Saturday 26th October
A dull start weather wise but at least the rain had cleared and it was mild – we’d take that!
Sandra:
Saturday morning came and we both agreed that a lazy relax was most definitely on the cards. Richard has had a very hard half term and was sorely in need of some downtime and also to rest his increasingly painful knee.
For a couple of years now we have tried to visit the fair on Crystal Palace parade but for one reason or another it hasn't happened. I am always keen to visit to soak up the atmosphere and see the spectacle of lighting etc. It, of course, goes without saying that seeing Richard like a child in a sweet shop having rides on the attractions is highly enjoyable too. I find taking photographs easier with Richards digital SLR than phones due to the high speed of some of the rides! We took a short stroll up that afternoon and rides on the dodgems and several on the Waltzer were partaken.
I was delighted to bag my 9th Waltzer of the year. Irvin’s Supreme Waltzer is a relatively new machine – in Waltzer terms – having been built in 2015 by Fairtrade, a company that filled the gap left by the old Waltzer and Arc manufacturers like Lakin and Maxwell. Not the quickest ride but very smooth, very enjoyable and a great bunch working on it. It was still fairly quiet at the fair and they were happy enough to run the machine just for me but thankfully, soon after I sat down a few other people got on.
Sandra:
We then returned to the caravan where we got ourselves ready and made our way into town. We were heading for dinner at the Lyric pub. It was certainly a better one than we had had the previous year at another venue where their response to I’ll have this please.... sorry no we don't have that tonight was often repeated. I love eating upstairs in these old pubs, you usually get a pretty reasonable meal, facilities and the ability to watch the world go by below. This pub was opposite the Windmill Club in Soho a rather foreboding looking place from the outside with menacing security guards all over the place.
The journey wasn’t quite as straightforward as usual. Buses were stopping short of Whitehall and not crossing Lambeth Bridge – I was to learn later there was some march or protest or other concerning one Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who prefers to be known as Tommy Robinson. Anyway, we got off at Lambeth North station and got the tube to Piccadilly, from where it was a short walk to the pub. I’m glad we booked for upstairs as the downstairs bar – normally a favourite of mine – was rammed and very noisy, but thankfully good natured.
The food was good, served promptly. I eschewed a calorie laden dessert opting instead for some fruit. Grapes actually, okay then wine!
Sandra:
We were heading for the Apollo theatre which was less than 5 minute walk from the pub door and we were soon seated in the theatre. The play we had come to see was one written by John Cleese himself and was a play adaptation of Fawlty Towers the hit comedy TV series of yesteryear. Richard and I watched this TV series awhile back now but it was interesting to compare between the two. The set was very well done and recognisable to anyone who had seen the TV series. The theatre quickly filled up and there was a good atmosphere.
I will not spoil the play for anyone who wishes to go and see it and I believe it is going on tour in 2025. What I will say is that they have stayed true to the original and the lead actors have spent a great deal of time learning the mannerisms etc, and as a result it was a very hilarious and enjoyable show.
We managed to collect another bus which took us to our favourite changeover stop outside the Imperial War Museum. It is always quiet, there is a little corner shop for essentials and we are pretty much guaranteed seats on the #3 bus well before it reaches Brixton. We returned to Patsy tired but happy and pleased with our day.
Transport: 3 to Brixton, 159 to Lambeth North Stn, Bakerloo to Piccadilly, 159 to IWM, 3 to CP.
Sunday 27th October
Sandra continues:
Sunday morning arrived and again a relatively leisurely get going was in order, helped by the clocks going back.
We had planned a return visit to Museum of the Home. You may recall we visited it some time ago and one section was undergoing restoration. The section and the cafe had now reopened, so we were keen to see what they had done.
There were rooms from the 18th Century, into the 60s, 70’s and so on. The final room was a projection to 2409. That did resemble parts of Star Trek and, for me, a little disconcerting. The rooms of more recent time were great fun and seeing items from the houses of our childhoods. The cafe was open once more and a lovely coffee was had. Well worth a visit and free to enter.
We could have got back on the Overground and done a reverse-ferret down to Wapping for our next port of call but decided instead to get a couple of buses to see a bit more of this area of London. Sadly, a very long wait for the 242 saw us hopping off at Aldgate East, getting the Underground to Whitechapel, transferring to the Overground for Wapping.
Sandra:
Next up was the Prospect of Whitby pub, a short walk along Wapping Wall. Again an area I have never visited, though obviously very familiar with the name following the move from Fleet Street back in the 1980s. Again, like with Camden, it was not entirely as I had expected. Clearly a lot of residential change has taken place and many of the old warehouse buildings are now very expensive and deluxe residential properties. I had seen the Prospect pub on a TV series recently and I admired the age and ambience plus the history of the pub. We had booked ourselves in for Sunday lunch and a lovely meal was had.
Once we had completed our meal we then made for the main road in the hope of catching a bus to the meeting point for the ghost bus tour. We walked, slowly, for a little while but we were beginning to become somewhat concerned at the complete lack of bus stops on this side of the road. Time was not on our side as dinner had taken somewhat longer than hoped as they were so busy. We quickly decided to flag down a taxi as soon as possible. It was now also getting dark and neither of us would have been capable of making the rendezvous point without it. Yes it was somewhat expensive but worth every penny considering we arrived bang on time and not out of breath or in great pain.
In front of me was one of the oldest Routemasters still going, I would be amazed at how many million miles it has done. It was painted in black, very shiny and had a red interior with red velvet curtains ouch. You have probably realised by now that I am not fond of velvet material at all!
As this was a sitting tour on the bus and at least an hour long without requiring getting on and off at each stop, I opted to climb the bus steps and we found ourselves two good seats on the top deck. We were later in the tour to be amazed at how easily the tour guide ran up and down the steps on the bus and to be truthful somewhat envious to boot.
A little footnote. It was my very first ghost tour and was not sure what would happen. I have to say it was an absolute hoot, the guide knowledgeable, very funny and professional. The bus had great laughs with the young children on the tour, the gorier the better!! I think David Walliams and his Horrible Histories books etc are somewhat complicit in this!!
Following the tour we were dropped off at the pick-up point and we had seen a pub across the road and a swift pint for the road was partaken.
The Ghost Bus tour was superb – and ideal given neither of us were at our most ambulant. Scary? No but very funny and entertaining. I’d heard some of the stories before on a walking tour last year but that hardly mattered. A superb couple of hours and highly recommended.
Transport: 450 to Sydenham, OG to Hoxton, 242 to Aldgate East, UG to Whitechapel, OG to Wapping. Taxi to Sherlock Holmes pub, 159 to IWM, 3 to CP
Monday 28th October
Sandra:
Monday morning duly arrived and it was time for me to head north once more. It was with very mixed feelings that I walked out of the site knowing that I would not be back again. It’s time to try the other sites but I am sure we will be back to visit the area again in the future.
Yes, it seemed weird that Sandra leaving the site for the last time, the fact that I too would be doing the same too in the next few days didn’t help my mood as I waived Sandra off at Euston. The leaden skies seemed appropriate as I departed the station, initially thinking of a wander around Camden but then the rain arrived and I repaired to a pub for a pint before getting a couple of buses back to the site. I wanted to be back in good time anyway – I was promised a phone call from the GP’s surgery regarding an issue that had arisen when I last tried to donate blood – namely low Iron levels. The phone call came soon after 4:30pm – right at the start of the allotted ahem, six hour slot, and I was to call back the next day to book in for a blood test.
The rain had cleared and I decided to head up the road to the fair, accidentally crossing for a pint at Westow House prior – purely medicinal of course! Joking aside my knee and lower leg were really giving me grief after the short walk from the site and I decided enough was enough, I’d try and book and appointment when sorting the blood test in the morning.
The fair wasn’t that busy but it was great to see it all lit up – fairs do really come into their own at night. I had a go on the Twister but it was of course the Waltzer that was the focus of my visit. The chaps recognised me and welcomed me back. I stayed on for a second and third ride before heading back to the site considerably more cheerful.
Tuesday 29th October
Nowt to report apart a phone call to the GPs to book appointments then a limp up to the Triangle lunchtime to pick up a few bits to throw in the slow cooker and the inevitable pint and another pre-dinner visit to the fair in the evening, with multiple goes on the Waltzer, they only took any money for the first. Bless them.
Wednesday 30th October
I woke to a brighter morning and decided it was time, after a day ‘off’, to head out exploring again. I was keen to bag some more of the ’Magnificent Seven’ London’s huge atmospheric cemeteries built to ease overcrowding as the capitals population exploded. There were two to the east that would be less of a journey – Abney Park and Tower Hamlets. Abney Park would be first and if the knee allowed Tower Hamlets too.
The usual bus down the hill to Sydenham then a longer than usual run on the Overground up to Dalston before another bus took me almost to the entrance in Stoke Newington.
Very peaceful, considering how close it was to a main road, I made it as far as the chapel and a did a few of the side tracks but it was clear the clock was already running down on my blasted knee. I needed to go steady if I were to make it to Tower Hamlets too. Fortunately, respite came in the form of a delightful coffee shop in the entrance where a superb Americano was enjoyed in the sunshine, whilst I double checked the route to Tower Hamlets.
The journey took us back past Dalston Junction station and at that moment I decided to abandon the exploring and get on the train back to site. I emerged at the station to get the bus back up the hill and took the underpass – something I not noticed before, normally using the footbridge. On emerging something didn’t look right – maybe I’d come out a bit further down or something. I turned back to the station entrance somewhat discombobulated – I’ve always wanted to use that word – where the name of the station was displayed – Forest Hill! Not Sydenham, I’d got off one stop too early. Dipstick!
Back at Patsy a lie down and some ibuprofen gel eased my knee a bit, then I returned, once again for a pre-dinner pint and a visit to the fair, two activities that I enjoyed that were pain free.
Thursday 31st October
A murky yet dry day but a poor nights’ sleep thanks to you know what saw a lazy morning doing very little. I took the bus up to the triangle for a bit of shopping , stopped for the inevitable ‘medicinal’ pint then continued the laziness back at the ‘van. The trip had started so well but my lack of mobility was getting to me and motivation to get out and about was almost non-existent.
It was Halloween of course – the time of the year when I get asked “Wow. Are you going to a party”? Nope! I galvanized myself into action, wet shaving the bonce, inserting the eerie black contact lenses, donning various items of dead cow and took the bus up to the triangle for my now nightly pint in Westow House. Then it was back over to the fair - of course – where I got a fist bump from the chap on the turnstile before he waved me through without having to pay. They (fairs) cop a bit of criticism on social media for charging an entrance fee but it’s usually a nominal amount and to me it provides a safer environment – there was plenty of security patrolling the grounds too.
I headed of course for the Waltzer, and again was waved on. After the first ride one of the operators suggested another car as it was faster – it was. I stayed on for two more goes, the music, lighting and the motion of the ride banishing all thoughts of my troublesome leg. A welcome few minutes of escapism.
Friday 1st November
My last full day on site – ever. The usual slow pack up was planned with an early departure on Saturday morning. By mid-morning I’d changed my mind, it was time to go and the extra time back home would be more useful.
Soon after midday I hitched up her ladyship, pulled her to the gate and got a final photo, at 12:15pm I pulled out of the site for the last time, and yes I had something in my eye. So many wonderful memories had been created here since our first visit in 2012. A great loss to the network but time marches on. Oh well.
Until next time, thanks for reading.
Rich.