station, where I boarded a semi-fast Aldgate-bound train. As we zipped through the countryside and then into London's outer suburbs I was still deciding on where to go. With so many options running through my mind I finally settled on changing to a Hammersmith & City line train, at Moorgate, which I took to Bromley-by-Bow. I had picked this as a starting point as I had never been there before, but I also knew that there would be some interesting things to discover.

Alighting from the train and exiting the station I made my way through the underpass, where I stopped at a convenience shop to purchase a drink, before heading south along the Blackwall Tunnel North Approach and turning onto Twelvetrees Crescent.

Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Gardens.

I passed over the River Lea and Bow Creek, with Bow Locks to the south, while ahead of me I could see the seven Grade II listed gasholders that are carefully being preserved. To the north of these gasholders lies the Channelsea River and Prescott Channel, where some of the stones from the Euston Doric Arch were disposed of. 

As the road turned south I noticed a lawn, surrounded by trees at the centre of which were white stone memorials, a statue and a gas lamp. This is the Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Garden. Considering I was pretty much in an industrial park, with lorries trundling by, it was very peaceful.

Looking north along Bow Creek.

After taking some photographs I headed back to Twelvetrees Crescent and decided to drop down onto the River Lea path, heading south along the Limehouse Cut. I followed the river as far as Upper North Street, where I decided to leave the towpath as I have visited Limehouse on countless occasions.

Euston Arch

Euston Arch (Image Public Domain)

Robert Stephenson planned the terminus for the London to Birmingham Railway to be constructed at Euston, replacing the old terminus at Chalk Farm. 

When the station opened, in July 1837, it had two platforms with each being 420 ft (128 m) long. A double train shed, designed by Charles Fox, that was 200 ft (60 m) long, with 40 ft (12 m) spans. Six trains ran each day from Euston to Watford and Boxmoor. 

On September 17, 1838, the final 112 miles (180 km) to Birmingham were completed. However, steam trains did not have the power to make the steep incline up to Camden Town and so required help. This took the form of the trains out of Euston being attached to a 3 inch, 1430 ft (4370 m) long rope, affixed to two 60 horsepower stationary steam engines. Euston-bound trains had their engines detached at Camden Town, with the carriages continuing the journey under the charge of the brakemen.

Goodwin's Court, Covent Garden

Goodwin's Court from the St Martin's Lane end.

Goodwin's Court is a small alley that runs between St Martin's Lane and Bedfordbury, in WC2. Unlike many of the other alleyways in this part of the metropolis, this alley appears, at least on its south side, untouched by redevelopment. For it is on its south side that a row of buildings with bow fronted windows stand.

Entering Goodwin's Court, from St Martin's Lane, three concrete steps lead you through a low-roofed arch from a fairly modern road back to a bygone era. The alleyway, a public highway, has residents and, at its Bedfordbury end, a restaurant. Walking along it in the daylight allows you to see the beauty of the buildings and allows you to appreciate the whole alley. Goodwin's Court is 280 feet (85 metres) long and 6.5 feet (2 metres) wide.

Goodwin's Court from the Bedfordbury end.

However, walking along it in the evening time, where the gas-fuelled lamps offer soft lighting, the court becomes so much more atmospheric.

Holborn Viaduct

Holborn Viaduct, from the north.

Holborn Viaduct was designed by the City Surveyor, William Heywood, as a way to connect Holborn with Newgate Street, over the Fleet valley.

Work began in 1863 and took six years to complete, at a cost of around £2.5 million. It is 1,440 feet (438 metres) long and 80 feet (24 metres) wide.

'Forgotten Streams' by Cristina Iglesias

There is a truly unique piece of public art, within the City of London, that connects the modern buildings with the ancient history of London. The piece is entitled 'Forgotten Streams' and was created by Cristina Iglesias.

When Bloomberg commissioned their new European Headquarters to be built, they also commissioned Cristina Iglesias, a Spanish artist, to create a piece of public art at the entrances to what would become the Bloomberg Arcade.

Her work would take inspiration from one of London's 'lost' rivers... The Walbrook.

New Public Realms along the River Thames

Battersea Park from Chelsea Quay.

With the completion of the new Tideway Tunnel, or Super Sewer, the tunnels that were dug down to the tunnel have been covered over. Instead of leaving these concrete-topped areas unused they have been turned into areas, of varying size and shape, that the public can access. This has allowed the public better access to the embankments and the River Thames.

Each of these new public realms is unique, with each one containing extracts of poetry, newly commissioned public art and, in some cases, allows the public to 'dip their toes' in the river. Accessible ramps, benches and planting make these wonderful places to visit.

As construction developed and artists were commissioned, the River Thames was given three distinct themes for its west, central and east sections.

• West: 'Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition'
• Central: 'Babylon to World City: Civic London'
• East: 'The Shipping Parishes: Gateway to the World'

Intertidal terraces.

So, let's take a look at these public realms, their art and what they have to offer.

Putney Embankment - 'Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition'

Putney Embankment was the first of the new public spaces to open.

It consists of granite paving with smooth surfaces, while tactile paving informs of changes in levels.

Timber-laid benches, with spaces at the ends for wheelchair users, along with other seating offer views upstream to Hammersmith and downstream through the arches of Putney Bridge. 

The public art was designed by Claire Barclay and is called 'Water Finds a Level' and includes a bronze marker for the start line of the University Boat Race. Then there are bronze handrails cast from oars that were used along the River Thames and artwork, along the walls, showing Putney's rich heritage.

Carnwath Road Riverside - 'Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition'

This pocket park sits on top of one of the three 'main drive sites', from where the tunnel boring machines began making the tunnel. 

The space has non-slip paving and has seating on the Thames Path, with the whole site being fully accessible. 

The public art was designed by Sarah Staton and is entitled 'Standing Heron and Heron in Flight'. 

It consists of two bronze-cast herons. One heron is placed at the river end of the site, while the other is visible when approaching the site, from Carnwath Road.

Chelsea Quay.

Chelsea Quay - 'Babylon to World City: Civic London'

Chelsea Quay is situated where the River Westbourne enters the River Thames.

Brick, instead of granite paving, was used to complete Chelsea Quay.

Timber benches and other seating atop the raised brick areas offer views across to Battersea Park, as well as along the River Thames, in both directions.

The raised terraces, although not accessible to all, protect the quay from flooding at high tide.

Lighting of two different colours has been incorporated into the ventilation shafts, showing if the tide is coming in or going out.

Intertidal terraces along its eastern and western edges have been planted with native species and will provide refuge for fish, while allowing birds to nest, too. The river wall is textured to promote the algae and river weed to flourish.

The lower terraces have been designed to be floodable, allowing people to literally 'dip their toes' into the river.

The public art was designed by Florian Roithmayr and is called 'Moving In'. 

It includes a tactile artwork formed of brickwork integrated into the vertical surface of the public space, steps, intertidal terraces, and the river wall. Groupings of colourful glazed bricks, in specially formulated patterns, echo the Chelsea Flower Show and the historical Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens

This artwork is designed to change as the River Thames rises and falls over parts of it, while the weather will change other pieces.

Walking with Keilyn: Richmond to Kingston Vale... and beyond

Sunday February 22, 2026. 

Light rain changing to clear skies, with winds up to 5 mph, 13°C (55°F).

An unplanned trip to London resulted in an epic excursion with various modes of transport used.

As there were engineering works on the Metropolitan line, resulting in trains not going further north than Harrow-on-the-Hill, a rail replacement bus service was in place. Deciding against this we took a taxi to Watford High Street station.

At Watford High street station we waited for a train to Euston. As it pulled into the station Keilyn gave the driver a wave, which he responded to with a wave and a 'toot' from the train horn. The Lioness line train whisked us off to Willesden Junction, where we changed to a Richmond-bound Mildmay line train, which took us through Acton and across the River Thames.

On leaving Richmond station we grabbed a hot drink from Costa and began our walk. 

The Quadrant brought us onto The Square and then Sheen Road. We followed this road, passing wonderful architecture and some remarkable almshouses, all the while aeroplanes flew lower as they began their approach to Heathrow Airport.

We continued heading west until we reached East Sheen Cemetery. This cemetery is home to many Commonwealth War Graves, actors, such as Roy Kinnear, along with ordinary people. The cemetery is also the last resting place of William Ellsworth Robinson (1861-1918), who the world knew as Chung Ling Soo.

'National Firefighters Memorial' by John W. Mills

The concept for this memorial was the brainchild of Cyril Demarne, who had been a firefighter and had served in London throughout the Blitz.

This memorial was commissioned by the Firefighters Memorial Charitable Trust, which was set up in 1990, and was designed by John W. Mills. The Memorial depicts three wartime firefighters, cast in bronze, was originally called ‘Blitz’. It was dedicated to the men and women of the Fire Service, in London, who lost their lives as a result of their duties during this period of history. It was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on May 4, 1991, in Old Change Court.

Walking with Keilyn: Victoria to Chelsea... and beyond

Tuesday February 17, 2026: Sunny with winds at 2 mph, 7°C (44.6°F)

Another day and another trip to London with Keilyn. This time Keilyn wanted our trip and what we would visit to be a surprise, so I planned a route in secrecy,

A taxi dropped Emma, Keilyn and myself at Watford Metropolitan station, while Erin remained at home as she was going out with her friends, later in the day. Emma, meanwhile, was off to see her parents in Chesham, so left the train at Moor Park, leaving Keilyn and I travelling onward.

We boarded a Jubilee line train, at Finchley Road, and took it to Green Park, where we changed to a Victoria line train to Victoria.

On exiting the station we headed southwest, along Buckingham Palace Road, passing Victoria coach station, the National Audit Office and the offices of the British Transport Police, before turning up Pimlico Road. 

A beautiful drinking fountain, a sculpture of St George and the Dragon and a wonderful statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were spotted as we made our way ever westward. 

Pimlico Road brought us onto Royal Hospital Road, with the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary and Cemetery to our left, followed by the Royal Hospital Chelsea. As Keilyn is now a fully fledged Army cadet I had decided that I would take her to the building next to the Royal Hospital... The National Army Museum.

After the obligatory photo with the Challenger 2 tank, which stands outside of the museum, we headed inside to begin our exploration. 

York Square Gardens: The Inspiration for Albert Square, Walford

York Square Gardens, the inspiration for Albert Square, Walford.

In the Limehouse area of London's East End, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, is York Square Gardens. This square, which is similar to many other residential squares in the East End, has a unique claim to fame.

Back in 1984, following a lot of scouting for suitable locations, York Square Gardens and the surrounding streets were chosen as the inspiration for 'Albert Square', Walford, in a new soap opera that the BBC were going to broadcast.

EastEnders first aired on BBC One 41 years ago today, on February 19, 1985.

The Queen's Head, the inspiration for The Queen Victoria pub in EastEnders.

York Square Gardens is much larger than its television counterpart, but the similarities are quite easy to spot.

Both have terraced houses surrounding a green square, with roads surrounding the open space. While the fictional 'Albert Square' has 'The Queen Victoria' pub, York Square Gardens has two: 'The Old Ship' and 'The Queen's Head', the latter of which is the inspiration for 'The Queen Victoria'.