A free day. I decided to take the bus number one which goes from Hampstead Heath to Canada Water. I have never been there before but I know it has something to do with the docks. I took advantage of my Freedom Pass to get my free ride. The London readers in the bus cab do not recognize the Freedom Pass, you just wave it and get on the bus.  The driver scarcely looks up.

The No 1 bus passing the southern end of Kingsway at Aldwich. Interesting to see an uncultivated area just leaving nature to itself. May is the key month for growth so dont chop it down.

this was fun. A tree in full fresh leaf was right outside the window of the upper deck of the bus on which I was traveling. Intimate, almost.

So this is Canada Water itself surrounded by a rather empty shopping mall. They are endeavoring to rewild it and the notice below – if you can read it – gives some indication of what they are doing. I love the openness of the statement. They are not talking at people they are talking to and with people.

worth reading use Ctrl and the + key to enlarge.

An outdoor plant stall.

This is an ’empowering women’ idea. Quite good.

On to Canary Wharf. I have so many photographs of this business centre that I don’t see anything to excite me so back on the Jubilee line tube to Southwark from where I intend to walk to the Tate Modern.

The Tate Modern never ceases to inspire me. With thousands of images with a fairly good turnover you will never be disappointed. People reading this from other countries should definitely come along and give it a go. It is free of charge for the most part.

This is outside the rear entrance of the Tate Modern. I love the liberal use of would chip. It’s lightens the whole area is specially when the sun is shining

I don’t agree with all the content here but at least the person has had a go and makes a few valid points. There are obviously some humorous ones.

there is some adult stuff always with a warning at the door and people use their own bodies to make points of a sexual nature and why not I say

This is where you can write your wishes or your prayers or your concerns or anything you like and tie them on the tree. Who knows what wandering spirit will read them and respond?

Further along from Tate Modern there was a lovely chap selling the idea of flower arrangements

He was explaining his services in a wonderful way to this young lady pictured. However she walked away with no card or any information in her hand. I immediately spotted this lack and said to Freddie, how is she going to remember your services or know where to find you to which his answer was ‘we are trying to go paperless’.

I said ‘you’re going to lose 90% of your potential customers unless you give them something to remember you by’. He thanked me for this but I don’t know how much notice he took but someone has to say something I felt. Anyway I looked him up on Google and sure enough there he was.’Fresh Flowers Subscription Service – Freddie’s Flowers UK

Camden Market

By the way, they make travel very easy in London. You don’t need to buy a ticket. You just use any old credit card or debit card and use at the gates in and then use your card the other end. If you forget to sign out for whatever reason you will be charged the price for the full single journey. You can also buy an Oyster card which is a type of top uppable debit card.

There is a price cap on the day depending on which zone you travel in and you will never be charged more than the cap no matter how often you travel

Anyway, I ramble on. Enough of the South Bank which on this sunny day is getting somewhat crowded so I jumped on the northern line and a light at Camden Town famous for its market environment. The scale has to be seen to be believed.

My advice to all visitors is start from Camden Town subway (tube), walk up the west side and enter the market, make sure you don’t get lost, and then return to Camden down walking along the other side of the High Street. If you have not been before allow at least two hours. You can trust the local food cause competition keeps the prices reasonable. Traders have to work long hours probably six days a week so I don’t envy their lifestyle but the pickings are there because the tourist trade can always be relied on year-round. ‘All human life is there’

This may not seem like the most exciting photograph on the planet but it has a story.  This is Haverstock Hill just north of Chalk Farm Underground station. They have removed parking from the entire east side of the road and replaced it with a cycle lane. This is to put it mildly inconvenient to those wishing to park their car in the very precious parking spaces. People have made their views known by running over the  cones.

Return to base

Back to the hotel for a meal at the Premier Inn Hampstead. They do a special deal in that if you have purchased breakfast they give you a two course meal plus a drink for 17 pounds which you will recognize as a bargain if you are the slightest bit aware of London prices. Just to remind you, you can’t get a glass of wine for less than about seven pounds.

I met my all-time favorite waitress, Luce, from Brazil. She is better that any public relations agency. She remembers names, she loves people and they love her back. Although it was three years ago since we last met she remembered every detail of our conversation which I think is pretty good.

This is really nerdy. My patented quick method for drying socks is to find a hair dryer and simply blow the socks dry. Don’t put it on high heat otherwise the thermostat will cut out. Allow about 5 minutes so if you have forgotten and adequate supply of socks that is my tip of the day.

The modernisation of the Premier Inn has included new showers. In my time I have stayed in many hotel rooms and sometimes the shower procedures are very difficult to work out but this one was not too awkward. You turn on the rain shower by pulling up the plug over the normal spout and then direct the stream with a small lever to the rain shower instead of the normal spray shower

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