My journey from Adelaide to London took 31 hours, door to door. That is pretty good, given I went via Melbourne. I did that deliberately to avoid a change of plane (and terminal) in Dubai. Instead we had a simple refuelling stop of about an hour and a quarter, leaving early and arriving in London 45 minutes ahead of schedule. It was a good flight. I finished a book and did quite a bit of embroidery - as well as getting about 6-7 hours sleep. I thought the food was good - sensible, modest serves. I really enjoyed the small mushroom linguine. Heathrow was relatively efficient apart from a bit of a wait for luggage. My painted flowers did help with identification, but didn't speed the bag along.
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The stand-out feature this time were the apartments being built - huge blocks that I didn't photograph. Amongst them are elegant rows around Kensington, Paddington.
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Baker St hasn't moved
and Madame Tussauds has lost none of it's attraction
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What I hadn't expected, is the history. It was originally the Methodist International Centre (MIC) one of a series of places set up by the Methodist Church at the instigation of Hilda Porter, a missionary returned from service in the Far East, who was horrified that accommodation in London often openly refused people on the basis of race. Conscious of the hospitality she had received overseas, she campaigned for the Church to set up comfortable and affordable accommodation for overseas students studying in London. The MIC fulfilled this function for 60 years.
Now, as the Wesley Hotel, it endeavours to maintain a social change philosophy in keeping with its Methodist roots. It bills itself as the "First Ethical Venue in the UK" , working for sustainability, socially responsible business and supporting a number of charities around the world. This added an unexpected interest to my stay.
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The restaurant is crisp and modern, obviously patronised by city workers.
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