Second London sojourn + bonus Cambridge

A little bit of background

As I write this post in 2023, I've been to London nine times. I don't think I will ever cease to be thrilled by being there. London is well...it's London. I know it's a bit grimy, crowded, and the weather is rubbish, but it's one of my favourite places in the world.

This post of London wanderings is from my 2011 visit, after I had presented at an academic conference in Manchester. This London experience was my second go at exploring the city, but I hadn't been there since our initial visit in 1996. I was on my own this time, although staying with the same friend (KP) we'd stayed with in 1996, now living in a different part of the city.

London

Leaving Manchester on Tuesday, 21 June, the day after the conference finished, I took the train to London, arriving at Euston station. This was my first experience of a British national rail service as I'd only ever taken the Tube before. I love that you can take trains everywhere in the UK, and in Europe. It's just not something we can do in Australia. The huge distances make travel expensive and logistically difficult and we're not set up in the same way as the UK and Europe.

The Manchester-London trip was quite enjoyable and pretty chill. The seat was comfortable and I got to see lots of nice scenery as we headed south. Train travel in the UK is easy and inexpensive, especially if you buy your tickets in advance and/or take off-peak services.

I was due to arrive at Euston station a bit before lunch to meet KP. We'd worked and flatted together in New Zealand in 1988-1989 and had remained friends ever since, even after I moved to Australia in 1989 and KP moved back to the UK in 1990. I admit to being a bit nervous when I disembarked from the train at Euston, the closest station to her work. KP was there waiting for me, looking exactly as I remembered her!

We headed off for lunch at a Mexican restaurant near Tavistock Square and started the process of reconnecting. We only had time for a quick catch up before KP had to go back to work, though. I dropped my suitcase at KP's workplace and made my way to the British Museum which was close by. I spent the whole afternoon at the museum before meeting up again with her after she finished work. (And, you guessed it, getting lost trying to make my way back!)

This was my first visit to the British Museum. It's pretty overwhelming initially, as the place is huge and there's so much stuff in it. There's bound to be something to see no matter where your interests lie, even if you're not into museums. The museum is hugely popular and often crowded, so be prepared for a long wait to get in. At the time of writing this post in 2023, I've now been there four times and each time it was busy. I am yet to get close to the Rosetta Stone as there always seem to be people crowding around the display case when I am there.

I spent five hours at the museum on that day and the time just flew by. I tried to sample all of the sections, even if just for a taster. I just had to try to look past the way the British obtained many of the objects in the museum (for example, in the Greek antiquities section) in bits, where said should be returned to the place where they belong, joined up to the rest of the object.

I was exhausted at the end of the day and happy to be heading home to KP's place for a quiet dinner, even if it was a bit of a battle to get to there on the Tube/DLR at peak hour with a suitcase in tow.

I was fortunate to be in London during Wimbledon week and I thought it would be cool to see if I could attend the Championships on a day ticket. I was rather proud of myself for getting to Wimbledon on my own, via a couple of train changes and a half hour walk from the station to the tennis centre. Now getting around London is easy for me as I've had so much practice, but back then, it was no mean feat!

Outside the Wimbledon train station there was a massive line up for free shuttle buses to the tennis centre. I asked one of the attendants about the walking distance and he said it was a bit of a way but probably still less time than waiting for a bus with the crowds. Despite the freezing cold temperatures, it was a lovely walk; Wimbledon is a rather posh suburb!

I bought the £20 ground pass that allows entry into all the outside court matches, watched a few, wandered around soaking up the atmosphere. There's no way I'd have been able to watch a centre court match as those tickets need to be pre-purchased months in advance. The ground pass is good value, I think, and still only costs between £25-30.

I sat on Henman Hill to eat the sandwich selection and fresh strawberries I'd bought at the M&S store at the train station, before the rain set in. A lovely British couple struck up a conversation that nicely filled in the time when we were sheltering under centre court during the Venus Williams-Kimiko Date match. Later, I braved the crowds in the merchandise shop and bought a cloth drawstring bag and a tube of tennis balls commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Championships that year.

I definitely wasn't dressed for the weather and I can still recall the cold seeping into my bones, so much so that I was a bit miserable at some points in the day. The grey cardigan I'm wearing in the below shot was a hurried purchase from the H&M store at Wimbledon station in a vain attempt to ward off the cold. It was supposed to be summer! Really, I should have bought a coat. Not to worry, I was at freaking Wimbledon!

KP had the next day off work, which was lovely, and we set off to explore London. By then, all nerves had disappeared. The past 15 years spent living on opposite sides of the globe seemed to have made no difference to our friendship. (Remember, these were the days before WhatsApp and other messaging platforms!)

One of the cool things we did on our day out was the London Eye. As it opened in 1999, we missed it on our first trip to London in 1996. I'm terrible with heights, but the Eye is great as it moves quite slowly. The views are amazing! We ended up with two trips around, actually. We were approached as we boarded the Eye and asked if we'd test out a new device that helps to point out the main sights from the various angles of the Eye's rotation. We were given a free ride around to do the testing. It seems odd to write all that in 2023, as the digital guide was new technology back then.

I know the Thames is a bit brown, but I love rivers and the South Bank of the Thames in Lambeth is a part of the city I love, where there are great views of Westminster. I will never tire of that view.

We later stumbled across a gorgeous café at the Garden Museum in Lambeth as we headed towards the London Imperial War Museum. The Garden Museum celebrates British horticulture in a church dating back to the 16th century. The food has a homemade, natural vibe to it and we had a lovely pitstop at the café.

We spent most of the afternoon at the London war museum, one of five imperial war museums in the UK, including the Churchill War Rooms that I was able to visit a few years later. There's a lot to see at the London site, founded in 1917 to document war through the eyes of people who lived through it. I was moved by the Holocaust Galleries, now a permanent exhibit, and the Second World War Galleries, both of which give you an amazing insight into life during the conflict.

Another cool thing we did on our day out was visit the London M&Ms World that had only opened the previous week. If you've read my Orlando post, you'll know I'd already been to the World there, but the London store is heaps better. I know it seems kind of cheesy, but wandering around the store and looking at all the M&Ms merchandise is heaps of fun. The recreation of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover is my favourite part.

I've since been to the M&Ms Worlds in Las Vegas and New York, but the London store is still the best, I think.

Later we lined up in Leicester Square to buy last minute theatre tickets before having an early dinner. We managed to snap up two of the remaining seats for the evening performance of Legally Blonde: The musical at the Savoy Theatre. Our seats were only a few rows from the stage; not bad for eleventh hour purchases. The musical was terrific, just like the film and hugely enjoyable, and a brilliant way to end the day.

Travel tip: There are places in Leicester Square where you can line up for last minute tickets on the day of West End performances. They are usually inexpensive as the theatres are offloading the few remaining seats. We had no idea what we were going to see that evening and took the last two seats for Legally Blonde. If there's something you want to see while in London, it's best to book or you might be disappointed.

I was back on my own again the next day and I had a lovely time just wandering around, mastering the Tube and generally taking things in. I added a few more iconic sites to my list, including St James's Park, Buckingham Palace, and Trafalgar Square. These wanderings were the beginnings of my love of wandering, I think, just seeing where things lead as I navigate new places. I'd seen so much in three days and could hardly believe it. There's something magical about seeing iconic places and spaces for yourself.

Travel tip: The centre of London is quite compact if you don't mind walking a bit. There are helpful signs everywhere that give good directions, including estimated walking times between places. You can take the Tube, but often it's quicker to walk by the time you navigate the underground tunnels and potential line changes. Walking gives you a much deeper appreciation for the city and for perspective on where the iconic landmarks sit in relation to one another.

Cambridge

On Saturday we decided to have a day out in Cambridge. The London-Cambridge train leaves from Liverpool Street Station and the journey is about an hour long. London sure does train stations with panache!

We visited the memorial at Liverpool Street Station of the Kindertransport while we waited for our train. The Kindertransport saved the lives of 10 000 Jewish children at the start of WW2. The memorial at the station is a bronze sculpture by Frank Meisler, erected in the forecourt of the station in 2006. Liverpool Street Station wasn't a random choice for the memorial. The children arrived at that station during 1938 and 1939, most of whom did not see their parents again as they perished in the Holocaust. I didn't even realise the memorial was there until we stumbled upon it while waiting for the train.

We started our Cambridge wanderings with a 2km walk from the station to the town centre, passing gorgeous churches and buildings along the way. Cambridge really is pretty and I'll always have lovely memories of the day we spent there.

Cambridge is, of course, a university town. It is flat and easy to get around so it's a cyclist's paradise. We saw hundreds of bikes all over the town. My favourite shot is the one on the left of the top row of the below collection. Bike + red phone box = British town 💞.

As it was the summer break, the College buildings weren't open but it was still cool to wander around their grounds. Imagine studying there!

The College gardens are absolutely gorgeous as well, many of which are accessible during the summer break closure of the Colleges. Here's a selection of shots from our wanderings. There was some kind of reception in one of the Colleges and we passed by as a string quartet was playing.

One of the lovely parts of wandering around new places and spaces is the discovery of laneways and passages that allow me to feel connected to the place and its history. These photos are amongst my favourites of my Cambridge images.

King's Parade is a hub of activity. The street is considered to be the heart of Cambridge and commands a central position in the university campus. The area dates back to the 16th century when it was a meeting place for English protestant reformers. King's College was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI not long after founding its sister college, Eton. The chapel that you can see in the below photos is said to be one of the best examples of late perpendicular Gothic English architecture, featuring the world's largest fan vault inside the church. The chapel was built in 1446.

Kings' Parade is where ticket sellers for Cam River punting outings approach tourists and it's rather hard to escape them. That said, punting is absolutely something you must do in Cambridge! I loved it. So British! The perspective you gain on the river and the town is fabulous as the Cam passes through the heart of the university campus and you can see the 'backs' of many of the colleges. I really appreciated just how gorgeous Cambridge is by seeing it from the river. It was a bucket list experience that I was excited to tick off.

Punts are flat-bottomed boats with square cut bows design for use on small rivers and shallow water. They were originally built as cargo boats and as platforms for fishing.

There are a bunch of gorgeous old bridges across the River Cam, some we saw while punting and others while wandering around. The Bridge of Sighs that you can see in the bottom two shots is a stone covered bridge at St John's College, built in 1831. It is named, unsurprisingly, after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, even though they two bridges have little in common architecturally and historically. The bridge in Cambridge is now a Grade I listed building and is said to have been Queen Victoria's favourite part of the town.

Later we visited St Bene't's Church, thought to be built between 1000-1050 AD. It is recognised as the oldest building in Cambridge although the bell openings were added later, in 1586. Awesome. The church is dedicated to Saint Benedict of Nursia, the founder of the Benedictine order of monasticism. The bottom lefthand picture below is of the stone floors in the church.

Travel tip: Cambridge is a lovely day trip from London, inexpensive if you get the right tickets, and only an hour each way from Liverpool Street station. There's a lot to do - wandering around the pretty town, exploring the Colleges, and punting. Just remember that if you visit during the summer break, the Colleges aren't open, although there are some grounds you can still wander around.

London again

I had two days left to explore London before returning home. The first was the Sunday after our Cambridge trip when KP and her partner took me around the East End. It was hot that day - I think from memory around 30 degrees - one of the few times when I have genuinely felt hot in London.

We wandered around, browsed in the markets, and soaked up the vibes in the East End. The East End is a vibrant, eclectic place and I had a great day even if markets aren't really my thing. The food stalls are amazing, though. I bought my lunch at an Ethiopian stall. KP's partner knows loads about Jack the Ripper so I was treated to an impromptu history tour. That's me in the top right-hand photo in front of one of the pubs where Jack lured away a victim.

My final day in London was the last day of my trip overall, after I'd returned from Brussels. I had a bit of a list of things I wanted to see so just spent my final day wandering around London, becoming proficient reading the Tube map. I still felt excited about seeing new parts of London for the first time, most notably Notting Hill. I even found the blue door and the bookshop from the Hugh Grant film!

The travel bookshop in the top right of this collection is the bookshop from Notting Hill. The door in the middle shot on the top row is the front door of the flat where Hugh Grant's character lived.

Heading home

My trip home was uneventful once I got on the flight but getting to the airport was stressful. I left KP's early in the morning, planning to take the Tube out to Heathrow. Unfortunately, I didn't get far as there had been a suicide on the track and the Tube line I was on was temporarily suspended. I went into major anxiety mode as, when I emerged from the Tube station where the service had stopped, I had no idea where I was. Google Maps had been around for a few years by then but it wasn't a natural part of my life at that point even though I had a mobile phone. Anyway, I walked around in a daze for a bit then eventually pulled myself together. I hailed a cab and the driver kindly told me he could drop me at Paddington station where I could take the Heathrow Express to the airport. It was touch and go, though, and I had to run to check in. I only had about 15 minutes after dropping my bag off before the flight was called for boarding. At least I slept well on the flight home after that!

This is KP's house and evidence of my excessive souvenir shopping. I absolutely love KP's house in London. She doesn't live there these days, but I was fortunate to stay there twice while she did. So British!

My London + Cambridge experience

Our first trip to London in 1996, our whirlwind introduction to the city before we embarked on a bus tour of Europe, was very much a taster. I remember feeling both exhilarated and overwhelmed by being in London. We'd stayed with KP (living in a share house at the time) and she became our guide. We followed her on the Tube but the whole system seemed complex and confusing to us. We'd also travelled around the city on one of the iconic red double decker buses, but I just didn't understand the geography of the city. This time I walked a lot more and found that the city's layout started to make more sense to me. I also got the hang of the Tube system after figuring things out on my own and I loved working out which lines to take to get to my destination.

My next visit would be in two years. Yay! You can read all about that trip here. You can also read about my 2014, 2015, and 2018 visits. Posts to come on my 2022 and 2023 blocks of time spent in London for work.

My 2011 wanderings were all about exploring new parts of London and revisiting ones I'd seen on our very first trip. My love for London was well and truly cemented during this trip and I loved every experience that I had.