'SS Robin', Historic Vessel

Awaiting a permanent home.

The 'SS Robin' is the world's only surviving complete Victorian steamship.

Along with her sister ship, 'SS Rook', 'SS Robin' was built at Orchard House Yard, in 1889, launching in September 1890. 

Orchard House Yards, and much of the banks of the River Thames, were considered the world centre for shipbuilding, at the time, with the proud tradition going back many hundreds of years. This made London a global trading empire, whilst also supplying the bulk of ships for the Royal and Merchant Navies.

One of the largest yards in the country, The Thames Iron Works, would build some of the biggest ships, either side of the River Lea, at Bow Creek.

By 1890, however, the northeast coast of England and shipbuilders in Scotland had become the leading shipbuilders, with their lower overheads, resulting in The Thames Iron Works closing in 1912.

Robin and Rook.

Robert Thomson, a ship broker and owner, ordered both ships constructed on slipways and built by Ditchburn & Mare, in 1845. Ditchburn & Mare was later owned by The Thames Iron Works and Ship Building Company, who then leased the yard to shipwright William Jolly, a Thames barge builder. 

He started construction before selling the business shortly after to Mackenzie, McAlpine and Company. Both builders were inexperienced, ill equipped and struggled to complete the orders to a standard high enough to satisfy Lloyd’s. 

Robert Thompson took over the work himself, eventually, paying a naval architect superintendent to complete the ships on his behalf. The ships were complete to Lloyd’s highest class of 100A1. 

'Robin' and 'Rook' were to be the last ships built at the yard, which closed immediately after.

Following their launch they went to the East India Docks, which were nearby, for final fitting out. 'Robin' was later towed to Dundee where her boiler, triple expansion engine and ancillary machinery were installed, by Gourlay Brothers & Company Limited. 

Although rigged as an auxiliary three-masted schooner she was designed to carry sails, should they be needed. 

SS Robin and Lightship 93, at the Royal Docks.

Maiden Voyage.

Having been sold into the service of Arthur C. Ponsonby & Company of Newport, South Wales, her first voyage was from Liverpool to Bayonne, France, in 1890. Her crew consisted of twelve men.

Her next voyage began in Swansea, in 1891, and saw her visit Rouen, the Mersey, Plymouth, Deauville, Guernsey, London, Rochester, Newport, Bristol, Swansea, Cherbourg, and back again to the Thames. This would be her trading route for the following years, carrying bulk cargoes of china clay, coal, grain, iron ore, railway rail and scrap steel, as well as general cargoes of baled and casked goods. 

Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum

I have known about the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum but never had the time to visit it, Keilyn and I rectified this, on Sunday (September 1), by paying it a visit.

We were greeted at the gate by a friendly volunteer who explained about the museum, how it was run (and by whom) and what there was to see. She also informed us that the Marshall Steam Engine would be fired up at noon and again at two o'clock. With this information Keiyn and I thanked her and set off to explore the exhibits.

Of course, the first thing that Keilyn headed to was the 1967 Stock Victoria line carriage, jumping straight into the driver's cab. While Keilyn pressed buttons and pulled levers, I inspected the second of the Victoria line tube carriages. 

Eventually I convinced Keilyn to come out of the train, promising that we would return to it, so that we could explore more of the museum.

We spotted an old Bedford lorry in a garage which was opposite the Fire Museum. As took a photo Keilyn went into the Fire Museum, having spotted a fire engine. I went in a different door, where I found some vintage fire appliances, tools of the trade, memorabilia and much more. 

Oddly, hanging from the ceiling were two large models aeroplanes. One of a Mosquito, the other a Lancaster Bomber.

I then went into the second part of the museum, where I found Keilyn checking out an amazing collection of toy vehicles, all of which were fire related. A few of them I recognised as toys that I had played with as a child. Firemen's uniforms, from overseas, were displayed in a large cabinet, while another cabinet was filled with all types of fire extinguisher.

The largest exhibit was the fire engine, which was used in the first few seasons of the television series 'London's Burning', which was cool to see.

Walking with Keilyn: Brunel Museum to Rotherhithe... and beyond

Keilyn ready to visit the Brunel Museum.

Saturday April 27, 2024.

Another Saturday saw Keilyn and I take another trip to London. Specifically to visit the Brunel Museum, but then to explore the area.

Our trip began the same way as usual; Metropolitan line to Finchley Road and then on to Bermondsey.

Our first stop, on reaching Bermondsey, was to grab a coffee and hot chocolate, which we purchased from the Servewell Cafe, before continuing along Jamaica Road to Southwark Park. The forecast said that rain was due at around 14:00, so we decided to visit Southwark Park before it began.

Keilyn at the Southwark Park Bandstand.

We visited the bandstand, before passing the bowling green, crossing Carriage Drive, where we discovered the Caryatids of Rotherhithe Old Town Hall. 

The Caryatids of Rotherhithe Old Town Hall.

From here we entered the Ada Salter Garden and then made our way around Southwark Boating Lake, before heading back towards Jamaica Road and King's Stairs Gardens.

Southwark Park Boating Lake.

From here it was a short walk along Saint Marychurch Street to the Brunel Museum, passing the historic Mayflower pub along the way.

Brunel's Engine House plaque.

To our surprise the Brunel Museum was deserted, so we had the entire place to ourselves for our entire visit. After purchasing our tickets, Keilyn was issued with a clipboard with two sheets of questions about the museum and the history of the Thames Tunnel, called 'The Brunel Detective Trail'.

Keilyn 50-feet down the Thames Tunnel Shaft.

Our first stop was to the Thames Tunnel shaft, from where the tunnel's construction began. After being ushered in to this cavernous shaft, with its bare brick and smoke-coated walls, we were left to explore on our own. At the bottom of the shaft Keilyn and I took a seat and watched a 4-minute video, that was set on a continuous loop, that explained the reasoning, construction and effect the Thames Tunnel had on London and the world. As we watched the video we could hear, and feel the London Overground (The Windrush line, from Autumn 2024) rumbling past beneath our feet.

Some of the artefacts on display.

Walking with Keilyn: Gunnersbury Park & Museum

The view from the mansion.

Friday April 12, 2024.

As it was the last day of the Easter holidays, and my last day of annual leave, Keilyn and I decided to take a trip to London, but chose an area that neither of us had visited before. 

Our journey began as usual with us catching a Metropolitan line train to Northwick Park, where we waited for just a few minutes for an Uxbridge bound train, which we took to Rayners Lane, where we took a Piccadilly line train to Acton Town. Keilyn was super excited, as she had never been on the Piccadilly line before. Arriving at Acton Town we walked the ten minutes to the grounds of Gunnersbury Park & Museum.

A map of Gunnersbury Park.

We entered the mansion and found ourselves at the shop/reception, where we were given a guide map and shown the best route to take. As the museum is free I made a donation, which, after our visit, I could easily have doubled. Our first stop was to the toilets, which were used by the Rothschild's as a 'Strong Room' before being converted, and then we were off to the Butler's Pantry, where the 'Object Detectives' interactive event was being held. We were joined by four other children and their families and then the event began.

The three organisers began by explaining that we would be shown five items and we were to work out what they were, how old they were, what they were made of, etc.. 

• The first item was a scallop shell with a (replica) hard mixture on its surface, along with what looked like dried grass. 
• The second items were a piece of broken green-tinted glass and a small green-tinted glass bottle, which we had to wear white gloves to handle.
• The third items were white cloth hoods.
• The fourth item was a copper with a hinged lid, which was attached to a long wooden handle.
• The fifth item was a canvas and metal contraption, with a clear plastic 'window' and a hard plastic downpipe coming from its left side.

Answers at the bottom of the page.

Once we had deduced the what, where, why, who, when and how for each of the items, with Keilyn working out most of them, we made our way off to the next part of the mansion.

Our next stop was Servants' Hall, which was where the indoor servants ate their meals. The servants used this room for recreational activities, too. Now it is home to the 'Toys and Games' gallery, although many of the original features of the room still survive to this day, including the fireplace.

Servants' Hall fireplace.

Toy Daleks.

The next stop on our tour was to the Victorian kitchens that include a pastry room, scullery, chef's room and butchery. These rooms were particularly impressive and Keilyn was constantly asking questions of the volunteer, which showed her interest in the place.

The Victorian Kitchen.

From here we headed to the Rothschild Rooms that include the Dining Room and the Long Gallery, both of which have amazing views out across the lawns, across one of the ponds and the surrounding grounds. 

The Long Gallery looking towards the Dining Room.

Then we headed to the third of the Rothschild rooms, the Drawing Room, where an exhibition of prosthetic design for television and film was on display. It was in this room that we first noticed the sign "PLEASE TOUCH". We would soon realise that nearly everything we would see could be interacted with, unless specifically stated, which makes a change from most museums and stately homes that we have visited.

A moulded alien face... and Keilyn.

Our next visit was to the 'People and Place' gallery, which delves into the local history of Ealing and Hounslow. A fascinating collection of artefacts were on display charting the entire history of the area.

Prehistoric finds.

Ancient coins.

We then headed up the grand staircase, where we entered the 'Leisure' gallery, where film, sports, television, theatre and musical traditions , from the local communities, were all on display. This included the rich film studio and BBC history of the area, and how Ealing and Hounslow became known around the globe.

Marvin the Paranoid Android.

Passport to Pimlico poster.

Now Showing.

From here we headed to the 'Home' gallery, where there was an exhibition BBC Television VFX, with countless models and props from Doctor Who, The Tripods, Star Cops and Blake's 7, to name but a few. 

Walking with Keilyn: 'Cart & Horses', Stratford, to... "Rain stopped play"

Keilyn outside the Cart & Horses.

Thursday February 22, 2024.

Having taken Erin to the Wallace Collection and parts west, on Tuesday, I had promised to take Keilyn to Stratford and parts east, today. As I and some friends had taken Keilyn to see Iron Maiden, at the O2, last year, I had promised to take her to where Iron Maiden had first performed... The Cart & Horses.

Rain was meant to be light and fleeting, but ended up being heavy and perpetual. Still, it didn't put us off.

Our day started with my uncle Martin, and my mum, picking us up and driving to Croxley station, as they were heading to the British Museum and various places, for the day. We shared the semi-fast Metropolitan line train to Finchley Road, where Keilyn and I disembarked and boarded a Jubilee line train to Stratford, leaving mum and Martin to head off to Euston Square.

Keilyn at West Ham station.

We arrived at West Ham station, where Keilyn had her photo taken with a West Ham roundel, before we continued to Stratford, grabbing a snack and hot drink, but not before Keilyn had her photo taken with 'Robert', a steam engine, that  Keilyn had last stood next to in 2015.

Keilyn with Robert the steam engine.

As we wandered up The Grove, the rain, which had been threatening, began to get heavy, so we took shelter in a closed shopfront recess for a few minutes, whole we waited for the Cart & Horses to open its doors.

Keilyn ready to enter Hallowed Ground.

As soon as we saw the doors open I took a photo of Keilyn outside the pub, in her double-denim and Iron Maiden t-shirt, before we headed inside and out of the rain. A few moments later we had drinks (Pepsi for Keilyn and a Trooper for me) and Keilyn was off to the jukebox, busy searching for Iron Maiden tracks. I, meanwhile, was busy looking around at the photos, wall art, merchandise, signed posters and the like.

Trooper Beer.

Since my last visit, in 2018, the pub has had a major refurbishment. The stage, which had stood on the left, as you entered the pub, had now been moved downstairs, where the live music was now performed. And, as such, was off limits to the casual patron. I did get a photo of Keilyn where the stage had been, though.

Keilyn, where the stage used to be.

However, the barmaid, Ruta (not sure of spelling, so sorry if it is wrong), did say that once her colleague arrived she would take us downstairs to see the stage. While we waited Keilyn busied herself at the bar, by completing a Heavy Metal wordsearch, while also working out what merchandise she wanted to buy. 

Bank of England Museum Late: The Christmas Special, 2023

A solid gold bar.

Thursday December 21, 2023.

It was a remarkably mild evening as Emma, Erin, Keilyn and I made our way from Watford to London, for the evening. Our plan had been to catch a fast train from Watford Junction to Euston, but problems with the overhead power cables saw us take the London Overground, instead. We changed to the Northern line, at Euston, and continued on to Bank station. This route put an extra twenty minutes-or-so on our journey, but we still made it in plenty of time.

Our reason for travelling to London, late on a Thursday afternoon... to see the Bank of England Museum and, hopefully, receive a bauble filled with shredded bank notes. The queue was already at the corner of Threadneedle Street and Princes Street, so that's where we joined it. The time was just after 16:30.

We have joined the queue.

We chatted to other people in the queue, plus those who stopped to ask what we were all queuing for, as we passed the time. Slowly, very slowly, the train of people began to move as 17:00 arrived and the doors to the museum opened. All the while Erin was keeping her eyes peeled, in case she spotted the ghost of Sarah Whitehead, who is said to haunt Threadneedle Street. We saw no sign of her.

Keilyn standing in an alcove, outside the Bank of England.

However, due to the capacity of the museum, only small groups were able to enter at a time. 

By now the queue behind us had travelled the length of Threadneedle Street and up Princes Street, around onto Lothbury and then across the road to Throgmorton Street. One of the museum staff had estimated that there were nearly 2,000 people in the queue, at one point.

Household Cavalry Museum

Keilyn ready for sentry duty.

Saturday October 7, 2023.

Once again Keilyn wanted to go for another walk, back in London. 

Knowing of her love for all things military, (she wants to join the Army Cadets when she is 12), I booked us some tickets for the Household Cavalry Museum, which is a place that neither of us had visited.

A few issues with planned closures, on our normal train route, saw us take the London Overground to South Hampstead from where we walked to Swiss Cottage and continued, via the Jubilee line, to Green Park. From there we took a leisurely stroll along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade. 

I could see on her face that she wasn't impressed, as this was a place that we had visited many times. When I told her where we going her face lit up.

The entrance to the Household Cavalry Museum.

After showing our tickets we began our exploratory of the museum, which we found we had pretty much to ourselves.

The uniform of The Blues and Royals.

With its glass cases housing uniforms, weaponry, medals, historical artefacts, maps and much more, we were both fascinated. 

The uniform of a Life Guard.

After seeing the first few display cases, which were predominantly filled with uniforms, we made our way through to the stables. The wall to our right was tinted glass, as beyond were the stables where horses and guards where busy going about their preparations. To our left were stalls with various interactive screens, colouring and information sheets. There were also uniforms from various regiments, along with gloves, helmets, cuirass and more. Keilyn and I couldn't wait to try some on.

Keilyn in camouflage fatigues.

Sergeant Morrissey ready for duty.

From here we made our way though to the next part of the museum, which ran through the more than 350 year history of the Household Cavalry. From its humble beginnings to its current place in the British Army. Many of their exploits, achievements and characters adorned the walls, cabinets and interactive displays.

A Napoleonic soldier.

Florence Nightingale Museum

Florence Nightingale.

Friday October 28, 2022.

With so many museums about a myriad subjects it is often hard to choose which to visit. Fortunately, Erin and Keilyn made the decision to visit the Florence Nightingale Museum, which is in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital, so is easy to reach. Emma booked the tickets and off we set.

Turkish lantern.

The museum, although small, is packed with information concerning the life of 'the lady with the lamp' from her childhood through the Crimean War and beyond, with each area of her life in three distinct areas.

Stained-glass.

There were also two family 'trails', of varying difficulty, that children could attempt, where they had to search the museum for specific items or pieces of information. This was a good way of keeping the girls engaged, rather than just looking at the exhibits. There are also interactive exhibits, which allow you to explore her life.

Florence Nightingale's final bedroom.

All in all It was a fascinating trip around the museum where we all learned a great deal. Like, why she was called Florence and that she owned over 60 cats.

London Transport Museum: Hidden London Exhibition

 

Hidden London.

Friday August 26, 2022.

Since I still had some time off, before heading back to work, I decided to take Erin and Keilyn to London. Keeping our exact destination a secret from them we travelled, via London Underground, to Piccadilly Circus, where we stopped for some lunch, which we ate in the grounds of St Anne's church, Soho.

Suitably filled we continued along Shaftesbury Avenue to Charing Cross Road, where we turned left heading for Old Compton Street. Or, in fact, a grate in a traffic island through which you can peer down into a utility tunnel and make out a worn sign saying 'Little Compton Street'.

Little Compton Street sign, below street level.

We then headed down Earlham Street to Seven Dials, before heading along Mercer Street to Long Acre. From here we headed along Drury Lane and various other roads, which lead us to Covent Garden. A little perusal around the various market stalls before heading to our true destination... London Transport Museum.

Looking across at the entrance to the Hidden London Exhibition.

With our timed entry tickets we didn't have to queue and were ushered in within minutes of arrival. Taking the lift to level 2, we began our journey though London's transport history. But, that is a story for another time. This story is all about the Hidden London Exhibition, within the London Transport Museum.

Hidden London Exhibition

The Exhibition began by entering a 'disused' underground station and the paraphernalia that you find within the entrance, before leading you through the history of the closed stations. Why they were closed, how they were repurposed and, sometimes, their top secret use throughout the years. 

Aldwych station.