Barges, boatmen and butties. and other London, United Kingdom Things to Do Tips

Anyone who has read my other London and Mile End pages knows that I have a great love for canals and narrowboats, so it is somewhat surprising that I had never visited the Canal Museum before. In fairness, I only heard of it relatively recently. I was walking the towpath a couple of days ago and decided to drop in, and I am so glad I did as it really is a very interesting place.

The building itself is fascinating as it is an old ice storage warehouse built in 1862 for a Swiss immigrant called Carlo Gatti who had had the brainwave of importing ice from Norway on ships and then selling it. In the days before home refrigeration, he amassed wuite a fortune doing it and also branched out into ice-cream parlours, restaurants and even a bit of theatre. The museum features quite a history of the ice and ice cream trade in London.

It was, however, the canal exhibits that I had come to see and they were excellent. Pride of place is given over to the rear section of an actual working boat which was built about 1935. What is most striking is the incredibly cramped conditions the boatman and his family lived in. As most of the space was required for cargo, the boatman's cabin was extrmely small. How the boatman's wife ever managed to bring up a family, cook etc. is really a mystery to me, but these were the living conditions endured by literally thousands of boat families right up to the 1960's or so.

There are exhibitions of boatman's clothes, ropes etc. and a few hands-on things like rope tying.

Perhaps my favourite exhibit, however, was a 1925 film showing a boat trip from Limehouse Basin to Paddington. I found this particularly interesting as the stretch of canal near where I live featrures in it, and it was very interesting to see places that I know as they were then.

When you have finished inside, you can go out the back to Battlebridge Basin, a residential boat mooring, and where the Museum have a couple of boats themselves including the tug shown. Oh, and if you walk down to the lily pond at the end of the moorings, look closely and you might just see the turtles (I think that is what they are!). Have a look at the photo and let me know.

The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 1000 - 1630 and admission is a very reasonable £3 for adults with concessions for children, seniors, students and unwaged. The building is fully wheelchair friendly. Well worth a visit.

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Phone: +00 44 (0)207 713 0836
Address: New Wharf Road, London, N1 9RT.
Directions: From the front of King's Cross station, turn left and walk alongside the station, down York Way. Take the third right, Wharfdale Road, and then second left into New Wharf Road and the Museum is on the left.
Website: http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/
Other Contact: +00 44 (0)20 7689 6679 (fax)

Whilst there has been a market on Whitechapel Road for many, many years, like most things it changes all the time. I know the market was initially fruit and vegetable based but now it is very diverse, and in many respects reflects the very multicultural nature of the local area. I hope the photo gives some sense of this. Stalls with sarees sit side by side with fruit and veg stalls, fish stalls, stalls selling Bollywood videos, unlocking mobile 'phones, selling just about anything you care to name, in fact.

I would not recommend the clothing or footwear as much of it is of very poor quality, although some of the fruit and vegetable stalls are great. They carry some really exotic items that you would be hard pressed to get in a supermarket, and the stall holders will even tell you how to cook them if you don't know. I also like the fish stall near Brady Street as you can get some unusual Asian fish, again not readily available in a supermarket.

As a people watching exercise, it is absolutely superb.

The market is open from about 0900 to about 1600 every day, except Sunday.

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Address: Whitechapel Road, London, E1.
Directions: On the North side of Whitechapel Road running between Vallance Road and Cambridge Heath Road. Whitechapel Tube Station (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is right in the middle of it.

I realise that the Tower of london is probably high on the list of must sees for visitors to London, and rightly so. with almost a thousand years of history, the priceless Crown Jewels, ravens and splendidly attired Yeoman warders, it really is a wonderful place to visit.

What people are perhaps less aware of is the Ceremony of the Keys. It is by ticket only (limited numbers) but is really well worth seeing.

Tickets for this ceremony are free but you need to apply 6-8 weeks in advance. Write to The Ceremony of the Keys, Waterloo Block, HM Tower of London, London, England EC3N 4AB enclosing a stamped addressed envelope or coupon-response international and stating the names of the attendees.

As the Yeoman warders put it, at 700 years, it's the longest running show in town.

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Phone: 0 20 7709 0765
Address: Tower Hill, EC3
Directions: Tower Hill tube
Website: http://www.toweroflondontour.com/keys.html

You know, it's amazing the things that are on your doorstep that you don't know about. I recently discovered the Museum in Docklands, less than a mile from my home. It is dedicated to the "Old Father" Thames and the docks area, and really is very highly recommended. It is situated in an old converted warehouse, lending added authenticity to the whole experience.

There are a number of audio visual displays (narrated by Tony Robinson) and many interesting exhibits and displays. You start on the third floor and work down, and it is a chronological history of the area from Roman times up to 1997.

There is a film exhibition of the Blitz including previously unseen Fire Brigade footage - fascinating.

Perhaps my favourite exhibit is Sailortown, a reconstruction of the area I live in several centuries ago.

Admission is £5 for adults but the ticket is valid for a year, and includes admission to Museum of London exhibitions, so pretty good value, I think.

Fully wheelchair accessible.

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Phone: 0870 444 3857.
Address: No 1 Warehouse, Hertsmere Road, E14 4AL
Directions: Follow the signs along the quay from West India Quay DLR station.
Website: http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/

I have lived in London for many years and must have walked past this place literally hundreds of times without ever venturing inside. I recently rectified that omission and spent some time in what must be one of the most fascinating churches in London (and competition is fierce!)

A place of Christian worship for over 1000 years, there is every style of architecture here (predominantly Gothic), there are laid up colours of regiments long disbanded, a plethora of memorials, excellent stained glass and much more.

An interesting feature is the small St. Andrews chapel dedicated in 1991 to prayer for those afflicted with HIV / AIDS.

Admission is free, although there is a suggested donation of 4 pounds / 6:50 euros per person.

A genuine "must see."

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Phone: 020-7367 6700
Address: Montague Close, Southwark, London SE1
Directions: Come out of the main entrance of London Bridge Station and walk forward. The cathedral is the huge building across the road.
Website: http://www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral/
Other Contact: 020-7367 6725 (fax)

There are a plethora of small museums in London, and I, to my shame, haven't visited half of them. In an attempt to rectify this recently, I visited the Jewish Museum in Camden, and I'm really glad I did. It is not very large but has a wonderful collection of artefacts relating to the history of Jews in London.

There are audio visual displays giving an insight into Jewish customs, religious ceremonies etc. which was extremely interesting. There are also temporary exhibitions. At the minute (April 2005) it is in relation to 100 years of the Aliens Act.

The Museum is staffed by volunteers, mostly elderly Jewish pwople who are extremely helpful and will give you virtually a one-on-one guided tour. Well worth a visit.

There is a sister museum in Finchley, but I haven't visited it - yet!

Admission is £3:50 for adults.

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Phone: 0207 284 1997
Address: 129-131 Albert Street, London NW1 7NB
Directions: Walk along Parkway from the Tube Station, turn right at the Spread Eagle pub, and it's fifty yards on the right.
Website: http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/

This tip refers to the Geffrye Museum in Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, which is a museum of home furnishings from the 16th century to the present day.

If it is not one of the most visited museums in London, it is certainly one of the prettiest, being situated in old almshouses established by Sir Robert Geffrye for poor pensioners of the Ironmomongers Guild. It passed from this use to being a museum in 1911 and now houses a fine collection of furniture and home artefacts which are arranged chronologically into mocked up "rooms". This allows a fascinating insight into how people lived their daily lives over the centuries.

In the centre of the building is the chapel, retained as it originally was.

The museum is geographically very correctly positioned as the area of Shoreditch was traditionally the centre of the London furniture trade.

There are temporary exhibitions relating to furnishings as well.

Perhaps one of the nicest features of the Museum is the gardens. There is a period garden and, my favourite, the small but delightful herb garden, which has to be smelt to be believed!

The grounds to the front provide a convenient place for people to escape the bustle of the busy Kingsland Road.

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Phone: 0207 739 9893
Address: Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA
Directions: Walk up Kingsland road from the Shoreditch / Old Street end, and the Museum is a couple of hundred yards on the right. Numerous busses pass coming from the Liverpool Street direction although it is only a fifteen minute walk from that Station.
Website: http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/

This tip is about the museum of London on the historic street (now redeveloped) of London Wall, which was, as the name suggests, the site of the old Roman wall.

It traces the story of London from prehistory until just before the First World War. There are many "dioramas" set up, including a roman shooping street, and a similar street from Victorian times, complete with a mock-up pub.

The centrepiece of the Museum is the Lord Mayor's coach, a truly magnificent vehicle which only leaves for the Lord Mayor's Annual Show and coronations.

Currently, the medieaval exhibition is closed for renovation (until Autumn 2005) but, even allowing for this absence, you could easily spend a full day there.

Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of £2 / $2US or €2, well worth it.

There are also periodic exhibitions at extra cost, although if you have an annual ticket for Museum in Docklands (see seperate tip) they are free.

As an additional attraction, there is currently a sculptor in residence who you can talk to and watch working. Altogether, a great day out.

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Phone: 0870 444 3852
Address: London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN
Directions: London Wall is less than ten minutes walk North of St. Paul's cathedral or about fifteen minutes walk West of Moorgate tube. Numerous busses pass nearby.
Website: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/

So who exactly is this old lady? Actually, it's the name traditionaly given to the Bank of England, the organisation that regulates monetary policy in the UK, and probably one of the most important financial institutions in the world.

Situated, not surprisingly, in Threadneedle Street EC2 in the heart of the City of London (the financial quarter) the building is relatively modern, having been rebuilt in 1925 - 1939 and is an impressive 845,000 square feet inside. The first bank had stood on this site since 1734, although modifications had taken place over the years. Notable amongst these was the work undertaken by Sir John Soane, whose museum elsewhere in London is well worth visiting.

The institution of the Bank is far older. It all began in 1694 when King William III was finding money a bit short, due to an ongoing war with France. A couple of city gents proposed a national bank to support the monarchy, and this was accepted. It began by levying tax on shipping and alcohol. The tax (more properly called duty) on alcohol was supposed to be temporary and persists to this very day!

There is a museum in the building, closed at time of writing (until May 2006), but even without visiting, the building is still worth a visit

As for the Old Lady bit, well, it is believed to have derived from a satirical newspaper cartoon from about 1804.

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Phone: 020 7601 5545 (museum)
Address: Threadneedle Street, EC2
Directions: See attached website for full details.
Website: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/museum/index.htm

I must start by stating that I am not a Freemason myself, although I have friends and family who are. I have long been fascinated by the organisation and it's role in history.

For example, nine of the men who signed the US Declaration of Independence and thirteen signers of the US Constitution were Freemasons. I have also heard it claimed that the pyramid and "all-seeing eye" on the US dollar bill are Masonic symbols. George Washington was a Freemason. Closer to home, Prince Michael of Kent and Prince Edward are members, as are Phil Collins and footballers Fabien Barthez and Laurent Blanc.

UK headquarters for "the Lodge" is the impressive art Deco Freemasons Hall, completed in 1933. Despite the perceived secrecy of the organisation, I was surprised to find that free guided tours are available and duly went on one. It was absolutely fascinating. The architecture alone is worth the visit, as is the one and a quarter ton bronze door that is so perfectly balanced it can be opened with one finger!

The tour is given by one of the Masonic staff and is very well presented. The Library where you wait for the tour to begin is also interesting.

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Phone: 44 (0) 207 831 9811
Address: 60 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AZ
Directions: From Covent Garden tube, turn right along Long Acre, continue along Great Queen Street, and it's on the right.
Website: http://www.grandlodge-england.org/