Blogs from Greater London, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 17

http://www.heygo.com 28th February - A ride on a London No. 11 Bus & Greenwich Meantime. The very first bus route opened on 4 July 1829. The horse-drawn service carried paying passengers between the Yorkshire Stingo pub in Paddington and the Bank of England in the City. The full trip cost one shilling, and took about 40 minutes. Ever wondered why the buses we see today are painted red? London General Omnibus Company (or L.G.O.C.) owned most of the buses and in 1907 painted its entire fleet red to stand out from competitors. Since 1933, the colour was adopted by London Transport and it has remained ever since. There are 8,600 buses in the whole fleet, operating on 700 routes, serving 19,000 bus stops. Yesterday I hadn’t planned to do a tour in the morning but just ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 7th February - London Borough Market in Southwark is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, dating back to at least the 12th century. The present buildings were built in the 1850s with additions in the 1860s and an entrance designed in the Art Deco added on Southwark Street in 1932. Significant changes to the buildings have been made over the years as a result of successive expansions to the nearby railway infrastructure. The Act of Parliament from 1754 that helped establish Borough Market in its current form was very clear about the period of time this important institution would be expected to operate. The Market would, it was written, remain “an estate for the use and benefit” of the local community “for ever”. Not for weeks or months or even centuries, ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 21st January Our tour with Charley started at 3pm just as the Bells of St.Martin were chiming. The site around Trafalgar Square had been a significant landmark since the 1200s. For centuries, distances measured from Charing Cross have served as location markers. The market is at the Statue of Charles 1? Nelson's Column is flanked by fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1937 and 1939 and guarded by four monumental bronze lions sculpted by Sir Edwin Landseer. The empty plinth in the north-west corner of the square, the "Fourth Plinth", was initiated by the Royal Society of Arts in 1988. The current artwork complete with a cherry, a drone and a fly - “The End” by British artist Heather Phillipson, will stay in place until spring 2022. Passers-by will are able to use their ... read more

23rd November 2020 Westminster A trip closer to home today and an early start. Anthony was our guide and at 8am the London streets around Westminster were busy with people going to work by bus, cycle or walking. We are all familiar with seeing Big Ben shrouded in what Anthony called it’s ‘Metal Jacket’ and now we also have the Houses of Parliament under a massive refurbishment. The refurbishment due to cost £4bn & estimated to be completed by the 2030s. We crossed the road into Parliament Square, the square is home to 12 statues of British, Commonwealth and foreign political figures. Anthony’s knowledge of the history of these statues and the surrounding buildings was excellent. Our route to Whitehall we pass so many red telephone boxes which are mostly used by tourists for taking selfie ... read more

We had planned staying in London in 2020 – it was the first time in 20 years while I have been living in the UK. Having heard that all the shops will be closed on the Christmas Day and some shops will be closed for a few days around Christmas, I carefully planned shopping and meals between 20th and 24th December. Mark finished his work at home just after 5 o’clock on Christmas Eve. He has been working at home since the end of March and is having an annual leave between Christmas and New Year. We decided to have ‘sushi’ takeaway for Christmas Eve’s dinner and listened to Cambridge King’s College’s Carol while having sushi rolls. Because of Covid 19, there was no congregation, just a choir of singers were singing and selected people did ... read more