London Diaries #3
Walking the walls at the Tower of London.
Winter has arrived in London, the days are dark in the morning, and by 4pm it is getting dark again. There is not so much time to get out and enjoy the sights. But that is fine, we had work to do on the boat.
For a while now, we have had our hot water heater turned off. It was leaking due to corrosion around the element fitting, and so our bilges kept getting a fresh water rinse. On a boat where water conservation is the rule, this was not sustainable, so we just managed without hot water for the summer. Now, however, we could order a replacement and had the time to get it installed. Brian folded himself into the smallest shape and started, first cutting a hole in the wall under the companionway stairs, so he could access the pipework. It was immediately apparent where the rusty fitting was.
After clean up we manhandled the new heater into position and connected it up. Oh joy! Hot water on demand once again.
Despite the boat being in a state of disrepair, we welcomed Vanessa, a friend from Brian’s college years, onboard. We also had neighbors Gus and Helen over for a traditional English Tea, complete with freshly made scones and clotted cream.
The Cruising Association has its headquarters just a short way down the river, at Limehouse Basin. We had previously visited their library and are looking forward to going back to spend a full afternoon there, browsing the guides and travel books. They also hold seminars. We attended one with Gary and Jackie (Inspiration Lady) and Hilary (Altarama Dover). The speaker was Ian Herbert-Jones, a British sailor in the Golden Globe race of 2022. He had to abandon the race in the final leg of the Atlantic as he was dismasted in a storm. It was very interesting meeting him and hearing about the conditions leading up to the disaster, and what happened next.
The White Tower within the Tower of London.
One of the perks of living in London is that residents of Tower Hamlets (where St Katharine’s Dock is located) can get discounted tickets for the Tower of London for a mere £1, a significant savings over the regular £37. One cloudy afternoon we took advantage of this offer and checked out the Tower and Crown Jewels.
We saw the Crown Jewels; sparkly but no photography allowed, and saw how seriously they were protected with 18” thick steel doors. The Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters, ex-military volunteers, and the Tower of London Guard, were responsible for guarding the jewels, although how the guard could see if any were being taken in those hats is beyond me.
The Tower Ravens were squawking all over. It is said bad luck will come to pass if the ravens ever leave the Tower. They have a few in cages, just to make sure that does not happen. Before you are alarmed, the baboons in the last photo are merely sculptures. There were signs of the festive season all over, with garlands and decorated trees, and then we stumbled upon this Nativity scene….. but hold on, look more closely. Bizarre, and there was no explanation.
Shortly after arriving in London I found out you could apply for free tickets to watch TV shows being recorded at Television Center. I applied for the Graham Norton Show, a funny and topical chat show, often with interesting guests from stage or screen. We scored tickets and went along.
Our guests were Daniel Craig, Nicola Coughlan, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Flo were the musical guests.
It was so interesting seeing the behind the scenes stuff, the cameras and retakes. It was surprisingly quick, very few out-takes and Graham Norton was the consummate professional. The turnaround was remarkable, the show was on TV the following evening.
Just before Christmas, tasked with providing the cheese board for the holidays, we headed to Borough Market. We met up with Vanessa and Gavin who knew their way around and we had a fun afternoon tasting our way through the market. The highlight was visiting Neals Yard, a cheesemonger that only sells British and Irish cheese. But what a selection! 15 or so cheesemongers were crammed behind the counter, each taking care of just one customer, offering tastings, suggestions and comparisons to get the best selection. They were so knowledgeable, it was a fun shopping experience.
Tower Bridge opening for a sailing barge to pass.
Gifts wrapped and bags packed, we took the train up to Scotland for a gathering of the clans in Glasgow. The train journey was through some of the more spectacular scenery in England, but the weather made it difficult to enjoy.
A soggy view from the train.
We had a lovely week with family. Jake arrived from NY and we were treated to fine food, plentiful drinks and indoor fireworks!
Brian and I were invited to make a raised pork and game pie for one feast. It is something I had always wanted to make, so this was a fun project. Did not turn out too bad, even though I say it myself.
Back down to London and Helacious with Jake for the New Year.
Wapping canals for an evening stroll.
We spent a day exploring Bloomsbury. A couple of the offbeat places we discovered and can recommend are the Foundling museum, dedicated to Thomas Coram who in 1740 established a system for the care and welfare of children at risk of abandonment. Prior to his Foundling Hospital and school, destitute families would send their children to the workhouse, where survival to adulthood was not guaranteed. It was very touching seeing the testimonies of mothers appealing for their infant to be accepted, and the simple tokens that were left with the child as a form of identification should they be in a situation in the future to be able to reclaim their child. We had seen old charity schools on our walks around Wapping.
The more entertaining museum was the Novelty Automation museum. This small space contained a number of fun home-made slot machines. Brian and Jake enjoyed testing some of them out; the Auto Frisk, the Instant Eclipse and the Alien Probe.
Another day we walked up through Brick Lane market and on to Columbia Road Flower Market. I love street markets, more for the people watching than the items on sale.
Over the next few days some of Jake’s friends joined us onboard. We went to a West End show, visited the Tate Modern (great space, shame about the “art”…. just my opinion). We saw an amazing exhibition of Van Gogh at the National Gallery and fought the crowds at the Natural History museum and everywhere else. It was a busy few days.
And then it was New Years eve; it is hard to believe a year ago we were in Grenada watching the fireworks. So many miles travelled onboard Helacious, so many wonderful views from the cockpit and new friends made. Where will we be this time next year? I am hoping for warmer water, so follow along and find out.
Follow our progress on our tracking page. https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/SVHelacious/