Not sure why people always sat “Up to London” even when they are south or east of the capital. Maybe it’s because they envisage the city in an elevated position on a hill, like a shining jewel. It’s only half an hour on the train so I thought I would plan a day out in London according to what I found on Tik Tok.
Firstly I followed the advice I had seen on several videos to go to Fortitude Bakery near Russell Square. I got there in time for a late breakfast and feasted on a spectacular sticky cinnamon bun and a cup of tea.
Sitting on a bench outside looking across the small side road to a graffiti covered wall, I found Joe next to me. His job is as an engineer for super yachts and find crews for super yachts. He and I chatted for a while about Africa and I then headed down to Tottenham Court Road to see the Outernet immersive experience.
This is a free exhibition open to all and open to the weather. You walk into the space and all around you the walls and ceiling come alive with underwater scenes or takes you into huge palaces or even into outer space. You taken spinning and diving into a vortex of stars and sunbursts.
It would have been even better had a child not released a balloon in the shape of the number three, into the ceiling where it will float until it leaks and then drops down to earth. As it is, it takes away something of the immersive experience!
After Outernet I went to find Neal’s Yard which is also heavily promoted on Tim Tok. It’s near Seven Dials and Covent Garden and well signposted. Even if it were not signposted, you could just follow a group of young foreign tourists going there to take pictures of themselves to post to Instagram or make Tik Tok video.
It took a long time for the square to be vacated enough to get a photos without groups of girls posing in front of the little shops and cafe. It must be a nice place to live when the shops and cafes are closed, but during the day it is very busy with tourists.
Next it was time to find some lunch and I had planned to have it at the Shop Inn in the docks because it used to belong to our family many generations ago. It took a while to get there on the tube and the buses but Google maps was accurate and I got off opposite the pub. Sadly I had not checked the opening hours and the doors were well and truly locked. I hope it is only closed Mondays not closed for good.
So I walked up to the docks through a really nice quiet residential area and found the street which is also named after our family. It was so quiet around the docks and I imagine that it must be pretty expensive to live around this area so close to Canary Wharf.
I tried to imagine it many years ago when my forbears were living and working there but could not do so. It is so gentrified now and full of rich people’s houses. Still looking for lunch I made my cold way back to Canary Wharf to get the underground and found a warm cafe there. A sandwich and a cup of tea set me back £9.90 and I got my money’s worth by sitting at a high table and using their electricity to recharge my phone. In a city I use my phone almost constantly for maps and travel routes so I have to make sure the battery doesn’t depletes to a level where I cannot get home.
The Elizabeth Line is new and still shiny and clean with wide open spaces and trains with not people on. I used it to get back to the city and to the Natural History Museum where I had booked an entry for 2:45 the previous day. What I hadn’t factored in was that it was the Easter school holidays and so when I got there and jumped the queue thanks to my QR code, the whole place was packed with screaming kids and pushchairs.
I don’t know why people with kids in pushchairs think it’s a good idea to take them to a busy museum where they are going to add to the congestion. In Africa they would tie them on their hip or make them walk but here, kids are in pushchairs well past the time at which they should be walking. I guess parents are going for the easy option without considering others they have to share the space with.
Consequently I didn’t spend much time there and in any case, the giant dinosaur I had come to see was an addition £17.50. Leaving central London my final destination was Portobello Road. Again, on Tik Tok it looked good and busy and I was not disappointed when I got there. I spent half an hour walking up and down the road trying not to buy anything. I failed because I ended up buy £5 worth of rhubarb with which I made a crumble the following day.
I had only bought an off-peak train ticket and was not allowed to travel until after 7pm. But I was tired and a little cold and so I made my way to St Pancras where I managed to push through the barriers with a fast man. I got a little caught in the barriers and they made a screaming noise but the staff were busy and I managed to escape their attentions.
A day in London doesn’t have to be expensive. There are plenty you can do for cheap or free, especially if you have a travel card which covers the bus and the underground.