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!

walking back up the hill towards the tube station 

with a few final pics of the Tower on my way

and as I went in to the station.

thanks for looking - hopefully next week it will be Kew as normal!!  

Buckingham Palace, a day in London

So the other planned event I had for this week was a tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, this year they are featuring the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla and I wanted to see some of the items up close.

I had booked a ticket for 11 am to give me time to get there using my "old age" travel pass that allows free travel on the trains after 9.30. but after Tuesday's fiasco I decided to go earlier and pay for my travel!  

I got to London about 9.20 and had ages to walk to Buckingham Palace.

I bought an apricot croissant from a well known coffee chain on Victoria Station  to eat when I got there

No time for big bus tours though...

I headed up Buckingham Palace Road towards the Palace

pausing for a few photos on the way

it's only about 10 or 12 minutes walk to the Palace so I was well early

there were already lots of tourists milling around in the sunshine -  despite the beautiful blue sky, it wasn't yet too hot, luckily

the Palace has it's own post office in the basement, mail vans on the forecourt in the corner

well you have to photograph the gates don't you...

I crossed the road and climbed the steps at the foot of the Victoria memorial and sat in some shade to eat my pastry.   It was delicious, I can see I will be going to the Caffe Nero in Cheam where I work for one of those again!!  

after I'd eaten it was time for more photos.  I'd taken the long zoom today rather than the macro lens as I wouldn't be needing that

blogger is messing my order though but hey ho.

Queen Victoria looks very pristine white today against the blue sky

and the gold top to the statue was glinting in the sun

they keep the traffic away from parts of it, so you can cross from the pavement outside the Palace to the memorial without fearing for your life like you used to

looking down The Mall 

gates to the park

close up of the bottom of the Victoria Memorial

I still had ages so this is St James Park from the road 

pillar 

I had gone in search of a loo (as there are none inside until you finish the tour) and had to go halfway up the Mall to find one.

still had plenty of time though and then it was time for my tour

through airport style security and warnings about no photography till you get to the gardens (such a shame, I could have taken loads!)  

had my ticket not been for 11am, I could have watched the Changing of the Guard... not seen that for donkeys years!

Through airport style security scanners, warnings about turn your phones off (only heard one)  and not taking photographs till you reach the gardens (only saw 1 lady - not English so perhaps she didn't realise.... ignore this) 

the audio guide you get to accompany you through the 13 State Rooms that are open, was excellent ... at the end I will share the postcards I bought as souvenirs as that is all I can show you!

the State Rooms were marvellous, and it was fabulous to see the Coronation Robes up close along with some of the other symbolic items from the ceremony too,  the annointing screen was beautiful. 

at the end of the tour you exit the Palace to the garden

this is where they hold the annual Garden Parties that you'll have seen photos from (especially if you live in the UK)

the outside of the back of the Palace.

had to be done!

this is the lawn where they hold the Garden Parties

strictly off limits!  

you don't get to see a lot of the gardens - I imagine there are some formal bits -  but you walk round the edge of the lawn past the lake towards the exit

a gift shop (of course!) discretely tucked away at the side of the big lawn

I bought several souvenirs which I'll show later

you can't walk off the path up to the edge of the lake,  but it looked very pretty (and big)

there were several benches for visitors to rest on their way out,  I eventually found one that wasn't occupied 

this link tells you about the gardens

and this one about the State Rooms

every now and then you get a glimpse of the back of the Palace

there were some flowers left round the path, but maybe September isn't their best time.

The Palace is only open between July and September 

my souvenirs - there was loads of things in the shop as you can imagine.

I bought a (reduced) copy of the official Coronation programme from 6 May,  a beautiful book which  has lots of photos from the Coronation and you may be able to see, tells the story of the days from King Charles accession to the coronation.  I wish I could show you inside..

and a set of postcards of the state rooms. 

finally I couldn't resist this cute little tub of "handbag shortbread"  - an official coronation souvenir.  Bought it for the tube as much as the shortbread.

closer look at the postcards

then it was back out from the shade of the garden to the hustle of London...

signposts

the Palace is obviously enclosed by a big wall 

and metal railings all round it's 39 acres, they don't encourage casual callers!!  

back at the Palace 

I wasn't sure what to do next, it seemed a bit early to head home

so headed round the formal planting 

the path I was walking along is where the Press tents go when momentous stories happen... 

not sure if you'll be able to zoom in enough to read this!  

and headed back along the Mall, all the way this time, to Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square...

I was starting to regret this halfway along as it had got hot and I was tiring...still, no buses along the Mall so had to keep going!

gaps in traffic allow you to take photos in each direction

last time I was in Trafalgar Square when I went to the newly re-opened National Gallery, they were hosting a baseball game and it was full of a fan park 

today it was full of tourists.

there were signs saying no entry to the pool round the fountains

but they were brimful of water - too tempting - it was deliciously cold and some (French I think) boys were splashing one another - not seeing me behind them.

one of them apologised "madame"  

not quite sure what is happening behind all the white wrapping round the gallery!  

as I waited to cross the road to head back down Whitehall to Westminster and my way home (tube to Victoria from there)

I heard horns and shouting and lots of noise... thought it was mostly traffic to start with...

then I saw loads of people escorted by police ...

it was obviously some protest march (no doubt they'd come up from Parliament)

the flags are from Unite, one of the trade unions but I couldn't make out what they were protesting about.

(have just checked - it is to do with the NHS pay disputes) 

I left them to Trafalgar Square and headed down Whitehall -   Westminster in the distance

entrance to Horseguards

the Cenotaph

Big Ben

from here I went down into the tube stattion where a train arrived at the same time I got to the platform, 

2 stops and back at Victoria station, where a train to Sutton was at the platform and I was home just over 40 minutes later... 

I think this is my last day out this week (Kew on Saturday, of course)  as I am not sure my feet will take any more walking

Thanks for looking, see you soon!