Battersea Park Children's Zoo

An Emu.

I find that the Children's zoos and City Farms offer a great alternative to the much larger London Zoo, and are often a lot cheaper to visit, especially with the cost of living crisis.

So it was that while walking from Westminster to Battersea, with Keilyn, we found ourselves at Battersea Park Children's Zoo. Having never visited this particular zoo, we decided to head inside and have a good look around.

Asian Short-Clawed Otters.

We saw parrots, Asian Short-Clawed Otters, Goats, Lizards, Spiders, Capuchin, Snakes, Donkeys, Cranes, Iguana, Frogs, Rats, Emu and so much more.

Thao Whipping Frog.

We failed to spot the Chameleon, but we did look for it for about twenty minutes.

Keilyn ready to board the helicopter.

Then there were the adventure playgrounds, which Keilyn loved, as it had a real helicopter, fire engine and tractor to clamber over and play in.

Keilyn driving a fire engine.

Considering its relatively small size, the zoo certainly contains a myriad of species in well built enclosures.

A Harvest Mouse.

Slabs, Markers & Covers

Although there is much to see when it comes to London's architecture, with her old buildings juxtaposed with new, it is always worth looking at what is below your feet.

Just as plaques of various styles adorn the walls around this great city, there are more to be found on the pavements, curbs and alleyways.

Coal hole cover.

Not only are there numerous styles of Coal Hole Covers, to be found, but there are still places where you can find Wooden Paving on London's streets.

Wooden paving.

Sometimes the slabs are not concrete, wood or marble, but metal, often used as steps or utility covers.

Metal steps plaque.

Utility hole cover, Greenwich. 

Then there are the newer slabs, added to keep the history of an area alive.

The Merchant Line, London Bridge City.

Red Lion Court.

St Dunstans Court.

Kingsway Tram Subway

The Kingsway Tram Subway entrance.

I have walked up and down Southampton Row on numerous occasions, as it is a direct walking route from Euston, when I travel by London Overground, to the River Thames. The road and pavements are always busy as Russell Square, Queen Square, the University of London and much more are all in the area.

As you cross the busy Theobalds Road, there is a ramp, behind iron gates, that slopes down into a tunnel, in the middle of the road. This is the only surviving entrance to the Kingsway Tram Subway.

Unlike the rest of the tram network, which ceased operation in 1952, the Kingsway Tram Subway still has the street tracks, for the most part, in situ. Looking closer you can make out the underground electricity cable that powered this route.

Although Southampton Row hasn't really changed that much, over the last century, you can immediately spot a problem with the layout. The roads would have been quieter, granted, but passengers would have to cross to the centre of the road, where stairs would need to be descended to reach the station below. And those exiting the tunnel would climb a different set of stairs, only to find themselves fighting to cross the road to the safety of the pavement.

Battle of Britain Monument

"Scramble!"

Walking along the Victoria Embankment, near Whitehall, you will discover the Battle of Britain Monument, which stretches along the pavement.

This granite and bronze monument was built so that visitors can interact with it. This impressive monument has scenes from different aspects of the Battle of Britain. From Airmen 'scrambling' to women working in munitions factories to the ground crews who kept the aeroplanes serviced... and more.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

I can happily look at this monument for hours, and still find something that I have never noticed before.

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.