Family trip to London: Day 1, Southwark

Wise words.

Thursday October 30, 2025.

Having taken a few days off work, Emma and I took Keilyn to London, while Erin was staying with friends.

We set off, via taxi, to Watford Metropolitan station to board a train to Finchley Road and from there a Jubilee line train to Waterloo.

On leaving Waterloo station we crossed Waterloo Road and headed for the Bus Cafe, for a spot of lunch. Full English breakfasts were ordered and devoured, washed down with coffee and tea.

With our bellies full we left the bus garage and headed along The Cut and onto Union Street. We passed the Embassy Tea House and the London Fire Brigade Headquarters, before crossing Southwark Bridge Road. We then passed the old Tram shelter, which is now a gourmet burger restaurant, and the Mint & Gospel Lighthouse Mission building, before turning up Redcross Way beside Crossbones Graveyard.

Redcross Way brought us to Dirty Lane and the arches beneath the mainline railway of Cannon Street station. This eventually brought us to Clink Street. Keilyn's face lit up when she discovered that we were going into the Clink Prison Museum, a place she had wanted to visit for ages.

"The Clink": the prison that gave its name to all others.

We descended the stairs, paying our dues at the booth, before entering the site of the original Clink Prison. The prison that gave its name to all others.

Information boards told the history of the prison from its earliest inception, in 1144, to its closure in 1780. Manacles, locks, swords, torture implements, chastity belts and much more were on display, many of which could be handled, allowing you to feel the weight of the chains, giving a sense of how it would feel to be manacled for days on end.

There was also information on Crossbones Graveyard and the Winchester Geese, the Liberty of the Clink, the Bishop of Winchester and a brief mention of the other five prisons that were in Southwark.

"Off with his head!"

As we walked through the Clink Keilyn was keeping an eye out for the 'ghosts' that had been hidden around the museum. These 'ghosts' were small puppets and, should you find all ten, you received a sweet on leaving the gift shop. Of course, Keilyn spotted all ten and received her lollipop as we left the prison.

We continued along Clink Street and joined the throng of tourists, passing the Golden Hinde and turned onto Cathedral Street and then Montague Close, where we sat in Minerva Square to rest our legs and have a drink. We then continued along Montague Close and joined Tooley Street, before turning along St Olaf Stairs and joining The Queen's Walk along the River Thames. Countless wooden sheds were in various stages of being built and painted, ready for the Christmas season, while the old City Hall is in the middle of a major refurbishment, with much of its glass having been removed.

A Victorian era postbox.

We looked at the Royal Mail Penfold Postbox, a relic of the Victorian era, before we turned south along Duchess Walk to Queen Elizabeth Street. After buying an ice cream, for Keilyn, and some more refreshments and snacks, we walked along Tower Bridge Road and headed for our hotel... Premier Inn London Tower Bridge Hotel.

The view from our hotel room.

After checking in, Keilyn grabbed the room key and took the lift to the top floor, all the while we were hoping for a room with a view. And we were not disappointed. We could just make out the top of the London Eye and half of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, but we had a clear view of The Shard, which was perfect.

'Thames Made Modern' by Artbash

'Thames Made Modern' is an artwork and poem project, at Globe View, on the north bank of the River Thames.

It is a multi-generational project, by ARTBASH, alongside the architects Rivington Street Studio and in collaboration with the lighting designers FPOV.

The artwork was developed following a series of workshops with several different communities.

The artwork is a layered montage. The backgrounds were painted by the children of Aldgate Primary School, who were inspired by mudlarking activities that they had participated in. 

The buildings were then added by students from Haggerston Community School, inspired by the views at Globe View.

It was a collaborative effort, by artists, residents and the congregation of St James Garlickhythe, that added the wildlife to the artwork. The congregation also helped with the poem.

The poem uses The Doves Type typeface. This typeface was believed lost, in 1916, when a disgruntled printer, TJ Cobden-Sanderson, threw his famous typeface into the River Thames, to spite his business partner. However, in 2014, the original metal type was salvaged from the River Thames by divers and mudlarks. With the type now in hand, Robert Green, a graphic designer, set about digitally reconstructing it and so was able to use it here.

In all there are six paintings, each with its own piece of poetry, which can be found below.

Mighty heart, mighty London
Spanning. Timeless
Ethelred's Hythe to Queenhithe
Welcoming Charles II's landing
Southwark Bridge in steel stealing Dicken's heart
Riverside House looking buoyant
Glorious views from Globe View
Blues, greens, aquamarines & a glimpse of grey

European Eels swarming and waving
With shoals of Bream chasing & biting
The ebb, the flow, the perpetual flux
Thames made modern

Walking with Keilyn: Highgate to Finsbury Park... and beyond

Sunday October 26, 2025.

It was a spur of the moment idea to head to London, for a walk.

So, after a decent breakfast Keilyn and I got a taxi to Watford Underground station and boarded a Baker Street-bound train. We alighted at Finchley Road and waited for 3-minutes for an Aldgate-bound train, which we took to King's Cross St Pancras. From here we took the Northern line to Highgate.

On leaving Highgate station we headed south, along Archway Road, until we reached Holmesdale Road. This brought us to the start, or end, of the Parkland Walk (south). Parkland Walk is split into two sections, north and south. The north walk runs from Cranley Gardens to Muswell Hill 0.4 miles (750m), while the south walk stretches from Highgate to Finsbury Park 1.8 miles (3 km). In total it stretches for 3.1 miles (5 km), along with the about a 1-mile (1.3-1.8 km) gap between the two sections. The Parkland Walk is also London's longest linear nature reserve.

The first point of interest was the now sealed tunnels that run beneath Highgate, through which the train line once ran. These tunnels are now home to three species of bats: Brown Long Eared Bat, Common Pipistrelle Bat and the Daubenton's Bat.

From here we began our walk, westward, following the route of the old train line towards Finsbury Park. The next point of interest, that Keilyn spotted first, was a bench with a forlorn looking toy rabbit sitting on it, beside a tree with various charms and named disks hanging from it. This is the 'Baby Loss Tree', and was quite emotional to stand beneath.

We then continued our walk, passing old railway infrastructure, that has been reclaimed by nature, while keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife. It was a busy route, with dogwalkers, joggers and families all making the most of the unseasonably warm temperature.

We crossed railway bridges, high above the roads, looking out across London at the various landmarks that were visible. Eventually we reached the site of the former Crouch End railway station. Unlike the rest of the stations along the route, the platforms had been left for people to walk along. 

An A-board, on one of the platforms, advertised coffee, so up the steps we clambered and entered 'Merro'. This wonderful little coffee shop is housed in what is left of the old station house and had old photographs framed on the wall.

Pickering Place, St James's

The entrance to Pickering Place.

London has roughly 600 public squares, spread throughout the city. The largest of these is Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn, at 300,000 square feet. This is the largest public square both in London and the United Kingdom.

The smallest public square is Pickering Place, St James's, at roughly 500 square feet. It is also the smallest square in Great Britain. For its small size it is full of history.

The square was originally known as Stroud's Court. In 1698, the Widow Bourne, whose first name has been lost to time, opened a grocer's shop at No. 3 St James's Street, with her two daughters. This was the same year that St James's Palace became the official residence of the monarch. This grocer's shop would go on to become 'Berry Brothers & Rudd', which is still run by descendants of the same family, to this day.

The Widow's daughter, Elizabeth, married William Pickering and the two carried on the mother's business. They also supplied coffee to the fashionable Coffee Houses of St James's. 'Berry Brothers & Rudd' still trades under the sign of the coffee mill, as they have done for centuries. 

Georgian architecture.

In 1731, William Pickering set about rebuilding Stroud's Court, which was originally a garden, with new, taller houses. after which the square was renamed Pickering Court. Their business, at No. 3, remains as it was from when it first opened.

As Pickering Court was 'off the beaten path' it became known for its bear baiting, gambling dens and prostitution. The square was also used as a duelling ground. It is said that the Prince Regent's close friend, Beau Brummell, fought a duel here, in the nineteenth century. Some claim that London's last duel took place here, but this is incorrect. London's last duel took place in a small field near Camden Road in Camden Town.

The Division Bells of Westminster

For Whom The Bells Toll.

If you are ever enjoying a drink in a pub near the Palace of Westminster, such as The Marquis of Granby, The Red Lion, St Stephen's Tavern or the Westminster Arms, among others, and you hear a shrill, insistent ringing that isn't the fire alarm... don't panic. That distinctive, urgent chime is the sound of democracy in action: The Parliamentary Division Bell.

It's one of the most charmingly archaic, yet fundamentally critical, pieces of infrastructure in the UK's political landscape. Far from being a mere novelty, the Division Bell is the key to how votes are cast in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, dictating the pace of political life in Westminster.

In the UK Parliament, a formal vote is known as a 'Division' because members literally divide into two opposing lobbies to be counted. 

The Speaker Puts the Question: A debate then ensues and, when it ends, the Speaker of the House of Commons asks for "Ayes" (in favour) and "Noes" (against) to shout for their support. If the result isn't clear, or a Member challenges the Speaker's judgement, the Speaker announces, "Division, clear the lobby!" or, "Clear the Bar!" in the Lords. This is the moment the Division Bell springs to life.