Loving London...

Well today was a very relaxing Saturday in London.
There was a possibility of going to see Sam play soccer, but he wasn't sure which game he was going to be in or where, and also because the team they are playing has a habit of calling washouts.

So today I planned to go and see the last few things I wanted to see, go and visit a few familiar places that I've always liked to see when over here, and to just generally stroll and observe.

Rather than ride the rails, I decided to spend the day walking. It wasn't wet and rain wasn't forecast, so off I went. One thing I wasn't really prepared for though was the cold. Today has been freezing to say the least. It started cold and stayed cold. Even in my good winter threads and new coat I was rugged up, but it still got through. I brought a beanie with me but forgot to pack it this morning. That WILL NOT happen again!
And to think that Helsinki is going to be even colder than this.

But please don't think I'm complaining about the weather, I'm not. It is what it is and no amount of complaining will do anything about it.

As I was walking along the street I heard a young dad talking to his toddler son who was on his shoulders. It appeared that they were going to this huge place in the photos below where there was a dinosaur exhibition.
The discussion went like this:
Dad- "Ohh, look at that building, that's where the dinosaurs are"
Son - "But dad, you will be brave and look after me won't you?"
Dad - "I'm always brave for you"

I just turned and smiled, and the smile back from the dad was priceless. I've been there before with our boys and I know how precious these moments are.

Saturday morning and they are queuing up for the dinosaur display in South Kensington.

Further down the street and I was soon in Knightsbridge. I'm really surprising myself with being able to get around London and learn the layout, as previously I just followed my wife's directions.

She would have loved to be with me today, as I don't think we would have just walked past this store if she was with me!!

The last time we went into this store the heat was stifling, and despite the intense cold today, I wasn't going in.

A bit further on down the street and I had to consult my map as I was at a big intersection and didn't know which way to go. Imagine my surprise when I looked up to try and find some sort of a landmark or street name, and found this above me. So coincidental considering it is this beautiful girl's birthday today. Sadly we lost her a few years ago, she is always watching over us.

A bit more of a walk and I noticed the crowds were starting to build, and that I was near Buckingham Palace. I looked at my watch and realised I had rocked up at the time when the changing of the guards was due. Actually, I was about 40 mins early, but already the place was packed.

I managed to squeeze through the crowd, gave the thumbs up to Liz and Phil who were waving to me through a window while they were having a game of pool, and moved on towards the city.

Just some of the crowd to see the changing of the guard, didn't really grab me as I wanted to keep moving rather than stand around in the cold.

As I walked down The Mall towards Trafalgar Square, I was struck by the beauty of the English Winter. It was so cold, no leaves on the trees, yet it was still beautiful. These are the times I really try to soak up the atmosphere so that I remember these moments forever.

So I missed out on the changing of the Guard, but look what I encountered walking down The Mall, my own private viewing of some of the Guard heading off to do their thing.

Now I was in the part of London that I just never get sick of seeing. I could happily just sit and watch what is going on, but as it was so cold I had to keep moving.

Trafalgar Square is one of the best people watching places ever. It is a melting pot of people from all over the world. People rushing about, others just sitting and taking it all in, others madly getting every sort of photo possible, and all the time dodging the buses and intense traffic.

And there are just so many theatres in this area, and just strolling the streets is an experience in itself. There is so much to see that it can't all be seen in one hit. I must have walked up some streets a number of times. 

Also, there are so many of the streets that we hear about in this area, so I made a point of checking them all out.

Regent Street. This is where the rich come to shop!!!

Going to see this with Sam when we get back from Helsinki. He says it is the funniest, but irreverent thing he has seen.

 More of Regent Street.

By now it was time for lunch and I knew what I wanted. On previous trips we had discovered a shop called 'Whole Foods', who sell the most amazing healthy foods. I knew they had a store here in Piccadilly, so after a thorough search I eventually found it.

My wife will be extremely jealous that I have grabbed some food from here, so I made sure I sent her a photo, just to remind her how good it still is!!

I'm not one of those who posts photos of their meals, but for today I will.  I piled some curries and stews and good old fashioned mashed potato into my tray and sat on the steps in Piccadilly Circus and ate it, loving every moment as the cold weather, combined with the experience made it so memorable.

 Our favourite food place in London.

Might not look flash, but it was a meal fit for royalty ( not that I consider myself royalty at all !!)

Ever had a great stodgy meal in the freezing cold, and how comforting it is? This was it.

Back through Trafalgar Square and checked out the big demonstration that is a big issue over here about the Trident Missiles. Also, another protest crashed their party, this one was in support of the refugees. So much security wherever I looked.

 A few pics of the protests against the Trident Missiles, and in favour of opening the borders to the refugees.

 Trafalgar Square is just busy, busy, busy.

And some of the security parked behind the protests.

It has been a great, but very cold day. I have seen so much, in my own time, and this is why I will remember so much of what I have seen. Not rushing around has been so good as I have really been able to absorb the atmosphere, which was exactly what I was hoping to do.

Just got a message that the boy is heading around for some Father/Son time which will be great. 

Hope he enjoys my cooking!My hotel room might just fit the two of us in, but once again, any time together is great time.

Great to have Sam pop around for tea after he played soccer today. Just to give you some idea of the size of my digs here in South Kensington, I took this photo from the kitchen, and you still cannot see the end of the bed/dining table!

Great to just have a few hours together, these are the moments that I will treasure from this trip the most.

Until my next post,

Cheers!

Just wandering the streets of London...

Today was a bit of a rest day, no schools to visit so the plan was to just wander the streets and soak up the atmosphere.
I'd also arranged to meet our son Sam for lunch, so nothing was going to get in the way of that appointment!!!

On previous trips to London, we have seen most of the sights we wanted to see, so there was no pressure to rush around.

I'd always wanted to see the Imperial War Museum, but didn't want to drag my wife through it, so today was the perfect opportunity. I'd been reading recently that their Holocaust exhibition in particular was quite good, so I really wanted to see that.

The various interactive displays inside were first class, especially the rooms dedicated to The Great War and the various anniversaries that are occurring over the next few years. So many personal records, accounts and artefacts really showed the personal side of this conflict, from combatants from all sides. It was very respectful to all nations involved.

The Holocaust Exhibition was extremely moving. I thought I had a fairly thorough knowledge of this tragedy, but seeing so many personal accounts, photos and possessions of those who perished really troubled and saddened me. Who knows, the cure for cancer may have died within one of these evil camps. We need to know the truth behind these events so that we can do all that we can to prevent them ever happening again.

By the time I wandered over to the Borough Market to meet Sam for lunch, I was fairly ravenous, as I had walked about 7km already (plus I got up early and did a 10km walk).

The Borough Market was packed with people visiting stalls that sold food of every shape, flavour, culture and breed. There were even rabbits (dead of course) hanging up with plastic bags over their heads to catch any blood that was still to drain out, They were dead and had not been skinned. I couldn't tell if they were gutted, but as this stall sold lots of game meat, who knows.

After leaving Sam I just wandered around London Bridge and Westminster, soaking up all that London has to offer. It really stands out when one listens to what is going on around them, how many languages are being spoken. Coming from Bendigo, where hearing another language is rare, it is fantastic to know that this city is full of people from all over the world. Imagine how many stories there are in that!!

 The shapes of the buildings are a real feature.

 One of my favourite places in London.

Security ? You bet. I was too scared to stare at the heavily armed police at the gate, let alone take a photo.

The contrast between the old and the new really is stark.

Picadilly Circus - I can't believe how vibrant it is here.

And where would we be without something from Big Ben.

I took a lot of photos on my iPad, but my laptop and iPad are having trouble talking to each other, so I can't upload the photos from it yet.

Tomorrow is Saturday, so I'm not sure what the plans are. Sam is going to let me know where he is playing soccer, and it depends on which team he is playing for. Their reserve team is on top and facing elevation, and Sam is the league leading goal scorer, so that is his preference as he gets a full game. But, the First team is facing relegation, so he has been told they want him in. Bit of turmoil there, but he prefers getting full games so I understand him wanting to play in the Second team.

So, until my next post...

Cheers!

Surrey Square School

I am truly blessed.

In four days I have visited three schools in England and each one has blown me away in more ways than I could ever have imagined.
Today it was the turn of Surrey Square School in Holwarth to put up with me, and once again the welcoming I got was incredibly warm and touching.
First impressions can mean so much, so to Sue at the front desk, you are gold!
Sue took me around for a quick tour, but what struck me was that she knew just as much about what was happening in the rooms as did most of the other staff. They have a great approach to having everyone involved in the learning.

With Sue, who could not have looked after me any better at all.

I then spent time with a number of teachers discussing the way they operate with children who come from more than 30 nationalities, and from an area dominated by high rise housing estates.

The kids are treated with so much respect and were just beautiful to interact with.

 With Clare Deen, the Deputy Head.

With the inspiring Principal, Liz Robinson.

Surrey Square does a lot of work with REAL Projects - this means that they are Rigorous, Engaging, Authentic and Learning. These projects allow the teachers to create lessons and activities around a single complex inquiry that leads to a high quality end product that is exhibited to an authentic audience.

They are planned to cover all aspects of the national curriculum while at the same time providing a rich, real life learning experience.

This school does so much to build community. It is in a rather depressed area and the surroundings are dominated by high rise council estates. This does not stop them however from doing all that they can to involve the parents and the community in the learning of the children. The benefits are not just for the children, but also for the parents who are now forming friendships and becoming active co-educators of the children.

The banners advertising the school values line the street outside the school, making the school an inviting and exciting place to be in the community.

Surrey square School

Just some of the estates surrounding the school.

I could go on and on about how great this visit was, but the best thing that I have taken away is that the children are the centre of everything.

They are lucky and the community is lucky to have a school that is doing everything to support it.

Visit the school at http://surreysquareprimary.co.uk

Until my next post,

Cheers!