Another Dispatch from London

Posted on May 28, 2023 by admin

London is a major city and there are always fabulous events happening, something to feast the eye around every corner and the opportunity to see and do things which are quite special. These are but a few recent examples.

Grand Designs is a TV show where the host, Kevin McCloud follows home owners building their dream home from blueprint to completion. There are often elements of interesting architecture or design and lots of drama in the form of cost and schedule overruns. Recently, there was an event held called Grand Designs Live. We had the opportunity to peruse stalls related to all aspects of home-building and design but best of all, we could see Kevin McCloud himself! He looks and sounds just like he does on TV!

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Tower of London

Posted on May 27, 2023 by admin

Considering the crowds, a visit to the historic Tower of London seems to be a “must do” for anyone visiting London. This building complex which dates back to 1066 has been used as an armoury, the Royal Mint, a dungeon, a menagerie, the home of the Crown Jewels and the site of a number of executions. Amongst the executions are some of the wives of King Henry VIII. Here are my tips for a good visit.

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Lovely London in Springtime!

Posted on May 4, 2023 by admin

London is gorgeous in springtime. People start to wear lighter jackets and sometimes you even see some shorts and skirts with bare legs! The flowers that sprout up everywhere are simply joyous. These flowers can be observed just doing everyday things around London. No special trip to some pricey gardens required. Just keep your eyes open and feast them on the cherry blossoms, daffodils, bluebells, hyacinths, tulips and all the other plants bursting into life to celebrate a new year of growth.

Columbia Road Flower Market – so unbelievably beautiful (but you will have to battle the crowds!)

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London is not dismal!

Posted on April 5, 2023 by admin

All across the world when you speak to someone about their home country, you will get a stream of negativity. I have seen this from Australians, Canadians, Germans and now the English. You could argue that there can’t be anything too terrible by this list of countries. They are affluent, high-functioning, first world nations and not war torn, famine-stricken back-waters. In the UK, the most common reaction when a local finds out you have relocated there from the paradise that is Australia is “but WHY!!?? It’s DISMAL here!”

Dismal, what a horrid word and what a sad sentiment to say about ones own country. Defined as causing a mood of gloom and depression. Common synonyms are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dreary, and gloomy.

No country is without it’s problems, big or small. This is the case with the UK. Things are tough for many in the UK. Energy costs are high and inflation is high and yes, the weather is often grey and rainy. In London, the city is grimy, the rental market is insanely competitive and the cost of living vs average earnings makes things very difficult. You could also argue that politicians are lousy people no matter what country you are in. Nevertheless, there is plenty to be positive about.

Big Ben – looking spectacular on a gorgeous blue sky day!

It could be argued that without having some bad times you don’t appreciate the good times as much. Similarly without experiencing some grey and drizzly weather, you don’t appreciate the gorgeous sunny, blue sky days. Weather reporting in the UK is unreliable (apparently there are good meteorological reasons for why forecasts are more difficult in this part of the world). There have been many a day that have been predicted to be rainy but all of a sudden, the clouds will part and the sun and spectacular blue skies emerge. The side effect of the drizzle and rain is a beautiful shade of lush greenery here in the UK. This is something that someone who has lived in the dry parts of Australia really appreciates.

Anyway, the worst of the winter is over and there are the most glorious signs of spring everywhere. There are snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils. The cherry blossoms have come out and they are so enchanting, that it is impossible to say that London is dismal!

Cherry Blossoms in London – Aldgate Square

Snowdrops – the first harbinger of spring!

Turn the snowdrop over! There are all kinds of variations on the inside of the flower. A hidden secret! Exquisite!

Purple Crocuses near Horses Guard Parade

If you are sick of the cold, grey London weather, one of the best things is that London is a major transport hub. From here, there is so much of the globe which is easily accessible. Perhaps a short trip to the south of Spain for some warmth and Moorish architecture!

London is a massive city and the result is a melting pot of diversity. A huge number of people from all over the world live and work here and also plenty of tourists. The result is a dynamic city with lots of diverse, delicious choices to tickle your fancy in food and events.

An array of paella at the Portobello Road Markets

A lion dance during Chinese New Year blessing a restaurant for a good business year ahead.

There are plenty of other advantages of living in a big city. There are plenty of free and paid events, performances and lectures. There is also loads of opportunities to meet interesting people. The population density also means that the apps like Olio, that helps to reduce food and non-food waste work really well.

Olio is an app which helps prevent waste. Food Waste Heroes collect food which can no longer be sold and help to distribute it into the community. On this night, we got all these lovely Pret items for nothing.

London is very famous for it’s theatre scene. There are so many shows which are playing that the competition is fierce and the talent and quality of the productions outstanding. Whilst it may seem expensive to go to a big name show, there are plenty of ways to score a cheap(er) ticket.

West End Production of Sylvia based on the life of famous feminist activist Sylvia Pankhurst.

London is full of iconic sights. It’s hard to feel dismal when you look up and you see something majestic like Tower Bridge.

Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

Victoria Memorial – crowds anxiously waiting for the changing of the guards

A great view of St Paul’s Cathedral from One New Change

Tower Bridge – often mistaken for London Bridge. It was painted in browns during the war to minimize visibility to protect it from bombing but was painted since in white, red and blue to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. An iconic sight in London. Yet, before it was built, there were a huge number of competition entries as to the type of bridge that should be built across the Thames that can allow ships to go through. This bridge could have looked and operated in a completely different way! That’s the beauty of design! Different ways to achieve the same outcome!

Glass walkway on Tower Bridge. You can see the cars and river go past below!

These old motors used to be the way that Tower Bridge was raised to allow boats through. The system has been upgraded and these are no longer being used.

In addition to the iconic sights are the hidden gems. Walk around, look up, look around and you may see something interesting. Here are some cool places and things in London that I’ve accidentally stumbled across whilst wandering about.

Triton and Dryads Fountain – Regent’s Park

The people in London are kind and friendly people. This has been unexpected. It has not been difficult to meet people who have transitioned from being new acquaintances to being friends.

The public health system in the UK is dysfunctional at times but is free and is very good. The medical staff do their absolute best and are kind, supportive and competent.

When you need to get out of London, the UK is a big country with centuries of history to explore.

Bailey Gate, Castle Acre built in about the year 1200 and you can drive through it today!

No place is perfect. There will always be good and bad. Hopefully you can look around your life and there are some positive things, some joys, however small in size and that things are not dismal for you.

Canary Wharf – A glimpse into a parallel universe!

Posted on January 26, 2023 by admin

What would London be like if development was allowed to proceed without planning restrictions for old buildings? Large areas of London are protected against development because of population density limits, restrictions on views and of course preservation of old buildings. This preserves the historic buildings and neighbourhoods but has the side effect of limiting growth. It keeps the city more low-rise and gives parts of London a grimy, run-down, aged feel. Some areas are charming and historic, other parts, look like they need a good scrub and a facelift (and before London cleaned up it’s act, it used to be a lot dirtier!). Prince Charles successfully advocated for many years that no other buildings could exceed the height of St Paul’s cathedral – which meant some of the most valuable commercial real estate in the UK (the city of London – sometimes called the square mile) could only be built to an amazingly low density. Going to the Docklands area of Canary Wharf is an insight into what London might look like if large scale development was possible.

The Docklands area was once a thriving area by the Thames River for port activities, merchants, industry, warehousing and engineering. Due to the criticality of this area for London, it was the target of severe bombing during the second World War. After the war, it struggled to rebuild as the area was not suitable for larger modern container ships. In the 90s, after a lot of feet-dragging by the government, the area was finally transformed and re-emerged as an area for business. Large corporations (particularly banks) established their offices there. Tall office and residential buildings sprung up and this area become a posh, gentrified part of town.

Now, Canary Wharf is a modern, skyscraper filled central business district of shiny glass and steel. People live in the residential buildings in modern new-build, albeit expensive, apartments. The modernity of Canary Wharf is a massive contrast to other areas of London, so much so that it has something of the feel of an American city about it. Canary Wharf is also trying to become an entertainment and dining precinct. Many famous restaurant franchises have already opened a branch in this area. It’s also very well connected with a number of different commuter trains lines running through it including the recently completed (but wholy un-originally named) Elizabeth Line.

We recently visited the Canary Wharf areas to see their free Winter Lights event. Interesting and artistic light displays were set-up in a circuit around the main area. This free event has been very well attended and there were crowds of people walking from one exhibit to another. This free, public event is quite a smart tactic to draw people into a predominantly business district after dark – in the freezing cold depths of winter. Many of these people will duck into the warmth of a restaurant or shop at some point during their Winter Lights walk. Others may be drawn to Canary Wharf for the first time by this event and be struck by the modernity, the entertainment, the restaurants and other amenities available!

London’s Chinese New Year Parade

Posted on January 24, 2023 by admin

Every year in recent history until Covid struck, there was a parade through the streets of London to celebrate Chinese New Year. This is such an entrenched tradition that all manner of tourist websites etc. were touting this parade despite the fact that the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) had not confirmed the date and time of the parade for 2023. They finally did confirm, only 2 days before the parade. As it was my first time to this parade, and I found it disappointingly short when compared to the London New Year’s Parade, it is not clear if this is normal or a substandard parade. Perhaps, it was smaller this year due to poor organisation. Perhaps it was small because the parade was held on the first day of Chinese New Year and many of the more professional lion dance troupes were booked up doing blessings of business and restaurants. Nevertheless, the parade was well attended by the public, colourful and diverse. There were also events held in Trafalgar square and Chinatown was absolutely filled to the brim with people with queues out of every open business!

With lots of families both participating and attending, the noisy clanging of cymbals and drums to scare away all the evil spirits and lots of traditionally lucky red and gold everywhere, 2023 is shaping up to be a great year! Happy New Year to all. Wishing you and your loved ones lots of good health, good luck and prosperity!!

London New Year’s Day Parade

Posted on January 3, 2023 by admin

Sometimes, it is the unexpected discoveries that turn out to be the best. I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to attend this parade. A hint to the size of it came when the bus route terminated early and we were all asked to walk. Some of the streets in the centre of London were blocked off and fenced in readiness for the parade. The parade started at noon and finished 2.5 hours later. There were hundreds of participants. Aside from the awesomeness of the parade, is the massive logistical exercise of organising this magnificent event! The organisers did a great job!

The parade was dominated by Americans, marching bands, flag/baton twirlers, cheerleaders etc. The grandstand was populated mostly by very proud American families that have made the trip to loudly cheer on their teens marching. So many American schools, from all corners of the country were represented. Each of these school groups would easily average a hundred teenage, high school students. Unlike the polished stereotype of teenagers in American movies, these were real kids, young looking, bare faced, pimply and often concentrating on their dance steps or counting under their breath so they could play their instruments at the right moment.

Despite their youth, all the American cohorts were a slick bunch. Amazing uniforms, instruments, perfect, well-rehearsed music pieces and choreography! They must have worked very diligently to prepare for this moment. I can only imagine that for many of these kids, this trip to London is a trip of lifetime. It cannot be cheap. One can only imagine the fundraising that would have happened behind the scenes to support this. What an experience for these young people to march down the centre of London with all it’s historic buildings and to play for thousands of people and then to spend a few days visiting London! Memories of a lifetime for these kids!

In addition to the large number of American bands, was a brass band that have come all the way from Congo and a bagpipe group called, Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band. This bagpipe group was in full Scottish kilts and regalia but was incongruously populated entirely of people of South Asian heritage. They were amazing!!

There was a float competition held between the various boroughs. The boroughs that attended made great effort with various themes being reflected such as love for the environment, science, Kodak and multicultural diversity. The responsibility of judging the best borough float came down to one lone American man who probably did not expect the responsibility he would be given when he put his hand up to judge the display.

Other highlights include the highly energetic bhangra dancers, ladies dancing samba in impossibly high heels and stunningly, beautiful costumes, the South American groups in colourful traditional costumes and dance, the horses and ponies marching, the motorcycle stunt group and the vehicle displays e.g. Mini Mokes, Aston Martins etc. Of particular note is the diversity of heritage, ages and shapes of the participants. This was a wonderfully inclusive parade with the common thread of joy running through all participants.

South American Costume – a slightly terrifying costume. It would be interesting to understand the history and context behind such a costume.

Samba Drummers – all in synch, filling the air with an infectious rhythm.

South American Dancers – amazing costumes with noise makers attached to each boot to highlight each dance step they made!

London Pearly Kings and Queens Society – a charity group

Giant Skeleton Dancing – a rhythmic sight from one of the Boroughs!

Samba Dancer – dancing samba along the entire parade in very high heels and not much clothing in 8C weather! These ladies were stunning!

All the Queens Horses – beautiful horses and ponies!

The parade is an absolute must-do and it’s totally free! The whole parade had a wonderful community vibe. It’s such a heartwarming, happy spectacle and I will be definitely be attending again next year (and dragging everyone I know along with me)!

Christmas in the United Kingdom

Posted on December 29, 2022 by admin

Often when one speaks to a person from the UK who has been transplanted to another country, they will reminisce about how nice Christmas is “back home”. When asked why, the best they can articulate is that Christmas is a bright spot in a dark winter. This sounds utterly depressing coming from many sunny, summer Aussie Christmases. I was therefore keen to see what the fuss is about!

Christmas in the UK is like Christmas on steroids! There are a LOT of decorations and lights up. All the main shopping streets and fancy shops like Harrods, Fortnum and Masons and Selfridges compete with their Christmas light and window displays. These draw the crowds. Walking around in the evening in prime locations whether on the streets or in these major shops is a desperately slow affair as you have to constantly negotiate the throngs of people. The window displays in particular are really special, interesting and well thought out. Lots of restaurants and businesses will decorate both the interior as well as the exterior, usually with an arch of foliage, flowers and decorations over the entrance. It is all a lot of effort!

There are many Christmas markets dotted around London in the Christmas period. Some of the smaller markets will have crafty, small business type stalls whilst the big Christmas markets e.g. London Bridge, Leicester Square etc. will have what looks to be franchised type stalls selling the same commercialized items at every market e.g. Christmas baubles. In every Christmas markets, you can be assured to get mulled wine, churros, bratwurst in a bun, hot chocolate and the other usual suspects. So although the markets are pretty and well decorated, they can get a little repetitive if they are selling the same kinds of over-commercialized junky things. It was all still a sight to see and added a lot to the festive feel around town.

It seems like many households decorate a real tree. Real Christmas trees (instead of plastic trees) are sold in lots of places and it was not uncommon throughout December to see someone lugging home a huge tree on their backs.

Onwards to the highlight of Christmas, the main Christmas meal! For most families, the usual suspects will be on the table. Roast gammon or ham, roast turkey or chicken, brussel sprouts, roasted potatoes, “snips” (parsnips), swedes, carrots, bread sauce and gravy. A nut roast is a delicious addition to reduce meat consumption. Most of the vegetables will be coated in duck fat for extra deliciousness! The UK classic of “Pigs in Blanket” will also be lurking about during Christmas time. These are tiny sausages wrapped in streaky bacon and are delicious. The Scottish refer to these as “Kilted Soldiers”. A variation is “Devils on Horseback” which are prunes wrapped in streaky bacon. Also very fatty, salty, sweet and delicious! For dessert, the Christmas pudding is brought out after being doused with alcohol and set alight. It is usually served with brandy butter, a strange whipped “sauce” of butter, icing sugar and brandy.

Strangely, the famous UK roast accompaniment of Yorkshire Puddings are not part of the Christmas meal despite the meal being very roast-like.

Following somewhat in the Christmas theme is mention kindness. In our time in the UK, we have found everyone to be warm, welcoming and kind. Worthy of mention are the medical staff working for the NHS. There are constant reports of the system being in disarray and staff being overworked and burnt out. In my experience, whilst the systems and processes could be improved, every single individual I dealt with within the system was kind, professional, competent and did their best for me. This covers doctors, nurses and general staff.

The Royal London Hospital is a maze and as I was negotiating the various turns and signage to get some blood tests done, the signs stopped. I stopped too, looking around confused, clutching my blood test request stickers. I didn’t even have to ask when a kindly staff member just told me where I needed to go as if he read my mind. I wonder how many times he has done that and they really need an extra sign in that spot! Unfortunately, the blood test signage led you straight into the area where the samples are being taken without directing you first to the required sign-in station. The nurse there re-directed me to the sign-in area. I suspect she has to give the same redirection to almost every new patient. Despite how annoying that must be, she was patient as it was quite a complicated route to find the sign-in area. At the sign-in area, there was someone to assist people with the sign-in touch screen and various directions. Her job must be incredibly repetitive but nevertheless, she did it with patience and good cheer. Potentially, there could be some small improvement in the signage but to be honest, considering how maze-like the place is, confused people are unavoidable.

This is not saying that the system is perfect because it is far from perfect. For example, the wait for medications at the hospital pharmacy was at least an hour. Waiting was not an issue for some but I felt for the mother of the young disabled toddler. An hour was just too long to wait. They would return the next day for their medications but with a disabled toddler in tow, this was no small ask. However, considering the sheer volume of people that they service, I suspect that the pharmacists behind the counter rarely get moment to sit or eat during their shift. The NHS has it’s problems but despite all the many frustrations that these problems cause, the individuals working within the system still work everyday maintaining, as best they can, a good level of service, kindness and professionalism. It is to be applauded.

For those wishing for a white Christmas in London this year, it was not to be. The snow came a week or so before Christmas. It was quite a lot of snow and it lasted for a few days. It was really rare and magical! You can hardly believe these photos are of London!