Monday 28 September 2009

Appologies for Delay, This is Yesterday's Post

Ille phoned to say she had arrived back in Tallinn safely just as my National Express coach was approaching Fleet Services on the M3, it had been a magical 10 days. We couldn't decide whether it was Ken or Boris, the Congestion Charge, general attitude of the populous or what, but there had been some drastic changes (all for the good) to the Square Mile. This was not the London I had known in the mid-sixties when I would scour a ramshackled Camden looking for difficult to obtain albums by the likes of Graham Bond Organisation, Piblokto, Captain Beefheart, String Driven Thing etc, etc. During the 70's the mountains of rubbish just seemed to grow and grow, especially in Soho, but fortunately the Chinese community took over this historic area named from an old hunting cry, and smartened the whole area up. In the 80's and 90's traffic became 'public enemy number one', but now with little vehicular presence you can smell fresh air, in addition to which the river is cleaner, streets, parks and thoroughfares are virtually litter free, in short a pleasure to be there. While on the subject of 'The Lock', there too have been massive transformations, no longer are you subject to over zealous stallholders physically dragging you to their stalls, and virtually holding you captive, no a sense3 of symmetry prevails, without loosing any of its buzz of this exciting place. In short, the recommendation would be to get up there and enjoy our transformed capital, go on give it a try!

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street (sometimes known as Bonuses RUs)

Changing the Guard @ Horse Guard's Parade - Coldstreams I think
The Tower of London - Off with their heads!

Traitor's Gate - Hey was that Gordon Brown in that rowing boat?

Ille with Beefeater - What is it about these Men in Uniforms?

Ille, in what she described as 'Paradise'

We were both so taken with this lady, we asked for a photie

Taking the Sun and a Beer at The Good Mixer, Camden Town

Homeward Bound - Ille on London Underground