Feet First Walking

 

I left Tower Hill tube station and walked around the Tower of London towards Tower Bridge. This was a route I got to know well on my daily commute to my first 'proper' job having moved down to London.

 

Tower Bridge was very busy, but it still feels very 'special' whenever I walk across it.

 

Shad Thames was first regenerated in the 80s. My first MD had a flat around here, but not sure exactly.

 

Butlers Wharf, now luxury apartments.

 

Sadly, I thought the once impressive Design Museum building was looking a bit tired and overwhelmed by the buildings around it. I used to go for lunch there and the last exhibition I went to was the Peter Saville Show. The museum was founded in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran, but moved to a new site in Kensington.

 

Jacob's Island with China Wharf on the right. Jacob's Island developed a reputation as one of the worst slums in London, and was popularised by the Dickens novel Oliver Twist.

 

My first 'proper' job was for a design consultancy, that had offices at No. 1 New Concordia Wharf! I can see 'my' window, where my desk was on the first floor. Back then the gates were open and the courtyard was accessible. Three years I spent working there -- loved my job, the company and the people!

 

In July 1620, the Mayflower ship took on board 65 passengers from its London homeport of Rotherhithe on the River Thames. The Mayflower journeyed onwards to Southampton for supplies. The initial voyage was abandoned, but the Mayflower did set sail for America from Plymouth in September. On 11th November, 1620 the New World was spotted and they eventually landed at Cape Cod.

 

Surrey Basin bascule bridge built in the 1930s, unfortunately is no longer functional. For a clue as to how it works, bascule is the French word for see-saw. And if that doesn't help, just Google it.

 

Canary Wharf is located on the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs. The name originates from its use during World War II as a storage area for agricultural exports—primarily tomatoes, cucumbers, and bananas—from the Canary Islands.

 

I really like Cascades Tower on Westferry Road. designed by Rex Wilkinson, a partner in the architectural firm CZWG, and built in the late 80s.

 

From one extreme to another, the Pepys Estate was not as inhospitable as it previously was, and looks like it has had a make-over.

 

A detour from the Thames takes you through some low-level estates.

 

This liner was huge and there is nothing in this picture to give you a sense of scale. It looks like it had taken a wrong turn up the Thames, inside of following the coast around to Southampton.

 

It had been my intention to get the DLR from Greenwich to Canary Wharf, but the station was closed for refurbishment until 2026! Typical! So my one consolation of having to walk to Greenwich BR to get a train was to hear a staggering conversation between a father and son about 'spots'. The young boy was about 6 or 8 and his dad told him that spots 'erupted with such force, their white contents hit the mirror with a great force!' 'Not only that, but then a worm of puss comes out of the spot! No son, not a real worm'. 'It's like your brain exploding!' The poor boy was left speechless and I probably sill having nightmares. There was a mother with a grown-up daughter who were also privy to this fascinating description. We exganged glances and tried to stifle smirks and sniggers.