Thursday, November 7, 2013

More London sights..........

 Last couple of days in London have been wetter - still cool, not reallyfreezing cold, unless it's windy!. We are wearing singlets, warm long sleeve tops/shirts, jumpers & always take jacket, scarf, glovesw & umbrella! 
London is SO big, so many people, TRAFFIC! - we came home on 2 trains & a bus (45 mins) 9.45 - 10.30pm & it was like our busy city during the day - people everywhere!
Tues - Walked the East End & St Georges area where Messer's lived. Most of it refurbished but little laneways still there & Spitalfields Markets. St George in the East Church where Messers married in 1792 -  retains the outside shell with new glass fronted church inside - looks incredible.

Wed - Warren went through Westminster Abbey (15 pounds for Seniors!!) I walked through Dean's Square - Abbey Choir School, Georgian Squares of red brick terrace houses & sandstone churches & towers! Volunteers were hammering thousands of little wooden crosses with a red poppy on top as well as a name, in blocks of 100's regiments & countries. Looks incredible - ready for Remembrance Day. Everyone here has been wearing red poppies for weeks. In the afternoon we went on a Thames River cruise - lovely to see the refurbished docklands & impressive apartment & office blocks.

Volunteers & soldiers were hammering thousands of little wooden crosses (with red poppy & name of soldier who died in all war conflicts. They are in rectangles of each regiment or country - looks very impressive - getting ready for Remembrance Day).

Yesterday we went to Lewisham by bus (20 mins in wet/traffic) & hired a car from Sat to next Thurs. Then bus & trains into Hoxton to go to the Geffrey Museum - Museum of the Home (they have 11 rooms done up portraying family life of the middle class, from 1600 to 1900.
We then went to Putney East (next to Wimbledon) to see Ailsa (she went on overland trip with Warren) & Paul. We had arvo tea & Chinese dinner with them at Wimbledon - lovely chatty time. 
The great news - they are coming to live in Sydney at the end of the year & are shipping a container of ALL their furniture etc out. Ailsa said if we had anything to send home they'd be happy to include it!!!! So we're going to put clothes etc we won't wear/use in a vacuum bag & take it over tomorrow!!!! Goodbye lots of weight in the luggage! Wonderful!

Today we went to the National Archives at Kew. It's a lovely 'little village atmosphere' suburb. I spent the morning there - not finding out anything new so caught the train to Ealing where more MESSERs lived. Walked about a mile to the church & back. Train back, arriving at 4pm.

Warren did his own thing - visiting Handel's house (for 36 years) near Oxford Street. In each room there was someone to talk about him & his music - music playing throughout the house. Warren walked down to Lesceister Square & China town - both so unfit, really feeling tired tonight!
We had lovely 2 for 1 dinners at the local pub, Brockley Jack's (10 pound) chicken, bacon & cheese with smoky bbq sauce, chips & salad -yum!




























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