2010 - LONDON TOWN & HAMPTON COURT PALACE

LEAVING THE SOUTH COAST & HEADING HOME VIA LONDON

IT WILL BE A BUS RIDE TO OXFORD CIRCUS, THEN A ZIG ZAG ROUTE TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE. ANOTHER BUS TO THE TOWER AND A VISIT INSIDE THE TOWER.

NEXT DAY I AM OFF TO HAMPTON COURT PALACE. MAYBE HAVE A CHAT WITH THE QUEEN!

COMING INTO TOWN

OVER THE THAMES WITH A NICE VIEW OF A BRIDGE - THE ALBERT PERHAPS.

AND BATTERSEA POWER STATION - AS SEEN ON A PINK FLOYD ALBUM COVER.

AND ARRIVAL AT VICTORIA.

A BUS RIDE DOWN OXFORD STREET, PASSING A TOWN CRIER. YOU SEE LOTS OF THESE ALL OVER ENGLAND!!

TO OXFORD CIRCUS WHERE I GET OFF & WALK ROUND THE CORNER TO CARNABY STREET.

I SPENT MANY HOURS AROUND HERE. WINDOW SHOPPING MAINLY OR BLOWING HALF A WEEKS WAGES ON A PAIR OF SHOES.

A LOT OF OLD TAT IN THOSE DAYS TOO.

SAW THE ROLLING STONES ROLLING OUT OF A TAXI HERE. BRIAN WAS STILL WITH THEM.

ZIG ZAG ROUND THE BACK STREETS, PASS MARSHAL STREET BATHS & ALONG THE MARKET TOWARDS WARDOR STREET, PASSING THIS GIRL WHO MUST BE WAITING FOR A BUS..

AND INTO SOHO TO SEE WHAT'S ON SPECIAL.

AH - LIVER MY FAVOURITE..

PASS ON THE GRAVY..

THROUGH CHINA TOWN & DUCK

INTO THE ALLEY BEHIND LEICESTER SQUARE UNDERGROUND PASSING SHEEKY'S FISH RESTAURANT.
ONE OF THESE DAYS I WILL GO IN.

ONCE SAW STEPTOE COME OUT OF THERE LOOKING VERY DAPPER. DID NOT HAVE HIS SON WITH HIM.

WHAT A LAUGH THEY WERE. AMERICANS MADE IT INTO SANDFORD & SON.

WHICH LEADS ME INTO ST, MARTINS LANE.

OVER THE ROAD IS A PLACE I WORKED, IN THE ATTIC. IT WAS SAID THAT KARL MARX LIVED HERE, TRUE? WHO KNOWS.

WE CAME HERE WHEN OUR OFFICE AT THE OTHER END OF THE STREET WENT UP IN FLAMES.

OLD REGIE & TONY FROM SCHOOL WORKED HERE, TNG WAS IT?

A VIEW DOWN ST. MARTINS LANE TOWARDS ST. MARTINS IN THE FIELDS & TRAFALGAR SQUARE.

OUR OLD HEAD OFFICE ON THE LEFT & MY FIRST OFFICE ON THE RIGHT. IT'S GONE NOW.

THE ADVERTISING COMPANY HAD A FEW INCARNATIONS. LONDON PRESS EXCHANGE. LPE LTD. LEO BURNETT.

HAD LOTS OF COMPANIES ALL AROUND TOWN & I USED TO GO AROUND DELIVERING THE WAGES.

YES - CASH - IN PACKETS.

I WORKED IN THE WAGES DEPT, AS A CASHIER & FINALY A COMPUTER OPERATOR IN 110.

THE COMPUTER ROOM HAD A LARGE WINDOW ONTO THE STREET. CHARLIE DRAKE CAME PAST ONE DAY & MY MATE BANGED ON THE WINDOW AT HIM.

AT NIGHT, ON OVERTIME, WE WOULD PUT A LONG JOB ON & GO ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE PUB ... ONE OF US WOULD COME BACK EVERY TWENTY MINUTES TO CHANGE THE COMPUTER PAPER.
WE STOPPED WHEN WE REALISED WE WERE SPENDING MONEY FASTER IN THE PUB THAN WE WERE EARNING IT.

MET RENEE HOUSTON IN THAT PUB A FEW TIMES. THE SCOTTISH ACTRESS WHO PLAYED IN AT LEAST ONE CARRY ON FILM. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN IN ONE OF THE MANY THEATERS AROUND THE AREA.
I HAD SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR AT THE TIME & SHE WOULD TELL ME THAT IF SHE WERE TO PAINT A PICTURE OF JESUS, I WOULD BE THE MODEL.
SHE WAS A COMEDIENNE AFTER ALL.
NICE LADY.

AND THAT WAS THE PLACE THAT WENT UP IN SMOKE. ABOVE THE POST OFFICE IN ST.MARTINS PLACE.

ALL THE WALLS IN THE CORRIDORS HAD GONE. FURNITURE BURNT. TELEPHONES MELTED ONTO DESKS.

THIS IS JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. A FRIEND AND I WERE IN THERE LOOKING AT THE DA VINCI CARTOON OF A MOTHER & CHILD. WE WERE STANDING NEXT TO SOME TOURISTS MY FRIEND SAID IN A STAGE WHISPER - "I DON'T GET IT". THE DIDN'T & NEITHER DO YOU PROBABLY, BUT IT MADE US LAUGH.

AND ON INTO TRAFALGAR SQUARE.

CANADA HOUSE OVER THERE.

BEHIND US IS SOUTH AFRICA HOUSE. YEARS AGO, THEY PARKED A BLACK POLICEMAN ON THE DOORSTEP.!

ROUND THE CORNER TO THE STRAND WHERE I GOT ON ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING BUSSES LIKE THIS .. A ROUTEMASTER.

IT IS OPEN AT THE BACK & YOU CAN JUMP ON WHILE IT IS MOVING.

A GUY JUMPED ON, FOLLOWED BY HIS GIRL WHO I HEARD SAY 'HOW COOL IS THAT'.
SHE'S NOT WRONG ABOUT THAT.

ON WE GO DOWN STRAND, ROUND THE ALDWYCH, ON TO FLEET STREET & PASS THE GEORGE

THROUGH TEMPLE BAR & INTO THE CITY & ST PAULS

QUEEN ANN - THE ONLY QUEEN THAT I KNOW OF WHO WAS GAY.

A GAY QUEEN - FANCY THAT.

THE MONUMENT - LAY IT DOWN & IT SHOULD REACH PUDDING LANE, WHERE THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON STARTED.

!666 WAS IT? THE YEAR AFTER THE BLACK DEATH?

THE GOOD OLD DAYS ANYWAY.

GETTING OFF THE BUS NEAR THE TOWER.

SEE THE OPENING AT THE BACK?

AND INTO THE TOWER OF LONDON

WHERE I SEE ONE OF THE ONLY, IF NOT THE ONLY, FEMALE BEEFEATER.

NEAR TO TRAITORS GATE

& MORE BEEF

TOWER BRIDGE FROM INSIDE THE TOWER

WALTER RALEIGH'S WRITTING

HE WAS A PRISONER IN THE TOWER. PROBABLY FOR SMUGGLING CIGARETTES.

SOME GHOSTS ON A WALL

AND THAT IS WHERE TOU CAN CAST YOUR VOTE AS TO WHO KILLED THE TWO YOUNG PRINCES.

MY VOTE WAS RICHARD

PEOPLE DO ACTUALLY LIVE INSIDE THE TOWER.

ANNE BOLEYN WAS BEHEADED HERE ..

SOME VERY OLD GRAFFITI BY PRISONERS WAITING TO DIE

OUSIDE THE TOWER AND ANOTHER VIEW OF THE BRIDGE

BEFORE MOVING ON TO ST. KATHERINES DOCKS & THE DICKENS INN

CARRY ON WALKING DOWN THE RIVERSIDE TO THE PROSPECT OF WHITBY.

SPENT A FEW DRUNKEN NIGHTS IN HERE, THROWING BEER MUGS OFF THE TERRACE INTO THE THAMES..

NOT SURE WHAT STATION THIS IS

BUT THIS IS IN THE TUBE.

TO GET TO WORK I TOOK A REGULAR TRAIN TO LIVERPOOL STREET & TWO UNDERGROUND TRAINS TO LEICESTER SQUARE.

LOOKING AT THE TUBE NOW & I WONDER HOW DID I GET ON THOSE CROWDED TRAINS.

HEADED BACK TO MY HOTEL VIA ST PAUL'S, COMPLETE WITH MOON

AND PICADILLY

IN TIME TO FIND GAIL IN JAIL. OH MY , WHAT HAS SHE DONE NOW.

NEXT DAY I WAS OFF EARLY TO HAMPTON COURT PALACE, GOT MY TICKET & A PIECE OF PAPER, STUFFED THEM BOTH IN MY PACK & WENT IN,,

A NICE LITTLE BEDWARMER...

THERE WERE THESE PEOPLE WELCOMING GUESTS

IS THAT THE TIME?

THE GREAT HALL

HENRY THE EIGHTH

I MET A LADY WHO WAS STANDING IN A CORRIDOR.

I SAID TO HER THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR LADIES IN HER DAY TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, WHAT WITH ALL THOSE CRINOLINES LADIES WORE.

VERY POLITELY, SHE TOLD ME THAT 'PEOPLE OF HER STATION HAVE PEOPLE TO HELP US WITH SUCH MATTERS'

PEOPLE OF YOUR STATION! WHO MIGHT YOU BE?

I AM CATHERINE PARR - I MARRY THE KING TODAY.

WOW - I AM TALKING TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND - ON HER WEDDING DAY.

I SAID 'YOU ARE MARRYING THE KING! BEST BE CAREFUL OF YOUR HEAD, MY LADY'

OH NO SIR - YOU ARE MISTAKEN. THOSE LADIES WHO WERE EXECUTED, THEY WERE TRAITORS TO HIS MAJESTY.

THIS IS HENRY'S LAST WIFE. SHE OUTLIVED HIM

WE CARRIED ON IN THIS VEIN, AS YOU DO. I WISHED HER WELL & TOOK MY LEAVE.

I NEVER DID GET HER OUT OF CHARACTER.

ON THE TRAIN, I LOOKED AT THE PIECE OF PAPER ATTACHED TO MY TICKET & IT WAS AN INVITATION TO THE WEDDING.

THAT'S WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT & I HADN'T KNOWN. I COULD HAVE ATTENDED ALL THE WEDDING FUNCTIONS ALL DAY LONG, EXCEPT THE ACTUAL WEDDING.

TOO BAD I HAD NOT REALISED IT.

HERE SHE IS, ANOTHER NICE LITTLE BED WARMER...