GREENWICH

Went to Greenwich a couple of times. The first time was to get an overview of the place and see what was there. I discovered the library five minutes before it was due to close. So no research on that trip.

First thing to know when heading there by Docklands Light Rail is that you want to get off at the Greenwich Cutty Sark station – not the Greenwich one. It is very confusing when you get off at the wrong place. Not too far to walk, just confusing. Of course you could also arrive by boat on the river Thames.

It is quite a large area with plenty of green space for a picnic. The Queens House had recently been closed for renovation for the next year as it approaches its 400^th anniversary.Even though it is built quite a distance back from the river, no buildings were allowed to be in front of it so it had a clear view to the river.

The Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper is available to take tours through. Looked like there were plenty of fun things to do aboard it.

In the middle of the huge park, up a little hill, is the observatory and planetarium. Actually that hill was quite a hike. There were plenty of Asian tourists taking their photo on the prime meridian line. Just a few days earlier I had seen a documentary which said the true line is actually 334 feet to the east. Didn't want to pay to go stand on the wrong line so I took a picture through the fence.

Before the entry into the museum housing the meridian line is a 24 hour clock. It was installed there in 1852. Still accurate up to 0.5 of a second.

This photo is taken on the way down from the observatory. That is the Queens house in the background.

In the Old Royal Naval College there was a magnificent painted hall. The finest baroque dining hall in the UK. What patience and skill it must have taken. Another building housed a chapel which is still in use.

I had gone there to do some research at the National Maritime Museum. The Caird Library is within that building. For a client I was able to photograph the pages out of a Nautical Report from the P&O shipping line in 1873-1875. This told him where his great-grandfather was during his term as a steward on the “Australia”.

Because one of my ancestors was a Naval Captain in the early 1700's I wanted to find all I could about that time and the ships he was on. The Log Book for his ship “Granado” 1707 to 1709 shows that he was no longer Captain after the Siege at Toulon. Unfortunately there was not a record of his next ship “Namur”. There was a book though which told me about the type of vessel he would have been sailing.

Thought I should walk the foot tunnel which runs 50 feet under the Thames to the Isle of Dogs. It is only 1217 feet long – but that was long enough for me to be walking under the river. It was built in 1902 for workmen to be able to cross the river to work on the Isle of Dogs. Today there is a lovely park on the other side where you can get a good view of Maritime Greenwich.

The little domed building you can see on the Isle of Dogs is where the tunnel exits.

As with all museums and entertainment areas – there was a shop. What fascinated me were these socks. You wear the green one on your right foot to remind you which side of the ship is starboard. The red therefore is for port. Lights on the Port side are always red and starboard green. More trivia.