I spent a day last week exploring a part of London I didn't know very well -- the docklands, the river area around east and south east London. The docks were formerly part of the Port of London, at one time the world's largest port. There is so much history here from pre-Roman times to the present. It's an exciting part of London that is being redeveloped and it is well worth a visit.
I started out across the London City Airport, located on Gallions Point Marina near the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham. Boats, planes, trucks, trains -- there is a lot going on here.
As I walked along the water front, I saw stunning new developments as well as empty and abandoned warehouses and factories like these one. I wonder what will be here in a few year's time? There is a lot of potential in this part of London.
One of the newer developments on the docklands is Emirate Airline's cable-car which crosses the River Thames in East London, between The Royal Docks near Canning Town and the Greenwich Peninsula. It is sponsored by Emirates Airline, hence its title. The Royal Docks Terminal, on the north side, is close to the Excel Centre (a huge convention center). The Greenwich Peninsula Terminal, on the south side, is close to the O2 Arena.
The cable-car ride takes 5 minutes to go from one side to the other and the views of London and the docks below are truly spectacular.
I didn't expect to find an open water swimming club next to the docks. I also was surprised to find an urban man-made beach with lovely, soft sand and plenty of kids happily playing.
The round domed building with the yellow cranes on top is the O2 Arena, a state-of-the-art arena that includes a bowling alley, clubs, cinema, exhibition spaces, restaurants and shopping. The only event I've attended at the O2 was a para-Olympic women's basket ball event. I'd love to see a concert there sometime.
I continued to walk along the water front to Canary Wharf and discovered the Museum of the London Docklands. It's a wonderful museum that covers the history of the river Thames and the docks and port of London through the centuries. I could have spent the rest of the afternoon there since there is so much history here -- from Roman times, through the centuries, the World Wars, and the centuries of the slave trade. If you feel like you've been to all the museums London has to offer, this is one that shouldn't be missed, especially if you love history.
Canary Wharf sits in the middle of the Isle of Dogs, called that because Henry the 8th kept his hunting dogs here for his deer park at Greenwich. Since the 1980, it has been redeveloped on top of the old East End docklands. If you pay attention, the evidence of trade and shipbuilding is still here. Some of old dock areas have been preserved, some with the original cranes, some with sailing and water sports and a few with old barges and sailing ships. New parks have sprung up around the water front with cafes, restaurants and cycle paths and walkways.
Canary Wharf is also one of London's two main financial centers. As you walk around you'll see every bank imaginable as well as trendy shops, a shopping mall, and loads of restaurants and street food stalls. There is still so much to explore of the docklands, I can hardly wait to return.
'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford.'
I had the good fortune to spend 4 days in London this week. John was teaching an executive education class there and I decided to join him (free hotel room). While he worked each day I explored parts of London I don't usually get to see.
Friends often ask me what I might suggest they see when visiting London. My answer is always that it depends. For first time visitors I tell them to take a tour of the city from one of the "Hop on, Hop off" bus tours. The bus passes are good for 24 or 48 hours and you can cover a lot of ground in that time. London is such a big city and while the underground Tube can take you anywhere, when you are underground, you don't get to see the city. The tour bus gives you a great above-the-ground tour of London past all the top tourists sights that first time visitors shouldn't miss and gives one a change to stop at any of the locations and spend time visiting what they like in greater depth. The usual stops include: The Tower of London; Shakespeare's Globe; Westminster; Buckingham Palace; The museums at Trafalgar Square; Covent Garden; The City of London; St. Paul's Cathedral, etc. They are all worth seeing.
If you have time, to these sights I would add my additional favorites: Evensong services at either St. Paul's or Westminster Abbey; A tour of Westminster visiting either the House of Lords or House of Commons; a tour of the Churchill War Rooms; The British Museum and the British Library; The Turner Painting at the Tate Gallery; The south bank walk from the Tower Bridge to Westminster with a stop for nibbles at Borough Market; and, of course, a West End Show and a walk around Covent Gardens.
Another question I often get is whether a visit through Buckingham Palace worth it? Answer:Absolutely. It is both stunningly beautiful and fascinating in it's function as a working palace that formally entertains up to 68,000 people each year (and that does not include tourist viewing the state rooms in late summer when they are open) The Palace is only open to tourists from the end of July through the end of September. The rest of the year it is a private home.
A walk around Green Park is always lovely and full of all kinds of delightful surprises such a finding the Queen's personal Robe maker and tailor...
...and delightful arcades filled with lovely stores and amazing bakeries.
Another favorite place of mine is the Borough Market in Southwark -- it is such a foodie paradise. While you are there, be sure to pop into the Southwark Cathedral.
If you are looking for an off-the-beaten path experience of London, take a guided walk around Little Venice and Mada Vale. A walk along the Regent Canal Tow Path is also lovely and there is a boat that takes you along the canal, from Little Venice through Regent Park (and the London Zoo) to Camden Town.
See: http://londonwaterbus.co.uk/
In any neighborhood in London you'll find blue plaques that tell you all kinds of interesting things about certain historical buildings. This week I found the place where Alan Turing was born near the Warwick Tube station. It is now an upscale hotel.
I finally saw the musical Matilda and was blown away with how cleverly creative the staging, story, and acting is. It's was amazing.
So was Beautiful, the Carol King Musical. Such amazing talent! No wonder it is sold out most evenings.
I explored some new-to-me neighborhoods this week. This is a part of the old wall that surrounded the city of London. It's at the Barbican complex next to the Museum of London and the Barbican performing arts center. I had no idea that there was this huge residential area built after WWII that is essentially a self contained community.
I also visited the Foundling Museum and the Charles Dickens Museum, both located in Bloomsbury which is lovely residential area in central London, between Euston Road and Holborn. It was developed by the Russell family in the 17th and 18th centuries hence the tube stop there is Russell Square.
London's Covent Garden piazza has a flock of statues of 120 decorated Shaun the Sheep on display for the last time before being auctioned for charity on 8 October. Each 5ft-tall sheep has been designed by a celebrity or artist and are based on the character from the Wallace and Gromit animation series.
My all time favorite thing to do in London is walk. Whether I'm exploring residential areas like Bloomsbury or Little Venice, or along the banks of the Thames, I always find interesting sites and delightful surprises. I've never been disappointed when I've joined a guided walk in London. It's a great way to learn about this amazing city.
"Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, Where have you been?""I've been to London To look at the Queen.""Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, What did you there?""I frightened a little mouse Under the chair."
I would love to hear about your favorite London spots.
"The first thing I've got to do", said Alice to herself, as she wandered about in the wood, "is to grow to my right size again; and then the second thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be the best plan."
I found my way into "that lovely garden" this week when I attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Wow! I can't find the words to express my wonder. I was so impressed with all the beauty, innovation, and creativity that I saw. I now understand why The Chelsea Flower Show is such a venerable event and so cherished by gardeners throughout Great Britain and the world. I don't think anyone could attend the Chelsea Flower show and not be totally inspired to go home and garden, regardless of the outdoor space one may have. I have a new appreciation for the English garden and for the joy that comes from growing something that is beautiful, edible, or both.
I attended with a dear friend of mine who is a landscape architect and designer. She insisted in arriving early, when the gates first opened. That meant a 6am departure from Oxford but I'm glad we did. This gave us an hour or so to see the gardens before the crowds came.
The first thing that greeted us upon entering the park where these gigantic driftwood sculptures made by James Doran Webb. Photos don't do them justice. They are stunning.
Next came the show gardens. I wish I had brought my big camera and that I could have captured the scope of the gardens. The best I could do was snap bits and pieces of the gardens. It would be difficult with the best of cameras to capture the full scale, ingenuity and beauty of the gardens.
The first garden on show was Sean Murry's, the winner of the BBC's Great Chelsea Garden Challenge. Who knew that rusted tin cans could look so good in a garden.
The M&G Garden "The Retreat" (This year's show sponsor)
BBC commentator Joe Swift doing an early morning spot in one of the Show Gardens.
The "Hope in Vulnerability" garden won the Peoples Choice Award. It was inspired by Sentebales' Manohato Children's Center in Lesotho, South Africa. The Center provides health care, education, and psychological support to children and adolescents with HIV. Britain's Prince Harry is a supporter of this center and was seen earlier this week at this garden. Designer: Matthew Keightley (He also won people's choice last year!)
Another Gold Medal winner: A Perfumer's Garden in Grass by L'Occitane.
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Garden was designed by Ruth Willmott featuring a stunning sculpture which symbolizes the strength of all those fighting the disease.
The Best in Show winner was the Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden. The judges called it a "Game Changer" because it is such a different kind of garden. It celebrates the wilder side of gardening and simple naturalism. It was inspired by a small part of the 105 acre Chatsworth Garden, the Trout Stream and rockery.To me it looked like the most beautiful, ancient, natural meadow. I was amazed that gardeners created this on a small urban spot.
Gold medal winner: The Brewin Dolphin Garden which featured hand-cut slate platforms and and glimpses of an underground stream.
The Scupltors' Picnic Garden by Walker's Nursery was the Gold Medal winner for Best Artisan Garden
I love this garden -- another Gold Medal winner called Trugmaker's Garden by Future Climate Info. I learned that a Trug is an old fashion worker's basket.
A Medieval garden celebrating the 800 anniversary of the Magna Carta
Check out what is growing in the stone trough -- a dandelion! It's the only weed I saw in the whole place and clearly deliberately planted there for charming effect. It works!
There are Show Gardens, Artisan Gardens, and Fresh Gardens which are more conceptual and contemporary. The Fresh Garden gold medal winner was called "Dark Matter". I preferred this one. I loved the surprise of a cactus garden in a mirrored hole in this pond. As usual, my photo doesn't do it justice.
In additions to the many small gardens on display, the grounds are filled with vendors, nurseries, and interesting merchandise that would delight any gardener or nature lover.
The RHS Chelsea Garden Show is held of the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London. The grounds are lovely, even without all the imported gardens and plants. Here a designer added rope swings to one of the grand old trees. The ropes were out of reach but the effect made the tree seem enchanted, as if a special breed of tree people lived there.
Vendors' stalls lined a beautiful tree-lined avenue on the hospital grounds.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement and nursing home for some 300 retired British soldiers. It is a true hospital in the original sense of the word – that is, a place where hospitality is provided. The residents in the Royal Hospital are referred to as "in-pensioners" and this red coat is their official retired military uniform.
There is a large pavilion in the center of the grounds filled with all kinds of delights, namely nurseries that showcase the best of plants of every type and variety. This year one part of the pavilion featured florists' interpretations of Alice in Wonderland like this giant tea pot and cupcakes.
Even carnivorous plants are beautiful at the Chelsea Garden Show.
Both the Pavilion and the gardens don't just feature flowering and ornamental plants. I was delighted to see an inclusion of edible plants in so many of the gardens. How I wish this could be the result of my patio vegetable garden!
Here is a short video that gives you an idea of the inside of the Pavilion and of the scale of the crowds.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been held at Chelsea since 1912 and is the most famous flower show in the U.K. and perhaps in the world, attracting visitors from all continents. I now know why. Thank you K, K, and K for my birthday ticket. It was a day I will never forget and I know where I'll be going again this time next year.
I will again "find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be the best plan.
