please empty your brain below
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I'm very much enjoying this mini series of postings, thanks DG.
Agreed, the Golden Jubilee bridges have significantly improved access to the south bank - but the old footpath, bolted onto the side of Hungerford Bridge that bounced whenever a train rattled into or out of Charing Cross, had something special in a very down at heel sort of way about it.
Marc | 12.12.13 - 7:12 a.m. | #
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Wot, no mention of the little camel in Embankment Gardens or the fact that Bob Dylan did the "video" for Subterranean Homesick Blues in the alley next to the Savoy Hotel? I am shocked, shocked...
More seriously, I'm really enjoying this series. Thanks.
Baldassaro | 12.12.13 - 8:32 a.m. | #
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"stop ....just before we arrive at Temple station"
thereby complying with the entreaty in the Bus Driver's Prayer:
"and lead us not into Temple Station"
timbo | 12.12.13 - 9:48 a.m. | #
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Surely there are other gas lamps besides the one in Carting Lane. Indeed, another Londony website carried a feature on the capital's lamplighters earlier this week. Perhaps it depends on the definition of 'functional'.
Jonathan Wadman | 12.12.13 - 9:56 a.m. | #
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Somerset House was also for many years the headquarters of the Inland Revenue; I used to work in it. I well remember walking through the Strand gateway on my first day in February 1982 and thinking "wow, I work in this".
AndrewWS | 12.12.13 - 10:20 a.m. | #
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There are still gas lights at Spsakers corner in Hyde Park. BTW reading your blog today on a ship at sea.
John | 12.12.13 - 10:21 a.m. | #
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I was following the walk on google maps and saw Imperial Camel Corps statue sign in Victoria Embankment Gardens and was surprised it wasn't mentioned.
dg writes: I suspect that's currently behind the hoardings for the 'private event'.
I have to say, I'd never trust Google Maps to have an informed view on what's important in any particular location.
Karl, Dover | 12.12.13 - 12:29 p.m. | #
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with regards the gas lamps...think the one in Carting Lane "was" the last remaining 'sewer gas' lamp. the others are gas, just not gas from the sewer? I think a some working ones remain in the parks and a few 'heritage' locations around central London.
Ed | 12.12.13 - 1:50 p.m. | #
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The "Sewer Gas" lamp is actually an ordinary gas lamp on top of a pipe to vent noxious fumes from the sewer. The Victorian idea was that the burning gas light would consume the noxious vapours.
I believe that there is a society for folks interested in these sewer vents (no, I'm not a member). Most vent pipes didn't have lamps over them, there's the stub of one in my local small town.
Allan | 12.12.13 - 4:48 p.m. | #
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Just a mention of the scars and pock marks at the base of Cleopatras Needle were caused by a bomb dropped close by in the road in September 1917. Never been repaired.
Agent Z | 12.12.13 - 4:49 p.m. | #
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@Allan: they are stink pipes.
Andrew | 12.12.13 - 5:50 p.m. | #
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The view from the 10th floor balcony of Shell Mex House looks stupendous. Is it possible to get public access, or is it very much a perk for employees ?
Petras409 | 12.12.13 - 6:35 p.m. | #
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I went to a work 'do' at Shell Mex house once, when it was still Shell HQ. The view from that balcony is pretty impressive, but it is a surprisingly narrow space - definitely a balcony, not a terrace.
Shell have moved out now - I would expect that access to the balcony is still not public.
DG - thanks for all this info about the Embankment - I had always just thought of it as a busy road with a nice view on one side!
ChrisMitch | 12.12.13 - 9:13 p.m. | #
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Clapham rail crash 25 years ago today. RIP
Andrew | 12.12.13 - 11:00 p.m. | #
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The balcony at Shell-Mex House isn't public - it's part of the offices of Pearsons. I was lucky enough to go to a meeting there last month. Unfortunately, I didn't know we were to be treated to the view, so didn't bring my camera.
Baldassaro | 13.12.13 - 9:02 a.m. | #
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