Needle of Thutmose III

 

A piece of Egypt in London.

As you walk along the Victoria Embankment, outside of the quaint Victoria Embankment Gardens, there stands an Egyptian Needle made of granite. 

It is flanked by two bronze fake Egyptian sphinxes, which stare towards the needle, rather than having their backs to it in a typical guarding posture. This, apparently, was due to an error when they were installed.

My eldest, Alysha, sits with the undamaged sphinx.

On close inspection you can see shrapnel damage, in one of the sphinx, from when a bomb was dropped during a German air raid, in 1917, which detonated close to the needle.

Shrapnel Damage.

Also, the benches along the Victoria Embankment have winged sphinxes as armrests, which adds even more of an Egyptian feel to the area. 

One of the Egyptian styled benches that can be found along Victoria Embankment.

This bench uses Camels as the armrests.

Parliament Square: Statues

Parliament Square is a historic and symbolic garden area to the west of the Palace of Westminster.

I have walked around it on many occasions and have looked at the various statues, that peer down onto the tourists and passersby, but never really grasped the full range of people immortalised in the square.

Below are the statues, currently, spaced around the square.

George Canning (Foreign Secretary 1807–1809 and 1822–1827; Prime Minister 1827) 
by Sir Richard Westmacott.

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (Prime Minister 1852, 1858–1859 and 1866–1868) 

by Matthew Noble.

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (Prime Minister 1855–1858 and 1859–1865) 
by Thomas Woolner.

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.

One New Change: Viewing Area

Reflecting on St Paul's Cathedral. 

Sunday July 31, 2022.

One of the major developments over the last few decades, which enhances the appeal of London, is the new buildings that include viewing areas, nearly always on the roof, that allow free access for the public to see London from a different perspective.

Looking across at St Paul's Cathedral.

So it was that after a visit to the Museum of London, I took Erin and Keilyn to the top of the One New Change building, via its glass lifts, to see the view.

'Ariel' by Boris Anrep with the Barbican towers in the background.

From its location opposite St Paul's Cathedral it is this iconic building that you see while travelling up in the lift, and the first thing you see when you walk onto the viewing area.

With dusk fast approaching London takes on a new light.

The panoramic view allows you to see The Shard and along the River Thames to the London Eye and more. On clear days you can see the Crystal Palace transmitting station radio mast.

The Shard, Crystal Palace transmitter, London Eye and St Paul's.

But, for a truly great experience, sunset offers some amazing photo opportunities, which I hope to take the girls to see, later in the year.

Sunset.

There is also a mosaic and stone carvings to admire, towards the northwest of the viewing area.

'Ariel' by Boris Anrep (1883-1969).

'St George Combatant' by Sir Charles Wheeler (1892-1974).

Suitably impressed with the views Erin, Keilyn and I made our way to the lifts and headed off on the next part of our walk.

Mudchute Park and Farm

A sheep at Mudchute Park and Farm with Canary Wharf in the background.

Sunday July 3, 2022.

I had been meaning to take Erin and Keilyn to Mudchute Park and Farm for quite a while, now, so, as we had nothing else planned, we set off to the station (Metropolitan line to Finchley Road, Jubilee line to Canary Wharf) and began our latest exploratory.

After exiting Canary Wharf station we took a meandering route along the old docks, where yachts and narrowboats were moored, while some people had taken to the still waters in kayaks.

Canary Wharf on a Sunday.

Eventually we found East Ferry Road and made our way around the Asda car park, which brought us to the entrance of Mudchute Park and Farm.

From this entrance you can take a number of routes as the path branches in a number of directions. We took the centre one, which led us past meadows and fields until we reached a Remembrance Garden and a 3.5" Ack-Ack gun. 

Erin and Keilyn with an Ack-Ack anti-aircraft gun.