2012 - LONDON, LEEDS CASTLE & CANTERBURY

IT'S ENGLAND - SO RAIN IS TO BE EXPECTED...

WHEN I ARRIVED, ENGLAND HAD JUST INTRODUCED A HOSE PIPE BAN TO AVOID WATER SHORTAGES.

BIG TIME MOCKERS.

IT STARTED RAINING WHEN I GOT TO LONDON & I DON'T THINK IT HAS STOPPED YET - AND I AM WRITING THIS IN MAY 2014.

I GET PICKED UP FOR MY COACH TOUR TO DOVER, LEEDS CASTLE & CANTERBURY AND GET A LITTLE BONUS OF A RIDE AROUND LONDON PICKING OTHER PASSENGERS UP BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO THE TOUR COACH.

BIG BEN

CHARING CROSS, MAYBE,

WESTMINSTER ABBEY... NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH.....

WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL.

SCOTLAND YARD, BUT NOT THE NEW SCOTLAND YARD

A GLIMPSE OF THE MONUMENT TO THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON.

AND WE ARE OUT INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE...

ARRIVING AT LEEDS CASTLE, WHICH IS NOWHERE NEAR LEEDS..

THE AMERICAN LADY OF THE WHITNEY FAMILY WHO RESTORED THE CASTLE

LEEDS CASTLE IS BILLED AS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CASTLE IN ENGLAND - MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

AMAZING OR NOT, IT DOES HAVE THIS MAZE

AND A STRANGE LITTLE TUNNEL THROUGH A CAVE....

I MISSED THE TOURNAMENT..

AN OAST HOUSE...

WE MADE AN UNSCHEDULED STOP JUST OUTSIDE DOVER TO SEE THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL.

AND INTO DOVER FOR A LOOK AT THE CLIFFS & A MEAL WHERE THIS MAN WAS PLAYING...

THE BLACK PRINCE'S SHIRT & .....

THE BLACK PRINCE...

AWAY TO GREENWICH NOW & THE MERIDIEN...

A STREET PARTY FOR THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE & THE THAMES, LOOKING A LITTLE DOWN.

MY BOAT FOR THE RIDE UPRIVER....

SPENT MANY HOURS IN THAT PUB, THE PROSPECT OF WHITBY,,

DUCKING UNDER TOWER BRIDGE...

NICE SHOTS OF A DOUBLE RAINBOW. ITS A SHAME MY CAMERA HAD DEVELOPED THAT SMUDGE. I CAN'T KEEP IT OUT WITH ZOOMING ALL THE TIME..

CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE - ANOTHER OBELISK TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION. NEW YORK, THE VATICAN, PARIS, LUXOR

OFF THE RIVER BOAT AT EMBANKMENT & UP-HILL TO ST. MARTIN'S LANE - SPENT MANY HOURS WORKING ON THIS STREET..

AND THROUGH CHINA TOWN...

... TO SOHO AND A GAY STREET PARTY. LOTS OF PEOPLE. LOTS OF MUSIC & NOISE.

CARNABY STREET'S AROUND HERE - SAW THE ROLLING STONES GET OUT OF A CAB THERE, BACK IN THE OLD DAYS, BIRTH OF ROCK & ROLL DAYS...

PAST LIBERTIES & OVER REGENTS STREET.

NICE TO SEE THE LONDON GIRLS STILL LOOKING GREAT..

A MEWS & A BLUE PLAQUE FOR MORSE - NO NOT THE TV MORSE, THE INVENTOR OF MORSE CODE...

NEXT DAY NOW AND WALK TO KINGS CROSS FOR THE TUBE TO HAMPSTEAD .....

....FOR A WALK ACROSS THE HEATH.

NEVER DID THAT BEFORE.

THIS IS A BUS SHELTER WITH A VIDEO ADVERTISEMENT ON THE ROOF. JUST FOR THE PEOPLE TO SEE FROM THE TOP DECK OF A BUS..

AND WHERE AM I NOW? - HAVEN'T A CLUE...

SO -

CUE GERRY RAFFERTY -

MAKING MY WAY DOWN TO BAKER STREET...

PAST LORDS CRICKET GROUND AND DROP DOWN TO REGENTS CANAL - NEVER BEEN ALONG HERE EITHER..

AND WHO KNEW THERE WERE SUCH LOVELY DUCKS IN LONDON?

MANDARIN MAYBE .... VERY PRETTY

LORD SNOWDON'S AVIARY AS WE PASS THROUGH LONDON ZOO...

BUY A 99 FLAKE ICE CREAM FROM THE ICE CREAM VAN.. REMEMBER WHEN THEY CAME DOWN THE STREET....?

NICE SPOT TO CATCH UP ON THE NEWS...

OH - THERE'S PRINCE PHILIP!

WHAT'S HE DOING DOWN HERE?

LIZ MUST BE SOMEWHERE NEAR... THERE SHE IS.

HAPPY JUBILEE YOUR MAJESTY. ENJOYING YOUR DAY?

FANCY A PINT? A DELERIUM TREMENS PERHAPS?

CAMDEN LOCKS

LOTS OF FOOD AROUND HERE..

THIS GIRL WAS NICE ENOUGH TO BLOW BUBBLES FOR ME...

A VERY BRITISH BULLDOG

AMY - R.I.P

PICKING THE LOCKS - LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF WORK..

LIVERPOOL STREET STATION, LOOKING LIKE A DIFFERENT PLACE FROM THE ONE I WENT THROUGH TWICE A DAY FOR YEARS.

WILL & KATE OUT FOR THE DAY TOO.

JUST SAW YOU GRAN-FOLKS. HURRY YOUR PINTS & YOU MIGHT CATCH THEM

LOVELY COUPLE..

THIS IS THE CITTIE OF YORK PUB ON HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON - WHICH IS VERY WIERD SINCE YORK CITY IS MY DESTINATION TOMORROW.

ANYWAY - TIME TO GET OUT OF THIS RAIN AND GET SET FOR MY TRAIN RIDE UP COUNTRY.