Visit to Canary Wharf

---

Mark has been working at one of the office buildings in Canary Wharf since June 2018. He has been telling me that there are numerous designers’ shops around Canary Wharf; is made me curious – so I decided to visit Canary Wharf when he works.



I decided to visit Canary Wharf on 30 December 2019 when he would come back to work after Christmas holiday. He advised me to take Jubilee Line rather than DLR as the Jubilee Like runs quicker than the DLR.



I arrived at Canary Wharf of Jubilee Line just after 11.30. I was interested in surroundings around Canary Wharf station, as well as station buildings; took several photos of skyscrapers.



Having heard that his office was alight South Colonnade Exit by DLR Line, I walked for the destination via shopping mall in Canada Tower and Cabot Place. As being told, I saw a number of posh designers’ clothes and accessories shops – Ralph Lauren, Thomas Pink, Paul Smith, Tiffany, Boss and Reiss.



I texted him at 12 o’clock that I had arrived at your office; he came just after 12 o’clock.



There were numerous cafes and restaurants in the Cabot Shopping Mall – we decided to go to Pret A Manager for our lunch.



Afterwards, he took me to the roof garden built near West India Quay. The roof garden possessed various plants collections from temperate to sub-tropical climate – tree ferns, bamboos, evergreen shrubs with red & orange berries – and they matched with intriguing objects and steel high rise buildings shown on the domed roof. He told me that he sometimes walks in this garden in the lunch time. I learned that Crossrail Station was meant to be built on the North Dock, next to the restaurant ‘Big Easy’ in 2018 and there were photos of the construction works of the station building when started. However, the building work has not been completed as of the end of 2019; on the contrary, the construction seemed to have been paused, not seeing the evidence of the work being in progress!



After that, he took me the walkway around West India Quay. I saw a grand hotel – London Marriot Hotel, historic dock buildings which have been converted into restaurants and Museum of London Docklands, which we visited several years ago. We saw boats which were used as a church – could have been used as a little meeting venue for local people and the boat that serves communal bath – this looks quite unusual for Britain.



We crossed cover the footbridge leading to Wren Landing and Cabot Square. There were several interesting modern sculptures – one of Henry Moore’s works around the fountains on the square. I was also taken to the footpath along Middle Dock and shown historic dock buildings that has been converted into exclusive restaurants and modern office buildings.



I looked at my watch when it said 13.10. I was a little concerned about his lunch time hours and asked if he needed to go back to the office. He said, ‘Doesn’t matter, as the office has been quiet today.’ He took me to Canary Wharf station underground station where I started my excursion.

---

Comments

[Mary Goddard]

Canary Wharf
Great to read about the area where Mark works