A Walk In The Park

I'm going to start this blog with a moan I'm afraid. I just have to get this off my chest and who else but with my faithful blog followers.

Cyclists and towpaths is my moan. The area of London that I have been in the last few days is very busy with cyclists on the towpaths. And I cannot blame them, as a way to commute to work which is :

a) shorter

b) less congested 

c) healthier

d) cheaper

........the list is endless

I can see it has many advantages.

The problem is that other people want to use it as well and in peace without feeling threatened.

The Canal and River Trust are putting up large signs everywhere aimed at cyclists asking them to.. 'Share their space and drop their pace' and other requests like to sound their bells to warn of their approach. The emphasis is on welcoming considerate cyclists.

Still they turn out in their hoards cycling at breakneck speeds and not warning unsuspecting pedestrians of their approach. Any rebukes from the pedestrians who take their life in their hands just walking along the towpath are usually completely ignored by the cyclists because they cannot hear as they are wired for the latest sounds from their MP3 player clipped to their waist.

If I wanted to walk along the M4 in the mornings then I can appreciate that would not be sensible and I can expect to be mown down.

And then there is the matter of dress code. Please if you are in possession of a builder's bum could you  wear clothing that is suitable and not revealing your attributes to people just trying to enjoy the day.

I heard the other day that there were 7 dogs killed by cyclists in Hyde Park last year.

Anyway, I shall put away my soapbox and get back to my blog. I feel so much better now that I have off loaded :-)

This is Dream Catcher parked on the M4 .. sorry moored on the Regents Canal...........

Dream Catcher moored in Battlebridge Basin. Opposite are the offices of the Guardian and the Rotunda Restaurant

Today, I thought that Tara deserved a real treat as she had not had a really good walk for a couple of days* so I took her to Regents Park. We travelled by the number 205 bus which was a very convenient direct service from Kings Cross. We did get a few odd looks from passers by but Tara fortunately didn't notice or if she did, she was too polite to comment.

* dodging cyclists

I did manage to play the tourist a bit today

The St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel forms the frontispiece of St Pancras railway station. It opened in 2011, but occupies much of the former Midland Grand Hotel which opened in 1873 and closed in 1935. 

The east wing opened in 1873, and the rest followed in Spring 1876. The hotel was expensive, with costly fixtures including a grand staircase, rooms with gold leaf walls and a fireplace in every room. It had many innovative features such as hydraulic lifts, concrete floors, revolving doors and fireproof floor constructions, though (as was the convention of the time), none of the rooms had bathrooms. The hotel was taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1922 before closing in 1935, by which time its utilities were outdated and too costly to maintain, such as the armies of servants needed to carry chamber pots, tubs, bowls andspittoons.

Between 1935 and 2011, the building was known as St Pancras Chambers and was used as railway offices.

I've never been to Regents Park and it was a real treat. The Park is enormous and so beautifully maintained

The view across the boating lake in Regents Park of St John's Lodge

Then we found the parkland where dogs were allowed to run and met up with a couple of professional dog walkers. Tara fell in love!!!

Isn't he handsome

The Regent's Park is the largest grass area for sports in Central London and offers a wide variety of activities, as well as an Open Air Theatre, the London Zoo and many cafes and restaurants.

Henry VIII appropriated The Regent's Park for use as a hunting ground, which he considered to be an invigorating ride from Whitehall Palace. At that time, the only boundaries were a ditch and a rampart. Were he here today, Henry would hardly recognise the stylish gardens and sports fields that now stand in its place.

Marylebone Park, as it was known, remained a royal chase until 1646. It was John Nash, architect to the crown and friend of the Prince Regent, who developed Ther Regent's Park as we know it today.

A vast rounded park was designed by John Nash, surrounded by palatial terraces, a lake, a canal, 56 planned villas (only 8 were ever built) and a second home for the Prince - a summer palace, which was never built. The complete plan was never implemented because the Prince turned his attention instead to improving Buckingham Palace. 

The Park became the home of several organisations like the Zoological Society and the Royal Botanic Society. It wasn't until 1835, during the reign of King William IV, that the general public were actually allowed into the sections of the Park and this was only for two days of the week.

The main development in the 20th century was the creation, in the 1930s, of Queen Mary's Gardens. Of the buildings and monuments within the park, only two villas, St John's Lodge and The Holme, remain from John Nash's original conception of the park.

Some interesting wood carvings. For you Bill xx

I didn't see any explanation or story to this but it was the same girl

with each of the animals. Looked like a Grimm fairy tale?

Then I saw a signpost for Little Venice and realised how close we were. So as I was not ale to stop the other night I thought it was an ideal opportunity

On the way we met a female PC on duty carrying a gun which looked like a semi-automatic carbine. Rather intimidating but of course I had to chat. It turned out she was guarding Winfield House, the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom which stands in private grounds in the western section of Regents Park - even though there is no US Ambassador at the moment. So, guarding an empty house? 

These are some of the houses I photographed from the canal a couple of evenings ago. The ones with the small gardens. Looks like a nice little estate. Grand motors!

This is the view of Regents Canal looking down to Little Venice. Its taken from the restaurant where the boats enter the Maida Hill Tunnel.

Private moorings on the Regents just off Little Venice

Little Venice

To be honest I was a little disappointed with Little Venice in the cold light of day. The best time to see it is on a sunny evening when all the boaters are partying and the restaurants are bustling. So even though I could not find a mooring the other evening it was a wonderful experience just to cruise through.

And then we caught the 205 bus back from Paddington Station which has an entrance off the Paddington Arm of the canal. Simples!!