#815 - Learn the secrets of Westminster Bridge Road

Timeout says:
First look at No.100, a block of posh flats now inhabited by bankers, Japanese businessmen and Kevin Spacey. It used to be the headquarters of MI6 and is alleged to have secret prison cells and a secret passage to nearby Lambeth North tube station

Dave did:




Timeout says:
Now head a few yards north on the other side of the road. Nestled between a Spar and a Chicken Palace, No.121 has a terracotta, mildly Gothic frontage that shields the remains of one of London's strangest railway stations - the Waterloo terminus of the Necropolis Railway, which took coffins from London to a Surrey graveyard. The brainchild of the London Necropolis Company, from 1885 'the stiffs express' would take corpses daily to their final resting place in Brookwood Cemetery.

Dave did:



126 down...874 Things to go!

#516 - Assess the pick of London's city squares - West Square

Timeout says:
An unexpected patch behind the Imperial War Museum, this inviting residential square is a great spot for visitors looking for a green space in Southwark

Dave did:
Given its surroundings, this is a bit of a hidden gem. Surrounded by very grand terraced housing, this garden square was quite a pleasant surprise.




125 down...875 Things to go!

#358 - Discover an unlikely collection of art

Timeout says:
The Imperial War Museum is better known for its displays of the mechanics and artefacts of war, but it also contains some notable works of art. Most of these can be found in two galleries on the second floor that are dedicated to art from World War I and World War II.

One of the most powerful paintings is John Singer Sargeant's 'Gassed', which depicts a line of blinded soldiers staggering through a battlefield.

Dave did:
For a free museum, the Imperial War Museum is an amazing day out! I spent a good 4 hours in this place, and it was amazing! Part war transport museum, part history lesson, part immersive experience (I was in a trench that eerily felt safe!), and part in memory of those lost in the holocaust.

Yes they had an art gallery but that was just the tip of the ice-berg, and to be honest the least thought provoking out of everything else there! A fantastic day out!

124 down...876 Things to go!

#720 - Explore London's telly locations....This Life

Timeout says:
The London Underground has, of course, provided settings for TV drama upon TV drama. Chancery Lane tube and This Life are inseparable in viewers' minds.

Dave did:
For once, this is a thing I have done on numerous occassions in the 3 years I've been in London! And I've even watched This Life...it was one of the first DVD's I bought when I moved down here and gave me a rather stark reality of starting a life in London!

123 down...877 Things to go!

#50 - Eat your way round Alan Yau

Timeout says:
Start at Wagamama, founded by Yau in 1992. Yau is no loger associated with the chai, but the business stays close to his original ethos, providing wholesome noodle dishes at a fair price.

Dave did:
Managed to tick this one off the list through a lunch with some work colleagues on the Thames southbank!

122 down...878 Things to go!

#642 - Go deco! Hoover Building

Timeout says:
Apart from residents of Perivale, not many Londoners trek out here. But it's well worth the effort to see this piece of architecture - possibly the finest art deco structure in Britain. Built in 1932, the principal building is a low-lying, two-storey white structure with its front divided into 15 bays by massive Egyption style pillars. It also has an outstanding central doorway that is framed by a huge sun-ray design. The rear part of the building was sensitively converted into a Tesco supermarket in 1989, and the palce has been celebrated in song (Elvis Costello's 'Hoover Factory').

Dave did:
On the Oxford tube heading out of London for the weekend, I caught sight of this very impressive building at the roadside. Unfortunately I couldn't get a decent picture with my mobile phone in time so I admit I have relied upon one from Google, but I did see it! (honest!)

121 down...879 Things to go!

#636 - Go deco! Apollo Victoria

Timeout says:
This Grade II-listed building, designed by Ernest Wamsley Lewis and WE Trent, opened in 1930. The exterior has two matching openings with pronounced horizontal baning and deco lettering inset in the concrete. most of the original interior is gone, but there are various maritime motifs and typically deco railings

Dave did:
Heading off to Oxford for the weekend I happened to pass by the Apollo Victoria. I think Timeout's has described everything there is to say about the appearance of this theatre...I guess the only thing needed to complete the picture is to mention Wicked is currently being shown there!

120 down...880 Things to go!

#871 - Walk under the Thames

Timeout says:
Yes, it's a bit dank and smelly, but how often do you get the chance to walk under a river? The Thames foot tunnel at Greenwich is open to the public, connecting Island Gardens at the southerly tip of the Isle of Dogs to Greenwich, near the Cutty Sark. The echoes are impressive, the surroundings rather spooky.

Dave did:
Probably one of my proudest achievements to date - walking under the Thames!

They really should have more tunnels under the Thames for people to cross as its a completely different experience from the bridges over the river.

119 down...881 Things to go!

#499 - Tour the capital's breweries

Timeout says:
For those whose interest lies more in the drinking than the watching, London boasts a handful of bars with their own micro-breweries - a refreshing change from the usual mass-produced lagers. Greenwich Union is the fine flagship of Meantime Brewery.

Dave did:
The weather was fantastic this Sunday and so I decided to head over to Greenwich for the first time in my 3 year history of London travels. I have to say I really did like the place, very homely! Unfortunately the same can't be said for their signage!

Heading up towards the Greenwich Union for one of their own beers I walked into the bar and couldn't find any sign of their Greenwich Meantime beer. So I settled for a Youngs Special (telling myself its not a beer I'd normally drink so therefore it would count).

Half an hour later I leave only to discover that I was in the wrong bloody bar! On approach to the pub you will not that there were two signs on display:



And if you were on the other side of the road you would have seen 2 pubs side by side:



Muggins here had to go and order yet another beer to sort this mess out (and it was far better than Youngs Special!). I highly recommend Meantime Brewery, they have beers of all sorts (fruit, stout, lager, ale, pale ale....) and the bar itself is very bright and airy. A good Sunday afternoon pub!

118 down...882 Things to go!

#397 - Be a nosy neighbour for Open House London

Timeout says:
An annual event held around mid-September that gives architecture lovers free access to more than 500 fascinating buildings all over the capital. An essential experience for the born snooper.

Dave did:
When I entered the Fan Museum I was expecting to pay a £5 entrance fee (...£2.50 per room if you will - see Thing #352). However, it turned out this was Open House London week and so it was free entry! Nice one!

117 down...883 Things to go!

#352 - Visit the Fan Museum

Timeout says:
The world's only museum dedicated to fans. It's a tiny space that holds two rooms and a total collection of 4,000 antique fans, some of which date as far back as the 11th century.

Dave did:
I'm a bit lost for words on what to say about this place. It's a quaint wee tea-shop kinda museum, originally only 2 rooms big (1 being primarily a gift shop!), it was Open House London week and so they had laid on an extra 2 rooms to display their range of fans.

Only a small cabinet was dedicated to electric fans, which was a little disappointing, but I did learn one of two things about the making of fans. Turtle sheets, pearls and cardboard were all explored and used as a frame before it was decided that wood was the best option (how on earth do you turn a turtle shell into a fan anyway?).



The best fan on show in my humble opinion was a nice white thing from the 19th century which had the Royal Opera House's seating plan printed across it. Very functional and forward thinking if you ask me! Then again you'd be screwed if you then took it to the Royal Albert Hall!

116 down...884 Things to go!

#666 - Get to know the goths

Timeout says:
Garlic & Shots is genius. The concept is straightforward: it serves just about anything, so long as it comes with garlic. Skip the food and head over to the bar to try the 'blood shot' - a tomato, garlic and chilli vodka shot. OK, it might pong a bit inside, but there's always the very nice yard out the back.

Dave did:
One of my oldest friends announced her impending visit to London and I was asked to find a suitable pub for a drink. If ever there was an opportunity to cross off another of my Things this was it!

And so it was that we found ourselves walking down Old Compton street towards 'Garlic and Shots'. True to its word, as we entered the dark and dingy bar, a staff member was sitting on a table at the site peeling garlic cloves whilst some diners tucked into a garlic dip.

The barman had the audacity to treat US like the weird ones, giving us an awkward look as if visitors should not ask him questions until after sunset (we only asked what beers he served!). Eventually we got hold for 2 beers and headed out the back for some fresh air (although I can't smell myself - another story - Lou did note that it ponged a bit too much for her liking).

Disappointingly the beers were not complimented by any garlic, and so Lou ventured back to the bar for another round. To my horror she returned with another 2 beers....and the blood shot!

As timeout describes, the blood shot is just a 35ml shot, but crammed full of vodka, tomato juice, tequilla and chilli. Of course Lou only got one blood shot, and she purchased it with only one taster in mind - me!



It initially tastes like a bloody mary, but then once the tomato juice part is out the way, you look down the 'nozzel' of the shot glass and realise that the barman has actually crammed a WHOLE chilli into the base of the glass AND some black pepper for good measure!



Fire-breathing-dragon doesn't cover it...unfortunately Lou took most of the reaction shots which I have yet to get a hold of, but needless to say it wasn't a pleasant aftertaste (and the free bout of hiccups didn't help either - a strange reaction I have to eating chilli's)

115 down...885 Things to go!

#341 - Go to the Proms

Timeout says:
Grab some tickets for the hilariously over-the-top Last Night, when normally well-behaved grown-ups act like schoolchildren, throwing paper darts and parping klaxons at inappropriate moments!

Dave did:
Not quite the proper Proms scene, but I did grab a last minute ticket for the Proms in the Park in Hyde Park, where as it happens a good friend of mine was singing in the choir for the grand finale!

I'm not much of an opera person, but I'm always up for something different and I have a thing for any operatic music by John Williams and the sort!

Well I was not disappointed on this occasion as we bore witness to Bjorn Again, Terry Wogan, a Z-list celeb conductor, Sharleen Spriteri (from Texas...the band, not the state!), and the BBC Sympharmoic Orchestra (or something as fancy sounding as that).

We kicked off with some golden oldies from Bjorn Again, who did not disappoint the females in the audience with all the big hits. I was caught on several occasions mouthing the words and so I took to gulping down my plastic-bottled Rose wine every few minutes! While the music was good, I was trying to get over the fact that I found 'Frida' pretty hot! As a reliable friend later told me, this was very wrong indeed! But just look at them...wouldn't you be fascinated by those robes and super extended legs?



Best bit of the show though, was when we confirmed that there was no miming in this act as the music suddenly cut out and the two fine ladies were left to sing the remainder of their song without any prompts...hats off to them as I'm sure the Spice Girls couldn't do that 10 years on!

Anyway, I digress! To calm my raging hormones...or to better put it - kill them dead...I had the lovely view of some oldies dancing in front of my line of vision with the main stage...



Before coming to this evening, I was well aware of the fact that the Proms in the Park is absolutely pro-Great Britain, and so I joked that I would bring along a Scottish saltire to rebel against this patriotism! Well thank goodness I didn't as right in front of me was the crazed women swatting British flags all over the place and 'dancing' like a maniac throughout the night.



As the night drew on, the real heros of opera started to make an appearance. And the man himself (supported with full-on military bugle horns) Terry Wogan came on stage to guide the night's main events.



I'm a big fan of Terry from his Eurovision antics, but I'm afraid the old man is starting to show is age and visibly struggled to stall for time as the BBC techies got their act together! Nevermind Terry...Eurovision will always be there to top up the pension!

First of the main acts was Sue Perkins, who came on stage to lead the orchestra as part of her duties for winning the Z-list celebrity reality show 'Maestro'. Her performance was good at best, but the majority of the crowd were not impressed given that most felt the show trivalised the duty of a conductor - its really a hard sell to make a reality programme about an individual who waves a stick around in the air at a 100+ band...!



Terry was left with the best line of the night as the main conductor for the evening returned to the stage, only for Wogan to comment "not to worry John...you've got nothing to follow on from!"....nice!


As the night came to a close, my friend Suzie headed up on stage to sing as part of the choir who would lead the national anthem, amongst other 'popular classical hits'.



She's the one in green by the way!

Unfortunately her part was cut short as the show overran with its link up with the Royal Albert Hall...this is where things got really interesting as we saw all the posh folk in proper opera attire bopping up and down to the cockles and lockles (or whatever it is) song! Hilarious to watch!



All in all it was a very pleasant evening out, although I had hoped for some big operatic pieces which never really came. The closest we got to it was the BBC orchestra playing the Star Trek main anthem and a collage of Bond theme tunes. Not a John Williams piece in earshot!

114 down...886 Things to go!

#215 - Visit Little Ben

Timeout says:
Given to London by the French at a time of fine cross-channel relations in 1892, Little Ben is a little (not that little, at 30 feet tall) brother to our grandest timepiece, Big Ben. Unlike its Westminster sibling, Little Ben sits rather sadly on a traffice island on Victoria Street.

Dave did:
Much as Timeout says above, it is a bit of a sad sight to see this rather unique treasure just sitting amidst the hussle and bussle of commuters, buses and cars outside Victoria station. No one seems to stop and take any notice of this rather peculiar clock sitting in the middle of the road, and everyone I've spoken to since has never heard of it!

Shame!

113 down...887 Things to go!

#800 - Watch a dragon boat race

Timeout says:
Dragon boat racing is an unusual, sociable sport! A 20-seat boat with an ornately carved head can often be seen racing in lung-bursting 500-metre races, and occasionally longer distances such as the 22-mile Great River Race. Forget the Oxbridge boat race - real fun on the river comes in the shape of a dragon!

Dave did:
Now this 'Thing' has been on my radar for a while now. Not that long ago I had an opportunity at work to join in a Dragon boat race, but unfortunately spaces were quickly occupied and I fell onto the waiting list! I'm still waiting for my shot!


In the meantime though, I took the opportunity last weekend to check out how a Dragon boat actually works in the Great River Race on the Thames...and its actually quite scary and funny at the same time!

As I saw all these nice traditional rowing boats, and olympic style pencil thin boats...up ahead I spotted this thing with hundreds of short little legs peddling like mad up the river! It honestly looked like the 7 dwarfs and their brothers had got themselves into a fight with nature that they were desperately losing as they battled their way down the river!

Still cant wait for my chance to have a go (although I'll stick to the 500m races!)

112 down...888 Things to go!

#381 - Watch the Great River Race

Timeout says:
A bit like the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race but more fun, this annual race sees more than 260 'traditional' boats, from Chinese dragon boats and Hawaiian war canoes to Viking Longboats compete over a 22-mile course to become the UK Traditional Boat Champions

Dave did:
Three years in London, an at least a year of it spent right next to the River Thames...and I've never once seen a boat race! Some people would say thats ridiculous, others would say its a proud achievement! For me its more of an embarrassment as it highlights how much I sleep in during the weekends more than anything else!

So when I noticed the Great River Race being advertised for last weekend I made a point of heading towards Waterloo to watch the occassion.

The official website reliably informed me that the boats would start passing the London Eye at around 4pm (thus allowing for a suitable lie-in once again!). Well 4.45 rolled by and not even a piece of driftwood passed me by!

But then at 4.50pm I finally see a speck on the horizon...and yes by 4.55pm that speck turned out to the be leaders of the pack, a pack that was very far behind!





Given the very traditional and bulky look of the boat, I was amazed at how big a gap these guys had over the opposition. It was a full 10 minutes before the next boat showed up, and trust it to be the Irish (with beer bellies in tow)!



...but then it was another 20 minutes before the rest started floating underneath my bridge!



By all accounts it looked like a dominant display by the top two in not-all-too-impressive floating contraptions compared to those behind them. Still it looked pretty tight in the midpack with some good battles between dragon boats and viking ships!

111 down...889 Things to go!

#62 - Reflect on a crime of passion over a pint

Timeout says:
Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, shot David Blakely here on Easter Day in 1955, and two weathered bullet holes on the front wall outside mark the event. Today, the Magdala is a sedate spot; light pours in through the oversized, partly stained-glass windows, and chirpy young bar staff pull pints of London Pride and Greene King IPA

Dave did:

"Hang on" said John, "you should go and have a pint at a crime scene tonight!"

"Uh...okay John, are we about to witness a crime?"


Bearing in mind I had known John for all of 10 minutes over a game of London Skittles (not your normal every day kind of situation) I don't think this was such an unreasonable question!

"No, no, in you 1000 Things, the Magdala here, its just down the road, you can complete another of your things while your here tonight!"



And indeed he was right! In fact I had passed this crime scene on the way to the game of Skittles and had not even noticed it or registered its importance!

So on our way back home, I insisted Ian join me for a quick drink before the bar closed for the night. A quick glass of coke later (on a school night 2 pints was enough for me!) we made our way out the door in hunt of the infamous bullet holes.



I was tempted to pull a legendary death scene pose, but thought the better of it as the bullet holes still look quick fresh!

110 down...890 Things to go!

#45 - Play London Skittles

Timeout says:
Try to knock down nine pins with a 10lb 'cheese' (more of a wedge than a ball) in as few throws as possible. A rare 'floorer' is the apogee, when all the pins are downed with one throw. Three floorers on the trot will earn you a place in London skittles history (17 were recorded in 1934, but the feat hasn't been managed since 1960). Sadly, this historic London game is nearing extinction, but there is an alley at the Freemasons Arms. Play it to save it!

Dave did:

To: enquiries@londonskittles.co.uk
Subject: Skittles Enquiries

Hello,

I read about London Skittles in my Timeout 1000 Things to do in London. I am
currently trying to complete all 1000 things (see www.timeoutinlondon.co.uk)
and I was wondering if me and a friend could come and visit the Freemason
Arms this Tuesday night to try a game?

Thanks,

David


From: enquiries@londonskittles.co.uk
Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2008 9:25 PM
To: timeoutinlondon@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Skittles Enquiries

Hi David,

Yes, no problem. We start at about 8pm and play in order of arrival. You "stick" a game first (put the pins up for the players of that game), then you get to play. There's no charge for your first three visits. In the event that you decide to abandon the other 999 things and stick to skittles, the annual membership is £6 and games are 50p.

Regards,
Paul

Paul Robinson
Hampstead Lawn Billiard and Skittle Club


And so it was I found myself running out the office at 7pm to high tail it over to the north end of London. Fortunately I was not going to be flying solo for the evening as my old schoolfriend Ian agreed to come along.

We arrived at the Freemasons Arms to a very subdued and proper gastro-pub. A quick scout around confirmed that we may have found the wrong Freemasons Arms! But I had the quick-thinking to ask a member of the bar staff if they happened to play London skittles in the building, and fortunately they did...it was just downstairs and around the corner from the toilets!

I distinctly recall Ian suggesting it felt like we were heading for a bare knuckles underground boxing match...and the loud thumps and wooden grinds did not help dampen the though!

I peeped our heads around into a moderately sized room, with half the floor missing in the middle creating a gully that led to a diamond shaped platform where 9 pins stood in a diamond formation. Around this set were 3 proud members of the Hampstead Lawn Billiard and Skittle Club (they don't know why its a Lawn Billiard club...they only ever play skittles!)

We were quickly introduced to Steve, Tom and Paul, my contact from the earlier email exchange.

I had tried my best to read up a bit about the game before I had arrived (see www.londonskittles.co.uk) and understood that the game consisted of 9 skittles setup at one end of the room, and then the player was expected to throw a 'cheese' and knock down as many skittles as possible. Knocking all 9 skittles in 3 throws is considered the equivalent of a par in golf, knock them down in less than 3 throws is great, anything more you either score a 4 (if cleared in 4 throws) or a maximum of 5 (5 throws or more required to clear). With me so far? Me neither! When I originally read this my first thoughts were a) Thats alotta stinky cheese and b) Its gonna be very messy!

It's surprising how quickly you pick it the rules though (and rest assured the 'cheese' is actually a very dense circular plate of wood...denser than water I am reliably told!). Our entrance was welcomed with a rare event in London Skittles as one of these cheeses was broken in half after a throw!

A game consists of 7 frames (I think) and you play against 1 other player in turns. My first game was pretty solid, starting with a few 4's and 5's, and ending with a 3! I'm sorry to say my second game (after a few intervening ale's) was not so good and my 'technique' went out the window with a full set of 5's!


During play we discussed how I came across the club, and I explained about my 1000 Things. Luckily I had the book with me and the guys were ecstatic to find out they were #45...in the top 50! They did, however, object to Timeout's reference to the game heading for extinction...


All in all it was a brilliant night out, undoubtedly something a bit different, and hats off to Tom, Paul and Steve who were more than willing to teach us the game and let us play a few games with them. I would definitely place this in my top 5 things done so far!



109 down...891 Things to go!

#513 - Assess London's city squares: Lincoln's Inn Fields

Timeout says:
This 17th-century square, laid out by Inigo Jones, is now a favourite spot for lunching lawyers from the Inns of Court. Sir John Soane's Museum faces on to the square

Dave did:
Well I didn't see anyone resembling a lawyer (no funny wigs anyway!). Curiously there were plenty of stretch limo's about (white and pink ones..??), and there was a kids exercise class in the centre of the park.

My overall assessment? A reasonable get away from the hectic city life, but the buzz of the corporate life is only a 2 minute walk away...

108 down...892 Things to go!

#849 - Take a peek at Strand Lane's 'Roman Bath'

Timeout says:
Neither Roman nor really a bath, this splendid little curio at 5 Strand Lane can be glimpsed through a murky barred window down a cruddy side alley off Surrey Street. The red-brick plunge pool is first mentioned in records towards the end of the 18th century and Dickens wrote about it in David Copperfield, but archaeologists have found no evidence to confirm it has Roman origins.

Dave did:
Today wasn't my lucky day. An hour long walk to get to the Inns fields, and on my way home I decided to seek out this little gem.

The dark alley was gated and locked, and the sign informed me that it was around the corner at the end of the alley...



so my best shot of it was this:



First impressions count, and I don't think I'd consider a swim down there!

107 down...893 Things to go!

#34 - Nose around the Inns of Court

Timeout says:
The Inns of Court - four self-contained precincts where barristers traditionally train and practice - are an oasis of calm in the middle of the city. The Inns - Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple - meander in a broad zig-zag from Holborn down through Chancery Lane to Blackgriars and Embankment. They trace their history back to the 14th century, when the old manor house belonging to Sir Reginald de Grey, Chief Justice of Chester, was converted into a 'hostelry' for law students fleeing the disarray of King Edward's court (hence Inns).

Dave did:
Have you ever had one of those days where you go off in search of some site around town...you have your printed map and know exactly where your going. And an hour later you realise you didn't know exactly where you were going at all!

Well that was the story of my evening in London tonight! I've suddenly had the wind in my sales of late, and keen to crack on with my 1000 Things I noticed that the Inns of Court gardens were not that far away from my office...unfortunately I decided to take a circular route, reaching my target in ever decreasing circles! A 10 minute walk from my office turned into a 1 hour hike!

Got there in the end though! I did some research on wikipedia beforehand and apparently the Lincoln Inn Fields inspired the creation of Central Park in New York. I'll be honest and say I've never been to Central Park, but if its anything like this one then I think I'll give it a miss...nothing that special if you ask me!



106 down...894 Things to go!

#944 - Watch the London Triathlon

Timeout says:
It can seem like sadism to watch athletes putting themselves through such torture. The London Triathlon involves a swimming, bike and running race. The races are important fundraisers for charity.


Dave did:
A few months ago I arranged a primary school reunion through facebook, trying to get together some old schoolmates who grew up with me out in the middle-east and now so happen to live in and around London. To cut a long story short, only 2 people showed up...and 1 of them was 2 hours late so I never actually saw them!

However, I met up with the late-comer a few weeks later for a drink, and she announced she was taking part in the London Triathlon later in the year. At this point a small lightbulb went off in the back of my mind (1000 Things, I am ashamed to say wasn't at the forefront of my mind back then), but I couldn't recall why at the time.

Then this weekend I was reading through my 1000 Things bible and realised I was meant to watch it. I quickly went online to check out the dates only to realise that it was this weekend! My old schoolfriend hadn't even reminded me she was doing it!

Unfortunately I didn't get out in time to see her perform the swimming leg for her team, and I had to resort to checking out the Olympic-standard triathletes the following day.

Got down to Embankment where my research reliably informed me that the cycling leg would pass through. Was there any cyclists rushing past? Not one! The barriers were setup, the police presence was felt, but nothing else was really happening.

I looked left...



...two tourists walking straight over the cyclists path.


I looked right...



...oh hang on...



...finally a cyclist!



So there you go...I saw the London Triathlon!


105 down..895 Things to go!

#786 - Visit the Thames Barrier

Timeout says:
The key player in London's flood defence system and an arresting piece of modern architecture.

Dave did:
As part of my work's grand cruise down the Thames we did not only see the Thames Barrier, we cruised THROUGH the Thames Barrier! Unfortunately it was not in action while we passed through it (well maybe not so unfortunate as it would be difficult for us to about turn and come back through it again!), but Gillian (my partner for the evening) could see how excited I was by what we achieved that evening! It was very very cool! (and yes I am very very sad!)





104 down...896 Things to go!

#995 - Go on a Thames River boat trip

Celebrity Favourite Thing - Christian O'Connell (Radio DJ)

Timeout/Christian says:
My daughter is transfixed by the Thames - the sheer size of it. We're going on a boat trip this summer - a good one that goes from Kingston, past Putney and on to Westminster

Dave did:
Well as explained in my last post, I did go on a lovely Thames cruise for a work's event, but unfortunately it didn't take in the pleasant sights of London. I did see the O2 Centre (nee the Millennium Dome), Canary Wharf, and the Thames Barrier...but still would have liked to have seen London city, rather than London scrubs!

Never turn down a free lunch though...I cruised the Thames with free food and booze and thats NEVER a bad thing!

103 down...897 Things to go!

#279 - Actually use river transport

Timeout says:
Have a gander at any Ole London picture of the Thames and the first thing that'll strike you is the amount of river traffice there used to be. These days most boats on the river are used by tourists - and perfectly nice they are too, taking you about the many sights of the Thames...an excellent way to get from east to west - or just to see the river's landmarks

Dave did:
Work announced that they were to hold a Charity Ball on a boat, which would cruise down the river Thames.

Perfect, I thought, maybe I'll get to see Tower Bridge open while I sail under it, maybe I'll see the London Eye and Westminster and see the sights of London from the one place very few people do see them from!


Unfortunately none of the above happened (although we did go under Tower Bridge, it did not open up for us!). We actually travelled from Tower Bridge east-wards, towards Canary Wharf, and then on to the Thames Barrier. Not the nicest of routes in London (lots of warehouses, ship yards and other pretty worn down areas of London), but it was still a great night out!

102 down...898 Things to go!