London « Little Miss Sunshine’s Life

{January 4, 2010} Glimpses of London

I was wandering around in the FR-EEEEZING cold on Sunday after I’d been to the Tate Modern and snapped off these shots of London. I’m so lucky to live in such a fabulous city and even with my fingers nearly falling off from the cold I took a moment to appreciate the beautiful city scape, the cultural diversity and the fact that you could never be bored in London. Cold yes, bored no.

The Millenium Bridge

St Pauls Cathedral bathed in sunlight

London Eye at Twilight

London Sunset

I got to appreciate London even more on the tube journey home when we had a tube driver who was a real London character. He sounded slightly frustrated with how his day was turning out.

Sorry folks for the unscheduled stop at this station. The train isn’t meant to be stopping here but the system that updates all the platforms was second hand in 1976 and it has a big reset button on it that no one seems to know how to use. The last person that knew died in 1994 so we’ll hold up here until someone can figure it out.

{December 10, 2009} Ice Skating at Somerset House

Having annual rituals in our workplace is cool. Each year, in addition to the Christmas party we also celebrate summer by having a picnic and celebrate Christmas by ice skating at Somerset House. We’re lucky that our office is so close to it, so we can pop down for a quick skate and a mulled wine.

I had one go around the rink, clinging to the side like a scared 80 year old woman. Then I let go and wobbled around quite capably. Although, kids have no fear and they’d whizz across your skating path with no thoughts of broken limbs or cracked heads in their mind. I came off 15 minutes early. No queue at the bar and I hadn’t fallen over – I didn’t want to break my track record.

Note to self: Don’t give Regis your camera to take photos as you’ll get about 20 of them that look something like this

{December 1, 2009} Jack the Ripper Tour in the East End

A cold dark winter night is the perfect time to skulk around the cobbled alley ways of London’s infamous East End. Not by yourself obviously, that would be weird. We joined our guide on the Jack the Ripper Walk and stepped back in time, to a dirty, grim East End. Actually even with the East End being an up and coming area, it’s still dirty and grim, just a bit more expensive.

But we’re now imagining ourselves walking the streets that Jack walked over 120 years ago. Times were tough, with unemployment figures levels high and crime rates even higher. With no other means to support themselves, back in the days before women’s rights, some women had to make the choice between starvation and prostitution. The going rate was 4 pence, which was also the price of a bed in a doss house. Most women in this dire position were also alcoholics, spending their 4 pence before they got their bed for the night and being out until all hours trying to make some more money.

The conditions were ripe for a serial killer, able to take advantage of vulnerable women, in a badly lit and crime ridden area. Although he did have a lot of luck on his side to get away with as many killings as he did. He is credited with five killings, but there are eleven Whitechapel murders that could be attributed to him. The murders were brutal, with entrails tossed over the victim’s shoulder and in some cases organs were removed. Faces and torsos were slashed and some victims could hardly be identified. There are many theories about who he is, with a doctor (due to the organs being removed so capably), a midwife (who else could get away with walking around at all hours covered in blood) and even a member of the royal family.

We wandered around for two hours in the freezing cold, engrossed by the gory but intriguing tale that our storyteller spun. I’m not sure why the world is still fascinated by these unsolved murders, but over 120 years later there were about 200 likeminded people traipsing around Whitechapel in different tour groups, imagining the unimaginable.

The tour guide we had was John and he is an avid historian, not just with Jack the Ripper, but the whole East End. He is a wealth of knowledge and most entertaining. I’ve done another tour before but it wasn’t that good – you really need a good tour guide. I highly recommend Jack the Ripper walks for a spine tingling experience.

{November 30, 2009} Vintage Clothing Market Brick Lane

Wandering around Brick Lane on a wet and cold Sunday sounds like a very unwise way to spend the afternoon, but Kylie and I had a fabulous time exploring, eating, drinking and people watching.

Walking off our brick lane curry, we came across a vintage clothing market, which was a big warehouse with loads of stalls and a fabulous little cupcake and coffee area that had been decked out vintage styley. There were some stalls with amazing furs, which I can appreciate aesthetically, but I just can’t go there. This is slightly hypocritical, because I do wear leather and eat meat, but wearing an animal that is solely raised for it’s skin seems cruel – I’m not sure how eating them is any less cruel but there you go.

What did get me squealing with excitement were the fabulous hats, that were just begging to be tried on. Far from being annoyed by our antics, the stall holders were super friendly and even suggested different hats to wear and kindly took photos of us.

{November 25, 2009} Christmas Magic in London

Christmas is coming and London is a different city around Christmas time, turning a little bit magical. Ice skating, Fabulous Lights, Window Displays, Shopping, Mulled Wine (not on the street, I’m painting a story of Copenhagen here, lets rein it in a bit!) Anyway, it’s not quite as fairytale perfect as Copenhagen, with open braziers, chestnuts, mulled wine, fabulous markets and lights, but it rocks Christmas in an urban kind of way.

I walked down Oxford Street and down Carnaby Street the other night, happily being a snappy snap tourist in my own city. The Christmas lights twinkled above and the smell of waffles and caramelised peanuts mingled with the crisp night air, making the madness of Oxford Street a little bit enchanted, yes, even with the crowds!

{September 14, 2009} Brick Lane Festival

I’d been looking forward to seeing Norman Jay at the Brick Lane Festival, but we arrived way too late, with only 20 minutes of his act left. So instead of rocking with Norman, Dan, Kylie and I just walked around soaking up the atmosphere.

These guys were fabulous and got the crowd going, a real ‘yay I love London’ moment.

I’m not sure if the ’stalls’ are there every weekend but there are loads of people that lay all sorts of tat out on blankets. I really mean it when I say tat too, I know they say one man’s junk is another man’s treasure – but really – who needs a second hand action man, one boot or some forlorn teletubbies!

Kylie considering an Action Man

Teletubbies past their prime

These guys embodied the feeling of the day. They were stoked that we wanted their photo, happily busting out a pose. They almost make me want to wear a hoodie and low slung jeans.

The friendliest hoodies in London

We’d left the food stalls too late and they were packing up, just as my appetite was kicking in. Only one thing could tide me over until salt and pepper squid at the Drunken Monkey – Lip Lickers, they tasted as good as they smelt.

Lip Lickers Doughnut Heaven

Next year we’ll come earlier, so we get to see Norman AND so we get to eat all the fabulous food.

{September 5, 2009} A Random Saturday

Colin the juggler doing his thing outside the Burberry shop in Westbourne Grove

Colin the Juggler

Another visit to Artisan du Chocolat (and their fabulous loo)

Artisan du chocolat

A random piano at Maida Hill Market

Little Piano Man

{August 6, 2009} London in Lights

Oxo

After 6 years in London I still hadn’t made it to the Oxo Tower, so was happy that Dee decided that it was the perfect birthday drinks venue. I can’t comment on the food because I didn’t eat there (I know, very strange!)but the venue is fabulous, the drinks were delicious and of course the draw card is the view, which didn’t disappoint. It’s one of those experiences that make me happy I live in London.

23MM Girlies

Pretty Little London Town

{June 13, 2009} Attempted Larceny at Lunch

Naomi, Lila and I went for lunch at Villandry Kitchen yesterday. We were lucky enough to get a seat outside and sat there, wine in hand, savouring the grey british day and constant flow of traffic. It was a fabulous place for people watching, especially the old man sitting at the table facing me, who was literally drooling and couldn’t keep his eyes off two sexy girls sitting beside him. He just wanted to sit at their table as well, it was most funny to watch as they tried to keep talking pretending they didn’t see him ogling at them.

Two unkempt youths came up to us and approached Lila and I, as we were closest to the pavement. One came around the back of me, forcing me to turn away from the table. My bag was on the chair next to me and my hand automatically went to cover it. My handbag is like my blankie, we’re never far apart from each other. They had tube maps in their hands and were asking for some intelligible station. I was a bit impatient but still unaware of the scam. Lila got it straight away and as he started to put the map down on the table she put her hand over her phones that were sitting there and just glared at him. He knew he’d been busted straight away and started backing off. The scam is to put the map down and pick it back up again, along with your mobile phone. Dodgy little buggers. We got rid of them quite quickly and then tucked in to our delicious lunch, high fiving ourselves for being so vigilant.

The food was lovely, the setting fabulous (a bit of sunshine wouldn’t have gone astray, but at least it wasn’t raining), the people watching was most interesting and crime busting most satisfying. It may have to become our tradition, Charlies Angels at lunch deterring would be petty crims.

Villandry Kitchen

{June 10, 2009} Miracle on 98 Bus

Today had the same sort of feel as back in February, when London was covered in a blanket of snow except today will go down in history as Tube Strike Day (well one of the days!). The transport system in London can’t cope that well when working at full capacity, let alone 90% of the tube lines down! Roads were gridlocked, buses were jammed, pavements were PACKED full of walkers and there was a bit of angst in the air. In that way it was totally different to London Snow Day – that day people smiled at each other and life seemed pretty, white and clean. There was no snow today to detract from the fact that London was in chaos.

My trip to work started out really well, I walked up to the bus stop, the bus arrived, doors opened and I stepped on. Ok, it was packed, but there were people at that bus stop that had seen five buses go past without being able to get on (you could see it in their eyes and desperate pack mentality). The bus driver was forcing people back off the bus because it was too full and some just refused to get off. I lasted about four stops on the sardine bus, but after getting a face full of hair and then a man’s nether regions pressed firmly into my butt, I struggled down to the doors of the bus (currently gridlocked) and asked if I could get to the door. A big neanderthal was standing there so I asked him to move - he couldn’t quite comprehend my request so I pushed past him, pressed the door release button and then I was out to freedom with the sweet smell of London smog filling my nostrils! My personal space boundary had been restored and life was good again.

After work, I was half way home and walking with arms laden full of groceries for the dinner I’d promised the girls, when I decided I REALLY didn’t feel like walking any more. Then I spotted a miracle, a miracle called the number 98 bus – and it was EMPTY. You seriously had to see how stuffed full of people the other buses were today to appreciate this phenomenon! I told the bus driver he was my saviour, my knight in shining armour and that he’d saved my day. He beamed a big happy smile and I’m sure my (over the top and slightly gushy) gratitude probably made his day a little bit brighter too. I don’t know where that miracle 98 bus came from, but I loved it. A ride home on the bus never felt so good!

Retro 98 Bus

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