Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach. WARNING: This post contains no scientific content of any kind, just a story of our travels.
So we made it to London, a place that up ’til now I’ve only known through family stories, and books and song lyrics, viz:
Your old man took her diamonds and tiaras by the score
Now she gets her kicks in Stepney, not in Knightsbridge any more.
The Rolling Stones
So it’s great fun to actually see some of the places I’d only heard of. We’re staying in New Cross, south of Stepney. It’s great, kind of a low-budget district, lots of Africans live here so it feels down home. Today, we walked to the London downtown area along the Thames, here’s a 180° panorama I took looking both ways along the river.
(Click any photo to embiggen.)
It was kind of sad to see the river, thought, because what in my mind was still a huge artery of global commerce with wharves on both sides now has very little traffic, and that mostly tour boats. My great-grandfather sailed the world from England, so the Thames was his main highway, filled with adventurers, freebooters, slavers, whalers, scurve-dogs, freighters, pirates, and both high- and low-budget swabbies of all kinds … all gone now, but it’s still a lovely river.
From there, we walked along the river to the Tower Bridge:
Dang … if that kind of crazy skyline doesn’t inspire a man, nothing will. We crossed the river, and walked around the Tower of London, which isn’t a tower at all, false advertising if you ask me. From there, we wandered over to see Big Ben. Now that sucker should be called the Tower of London by my lights, I hadn’t realized it was so … well, in a word, “big” …
Then on to the Westminster Cathedral, home of the royal nuptials, lovely stone filigree, stained glass, and such.
From there we went and spent an absolutely delightful afternoon at the British Museum, looking at, well, everything that British explorers managed to plunder over the last five centuries or so, which adds up to a big pile of impressive loot. It was one of the most well-organized and pleasant museums I’ve been in.
Now, I like to ask people what surprised them the most about their travels. Some years ago a friend of mine from the Solomon Islands went to London for the first time. When she got back, I asked what had surprised her the most … she said “They have white people sweeping the streets!”
In any case, for me, the surprises so far have been:
1. The juxtaposition of the old and the new. Along the riverside, I saw new concrete poured around exposed stonework that was likely there 400 years ago.
2. Raw antiquity. The publican said “this is a fairly new pub, built in the late 1700’s” … the oldest building in Sonoma County (where I live in California) is from about 1870, and because of that it’s a state historical monument. Here, it would be considered a new building.
3. People of unexpected colors and appearances speaking English, not with the accent of their home countries, but with a broad British accent.
4. The British Museum actually thinks that there were people who were native to the Americas, they call them “Native Americans”. I guess the Brits didn’t get the news … as far as anyone knows, not a one of them is native to the Americas, they were all early Asian immigrants.
5. The Brits do love their bricks. Yellow brick, red brick, brown and black bricks, if the anti-neutron bomb made every brick in London vanish, there wouldn’t be one building left.
6. The occasional need for an “English-to-English” translation app for my iPhone … as GBS remarked, two countries separated by a common language.
7. According to the statuary in the British Museum, most of the Romans had tertiary syphilis that destroyed their noses, as you can see in this photo I took today:
So that’s the new news from the Old Countries including Rome …
Tomorrow I have to good fortune of a lunch meeting with Benny Peiser of the Global Warming Policy Foundation. We’re here in London through Thursday, then off to Stonhenge, then Bath, then ???.
The other good news is that I got a UK sim card for my phone, so for the duration of our UK travels you can reach me at 074 4838 1774.
My best to all, thanks for everyone’s comments, keep the travel suggestions coming.
w.
Welcome to our country and the wonderful City that is London
In your drive to the West/wet coast, take a minute or ten to appreciate the work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel at the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. You can drive to Wales using the nearby Second Severn Crossing; which is a fun drive in the wind and rain over its 5 km … ooops 3 mile length. (I snuck across it in 1997 without paying a toll).
I don’t know if you’re planning to drive into the far West of Wales (to e.g. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch) or if you’d be happy to short-cut across Wales through the Brecon Beacons between Methyr Tydfil and Brecon. Those mountains are small but mighty impressive. Make sure you take provisions for a day so that you can stop and enjoy the view at your pleasure. Allow time to perhaps, if the weather isn’t too unkind, simply follow your nose for a few hours.
You’re supposed to be having fun, not following a schedule.
Willis, London is the ultimate “walker’s” city. I personally have walked hundreds of miles. From my Gran’s flat (before she died in 2005) in New Cross to Tower Bridge and across to the Tower of London, past Big Ben, Westminster and “Buck” Palace. I’ve walk past and around each of them many times and have never been inside any of them. Perhaps next trip.
As for the ass-hat, Mike B, my dear old Gran had some words of wisdom for him: “It’s always best to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”.
Cheerio! Enjoy London. Call you later! 😉
Thanks, Willis, for the great report. Sounds like a fantastic time.
Wouldn’t get too caught up in the native/immigrant thing, though. It is all a question of the timeframe under discussion. Thus, being native or an immigrant is not so much a scientific fact in any particular case as a convention of description. As far as those European colonists were concerned — as far as their timeframe was in reference — the folks in the Americas at the time were the natives (in contrast to the newcomers). Anyway, no biggie.
Americans come and spend, spend, ….. London welcomes your money wholeheartedly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Oox5aYHLr7E
Thanks for sharing your observations of London and its surrounds with us. My interest in England has increased since I learned that ancestors from both sides of my family came from there. I recently discovered that I’m related to King Edward I, who was called “Longshanks” in the movie Braveheart. I don’t know why, but there’s something oddly satisfying about having an ancestor who tortured Mel Gibson.
“WARNING: This post contains no scientific content of any kind”
—
That’s because your post has observations but no models. You can’t do science anymore without models. So had you just added a photo of Twiggy to your story, it would then qualify. 🙂
River taxi is a great way to get to Greenwich…
As someone who born, bred and always working in London, plus having studied (and walked) it’s history I was going to tell you some great places to visit, I was even thinking of giving you a tour like many of my American friends
However after your lectures to us “Brits” about our country and my city I’ve changed my mind 😮
We don’t give a damn what parliament says (parliament says the speed limit on british motorways is 70mph but it is widely ignored) so what they say about “Big Ben” is also ignored it is the Bell and the Tower from last year is officially the Queen Elizabeth Tower.
The Tower of London contains the “White Tower” which was a wonder of Normal engineering.
There is nothing more annoying and impolite than a guest that is a “Know it all” in another persons house.
I’m surprised given your commentary that you didn’t call “Tower Bridge” London bridge like most American tourists.
This can be summed up by a story my Uncle told me while he was in the navy after the second world war. An American ship came next to theirs and an American sailor shouted “Hey what’s it like to be in the second biggest Navy in the world” to which an British sailor replied “What’s it like to be in the second best Navy in the world”.
😛
w – you’ve had lots of good (and maybe not so good) suggestions for specific places to visit in the UK, and I won’t add to that list – but some general suggestions: (1) The UK has maybe 6(?) times the population density of the USA. On your travels around the UK, get off the main roads from time to time and drive some minor roads and country lanes, and marvel at the amount of unspoilt countryside while it still hasn’t all been polluted by windfarms. Warning – if you have a large car – country lanes can be – um – rather narrow. (2) For low(er)-cost eating places try the pubs. (3) Visit at least one stately home or castle. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ is one place you can find them.
Willis, you are a tad harsh on Davidg – only five people on the planet agree with him! You know consensus ain’t science. Meanwhile, welcome to this scepter’d isle and if you follow all the suggestions above you will not have seen one tenth of of the must see sites. Have a good trip!
@byz
You wrote:
“As someone who born, bred and always working in London, plus having studied (and walked) it’s history I was going to tell you some great places to visit, I was even thinking of giving you a tour like many of my American friends
However after your lectures to us “Brits” about our country and my city I’ve changed my mind 😮
I say:
You have not learned any manners .
Willis
I would suggest Richmond Park to set your soul
Sir, I still have a vivid mental picture of you stacking sand bags trying to re-float that old barge, great story. I presume your London itinerary is filling up rapidly, if you have a spare hour or three you might be interested in the London Canal Museum http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/
During your travels around our green (sic) and pleasant land, you will see and pass over a lot of the canal network, flights of locks, aqueducts, boat lifts, and associated engineering works, not to mention many splendid historic boats still traveling the system. If you miss the museum, the http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/history website could give you some ideas for interesting sights and places to visit around the system more in line with your travel plans.
Have a great stay, looking forward to your next installment 🙂
Willis, if you’re in North-East Wales, don’t miss Llangollen and Telfords Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Willis, London has many attractions, but I would very much urge you to get out to our country towns to get a REAL feeling of England…and soon!
Willis, oddly enough, your comment on the love of bricks relates to the current fracking controversy in Southern England.
Our love of bricks comes from the oil rich clays found in many parts of Britain quite close to the surface. Using this clay, bricks could be made that in effect “self-fired” – i.e. very little fuel was required to start the firing process – they could then be left to burn and set on there own. This also meant that bricks were not made with the traditional straw content that allows them to burn, resulting in extremely dense and long lasting bricks. I guess if such clays are left alone for a few million years they become oil-rich shales and hence the fracking link.
On an unrelated point, the building that can be seen under construction between the towers of Tower Bridge in your second photo was in the news yesterday. It appears that the clever curved glass walls act as an effective lens, resulting in the literal melting of parked cars over the street from the building. See here for details
I lived in London for 5 years until one day I was waiting for a bus in Plaistow, one of those place names you cannot hope to pronounce until you have lived there. Gazing hopefully up the road waiting for my ride I started thinking that the gently slope was once all grass and trees. Recognising the early symptoms of concrete jungle syndrome I up and moved somewhere that wasn’t covered in asphalt and houses. My new rule was that any town big enough to have a cinema was too big for me.
“No science”
True, you’d normally look to a climatologist for that….
“, and you give a cell number?”
It’s an in country pay as you go SIM, it’s getting round-filed in a fortnight. If the wanker fraternity try to mess him about, it’ll go in the bin now and he’ll get another one.
Stacey says:
September 4, 2013 at 12:42 am
I would suggest Richmond Park to set your soul
Richmond Park and Henry VIII’s mound
Wimbledon Common and Caesar’s camp
Now for my two penny worth of a place to see,
Kew Bridge Steam Museum http://kbsm.org has a wonderful collection of water pumping engines and a history of water treatment.
I work on a water treatment works and the older buildings have wonderful decorative brickwork using not just colour but shape and size of the bricks and the bonds (pattern) used, it shows that the builders were proud of what they were making and what it would be used for. Now we get concrete. tin and GRP sheds.
As you are going to Stone henge don’t forget that some of the stones have been moved/removed and some reconstruction has also taken place.
The last time I was there was in the days when you could touch the stones, I think my parents have photos of me and my siblings sitting/climbing on some of the stones which may explain why the barriers have gone up!
Many have recommended places to see or go and true this is still a beautiful land with much history to see, even if the PC brigade are trying to cover it in windmills and solar panels.
James Bull
Before you leave London you might want to consider the Harry Potter studio tour. I’m told it’s excellent and it won’t be open forever. Tickets are avaiable on-line and it will make a change from all the architecture. Another thing I love to do in London is take a jazz cruise on the river. Plenty of shows worth visiting of course – tickets available from Ticketmaster, also onl-line
If you are going to Bath you might want to consider a short trip to Lacock – a village of 1000 people preserved in its entirety by the National Trust with buildings going back 1000 years and regularly used as a film set for films based on works from Jane Austen to JK Rowling. Bristol is also worth a visit if you want to take a look at the engineering achievements of IK Brunel. You might even get to take in a top-notch touring production of one of the big London shows on the cheap at the Bristol Hippodrome which is Britain’s largest theater outside London.
Stonehenge will be a bit of a dissapointment – costly to get in and really only deserves a 10 minute perusal and you can’t get up close to the stones (when I was a kid I could climb all over the stones because nobody cared a damn about them back in the 70s). There is a better stone circle at nearby Avebury which entirely surrounds the village of the same name. You can walk around and touch the stones in the huge stone circle and the village is one of the most haunted in Britain (you will see why if you go there – the whole area is very spooky). There are other wierd prehistoric monuments in the area of note, including Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow.
Willis says:
Carefull there, Willis. When I foolishly quoted the UK Parliament last week and its statement that Lord Monckton is not a member of the House of Lords, I got flamed by the Lord himself and accused of being a troll.
steveta_uk:
Willis talked about the variety of house bricks he has seen.
You comment on this in your post at September 4, 2013 at 1:04 am.
And Willis has commented on the juxtaposition of old and new.
Your post about bricks reminded me of a lesson I learned the hard way about how requirements change with time.
You wrote
When working at the Coal Research Establishment decades ago I was devising uses for coal ashes from power stations.
I invented a very, very strong brick by addition of an ash to the clay prior to firing (the ash has pozzolanic properties which affects bonded structure prior to – and so after – firing). The brick was both stronger and less dense than conventional bricks at very little extra cost to ordinary bricks.
In times past this would have been a valuable invention. A stronger brick can support the weight of more bricks (so stronger and taller structures) and a lighter brick enables taller structures, too.
Today, nobody wants it.
Bricks have a defined specification which engineers apply when designing structures. A brick sufficiently strong to meet the specification is adequate, and increasing its strength has no benefit. Also, bricks no longer need to provide much structural strength: modern large buildings have steel frames, and if they do include bricks then the bricks are only used to infill walls or as decoration.
So, in today’s world, the requirement to add the ash provides a small addition to the brickmaker’s costs but provides no benefit.
I was pleased with my invention but it was worthless. Thus, I learned two lessons.
Not all technological improvements are useful. The needs of the existing market define what is useful, technology does not.
But
What is useful depends on the total matrix of technology, and this matrix changes with time.
Malthusians (e.g. peak oil-ers) have not learned these lessons.
Richard
steveta_uk:
The Third Viscount Monckton of Brenchley is a Member of the House of Lords.
Don’t be a troll.
Richard
psion (@psion) says:
September 3, 2013 at 6:52 pm
Sure. In some things it makes perfect sense. But as Michael Crichton said, if it’s consensus, it’s not science, and if it’s science, it’s not consensus.
But this isn’t science … it’s song lyrics.
w.