Day Two: around Euston

After keeping myself awake yesterday afternoon when I arrived, I found it difficult to get to sleep at night. I eventually succeeded just after midnight and slept until 5.30am - not too far off my usual pattern, so I'm very happy with that.

From Euston Station. Wesley half way down on left

My goal for today was to familiarise myself with Euston Station and where I need to go tomorrow to catch my train. That proved to be very easy. The British Rail section of the station is a straight walk of no more than 200 metres from my hotel.

The platforms are displayed, there is a waiting room and announcements. It is an oddly twentieth century scene - people milling around staring at a board, waiting for information to change.

I then went for a walk around the local area - enjoying once again the fun of exploring a London precinct. Euston itself is open and inviting. People, cars and buses move easily. The trees are stark and interesting.

You come across interesting little pockets of park or squares.

Nineteenth century buildings mix it with ingenious 21st century bike racks and twentieth century brickwork.

Everywhere there are tributes to people, events or associations. Stevenson, of rocket fame, still attracts floral tributes.

This association, formed under the 1911 National Insurance Act, lasted until 1948, had offices at 30 Euston Square and provided benefits to members through a partnership of about 14 associations.

Just as my hotel promotes values derived from Methodism, Friends House, opposite Euston Station, promotes Quaker values of sustainability, responsibility and friendship through its cafe and meeting rooms.The banners hanging outside say "Quakers lead by faith to build a fairer world".









To keep up the theme of service in this area, the Royal Society of General Practitioners has its headquarters here, accessed through a grand set of gates and sharing its building with a rather trendy cafe.

There are also creative hole-in-the -wall pit-stops.

I stumbled across The Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. Set up to house and display some of the collection of Sir Henry Wellcome (1853-1936), entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector of scientific and medical curios this is a stunning museum and library with a popular cafe and great shop.

There is a permanent exhibition from his medical collection, a gallery of art inspired by contemporary medical issues and a large temporary exhibition gallery. The exhibition of the moment is on Electricity: The Spark of Life.

Photos were not allowed, but I enjoyed the Spark of Life exhibition, which featured a wonderful range of equipment demonstrating the history of electricity - from  early specimens and images of electric fish, early experiments with electricity, to sections of the first trans-Atlantic cable, original books, industrial and domestic equipment and devices. It was a treasure-trove. I'd have loved to have had access to this when I was studying electricity as part of my Matriculation Physics course over 50 years ago.

Back at the hotel I had a late lunch of mushroom and soft cheese burger with chips - thrice cooked. it was truly delicious.



Off to the Lakes District tomorrow where the adventure ramps up.

Day One: Arrive London

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.

The drive from the airport to a hotel always leaves impressions. Today the traffic was light. The numerous luxury car headquarters I noticed on my last visit were nowhere in evidence on the route we took.                                                                                      There are odd things - like a 24 hour Tesco.

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.

The trees are still bare. There was little wind. It was 33C when I left Adelaide and 6C when I arrived in London.The first time I visited London, in August 1968, Winter in Australia, Summer in England. It was warmer in Sydney when I got on the plane that it was in London when I arrived and the first thing I did was buy a coat. Today the absence of wind helped to allay the shock. By late in the afternoon, it was, however, raining.








Baker St hasn't moved












and Madame Tussauds has lost none of it's attraction

The Royal Academy of Music is still impressive and Regent's Park still an attractive space even with the trees still bare.













I chose The Wesley Hotel purely because it was the closest I could find to Euston Station which is where I need to catch a train the day after tomorrow. My room met my expectations, It is quiet, clean, comfortable and compact, with a small desk, a giant bed and a very limited view.


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.

HI kept myself awake until I had an early dinner in the hotel, hoping to sleep well tonight. I completely forgot to bring or take Melatonin tablets this time. Dinner was pleasant - duck with pureed sweet potato and bock choi, chocolate ice cream and mango sorbet.

The restaurant is crisp and modern, obviously patronised by city workers.

I planned my day and a half in London as R&R rather than sight-seeing. Given the weather, I plan to stick with that and have a quiet day tomorrow. The focus this time, is largely in the Lakes District.