The Big Smoke

Ive had a week or so’s break - to show my parents and sister and her (very charming) American boyfriend, a good time in Londinium. My sister and the American live in LA and my parents also now live ‘abroad’… so it was proper get together. They had a BLAST!

It was great fun. We did a couple of exhausting walking tours ~ recommended if you are ever in London. With a very knowledgeable guide to walk you around the quirky and more incongruous corners of London as well as the major historical locations such as Westminster Abbey (you have to start here! it is fundamental to the history of England after all...and the rest... It was in Westminster Abbey that under Henry III, the notion of parliamentary government began, dont forget).
Some of us rocked up to an old haunt in south London more latterly in the news for its association with an American and bunch of Brit terrorists trying to blow it up. (Sigh). Thinking it and we would be slightly past it now, the night turned out as we’d hoped – safely and as of old with a hilarious and very unreligious crowd who were around about the same age as us still. Staggering in at around 7am we spent the rest of the day sipping cold Leffe. We also managed a curry at some point during the stay and on a (much) rainier day a city lunch in a very ancient and cool sandwich and wine bar in Fleet Street. We did also manage to fit in a visit to the ancient Temples and churches just behind said bar (whose names are derived from the Knights Templars..) and purchase a pair of (bright red) socks from a gentlemans shop that dates from 1755…before yet more beer ..This time in a Dickensianesque pub called the Cittie of Yorke.

We dozed in the very beautiful St James Park (pics for your viewing pleasure below)– it looked stunning in the autumn sunshine, almost tropical.

Since most of the time I spend in London is usually fighting my way around Kens transport system to work it made a very pleasant change to take in London properly.

Anyhoo they’ve all gone back to dry out and I miss them all already…

I completely agree with this proposal though. Whilst the streets around the City and St Pauls and the Sloanier areas glimmer most of the time, there are some parts of Londons ‘trottoirs’ ( I love that word) that leave a lot to be desired. They get to be so covered with the stuff that it looks like they have a disease. Id sooner see that stuff banned than ban people smoking on the streets quite honestly. (Idiotic bastards).