LONDON.......

Please leave as much here as you can. The more I see and read, teaches.

The histury of London is not only a hobby, but also, a Love or, maybe a little nearer to Reality would be for me to say, a Passion.......

..........So, post as much as Time allows....The more obscure, the more cherished...............

Onwards and Upwards.......................

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Permalink Reply by Percy the Dreamweaver and Son. on November 13, 2009 at 10:41pm

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM.....................

The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum). Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road.

The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum). Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 70 million items within five main collections: Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Palaeontology and Zoology. The museum is a world-renowned centre of research, specialising in taxonomy, identification and conservation. Given the age of the institution, many of the collections have great historical as well as scientific value, such as specimens collected by Darwin. The Natural History Museum Library contains extensive book, journal, manuscript, and artwork collections linked to the work and research of the scientific departments. Access to the library is by appointment only.

The museum is particularly famous for its exhibition of dinosaur skeletons, and ornate architecture — sometimes dubbed a cathedral of nature — both exemplified by the large Diplodocus cast which dominates the vaulted central hall.

Originating from collections within the British Museum, the landmark Alfred Waterhouse building was built and opened by 1881, and later incorporated the Geological Museum. The Darwin Centre is a more recent addition, partly designed as a modern facility for storing the valuable collections.

Permalink Reply by s <3 on December 10, 2009 at 9:20pm

In 1952 London had a killer fog, thousands of people died.

Permalink Reply by Percy the Dreamweaver and Son. on January 19, 2010 at 8:47pm

When I was young I remember the awful winters in London. The smog each year was literaly, a killer. I had a smog mask ( and a couple of woolen balaclavas, style being my middle name !), and often recall a morning when D.B. and I were walking to primary school, we would take a route that led as along the back of a Marks & Spencers, and as I was talking to him walked straight into a lampost. Knocking myself with a huge amount of force, we were both trottin' along quite fast as it was bitterly cold, onto my back and bloodying my nose ! You really couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Awful.

Now for a slight change of subject...................................

London.
13th July.
2.55am.
FMX legend, Robbie Maddison, pulls off yet another incredible stunt, jumping Tower Bridge with a backflip

Permalink Reply by s <3 on January 19, 2010 at 9:33pm

D B...... ? David Bowie?

That was a feat, it's nice to see London being used for great stunts.

I keep forgetting how old you are Percy...... LOL

Permalink Reply by Percy the Dreamweaver and Son. on January 19, 2010 at 10:45pm

David, yes. Bowie, no. Plus it should've been a 'G' not 'B'. Mixed him up with one of my other school friends I sometimes walked to school with.

Sometimes I forget too. Was that Peter Pan flying past my window ?

Permalink Reply by s <3 on January 19, 2010 at 10:49pm

Peter Pan lives in my head... LOL

Who is David G then?

Permalink Reply by Percy the Dreamweaver and Son. on January 19, 2010 at 9:27pm

The 2I's coffee bar, in the clip, was probably one of the most influential places in England in the making, not only of 'Skiffle', a form of music aligned very closely to Jug Band music in U.S.A., but also of many leading lights within British entertainment and music, including Sir Cliff Richard (aka, Harry Webb) and Tommy Steele (a South London lad, and in my opinion, a bit of a s*** !). When skiffle began to wain then rock and roll took up residency.

You will also notice the Macabre. This coffee bar was a regular haunt of mine in the late '60's to early/mid '70's. The Marquee club was just around the corner. I not only worked there (I mentioned the story before), underage and whilst at school, without Mama's knowledge, thank the Lord, but also went to see bundles of groups. Bundles. You name 'em, they played there.

It's nice seeing the clothes etc. This is when Soho truly did have a Bohemian way about (including the ladies of the night and strippers. You could always spot the striptease girls as they were always walking around with bags from place to place. The bags had their strip stuff in !).

Unfortunately the clip doesn't go on to explain the early coffee houses in the City of London and the great influences they had on London and the Londoner. This story of the coffee house can be left until another day.

Permalink Reply by s <3 on January 19, 2010 at 9:43pm

What a great clip... :)

Are there places like that anymore?

I liked Le French.... I would have loved to go there.

My mum and dad wore those clothes, and my dad had the same hairstyle as the ginger guy.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

I did frequent the Wimpy Bar in Purely a few times, but that was not quite the same as these wonderful cafes.

Permalink Reply by Percy the Dreamweaver and Son. on January 19, 2010 at 10:40pm

A Wimpy Bar girl, eh ? That explains a lot ! I was more of a Walworth Road Wimpy Bar boy me'sel'.

All those places are gone, but the Macabre was around until a few years back, if my memory serves me correctly.

Permalink Reply by s <3 on January 19, 2010 at 10:47pm

It's a shame, where to the teenagers have to hang out now...? Nowhere probably!

Purely used to be a great place when I was young, it's not the same anymore, there is a huge Tesco's and it's a sort of a drive through place now or a place where you catch the train to London.

Permalink Reply by Percy the Dreamweaver and Son. on January 25, 2010 at 2:04pm

I used to go to the Purley Orchid, probably a block of flats or something now. That was around '68-ish.

All the young hoodlums/teenagers are drinking 5% proof alcopops in pubs and clubs.......Then having a fight or conceiving babies that neither party wants !!! And there endeth the first lesson. Haha !

Permalink Reply by s <3 on January 25, 2010 at 2:21pm

The building survived, what it is now I don't know... I never went to the "Orchid" as it was originally, I used to go to the Wire Mill, are more upmarket joint!!!...... lol

Part of the building became a night club, I don't recall the name, I went there a couple of times in the mid 80's. Another bit was turned into a gym, that I was a member of in at the same time as I went to the night club.... the 80's was a time of bad fashion and bad ideas..... for me that is! That gym morphed into a bowling alley in the 90's, but what it is now.....?

The night club is now a gym last time Ross passed but that was a while ago, so who knows now what it is.

They want the babies as they get them a flat and benefits... someone I knows daughter had 4 or 5 kiddies and now has a £500,000 house on a very posh estate that was built in Kenley, all paid for plus the usual pocket money provided! Last time I heard she also gets a social worker to come and look after her kids one day a week so that she can have a break..... it's a mad mad world!!!! Not that I want to see the girl on the streets, but her parents a well off and in my view should be picking up the bill for their grandkids.