Visiting Greenwich Peninsula

Greenwich Peninsula

My daughter bought a flat in The Millenium Village a few years ago. Her apartment [flat] overlooks the Thames – northwards the O2 and South Eastwards towards the Thames Barrier. From another window in her apartment complex she has an enviable view of ‘Swan Lake’ in the ecology park. It might be called ‘Swan Lake’ – there have been few of them over the years and this weekend there was a small group of three mute swans – will they stay and nest or won’t they?

Over the years that my daughter has lived there we have only seen that coots and moorhens have successfully raised families. A couple of years ago the Canada Geese, which seem to like this small lake to home in on the evenings, actually nested and produced young geese. However, they were not raised to adulthood and my daughter and I felt that maybe the foxes in the area had taken the eggs/chicks. There are lots of Mallard ducks but, so far, I have not seen any of their families. The environment seems entirely suitable but, I wonder why these wild birds are not happy to reproduce in this area.

When I first lived in London – in the nineteen-seventies – it would not have been acceptable / or possible to visit this part of the Eastend of London.

In my day this was an industrial area that I would have had no reason to visit. I lived in the Westend-Nottinghill, Kensington, Holland Park and into MaidaVale.

Nowadays, it is not possible for the even above average earner to live in these areas. The high earning professionals are moving out of the centre of London to the newly developed and highly developed areas in the Eastend of the city.

The Millenium Village is a fast developing residential area with living units from the luxury penthouses to social housing. There is an excellent medical centre and good nurseries and primary schools. As the area continues to develop, so will the facilities and eventually an interesting shopping area – no longer any need to travel to Stratford or the Cannery Wharf development.

Of course, much of that is still in the future but, if you must live in a city, what an excellent place to live.

This weekend, I was taken on the The Emirates Air Line cable car which spans the River Thames between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks. I had been looking forward to this for some time

Open seven days a week the cars are easily accessible for wheelchair users and pushchairs.

We were three adults and one toddler in our group and we had our car to ourselves. It is possible that in very busy times you might be asked to share but I was not aware of this.

It was nice to know that I am not too old to be excited. I loved the [return] trip although, a group in the car in front of us clearly found it too ‘hairy’ to make the return trip.

Great photo opportunities!

The usual operating hours are:

1 October - 31 March:
Monday - Friday: 7am - 8pm
Saturdays: 8am – 8pm
Sundays: 9am – 8pm

1 April - 30 September:
Monday - Friday: 7am - 9pm
Saturdays: 8am – 9pm
Sundays: 9am – 9pm

NB: There will be extended opening hours when there are events at the local venues.

Please note you cannot use your London Travelcard. Passengers with a Travelcard must buy a boarding pass at one of the terminals. This will cost the same as Oyster pay as you go, (£3.20) but you will have to queue.

You can use your London Oyster Card just as you would on the Tube or buses. London Oyster Card users also get a discount on the cable car using just £3.20 of their Oyster credit compared to the £4.30 cash fare.

Why not do the round trip [ no need to get off and on again] - take a non-stop ‘360 degree tour’ which will cost £6.40 with Oyster.

Beside the terminal for the cable car is one of the stop-off points for my favourite method of London transport – the London Clippers - fast catamaran ‘taxies. If you visit London they are a must do. You can also use your Oyster card on these for an easy and discounted trip.

Of course the Greenwich Peninsula is really famous for the O2 centre [previously the Millenium Dome]. The area around it is a pleasant and well developed pedestrian zone with lots of shops, coffee houses and restaurants, providing a safe area for children to play.

The fascinating design of the Ravensbourne College specialising in digital media and design, including ‘fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture and environment design, graphic design, animation, moving image, music production for media and sound design’.

My daughter thinks the building is hideous but I find it quite beautiful.

You have many choices of travel to this area –

·         By Underground [tube] on the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich station;

·         By London Overground – change onto the Jubilee at Canada Water station;

·         By bus – North Greenwich bus station [close to the O2 centre has an excellent bus service to many area in London;

·         By Thames Clipper;

·         And of course there is London City Airport, just a short hop across the Thames. The Docklands Light Railway [DLR] is linked with the underground system and makes for an easy journey.

A Gourmet Visit to London

Visiting London

I have just come back from a most enjoyable weekend in London and what an exciting ‘foodie’ place London has become.

Borough Market is a must for anyone interested in food. The market is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, all year round, probably missing out Christmas Day. It is open at different times on each of these days so, do check the times before you go. There are stalls offering a wide and often exotic range fruit and vegetables, a wonderful selection of cheeses, meat, fish, bakery, patisserie and confectionary produce and of course, delicious and irresistible cooked foods. As well as traditional British food there is also a magnificent array of foods from around the world.

The market can be quite busy, it is now on the tourist trail and many people go just to experience the atmosphere or sample some of the tempting dishes available. It is a little pricey but, is worth it for the quality and freshness of the produce.

The best time to go is probably around lunchtime. Try out one of the many restaurants, cafes and bars in the area as well.

The market is in Borough High Street, Camberwell, London SE1 and the closest tube (underground) station is London Bridge. Google the market or check it out on www.boroughmarket.org.uk

The market is close to the River Thames – an area well worth wandering around for its vibrant atmosphere. Southwark Cathedral is worth a look. It’s difficult to beat getting a big, fresh sandwich in the market and sitting in the grounds watching the world go by. A replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship, the Golden Hinde, is docked there. Not the original ship and not a working ship, but it has been set up as a museum and as the original would have been. I didn’t go on board but, I’ve been told it’s a jolly experience.

The highlight of the weekend was definitely Colombia Road Flower Market. Situated in Shoreditch, in the borough of Tower Hamlets London E2, it is a street market happening every Sunday (Christmas day excepted). It starts at 8am and finishes around 3pm. Like all events like this, it is worth getting there early, especially if you are driving. It is possible to park but, do park legally, fines for illegal parking are quite steep. The nearest tube/underground station is Old Street. You will have to walk from there.  There is also a good bus service and lots of taxis cruising around the area.

The market sells cut flowers – masses of them, container grown flowers, bushes, shrubs, trees and stunning orchids – definitely the flower of the moment. Several of the stalls provide an astonishing range of herbs and olive trees of all shapes and sizes – these just have to be the most popular trees. If you are looking for fruit to grow, there was an excellent selection of potted strawberry plants and raspberry canes. It is hard to walk away from the stalls empty handed. Most of the prices are well below those you would pay in a garden centre. The main disadvantage of buying the produce is that it has to be carried home and the staggering number of people crushed into such a small space does take some of the enjoyment from the experience.

After spending a couple of hours struggling our passage through the crowds and visiting as many stalls as we could find a tiny space to edge into, we were hot, dishevelled, thirsty and really quite peckish. We joined a short queue for a very busy little restaurant – Laxeira, Restaurante Espanol. (check it out at www.laxeior.co.uk )We had a scrumptious selection of tapas served in a clean friendly environment and it was really not expensive.

If you do visit London try a trip on a Thames Clipper. A very speedy method of travelling in London, the boats navigate between North Greenwich pier (at the O2 Arena) and the London Eye. It isn’t the cheapest way of travelling around London but it really must be the most interesting and exhilarating. If you visit London regularly, it is probably worth purchasing an Oyster Card. They can now be used on all types of public transport in and around London and is so much cheaper.