A Blast from the Past

 A 1938 art-deco Bakerloo line train.

Sunday February 24, 2019.

A rare sight on the Metropolitan Line, this afternoon, a beautifully restored 1938 art-deco train, that was used on the Bakerloo, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

It had begun its journey from Ealing Broadway and headed to Hammersmith, High Street Kensington and then a full circuit of the Circle Line before arriving at Moorgate.

It then ran from Moorgate, along the Metropolitan Line, to Amersham, before returning to Ealing Broadway, via Rayners Lane.

We waited for it at Rickmansworth where we were in the perfect place to see it.

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Palace and Queen Victoria's statue.

After our initial stop at the Diana Memorial Playground, we made our way south towards Kensington Palace, with the shade from the trees protecting us from the warm summer sun. A few photographs were taken before we headed towards the Round Pond.

From here we continued eastward towards the Long Water, passing the Physical Energy statue, designed by George Frederic Watts and erected in 1907. 

As we approached the Long Water a gust of wind blew Erin's baseball cap, from her head, far out into the water. To say that she was distraught was an understatement! I have never seen such an upset 6 year old. 

After eventually calming her down we continued our walk, this time heading north, passing the Peter Pan statue and continuing on to the Italian Gardens.

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Trafalgar Square: Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas, from the Unfinished City.

Christmas time in the Unfinished City only truly begins when the Christmas Tree is lit, in Trafalgar Square. It is a tradition that has been going on since 1947.

Italian Gardens

A little piece of Italy in the heart of London.

With so much to see in Kensington Park, I had to separate the various parts into individual posts.

The Italian Gardens are a wonderfully peaceful place to take a break, considering how close they are to the Bayswater Road. With gently sloping, tree-covered greens, on either side, offering shade, a Pump House with seating and fountains that keep the heat down, you can quite easily forget that you are in the heart of London.

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Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood

V & A Museum of Childhood

Friday November 2, 2018.

Having two young daughters, that enjoy traipsing around the Unfinished City, we thought that we would take them somewhere a little different. Normally, they find museums to be a little daunting because of their sheer size, especially my youngest, so we decided to visit the V & A Museum of Childhood.

Set in the heart of Bethnal Green the museum was simple to reach, being just a two-minute walk from Bethnal Green Station. And what a wonderful museum it is.

The museum houses over 6000 garments, construction toys, dolls (and their houses),furniture (from 1640 to the present), 3000+ games (both indoor and outdoor), mechanical toys, plus much more.

It it is a great place to reminisce and remember some of the toys that I played with as a child. Some of which I still have. And, it is the perfect place to have flashbacks, of which I had many.

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