Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Westminster (Borough of)

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Plaque to Pret

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Plaque to Pret

    I learn something every day (well, most days and a lot of what I learn is broadly irrelevant), and I’ve discovered that the existing Pret shop at 93-95 Victoria Street is just a stone’s throw from where it all began for the company in 1986, at 75B Victoria Street. There was actually a shop in Hampstead but that went bust and Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe purchased the name and imagery, and they opened at 75B. There are now 500 Prets around the world, with plans to open many more.

    Pret renamed their Head Office, which is nearby above Platform 1 at Victoria railway station, 75B in honour of their first shop. Incidentally, their designers have put up photos of the interior of their head office, very decadent….. I wonder if Greggs has a plaque anywhere.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Victoria Railway Station (Unknown Warrior)

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Victoria Railway Station (Unknown Warrior)

    I’ve walked through Victoria railway station in London on probably hundreds of occasions, but until last week, I’d never noticed this plaque at the end of platform 8. It reads:

    “The body of the British unknown warrior arrived at platform 8 at 8.32pm on the 10th November 1920 and lay here overnight before interment at Westminster Abbey on 11th November 1920”.

    © IWM Q 31492 (copyright of the Imperial War Museum)

    I can’t find a photo at the Imperial War Museums collection of the body at the railway station, but this is from the following day at Westminster Abbey. As an aside, it’s an interesting way to store a body….

    Every year on 10 November, there’s a small Remembrance ceremony held by the plaque to note the sacrifice made by so many during the First World War and there’s more about the whole selection and transportation of the body at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unknown_Warrior. It was a really beautiful way of giving some comfort to families and friends of those soldiers whose burial place was unknown that their loved one could have been honoured in this way.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Oxford Street – Hard Rock Cafe (2nd Visit)

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Oxford Street – Hard Rock Cafe (2nd Visit)

    This is another venue that I’ve been to before, but The Fork gave me £20 promotional credit to spend and this is an ideal place to spend that as there aren’t that many options.

    I was less than excited to discover that there was a live band on (no disrespect to them, I’m sure they were marvellous, it’s just not entirely my thing) and I noticed that the three sets of customers in front of me all asked to be seated away from it in an area that was closed. The Hard Rock staff are endlessly professional and managed to work that situation out for all of those customers. It’s a reminder perhaps that you can’t really mix a band and people eating nearly next to them, even in a Hard Rock cafe. Fortunately, they stopped banging about shortly after I was seated, there was some technical issue or something. Back to the service, it’s impeccable, but that’s within the brand standard and I wasn’t surprised at the high level of engagement.

    The beer option I went for had run out, but the staff member offered some recommendations. I went for the acceptable Camdens Hells lager which is drinkable. I noticed that half pints were nowhere near half the price of a full pint, which does slightly annoy me (it’s a rare situation now) and CAMRA campaign against that. However, it’s fair to note that Hard Rock Cafe aren’t really aiming to be listed in the Good Beer Guide, so that situation is unlikely to change. They really should be doing a better selection of craft beer though, that’s within their brand remit I’d have thought.

    The chicken tenders, all nicely done and there seems little more for me to add about this as it’s hardly high end cuisine. However, I needed to get to my hotel, so something simple worked for me. The dining environment is very comfortable and Hard Rock Cafe have plenty of musically related things on the walls to look at. The customer base was quite formal, but they seemed to mostly be hotel customers and the prices to stay here aren’t cheap.

    Anyway, the meal cost me £2 which was the automatic tip, so that worked out as far as I was concerned. And The Fork have sent me more promotional credit (which is very kind of them) which means I’ll likely be back within the next few weeks. I’d recommend going here, and book using The Fork does give 50% off eating here most of the time, which makes the prices entirely reasonable.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Brewdog Paddington (2nd Visit)

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Brewdog Paddington (2nd Visit)

    I’ve visited this Brewdog before, but I thought that it seemed an ideal place to spend a couple of hours before readying myself for a near six hour long coach journey to Hull. I’m not thrilled at the thought of the coach journey, although the price was entirely agreeable which is why I opted for it over the more decadently priced train.

    The bar was nearly empty, which meant that I had a choice of seats around the venue, but there’s usually more drama being located near to the bar. There were also power points and a nice chill from the air conditioning, so that location was perfect for me. I ordered via the app to save the long walk to the bar…..

    As an aside and since it was so good, I went for a third of the Dessert in a Can – Mocha Ice Cream Fudge Cake from the brilliant Amundsen Brewery. It’s on draft and isn’t in a can here so the name is slightly confusing (although there is a canned version which obviously makes more sense) and it was beautifully decadent and rich. I didn’t need to buy anything else during my near two hours in the pub (stretching a third to last that long isn’t ideal, but it wasn’t cheap, so I felt that balanced out fine) as sipping that and getting on with other bits of work worked out nicely. The drink was rich, quite sweet and the taste of fudge was certainly there, definitely a liquid pudding in a glass. Pleasant flavour which wasn’t too strong and a long aftertaste which didn’t readily dissipate.

    For anyone who wants a relaxing and relatively peaceful afternoon in Paddington, I can think of far worse places…..

  • National Express : Bradford to London Victoria Coach Station

    National Express : Bradford to London Victoria Coach Station

    Time to return to London and although I would have preferred to get the train, the National Express fare was only £5 from Bradford into the centre of London, so I went with that for a journey that was estimated to take 5 hours 20 minutes. Above is the bus section of Bradford Interchange and the signage is, if I’m being honest, organised by an idiot. The data sent to Google Maps is wrong on where National Express coaches depart from and the signage is terrible. However, National Express have put on their web-site that their coaches depart from Stands T, U and V, although not on the tickets themselves.

    For those who didn’t search the National Express web-site, here’s the ultra clear signage stuck on a window. Anyway, my muttering about the lack of signage aside, the coach turned up ten minutes early and at Stand T, so I was ready and waiting for it. Until 2019, there was a National Express ticket office at the bus station, but that and the National Express customer service staff have now gone.

    The coach did get much busier, although not until Leeds which is when more customers got on.

    I had the emergency exit seat, with the luxury of having both seats to myself for the entire journey.

    The only real excitement during the journey was when the driver said on the tannoy that the National Express control room had contacted him and said that the company had accidentally left someone at a service station on the M1. There must be a very interesting back story to that which unfortunately we weren’t told, but it meant that we had to stop off Tibshelf Services to pick her up and drop her off in Milton Keynes. It delay the coach, but not badly.

    The driver also said that he intended to miss out the stops of Golders Green and Marble Arch in London so that the coach could arrive on time. He urged anyone who needed to get off at those stops to go and talk to him. There was then a little procession of customers tripping down the aisle of a fast moving coach going to tell the driver that they had planned to get off at those stops. The conclusion of that was that we stopped at Golders Green and Marble Arch…..

    This is really nicely written signage, I liked it.

    As for the coach, it was easy to make my seat area nice and cold, with the seats being clean and well presented. The cleaners hadn’t cleaned the seat trays, so I decided against using those, but the toilet was clean. There were USB connections which worked well, so my phone remained fully charged.

    And safely into Victoria Coach Station in London, only twenty minutes late.

    For the fare charged, this really was excellent value for money, a clean and comfortable coach which arrived sort of on time and with a friendly and engaging driver. All very nice, even though it’s not a train.

  • London – Extinction Rebellion

    London – Extinction Rebellion

    Just photos in this post of the Extinction Rebellion protest outside Downing Street in London this morning. I won’t get involved in politics on my little blog (I’m very pro-rail, which is a tricky subject), but it was a friendly protest although some car drivers shouted abuse at the protesters. The police were very professional and were being engaging and helpful, so at least it was well-mannered and cars weren’t overly delayed.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Marble Arch Mound

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Marble Arch Mound

    I’m a bit behind with my blog efforts at the moment, but I’m now in London after a successful few days in York at the LDWA NEC meeting. But more about all that in other posts.

    It’s fair to say that this project at Marble Arch on Oxford Street in London has been causing some controversy recently. It’ll an artificial construct which is there for just a few months until January 2022 and it’s effectively lots of scaffolding with some earth dumped on top. It’s quite unpopular judging by the local press, but I really like it, I think it’s quirky. And, I’m an expert in hills as everyone knows as I’ve summited Beeston Bump in Norfolk.

    The opening was a bit of a disaster and everyone was refunded their admission fee money. Given that, the nice thing about this is that the mound has been made free of charge for everyone in August, so I took advantage of that little deal. I had to pre-book on-line yesterday for a visit today, but there was lots of availability.

    The ticket checking process was all a bit informal, with two young team members jostling over who could get my QR code to scan first. I quite liked the informal approach, although I suspect they’ll get some complaints if they’re not careful from some grumpier people. The security process was also informal and the team members conversational, although this a project that is heavily overdone with staff at the moment.

    I started my ascent and it was raining, which wasn’t ideal if I’m being honest. I wouldn’t say that the steps were slippery, but the entire scaffolding structure is visible through the gaps and I didn’t like that as I’m scared of heights. But, I remained very brave as everyone who knows me would imagine….

    The trek up the scaffolding continues and it’s 25 metres to the top (so, that’s nearly a mountain).

    The views now start to become apparent. There have been some complaints that the views aren’t very exciting, but to slightly misquote one of my favourite BBC comedies:

    “Well, may I ask what you expected to see from Marble Arch? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically?”

    More views from the top. There was a sheer drop on just one side, and I didn’t dare poke my phone through the fencing at that point in case I dropped it and it smacked onto someone’s head (likely breaking their head and my phone). Otherwise I thought that it was a different perspective of this part of London.

    There is going to be an exhibition reached by going down those stairs, but it’s closed at the moment. The popularity of the summit is visible here, with two team members sheltering in the rain.

    Stuart Love, the Chief Executive of Westminster City Council, said:

    “Now is the time to bring the buzz back to central London and to see people visiting the West End again. We are working hard to resolve the outstanding issues and create an attraction worthy of our fantastic city. It’s going to look great and be an amazing experience once we’ve got it ready!”

    And time for the descent. My biggest complaint about this arrangement is that it’s not there long enough, it’s being taken down in a few months. So that’s a lot of resources to build a big fake hill and then take it down again, without any real meaning. It was meant to increase the number of people visiting the area, although I’m really not entirely sure that Oxford Street has many problems with that. I’m not negative about what they’ve done though, I like it as it’s quirky, it’s a talking point and I can imagine that kids will like it. I’m quite pleased to have experienced it and hope that it increases a bit in popularity over the next few months.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – St. Stephen’s Tavern

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – St. Stephen’s Tavern

    In a similar vein to our visit to the Red Lion down the road, we visited St. Stephen’s Tavern to take advantage of the reality that we could actually get in to see it without it being full. The team member at the entrance offered us a seat outside, but fortunately Richard is in agreement with me that inside is a better place to be. No dangerous wasps or nasty car fumes outside….. It would have had a good view though, it’s located opposite the Houses of Parliament, so visitors could look at Big Ben (well, they can normally, it’s covered in scaffolding at the moment).

    The rear of the pub, which has apparently been visited by Prime Ministers including Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan. I suspect it has been visited by many more Prime Ministers and, no doubt, also by thousands of other politicians and hacks over the decades.

    The building was constructed in 1875 and has operated as a pub since then other than for a period between 1988 and 2003 when it shut and looked like it wouldn’t reopen. There was an expensive restoration funded by the owners Hall & Woodhouse, with English Heritage providing advice on how to retain its historic integrity, which they deserve credit for. Fortunately, the pub fittings had been kept, so there’s still an authenticity to the place and something of a Victorian feel.

    As another interesting fact (well, I think it’s interesting), CAMRA note that:

    “Very close to this spot the world’s first traffic light was installed in 1868. It was a splendid gas-lit contraption showing red and green lights and with semaphore arms, and was designed in Gothic style to match the then-recent Parliament building opposite.”

    The team member said we could sit anywhere we liked and by chance I sat at a table which had a photo of this politician above it. How rather lovely.

    There were three different real ales, nothing overly exciting, this was the Tanglefoot from Badger Beers. Nothing wrong with it and it was well-kept, but it’s not something that I’d rush to order again. The beer is brewed by Hall & Woodhouse, who also run the entire pub as part of their estate. There is food served here, although not during our visit, with the menu being small and not unreasonably priced given its location. I liked the venture down to the toilets in the cellar (although the toilets could have been cleaner, but that’s not really of much relevance here), imagining which politicians had walked down those circular stairs. The magic of political history…..

    All told, I liked the environment and the political heritage, although the beer was uninspiring and that would perhaps explain why the pub isn’t in the Good Beer Guide. The team members were all friendly and engaging, so the environment was comfortable and relaxed. Richard ordered another of his ridiculously decadent gins, so I think the team members thought that he was really quite wealthy. I doubt they thought I was with my half pint of Tanglefoot.

    The reviews are a little mixed in places, although are broadly positive. Anyway, this is an ideal time to visit this pub given it’s a peaceful and quiet place at the moment. This isn’t an ideal situation though for the pub owners, but I suspect that some sort of normality will return here next year.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Red Lion

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Red Lion

    Not a very good photo I accept, but it was dark (obviously) when we visited the Red Lion pub on Parliament Street in Westminster. This is one of those pubs that I haven’t visited in a long time as it’s always so busy, being just a short walk from the Houses of Parliament. It’s often frequented by MPs and there’s even a division bell inside the pub to alert them that a vote is about to take place.

    The staff member was clearing the external tables away when we arrived, so I thought they were closing just before 22:00. He welcomed us in though (I was with Richard, who is in London for more of his decadent purposes) The pub wasn’t busy, there were a grand total of three people in it.

    The decor is interesting and the pub has a nice and welcoming feel to it, with it being hard not to find the political element quite fascinating (unless you hate politics, in which case I imagine it would be quite easy). I wonder what deals, gossip and underhand tactics have taken place here over the years. That remains the magic of this pub to me.

    The pub is now run by Fuller’s and there’s a history on the wall, something I always think is a nice extra touch. This pub mentions that Charles Dickens visited the building, although it doesn’t note that it was a different building as the current structure dates to 1890 (although it does retain some of those Victorian features). It does have some heritage though, it’s known that Edward Heath, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee have all visited it, along with hundreds of other politicians over the years.

    The photo includes Richard’s ridiculously decadent gin which cost the same as a house in Sheffield. I went for a rather more moderately priced ESB from Fuller’s, which is a beer that I think is better than the reviews on Untappd suggest. A perfectly drinkable beer in a comfortable environment, with the football being shown (Switzerland vs France) not really being distracting and actually being mildly interesting. I’m not going to call myself a football fan, but I quite like a match with some drama.

    They usually serve food during lunch and the evening, although I can’t imagine that there are many takers for that at the moment given how quiet central London seems to be. There’s a cellar and a first floor area though, so they can seat a fair number of people in more normal times. The reviews of the pub are generally really quite positive, it’s clearly a well-run pub. One of the difficulties they have with having a common pub name is that a great chunk of the reviews seem to be for different pubs, which isn’t really an ideal situation.

    Anyway, really pleased to have visited here and for anyone interested, Richard said that his decadent gin was delicious. It’s not listed in the Good Beer Guide (there were three real ales, but nothing exceptional), but it’s worth visiting for its political heritage for anyone who is vaguely engaged in that.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Green Park Elephants

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Green Park Elephants

    Mostly just photos in this post, which are of the elephants which are currently in Green Park. They’ve been placed here by The Elephant Family charity as part of an exercise to raise awareness of the challenges which elephants face in the wild.

    For those who want to see them, they’re a bit split up at the moment, with some at Green Park and others at St. James’s Park and Berkeley Square. Definitely worth going to see and they seemed popular with visitors to the park. They’ve been in their current locations since 14 June and will be there until 23 July 2021, and I think there’s then a way of buying them individually to help the charity raise funds.