Photos by H: It's London, not Kew today!

We're in the middle of a cold blast in the UK with some areas (luckily not here) having snow, but today Storm Bert is wreaking havoc with wind and rain. I was en route to Kew this morning and about to get on the train to Richmond when I saw the (expected) announcement about Kew not being able to open today due to the weather. They can't take risks when the winds are strong....

So, I changed platforms and headed to London...so far it wasn't very wet . I wasn't sure where to go but jumped on a tube to Westminster...

you can see I was well wrapped up, and had my big umbrella too.

a very grey sky... light rain...

gusty, fallen leaves were blowing about

over the other side of the river from Westminster Bridge is the London Eye - being such a grey day there would probably not have been a queue to go on it but also there would have been very little to see in the gloom so I didn't pursue that thought for long...

I hadn't spotted the gull at the time!

traffic over the bridge

Big Ben and the houses of parliament

Boadicea and her daughters, huge sculpture - have to be careful not to include the tourist tat stall underneath trying to persuade people to buy naff souvenirs of London (although some of them look ok!)

I did think about walking along Victoria Embankment to the Tower, but decided in the weather it was a bit far and jumped on the tube again

before long I was there...

the Moat, mowed of its summer blooms now, looking much tidier than the last time I was here (I missed it at it's peak this year)

it was damp and drizzly, but luckily not very wet,

as I made my way in, despite the dreary day, there were still quite a few tourists around

amazingly, no queue to see the Crown Jewels so I walked straight in - don't think that's ever happened before

sadly you cant take any photos inside but they truly are stunning

the White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower

built in 1078 by William the Conquerer

I think some of the Yeomen warders live in these apartments

I climbed the steps to go into the White Tower - not been inside for some time, I tend not to when it's hot as there are lots of stairs to climb (204 I think the sign said) and spiral stairs too... no modern lifts etc here!!

the green roof is over the Raven enclosure

you get a good view of the rest of the Tower and London beyond

inside, displays of armour and history of the Tower over the years

the wall of breastplates is 4 times wider than this, doesn't fit the zoom!

one of 4 Norman fireplaces this is the only surviving one

I am sure last time there was a sign saying no photography in the chapel, but didn't see it this time

there was a new series of the Channel 5 series Inside the Tower started this wee and they showed this new display of an execution block - they had to carry it down the spiral staircase to put it in place... 56kg of it....

so I made sure to see it on my way out of the exit (through the gift shop!)

the painting is of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex the last person to be executed inside the Tower of London (for plotting to kill Elizabeth I)

back outside again and some more pics round the grounds... this is the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.

I didn't go inside today

Tower Bridge on the river outside

on my way out I visited the ravens - there were mostly inside out of the yuck today

I decided to call it a day at this point as it really wasn't the weather for traipsing aimlessly like I usually do in London

so I took some photos of Tower Bridge in the grey misty gloomy rain

and the Shard

and facing away from the river

tide was low and not sure where the water was pouring from down to the beach, that's by traitors gate, must be an overflow

at this point my umbrella (the big green Kew golfing style one) turned inside out so I gave up with that

the hood on my coat wouldn't stay on my head either... time to go home!

I had a quick look in the gift shop at the bottom of Tower Hill and came out of a back door, and spotted this cafe with outdoor pods - I bet they'd be great in the summer!