Cloudy with sunny spells, winds at 4 mph, 10°C (50°F)
Erin is really into art, often designing dresses and fashion items.
So, I decided that we should visit the Fashion and Textile Museum, where an exhibition celebrating sixty years of Cosprop was being held.
''Cornerstone' by Austin Emery.
Erin invited our friend, Steve, and, after meeting at Watford underground station, we set off. We changed trains at Finchley Road and took a Jubilee line train to London Bridge. The museum was just a few minutes walk from the station, so we stopped at Chapter 72 for some drinks, before exploring this part of Bermondsey.
Just before 11:00 we joined the queue for the museum and waited to go in. A sign had been affixed to the door, stating that the next two visiting times were fully booked, requiring some in the queue to book timed slots for later in the day. We, fortunately, had pre-booked our tickets.
On entering the museum we were each handed a booklet containing almost 50 pages of detailed information on each of the items on display, how Cosprop was formed and a brief history.
1820s wedding dress for Miss Havisham from Great Expectations (1967).
The first item of clothing, on display, was Miss Havisham's dress from Great Expectations (1967), followed by uniforms from The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) and War and Peace (1972).
Having taken a few days off work, Emma and I took Keilyn to London, while Erin was staying with friends.
We set off, via taxi, to Watford Metropolitan station to board a train to Finchley Road and from there a Jubilee line train to Waterloo.
On leaving Waterloo station we crossed Waterloo Road and headed for the Bus Cafe, for a spot of lunch. Full English breakfasts were ordered and devoured, washed down with coffee and tea.
With our bellies full we left the bus garage and headed along The Cut and onto Union Street. We passed the Embassy Tea House and the London Fire Brigade Headquarters, before crossing Southwark Bridge Road. We then passed the old Tram shelter, which is now a gourmet burger restaurant, and the Mint & Gospel Lighthouse Mission building, before turning up Redcross Way beside Crossbones Graveyard.
Redcross Way brought us to Dirty Lane and the arches beneath the mainline railway of Cannon Street station. This eventually brought us to Clink Street. Keilyn's face lit up when she discovered that we were going into the Clink Prison Museum, a place she had wanted to visit for ages.
"The Clink": the prison that gave its name to all others.
We descended the stairs, paying our dues at the booth, before entering the site of the original Clink Prison. The prison that gave its name to all others.
Information boards told the history of the prison from its earliest inception, in 1144, to its closure in 1780. Manacles, locks, swords, torture implements, chastity belts and much more were on display, many of which could be handled, allowing you to feel the weight of the chains, giving a sense of how it would feel to be manacled for days on end.
There was also information on Crossbones Graveyard and the Winchester Geese, the Liberty of the Clink, the Bishop of Winchester and a brief mention of the other five prisons that were in Southwark.
"Off with his head!"
As we walked through the Clink Keilyn was keeping an eye out for the 'ghosts' that had been hidden around the museum. These 'ghosts' were small puppets and, should you find all ten, you received a sweet on leaving the gift shop. Of course, Keilyn spotted all ten and received her lollipop as we left the prison.
We continued along Clink Street and joined the throng of tourists, passing the Golden Hinde and turned onto Cathedral Street and then Montague Close, where we sat in Minerva Square to rest our legs and have a drink. We then continued along Montague Close and joined Tooley Street, before turning along St Olaf Stairs and joining The Queen's Walk along the River Thames. Countless wooden sheds were in various stages of being built and painted, ready for the Christmas season, while the old City Hall is in the middle of a major refurbishment, with much of its glass having been removed.
A Victorian era postbox.
We looked at the Royal Mail Penfold Postbox, a relic of the Victorian era, before we turned south along Duchess Walk to Queen Elizabeth Street. After buying an ice cream, for Keilyn, and some more refreshments and snacks, we walked along Tower Bridge Road and headed for our hotel... Premier Inn London Tower Bridge Hotel.
The view from our hotel room.
After checking in, Keilyn grabbed the room key and took the lift to the top floor, all the while we were hoping for a room with a view. And we were not disappointed. We could just make out the top of the London Eye and half of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, but we had a clear view of The Shard, which was perfect.
Today would be the day that Alysha and I would go on our annual trip to London. It is something we have done for the last few years. Sometimes we go to Museums, other times the sights and sometimes we just go and see what happens when we are there.
We were up early to make sure the cats and fish were fed and that I had had my coffee and Alysha her breakfast, then we were off.
We got to Watford Metropolitan Line Station at 09:30 and boarded our train to Baker Street. We then changed on to the Bakerloo Line and travelled a few stops to the Embankment.
Once we reached the Embankment, we walked along Eastward along the North bank of the River Thames. Along the way I took a photograph of Alysha with one of the Sphinx, opposite the South Bank Centre. I took some shots of the 'Wellington' steam boat and various other touristy pics, too.
We carried on along our route and crossed the Thames via the MillenniuM bridge. (Unfortunately it doesn't wobble any more.)
Once on the South Bank we walked in to the courtyard of the Globe Theatre for a look-see. I took some pics of the flagstone slabs that are etched with many actors, playwrights and directors names. Outside of the courtyard, by the Thames, there was a street performer who was dressed-up as the invisible man. Of course I got a photo of Alysha with him.
We then carried on along the Thames Path towards Southwark. As we walked along Clink Street, we decided that neither of us had ever been in to the Clink Prison Museum. We soon changed that!
Wednesday August 4, 2010. I have walked by the Clink Museum on numerous occasions, but had never ventured inside. This was something that I needed to rectify, so I took my eldest daughter along, to see what it was like.
It is a an intriguing museum that makes up for its lack of size with lots of history. Many of the torture devices can be handled and there is plethora of ancient artefacts, too.
