Tuesday 28 December 2010

A last look at London

What a dull and dismal day it is today. I've just taken Henry for his second walk, and although it has been raining, there is still a lot of ice about. Because it is dangerous to walk on, people are stepping onto the grass verges whenever they can to avoid a fall. The grass is now becoming a quagmire, and along the hills it is eyes down to avoid the doggy deposits. Not very pleasant at all.

Anyway, to take our minds off the miserableness outside, I have dug out a few more London photo's. Here is London Bridge.








This whacky Mini was for sale in a posh car showroom in Mayfair. That would turn a few heads in Scunthorpe High Street, ha ha.

Look at this poser, he just loved playing to the cameras.

They're changing the guards.

Electric car? No problem. Just plug it in.

There are free papers all over the place in London, great because you don't have to buy one. Not so great when people dump them before they go home.

What a lot of building sites there are, I think they are tarting it up to impress the foreigners when they come to watch the Olympic games.

I've just watched a couple of programmes about the Savoy Hotel, on the BBC iplayer. It has undergone a major refurbishment and is now one of the best hotels in the world. It must be lovely to spend a couple of nights there, oh how the other half live, dream on.

Need to get anywhere fast? forget driving, or a taxi, you want one of these. A Boris Bike. they are everywhere. So convenient, if you don't mind placing your life into the hands of others, as you weave in and out of the motorised hell they call roads.

Some people do eat healthily in London, if they remember to wash the fruit before they put it into their mouth. A welcome display of colour in a drab street.

The Post Office Tower was close to the Hostel,
but alas it is not open to the public :o(
A damp Trafalgar Square.

A beautiful beastie on his plinth. A magnet for photographers.

Another beautiful hotel that I wouldn't mind spending the night in, The Dorchester. Fat chance unless I meet a rich old bloke, ha ha.


Looking at these reminds me I need to start planning another holiday, hmmm, now where do I fancy going next?

10 comments:

  1. Great photos of the bridge!

    I've only been to London once and that was not for sight seeing. I'd love to go to the natural history museum, and others, and look at all the famous sights... don't think I'll be staying in the Savoy or Dorchester though somehow!!

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  2. I had dinner in the revolving restaurant of the P.O. Tower back in the 60s.
    Huge fun - I would love to go into The Savoy. Roll on Spring !

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  3. I love your photos. A selection that really conveys the atmosphere of London. I lived there for four years as a student and couldn`t wait to escape back to the country again. I spent a lot of time in the parks, looking for grass and trees!

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  4. Lovely Photo's,thank you so much for posting them,xx

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  5. love all the colours and shapes in that top photo. Boris bikes look very heavy too dont they? but I suppose that makes them less stealable.

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  6. Great photos! The bridge is Tower Bridge, not London Bridge.

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  7. Thank you treeswhereyousit. Ones memory lets one down when one reaches a certain age, otherwise known as a senior moment, ha ha.

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  8. You wouldn't enjoy staying at either of the above hotels Ilona, the butlers are very obsequious and just after big tips. You would be addressed as ''Madam'' like they do in the super snobby Harrods department store and you would not feel at ease.

    With regard to the Savoy the decor is awful compared to what it used to be (leopard skin-patterned carpet - favoured by the Arab owners) and everything is shiny and gaudy. :( I think these hotels are overrated and overhyped, a goldmine for the Arabs who own them.

    When I was lucky enough to have a job (in PR), I was invited to many posh hotels and preferred the smaller cosier ones like the Milestone Hotel in Kensington Palace Gardens (which is more like a townhouse than a hotel) and whose staff are warm and sincere. The butlers employed by the Dorchester and Savoy are just actors and young go-getters.

    However, it's the Dorchester and the Savoy that attract the biggest celebrities and richest tourists like the Arabs and Russian oligarchs who are great for our ailing economy so I shouldn't really grumble.

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  9. Thank you for that inside information, Anna. You're right, I wouldn't like to be addressed as Madam. I was looking at cars a couple of weeks ago and the salesman approached me and said, 'Can I help you Madam'. I said, 'No Sir, I'm just looking'.

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  10. Ha Ha! You replied well to him, Ilona! Give as good as you get, LOL! :)

    Did you go to Harrods when you were in London?
    Next time I go there I'll address the assistants as ''Sir'' or ''Madam''. Most of them are very young so they will hate it! They will probably chuck me out! and impose a lifelong ban on me!

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