Lotus 1-2-3 dates back to the early 1980s and was early spreadsheet software which was important in the development of IBM computers. Anyway, that’s a story for elsewhere to be told by people who know much more about it than me. The only reason I’ve posted this is that I remember using this software at school, and remember the packaging of the box. I really do need to get out more. And, I’m realising that I’m definitely ageing slightly if I’m seeing software that I once used in a museum.
Category: UK
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London – Benugo at London Liverpool Street
Benugo opened their new outlet at London Liverpool Street railway station a couple of years ago, carving the space out of an area where people used to sit on steps looking down over the concourse. That view of course remains, but there’s a pleasant seating area now, which helpfully has power points along it for those who need to charge devices.
The service was certainly interesting, a staff member looking at their phone and not noticing I was there until I started to do this strange fake cough to get their attention. The staff member was perfectly competent and unusually conversational, although they started to talk about politics. Unfortunately, their world view wasn’t quite the same as mine, I’m not very nationalist and am discomfited about the current political landscape for numerous reasons. Anyway, this blog isn’t a place for politics (I have Facebook for that), and perhaps nor was Benugo.
But, putting that to one side, I quite like talking about politics, so I’ve carefully avoided giving any indication of who served me. And, it’d be obtuse to complain of a staff member just trying to engage with customers. Anyway, the coffee was reasonably priced, tasted of a decent quality and the environment was surprisingly calm and peaceful.
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London – Science Museum (Fire Damaged Stones from St. Paul’s)
I sometimes look at exhibits in museums and feel that I find them unusually interesting, although I assume that so did a curator at some stage. In this case, it’s some old bits of stone. There’s a slightly tenuous link in my mind to the Science Museum, but these are fire damaged stones from St. Paul’s Cathedral. The building was destroyed in 1666 during the Great Fire of London, being replaced in the late seventeenth century by the current cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
There was talk of repairing the previous Cathedral following the fire, with some remedial repairs being undertaken. But, it was felt that a modern and new design was needed, although demolishing the building was challenging since the stone had become fused together by molten lead. So, the authorities had a great idea to use gunpowder to blow the remaining parts of the cathedral up, making the removal much easier. Anyway, to cut a long story short, after several deaths, many noise complaints and damaged neighbouring buildings, Wren had enough of the chaos and brought battering rams onto the site to attack it that way.
I’m not quite sure at what stage the museum’s bits of stone were taken away from the site, or where they’ve been over the centuries. But, they’re very lovely, as I like history in science museums, as they can be a bit science orientated otherwise…
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London – Science Museum (Guinevere)
I remember seeing this on the television in the 1990s, one of the original machines used to draw National Lottery numbers randomly. It was brought into use in 1994 following the introduction of the lottery by the then Prime Minister, John Major.
The machine was kept in use until 2004, at which point it was replaced by a shinier machine, although they kept the name Guinevere. It entered the Science Museum’s collections in 2006 and is one of those things that I’m pleased someone thought to keep. The museum reminds visitors that devices have been used for many hundreds of years to produce random results, with this being a more modern version of the technique.
I’m not sure why some of the balls appear more faded than others. I heard some other visitors also overly excited to see Guinevere, perhaps the machine had been helpful to them in the results that it produced…..
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London – Science Museum (Slide Rule)
I definitely need to get out more, since I now find myself posting about slide rules.
But, it’s an interesting slide rule, as much as these things can be. It was made by William Cary of The Strand in London in 1815 and is a slide rule for weights, measures and currency conversions. It’s made from wood, but the front is made from paper, with these apparently being popular in the early nineteenth century (I didn’t know that, the Science Museum web-site helpfully told me this little titbit).
It makes me pleased to have a smartphone though, I can’t imagine having to traipse this sort of thing around and it has limited entertainment value….
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London – Science Museum (King George III’s Mural Arc)
This sizeable instrument was designed to be used in King George III’s private astronomical observatory in Richmond. Designed by Jeremiah Sisson of The Strand in London in 1770, it’s still owned today by the Crown Estate Commissioners. It’s nearly three metres in height and over four metres wide and it was used to make astronomical measurements. Sisson might have been a fine maker of instruments, a skill he had inherited from his father Jonathan Sisson, but he wasn’t as successful financially.
The museum’s blog mentions that one of the challenges was moving it from storage into the museum itself, as it weighs around 450kgs and needed a sling around it when it was being hoisted into place. It was also restored so that it looked like new and Sisson’s signature could once again be seen, although personally I prefer to see these things in their dilapidated state as it feels that bit more authentic.
There are some old books which give lots of detail on how the mural arc was originally used, but it’s all a bit complex for me to understand. It’s an impressive piece of apparatus though, with an interesting heritage.
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Waltham Cross – Moon and Cross
I last came here in May 2004, I remember it as I was staying nearby for my pub licencee training at the Sultan pub at Waltham Abbey. I nearly walked over to see that pub as well but I couldn’t honestly be bothered as it was pouring with rain. I was sure that this pub was called the Moon Under Water, as other Wetherspoon pubs in London are, although the Moon element is from the same derivative, which is from George Orwell’s definition of a perfect pub.
Quite a warm and homely atmosphere inside, well, as far as these things go.
I don’t know of many Wetherspoon pubs with rugs on the wall, or tapestries, whatever they’re called.
And a lovely pint of Guinness, which was poured fine, it was just still cascading when I took this photo.
And a reasonably priced Chicken Jalfrezi curry club, costing just over £7 including the Guinness, all cooked as it should have been.
Service was fine, all efficient and friendly, quite a comfortable atmosphere and I was pleased by the number of power sockets as well. Anyway, onto their TripAdvisor reviews….
“Came in tonight to have dinner and had to wait over 45 mins to get my curry. I know they make big pots of curry so as to why it took do long heaven only knows as it was not even a busy night…..”
One person complaining earlier in the year about curry club. Although, they really don’t make big pots of it, it’s microwaved and heavily portion controlled. Which is just fine with me, as long as it tastes good, I’m not after an authentic Indian experience here.
“[I left] after calling them ‘ignorant pigs’. I tried to report it to there head office but they were totally unresponsive to my complaint & totally unintrested neadless to say that we shall Never go there again”.
One pleased customer who was upset that the staff didn’t respond nicely enough when they told them that their food wasn’t there yet. I’m not surprised that the Head Office ignored anyone who called their staff “ignorant pigs”….. I do like a bit of drama like this though.
I can’t, if I’m being honest, remember anything of this pub from 2004 (including seemingly even its name), although it’s fair to say that I’ve been in more than a few during the intervening period. Price wise, it’s excellent value for money, and fortunately it wasn’t too busy. All very lovely.
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Waltham Cross – Eleanor Cross
I’ve discovered another gap in my historical knowledge, as I had never heard of the Eleanor Crosses before today. These were twelve stone monuments erected by King Edward I in honour of his wife, Eleanor of Castile, which marked where her body laid in rest overnight when being taken to London from Harby in Nottinghamshire. The end point in London was Charing Cross, later named after their cross, although their stone monument was destroyed on the instructions of Parliament in 1647.
Of the original twelve monuments, only three survive, which are the one in Waltham Cross and at Geddington (in Northamptonshire) and Hardingstone (also in Northamptonshire). The monument here has been repaired many times over the centuries, but it still dominates the entrance to the tower centre. The statues of Eleanor aren’t original, they’re 1950s reproductions which were placed here as the originals were being damaged by the environment. The originals were initially placed on display in the town’s library, but they’re now at the Victoria & Albert museum. It’s probably now been a little over-restored so not much of the original is left, but the town is fortunate that they are one of the locations where the monument has survived at all.
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Cheshunt – Lee Valley YHA
Being 43, I’ve decided that I’m too old for youth hostels (although I’m frequently the youngest there if I’m being honest), but they have had some impressively cheap private rooms on offer this year. Lee Valley YHA is conveniently located a two-minute walk from Cheshunt railway station, which is just a £4 fare from London Liverpool Street on the Overground.
There are a series of lodges in addition to the main building, which are probably much in demand during the summer by cyclists, walkers, canoeists and sociable people. During the winter months there is a different dynamic, but it’s a quiet location which feels like it’s in the countryside.
My private room, which was basic, but functional. There were sufficient power sockets, although no wi-fi is offered in the lodges, although I didn’t need it. There’s also no television in the rooms, although there is one of the communal area and I never watch it anyway.
YHA are really not good at communicating on site what they offer in terms of meals and facilities, so I was aware that they did do meals and drinks, but I have no idea what they are, or when they’ve served. In terms of running a bar cafe in the day, it’s a marvellous idea, but I’m unsure why they have to keep these things most secret than they need to. I didn’t see a menu on the wall, on tables, in the rooms or communal areas, although I was told they did breakfast. To be fair, the YHA do though put the menu on their web-site, although not with anything useful such as opening times.
The welcome was friendly and the staff member seemed keen to help, engaging in a positive manner. The set-up of lodges within the complex is useful, as it means that groups can privately hire one if they like, without disturbing the operation of the rest of the hostel. Each lodge can cater for a maximum of twenty people, with the hire fees being from £199 per night (although this price doesn’t seem to actually ever be available, despite on-line bookings running ahead for fifteen months). There’s also car parking on site, not that this was of much relevance to me.
The private room, with en suite, that I was in cost £17 per night, which seems very reasonable to me. It’s around a ten-minute walk to the centre of the metropolis that is Cheshunt, with the security at the site seemingly quite tight. At this price, it’s all rather lovely.
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London – Tower of London (Traitors’ Gate)
This notorious water gate was added to the Tower of London in the 1270s, at the instruction of King Edward I. It takes its current name from around the 1530s, based on the stories that traitors were brought into the Tower via this gate.
Above is the gate from the River Thames side.
This is the gate from the inside of the Tower of London, looking out to where the water would have lapped up against the wall. I’m unsure how much of this has been rebuilt relatively recently, the stonework doesn’t quite match that from the late nineteenth century, so there must have been some minor reconstruction over the last century. Not to mention that the stonework here is from different periods anyway.
The steps down into an area where various machinery relating to the gate has historically been located, although it has since all been removed.
There was an article in the press in February 1866 which reported that “one of the most famous antiquities in London has just disappeared.The gate, through which condemned prisoners passed from the Thames into the Tower, has for some time past been in the course of demolition, and has in the last few days been entirely removed”. This relates to the element of the gate that still remains walled up, so it is no longer possible to get to the gate from the River Thames.
The story that the gate was used by Anne Boleyn when she was transported to the Tower of London also appears to be false, she was brought in at the Byward Tower. However, it remains nearly certain that this gate was used for political prisoners and it still has a slightly haunting feel to it.
