Exploring London

The tube platform in East Finchley.

Since we went to Canterbury, we've been exploring and learning about London. Tuesday we were visited by the landlady while the heating systems was checked and certified and the lock in the front door was updated. It seems the mechanism in the front door dates from some time before 1982. In itself, this is no biggie. The problem was that the keys had narrow bits on them that were bent and this made operating the door hard in a poring rain.



Once the lock and the keys were updated, our boiler serviced, the gas fireplace checked, we were good to go. We had a delightful visit with the landlady and learned all sorts of things about her life in England after immigrating from South Africa in 1960.

To celebrate a happy heating system, we went to the Gielgud Theatre to enjoy Strangers on a Train staring Laurence Fox (Detective SergeantJames Hathaway in the British TV drama series Lewis) and Jack Huston (Pete Musane in American Hustle). 

We then spent a couple days checking out the outing locations for my class. After visiting the Science Museum and finding several great exhibits for my class, I found a delightful place to visit at the Royal College of Music Instrument Museum. 

The unimposing street level view of the Royal Institution

The Royal Institution had a pretty nice Faraday Museum in the basement. Most of the building is offices but the museum is a good stop. The building is out of the way not indicated as a museum on my map so I had a bit of confusion finding it. That was the part of the point: how to find these places.

Statue of Michael Faraday in the Faraday Museum.

The visit to the Grant Zoology Museum is looking iffy since it doesn't open until 1:00 pm and that is too late for the window scheduled. I'll call them to figure this out.

This razy clock winds itself by dropping zinc pellets into sulfuric acid to make
hydrogen gas. The expanding gas pushes a piston and rewinds the clock!

The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers operates at Museum and Library with really cool devices. After checking out the Museum of London, I met Elizabeth for (a late) lunch and we dined at The George Inn. Dickens and Shakespeare both dined here. We had a great meat pie.

The George Inn and Pub.

Then we were off for a spot of fun in the Borough Market.

A grocer in the market.

And game is also available.

After a walk about we went next door to the Southwark Cathedral. It is the oldest church (possibly as early as 1086) in England and the newest Cathedral (1905).

Southward Cathedral.

It is a great place to visit and if the visit to the Zoology Museum doesn't pan out, I'll fit this in. Note, however, that there is a £2 charge for photographing.

There is one chapel on the left side that is quite interesting. In it is a stained glass window with the coat of arms for Harvard (in red, left center panel) and Oxford (in blue, right center panel).

The Harvard chapel.

John Harvard was born in Southwark in 1607, a butcher's son, and was baptized in this church. He later emigrated to Boston and endowed Harvard University.

As usual, there's a few more photos on Flickr.