Walking with Erin: Kensington to Piccadilly... and beyond

Wednesday May 28, 2025.

Following yesterday's walk with Keilyn, today was Erin's day. Not usually one for walking, Erin had set her heart on visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum, so off we set.

A taxi dropped us at Watford Metropolitan station, where, while we waited for our train we spotted a fox and a cub on the banks besides the tracks. Then a Robin flitted by us, carrying food for its babies, high up in the rafters of the station. Our train soon arrived and off we went, exiting at Baker Street, from where we caught we caught the Number 74 bus, towards Putney, alighting outside the Victoria & Albert Museum.

This was our first visit to this museum, so we wasted no time crossing the road and headed inside. 

 

Entering through the Cromwell Road entrance we were both amazed at the domed reception area and, feeling a bit intimidated by the scale of the building, turned right, heading into the Medieval and Renaissance Gallery. 

After this we headed to the Cast Courts, which were amazing.

From here we travelled through the Korea, Buddhism, Japan, China, Islamic Middle East and South Asia Rooms. Then we were off through South East Asia and the Raphael Cartoons and Porter Gallery.

Then it was upstairs to the Europe (1600-1815) Rooms, before meandering our way back down to the Sculpture Rooms and some of the smaller rooms. Unfortunately, the Fashion Gallery is closed, until Summer 2027, which was one of the rooms that Erin especially wanted to see. 

Because of the size of the museum, I think we only got to see about two-thirds of it, before we had to leave, via the shop, as we were both in need of some food, promising to return to see the rest of this amazing place, some time soon.

Grove Road Bridge: Site of the first V-1 attack in London

This bridge is typical of many railway bridges in London, or the rest of the country for that matter. However, this bridge has a special place in London history and to find out more we must travel back to 1944.

On Tuesday June 13, 1944, at around 04:30, the first V-1 flying bomb, also known as 'buzz bomb' or 'doodlebug', to hit London, detonated on this railway bridge, which carries the London North Eastern Railway from Liverpool Street.

The blast severely damaged the bridge and demolished twelve houses and over fifty others were damaged, with much of the damage occurring on Antill Road, Belhaven Street and Burnside Street.

Six people lost their lives, while another forty-two were injured.

The bridge, being a vital transport route, was repaired and operational by 19:45 on June 14. This repaired bridge would stay in place until the entire bridge was replaced in 1948.

London's Lost Churches

Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden.

On my many wanders around and through the City of London, I have always been struck by the amount of churches dotted throughout. Occasionally, I have stumbled across the ruins of churches either destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 or bombed via Zeppelin raids of World War I, or the Blitz of World War II.

Some of these ruins have been turned into pocket parks or gardens of remembrance, while others have been lost forever, with, very little to show that they were ever there.

St Mary Aldermanbury Garden.

I soon became intrigued to see if there was a complete list of churches within the City of London that were either still standing, ruined or lost to the ravages of time. 

Blue Plaque: 'Danger Mouse'

"He's the greatest, he's fantastic, wherever there is danger he'll be there. 

He's the ace, he's amazing, he's the strongest, he's the quickest, he's the best."

The home of Danger Mouse.

Friday June 24, 2022.

I had heard rumours that a Blue Plaque had been affixed to a pillar box, in London, showing where Danger Mouse lived. So, off we went.

Danger Mouse's Blue Plaque.

Blue Plaque: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

First female doctor, first female member of a school board and first female mayor and magistrate in Britain.

Working, as I do, for the National Health Service, I have a developed a fascination with the history of hospitals, especially the buildings themselves, and of the pioneering staff who worked in them.

Blue Plaque: Sir Douglas Bader

Not bad... for a man with no legs.

Recently I took a stroll around the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, visiting various places that I hadn't yet seen.

One of the things that I wanted to see was the English Heritage Trust Blue Plaque, to commemorate Douglas Bader, on Petersham Mews. I have been fascinated by his story since I was about 8 and thought that it was time that went to see where he had once lived.