A Cloudy Day...In London Town
'Tis my last day in London and I had the Sinatra song "A Foggy Day" in my head. The first verse of the song goes "A foggy day, in London town. Had me low, had me down." While it wasn't foggy, it certainly was cloudy. And I was a little down because I have to leave this great place.
But no reason to let it go to waste. I had some errands to run today. My friend Bill, who had the day off and was up before me, came back home at 10:30am with some news. He has some friends who live in a boat house community on the Thames next to Richmond Lock. They keep all their propane canisters locked up in a cage away from the dock and next to the street. Overnight some hooligans set someone's car on fire right next to the cage. The heat from the burning car set a wooden telephone pole, that runs right next to the cage, on fire. As you might guess, the heat from the fires got to the propane tanks in the cage and caused a massive explosion. The explosion took out the nearby power distribution and caused the house next to it to catch fire. The explosion woke up everyone in the neighbourhood who all frantically called the fire brigade. They managed to get the fire out but only after breaking down the door of the house (the owners are on vacation). Interesting how we were mere blocks away and didn't hear anything.
Bill was on his way to check out the carnage and visit a couple of friends who live in the boat house community. He invited me along.
The boat house community sits on the River Thames.
But no reason to let it go to waste. I had some errands to run today. My friend Bill, who had the day off and was up before me, came back home at 10:30am with some news. He has some friends who live in a boat house community on the Thames next to Richmond Lock. They keep all their propane canisters locked up in a cage away from the dock and next to the street. Overnight some hooligans set someone's car on fire right next to the cage. The heat from the burning car set a wooden telephone pole, that runs right next to the cage, on fire. As you might guess, the heat from the fires got to the propane tanks in the cage and caused a massive explosion. The explosion took out the nearby power distribution and caused the house next to it to catch fire. The explosion woke up everyone in the neighbourhood who all frantically called the fire brigade. They managed to get the fire out but only after breaking down the door of the house (the owners are on vacation). Interesting how we were mere blocks away and didn't hear anything.
Bill was on his way to check out the carnage and visit a couple of friends who live in the boat house community. He invited me along.
The boat house community sits on the River Thames.We drove to where all the carnage was and all that was left was a scortched cage, remains of a charred car, a demolished (and baked) motorcycle, a blackened telephone pole and the house had some fire damage but was intact. In hindsight, I should have just taken a photo of the carnage and the people from the boats cleaning up the mess. It was quite the sight!
In any case, we checked out the damage and headed down to "Jenny," the large white boat pictured to the right above. In there I met three of Bill's friends (whose names escape me at the moment...I'm so bad with names.) In any case, we had tea and ate donuts (I haven't had much for coffee in this tea-drinking island nation). The tea had been heated up, ironically, by gas. The electricity had been cut off by the blast. Even the clock on the wall was still at 3:42...when the blast happened last night.
After tea 'n stuff, Bill and I headed back to The Quadrant to have lunch and finish some of the errands we both had to do.
In any case, we checked out the damage and headed down to "Jenny," the large white boat pictured to the right above. In there I met three of Bill's friends (whose names escape me at the moment...I'm so bad with names.) In any case, we had tea and ate donuts (I haven't had much for coffee in this tea-drinking island nation). The tea had been heated up, ironically, by gas. The electricity had been cut off by the blast. Even the clock on the wall was still at 3:42...when the blast happened last night.
After tea 'n stuff, Bill and I headed back to The Quadrant to have lunch and finish some of the errands we both had to do.
Some quick shots of The Quadrant in
Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, UK, TW9
Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, UK, TW9
By the time we were done all that (Bill driving me everywhere too), it was time for me to head to Central London. I had a few things left to do. The first was to try to make it back to the BBC Shop at Bush House to buy Jenn's BBC Day Planner. But I missed the bus and the train so I was 5 minutes too late. (Jenn I got it figured out, I'll explain it when I get back) Then I headed to Aldgate East station by Tube for a Jack The Ripper walk.
The tour meets outside the Aldgate East station at 7pm. You walk through the old streets of the Whitechapel area of London, where the murders took place in 1888, and your guide tells you the grim history of the murders. Many of the old buildings are still standing. Some have been torn down and new buildings sit in their places. Our guide had photos of the streets and would show us the 1888 photo in the spot the picture was taken. Interestingly enough, the name "Jack the Ripper" was a name for the Whitechapel Murderer that was created by two journalists who wrote a fake letter supposedly from the killer under that name. To this day, no one knows who he was.
Some shots from the Jack the Ripper tour.
The tour meets outside the Aldgate East station at 7pm. You walk through the old streets of the Whitechapel area of London, where the murders took place in 1888, and your guide tells you the grim history of the murders. Many of the old buildings are still standing. Some have been torn down and new buildings sit in their places. Our guide had photos of the streets and would show us the 1888 photo in the spot the picture was taken. Interestingly enough, the name "Jack the Ripper" was a name for the Whitechapel Murderer that was created by two journalists who wrote a fake letter supposedly from the killer under that name. To this day, no one knows who he was.
Some shots from the Jack the Ripper tour.
It was a great tour through that part of London. Now it seems to be house some of London's Indian community. As we walked through the streets, the owners of the many Indian restaurants would pop out and say "Come to our restaurant after the tour for some curry in a hurry!" What a great town!
After the tour, it was time for some last night shots to get in before heading back to Richmond.
After the tour, it was time for some last night shots to get in before heading back to Richmond.
Westminster Cathedral, The London Eye
and The Houses of Parliament all lit up.
and The Houses of Parliament all lit up.
Now the packing begins!
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