LONDON TIKI TOURS

I have learned not to have any time restraints and always be prepared for different things you would like to do in London. That way when you get on the wrong train or bus you get to have an interesting tiki tour. Oh, and carry something to read while you wait - and be prepared to walk , and walk and use lots of stairs.

Enjoyed my visit to Harrods. It was very hard to find something I could buy there. Not really into designer clothes and shoes that cost many hundreds of pounds. There were a lot of middle eastern people in the store - the ones with the money. I was fascinated by the food hall.  So many types of dates. Everything you could imagine was there - plus all the ones you have never heard of. Even food in the flower arrangements. 

One day I caught a bus to Victoria Station. After a bit I realised I was going in the opposite direction. Oh well – another tiki tour! But what a rewarding one!

For anyone who has been in a family history class where I have taught about England census records they would recognise my Gough family and Islington. I have used their example of how the street names changed and the church around the corner at Balls Pond.

My bus took me up Essex Road, past St Pauls church and around to Balls Pond Road. The roads all look smaller than they appear on the maps. The whole area has changed again from the last maps I looked at. Was fascinating to be there.

Balls Pond Road

St Paul's Islington

Today I planned to go to the London Metropolitan Archives. Figured out the route and headed to Lewisham station. As I was arriving I saw a train about to leave so I quickly got on board. Along the way we zoomed past the station I planned to get off at. Now where was I going? Charing Cross sounded familiar so I got off there. Totally wrong direction for LMA. Caught a tube then that took me to Oxford Circus and started walking. Figured I was close to Selfridges so that is where I would go. Loved their windows. Huge flowers with one small Apple watch in each one.

Selfridges was on the corner of Orchard Street which became Baker Street. Some more walking and I got to the Beatlemania shop and Sherlock Holmes Museum.

If I have plenty of time and no suitcases the London tubes, trains and buses are fun to get around on. All kinds of unexpected journeys.