London June 2017 Day 13 – Husk and Greenwich

This last day of our stay in London was a very warm one, so we decided to spend it in Greenwich Park. However, first we needed something to eat, so we interrupted our journey by DLR at Limehouse Station. Opposite the station on Commercial Road you find Husk, a place which is much more than just a café.

There we had tea, soup and cake. Afterwards we travelled on to the Cutty Sark Station for a long stroll through Greenwich.

When we became tired we returned to Husk for some more tea and more to eat :)

London June 2017 Day 7 – Tottenham and Belmont Hall Harrow

The weather was beautiful, so we decided not to take a long tube ride but go just two stations from Walthamstow Central to Tottenham Hale. Close to the station is Hale Village, an estate which looks rather new and very clean.

Dogs are welcome there obviously :)

From there we took a foot path along the River Lea (or Lee, obviously both names are used). We had thought it would be rather quiet on a Sunday morning, but of course this is London, too, so it wasn’t. Many people (and animals) were already active along the river.

We followed the river to Markfield Recreation Ground where we left it to reach Seven Sisters Station to return “home” to Walthamstow.

In the later afternoon we went to Harrow for the evening service at Belmont Hall. After the service we were invited to stay for a little birthday party as one of them had turned 60.

London 2016 Day 9 – West Norwood and Along the Thames

In the morning of this day we tried for the second time to walk near Russell Square, but again the rain spoiled the fun.

We ended up standing under a scaffolding in front of a shop on Southampton Row, close to a bus station. We stood there for quite a while until I noticed that the 68 bus was still going from there to West Norwood. I used to take this bus often as it was a direct connection between Pitman College on Southampton Row (the building is now occupied by St. Giles College) and West Norwood where I used to live during my year of studying in London. That was in the late 80s and I was surprised the bus line still existed. As the rain showed no intention to ease we decided to take the bus for a little nostalgia tour.

I remembered that the journey usually took a very long time and was astonished it was now much faster. The reasons were of course that it wasn't rush hour as it used to be when I travelled to and from college and due to congestion charge the streets in the centre are generally emptier now. I remember that almost 30 years ago the busses were often stuck between lots of cars and only moved forward centimetre by centimetre.

In West Norwood we went to Thornlaw Road to look for the houses I had stayed in some of the time (my first accommodation had been in Selhurst).

This was the house I lived in for the last few months of my stay. It was the ground floor flat which on this new photo is behind the hedge. On the older photo below which had been taken while the house was being built (I think my father took it) you can see it and also the window of my room (on the left).

We returned to the centre of London by train which had been the other means for me to get to college. I used to go to Victoria Station and then by tube to Holborn, but this time we went to London Bridge because the next train was going there.

From there we went along the Thames (not directly with the river in sight for some time).

About half way we had to stand underneath a roof because of yet another rain shower.

We passed the Millenium Bridge hoping that no more rain would come while we were on the bridge.

We had planned to find a fast food restaurant, but then walked past the Salvation Army International Headquarters between the bridge and St. Paul's where they had a café, so we took our tea break in there.

Near St. Paul's we discovered this old Routemaster bus - one of very few still in operation.

In a side street close to St. Paul's we found this church by the unusual name of St. Vedast-alias-Foster which is very beautiful inside. We talked for a while with a kind lady of the church personnel who told us some of the history and other facts regarding the church.

On our walk we also saw this interesting tower - without a church, but surrounded by modern buildings instead.

We then walked along the London Wall, Bishopsgate, Shoreditch High Street, Great Eastern Street, Old Street and returned to Walthamstow from Old Street Station.