Monday, November 13, 2017

London Transport Museum

London The Unfinished City
'Old Bill' saw action in The Great War.

The London Transport Museum
is one of those museums that, at first thought, makes you think of musty old buses and trams. Maybe some stuffy uniforms and not much more. And you would be right, but, at the same time, wrong.

Yes, there are plenty of buses, trams and trains, but they are in no way musty. All of the exhibits are displayed in such a way as to show the evolution of transport in London. The majority of the exhibits are available for the public to climb aboard, while the remaining ones are too fragile. 

There is everything from Sedan chairs to an original Omnibus. Trams and Taxis. Steam Locomotives to the latest in Underground carriages. 

The museum also shows the history of how timetables, signage and posters changed throughout the years, and how transport embraced new technology. It is definitely one of the more hands-on museums that is perfect for the entire family.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

'The George Inn'

London The Unfinished City
The Unfinished City's last 'galleried' coaching inn.

The George Inn
is one of those places that has existed, in some form or another, in the great Unfinished City for centuries. Unlike some other places of this age, though, The George Inn still retains all of the character that you would associate with something of this bygone era. From walking through the bars, that were frequented by Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare, to walking along the gallery, with its uneven and creaky floorboards, you get a real sense of history.

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Marble Arch

London The Unfinished City
Dragonslayer.

Marble Arch
is one of those iconic buildings, within the Unfinished City, that I find intriguing. Not because of its design, but because of its location, which is not where it was first installed.

Natural History Museum

London The Unfinished City
King of the Dinosaurs.

The Natural History Museum is one of my favourite museums, in the Unfinished City. Housed within a magnificent architectural building, in the heart of Kensington, and with some truly unique specimens on show, it is a wonderland of discovery and learning, for all ages.

Saturday, November 04, 2017

London MillenniuM Footbridge (MillenniuM Bridge)

London The Unfinished City
Wobbly Bridge? Not anymore!

Of the nearly twenty pedestrian footbridges, across the River Thames, this is, quite possibly, my favourite. Spanning the river from St Paul's Cathedral, in the north, to the Tate Modern, in the south, the views that can be seen from its deck are incredible. When looking north, from Bankside, you get a clear view of St Paul's Cathedral, framed by the bridge supports.

Unfortunately, I never got to cross it on its opening day, nor the following two days, when it began to sway and wobble.