4 November
We went to Blackheath Common to see the firework display. We went round
the funfair which is much better in the dark than in the daylight. By
the time we were leaving, it was very crowded and difficult to stay
together.
We walked the short distance to the arena and watched the fireworks,
which lasted eleven minutes. It doesn't matter where you stand, you get
a good view from anywhere.
5 November
We went to another firework display in Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets,
north east London. We walked round the park for an hour, which was
strung with lights along the paths. We found a seat under the lights to
eat our sandwiches. Most of the people there were queuing at the food
stalls.
This display went on for seventeen minutes and there was music and sound
effects as well. The park was very crowded, but on the way back, they
disappeared quite quickly and by the time we got to the train station,
there were very few. So we had a quick journey home and the whole
carriage to ourselves which is quite unusual.
6 November
Today we went to Crystal Palace Park, as it was sunny and there are good
views there from the high ground.
There are lots of crows in the park, and this one did not fly away as we
went past. I like to see the speckled pigeons or ones with unusual
patterns.
10 November
This is the moat at Well Hall Pleasaunce and the ducks do not seem to
mind the duckweed at all. As we were looking at the moat, we heard a
crunching of leaves and there was a young pigeon standing on the low
hedge, looking at us in case there was some bread, but unfortunately we
did not have any.
The trees were bright autumn colours and just look at this illuminated
tree - not really, it is a leaf of kale in the vegetable corner. It is a
very brilliant red.
As this squirrel was eating his acorn a pigeon was walking around
underneath the seat to get any bits falling.
11 November
This is the Lord Mayor's Parade in London. We saw the last half hour of
it. My favourites are the marching bands and drummers.
Everyone was smiling and the horses were very well trained and behaved.
At the end of the parade the Mayor's golden coach came past. He was
leaning out of the window on the other side though!
After the parade we went in St Paul's Cathedral. There were big crowds
listening to the choir.
We walked back to the river. In this shop they have a display with
pigeon wallpaper. They are all spaced out but only until someone drops a
piece of food and then they will all converge on it! This wall mosaic is
at Queenhithe riverside, it is very long and shows the history of London
starting from the first Roman conquest, and also the wildlife. Another
day we will come back and get more pictures of the whole length.
We waited by the river until it was firework display time. This is
Blackfriars Bridge illuminated and full of people waiting for it to
start. There were lots of boats going up and down the river to keep us
interested until the start time came.
It was a wonderful display and lasted eleven minutes. The bangs were
bouncing off the big buildings and river, and echoing around. It was
definitely worth waiting for.
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13 November
Brown Teddy is doing a selfie in the corner mirror at Sydenham Hill
Station. We walked through Sydenham Hill Wood to get some autumn photos.
There are bird and bat boxes everywhere. These are for bats. This broken
branch close up looked just like a big book with uneven sets of pages
coming loose.
They have fenced off certain areas so the plants can regrow without
people walking over it all the time. There were very few people about so
we had a chance to get a full picture of the folly ruins.
We left the woods and went down College Road. It is a private road,
although anyone can walk along it, and it has a real working toll gate,
and a notice board showing the old toll charges from long ago.
We went into Dulwich Park for our snack. All these pigeons were after a
few crumbs. These big paper sacks are full of autumn leaves that the
gardeners have filled. I think they probably compost it all just as it
is, without having to empty the bags.
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17 November
These two collared doves sit in the sun in a big tree near our back
garden. They come down for a drink but soon fly away at the slightest
sound or movement. The weather was sunny so we went to Greenwich Park to
get autumn photos.
There are lots of very old chestnut trees in the park, this one must be
several hundred years old.
This is the Time Ball on the Observatory Building. It is raised and let
down at 1 pm every day. Here is the wind vane on top of the Pavilion tea
rooms. We think of it as Nelson looking out to sea, but it could be an
astronomer as well.
This bumble bee was warming itself on the tree trunk. At the end of the
big pond, lots of pigeons were sitting round waiting for visitors, and
there were loads more on the seats and ground. I think they have it
easy, but it is also very messy because of the quantity of them.
We went to Lewisham shopping centre. These paintings of historical
events and people are displayed at the rear entrance. The paintings are
very skilled and lifelike.
This is the platform at Woolwich Station, showing munitions workers at
the nearby Woolwich Arsenal of the past. That area is now housing and
apartments.
19 November
This is a chocolate stall on Victoria Station, with items looking like
rusty tools. You wouldn't know they were chocolate unless you had one in
your hand and it melted and smelled of chocolate!
We saw the Hamley's Toy Parade in Regents Street. This is Peppa Pig, and
Bing.
We really liked the marching bands. Later on we sat by the Thames for
our snack and watched the sun going down.
25 November
We went to the Christmas Carnival at Petts Wood. Once it was dark, it
got very crowded. There was lots of noise and music from all the rides.
There was a funfair in the car park, and it finished with a firework
show.
Finally we watched the band playing glam rock music, which was very
loud.
26 November
We went to Hampton Court Palace, in the far west of London. We sat in
the kitchen garden for our sandwiches and were very quickly noticed by a
some bold hooded crows, and then their friends the ordinary crows and
two magpies. They were quick to dive in for the pieces of bread and
biscuit.
We watched the skating in the forecourt of Hampton Court Palace. We then
watched the resurfacing machine, and then stayed to see part of the next
session.
These are the skating patterns at the end of the session. This is a
picture on the noticeboard, of an actor being Henry The Eighth. He looks
just like the king would have been, not someone to be argued with!
27 November
We got off our train at Elephant and Castle, then made our way to the
Old Kent Road to find a shop we wanted.
These are the extra trains at Clapham Junction, waiting to be brought
into use during the rush hours. Nearby is a pub called The Junction
showing an old steam train.
30 November
This is Priory Pond after a very cold night. As the water level has
dropped, it froze easily. I think with the wet weather we have in winter
it will fill up again quite soon.
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