'Giro', The German Ambassador's Dog

"Giro"
A Faithful Companion!
London in February 1934.
Hoesch.

I am amazed when walking around London, even if it is a place that I have visited many times before, the amount of weird or unusual things that I have previously missed.

For instance: I have walked around, along and through Waterloo Place many times. Whether going to Pall Mall from The Mall, or looking at the various statues or simply just wandering around the area. But, not once, in all of these visits, had I noticed this little grave to "Giro", nestled beneath a tree.

I had to find out more about this curious little grave.

'Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese'

Is that the River Fleet, I hear?

One of my favourite pubs, in the City of London, is Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. I first discovered it a number of years back, when I ducked into an alleyway to avoid some freezing rain, on a cold January day. Seeing the light of the pub I wandered in.

Heading into the cellar.

On entering I found it to be quite dark, with wood panelling and little in the way of natural light. Spread across a number of floors, with various bars, it has a feeling of being lost in time.

Throughout the reigns of...

Once my eyes adjusted to the diffused light, the building almost came alive with its history.

A cosy little space in the cellar.

Buying a pint of bitter I took a seat in one of the near empty spaces and savoured the atmosphere of this historic place.

'East India Arms'

History in the Heart of the City.

The East India Arms is a wonderfully traditional pub, in the heart of the City of London. It still retains all the charm of its heritage, even with all of the new buildings, and offices. in the area.

Waterstones, Piccadilly

Well worth the wait. 

I love London, books and Iron Maiden, among other things. So it was only right that on a wet October evening I had no qualms about queuing outside Waterstones Piccadilly, to meet Bruce Dickinson, entrepreneur, pilot, Olympic-class fencer, businessman and lead singer of Iron Maiden, to get a copy of his autobiography signed.

What was peculiar was that of all the bookshops that I had visited, in London, this one had passed me by. What a mistake that was. It is massive and spreads across six floors. It has since become my favourite bookstore, especially with the views that are on offer on the fifth floor.

Royal Gun Salute

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, in Green Park.

A Royal Gun Salute is fired on numerous occasions, throughout the year, and is a marvel of horsemanship, skill and military discipline.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, waiting to enter Green Park.

All of the salutes, that I have witnessed, have taken place in Green Park, but I hope to see one at the one of the other locations, at some point in the future.