Visit to London

We are in London for a week in the middle of June, 2014, having not done that since 2006. That year we stayed in a rental apartment. This time we are staying in a hotel at a much greater expense. And it's smaller. But the amenities are better.

In anticipation of our visit I watched videos on YouTube about interesting things in England and some of the activities we have done there in the past. I watched videos about canal trips, reminiscent of our canalling in England and Wales. One of the most memorable trips we did was on the Llangollen Canal in Wales, where at the beginning of it we crossed over a valley on an aqueduct a hundred feet above the ground, an unbelievable experience. And because of my interest in railways I also watched several videos on trains in Britain. Other videos I found just as absorbing were about the restoration of buildings in London.

There is a canal in London where people live on 'narrowboats', the Regent's Canal. It's also a favorite touristy area where people can ply the canals on tour and restaurant boats. One of the more trendy areas along the canal is called Little Venice, where at one spot there is a cafe/restaurant sitting atop a canal tunnel entrance where the canal continues undercover for several hundred meters. The view from there is not disappointing, looking down on the canal and the many boats moored along its sides. 

One of the railway videos I saw was about St. Pancras station in London, which I am anxious to see. It has been resorted, along with the glorious hotel attached to it. And now the Eurostar trains leave from there. From it also depart fast trains to the site where the 2012 London Olympics were held, a trip I'd like to make to see where it all took place.

On a series called Grand Design, originally aired on  BBC and then on YouTube, they did an episode on the restoration of a water tower, which was the remains of a Victorian Workhouse built in 1867 in South London. When I am there I would very much like to see it. But trying to find its location was difficult. On the show its location was vaguely outlined, I suppose on purpose in order to keep gawkers away. One indication as to where it might be located was the mention of it being directly above a tube line (subway), the Northern Line. Another indication of its position was a tall apartment building seen in the background. With those two positions I struggled with a lengthy GoogleMap search and eventually found its location. I understand the tower was put up for sale last year. Perhaps the purchaser overextended himself since there were many more expenses than he had originally bargained for. Nevertheless, it is incredible that one would take on such a project.

All these three subjects I watched on video about London have something in common, that none of them would exist or be of much use today if it wasn't for their restoration. And it takes money to restore things. Tourism is certainly a great source of money and London certainly generates a lot of tourism. But there is a lot of private wealth in London also, which has been a major factor in a lot of restoration taking place. For instance, the water tower that was restored wasn't done with public funds or monies from tourist. Nor do I think the restoration of St. Pancras Station and its hotel would have been possible or been sustainable without the income and business generated privately by it being the hub of the Eurostar and its service to the continent. Without the restoration of that station and its rail network I don’t think London would have been successful in hosting the Olympics, which in turn enabled the  revitalization of an the area that had been neglected for years. 

Watching these videos on canals and railways in England and around London got me thinking further, this time about the environment. The canals and railways were built in Britain to service the  Industrial Revolution, which started in the Midlands around 1760. The Industrial Revolution, with the canals and railways that enabled it, caused a lot of environment scars, degradation and pollution throughout the land. And I am sure that many at the time thought the countryside would never recover from all the environmental damage that had been perpetrated in the name of commerce. And it was quite extensive. But it's amazing how well it has recovered. The canals are now an integral part of the landscape and have even enhanced its beauty. Ironically they now generate tourist dollars that help maintain and sustain the environment. Moreover, the railways are no longer the polluting force they once were because of technical advances. And with all that in mind I am am thinking that if London, England and Britain managed to change things environmentally for the better, from the days of mass pollution of rivers and air, then there is hope that the rest of the world will follow suit and clean up its act in a similar manner.

One more place I’d like to visit while in London is Selfridges, the department store that was recently the focus of a BBC drama series by the same name.  The store opened in 1909 on Oxford Street and as the series portrayed it it changed the nature of retailing in Britain and as a consequence changed social attitudes enough to help advance the rights of women. However, by the 1990s it almost went out of business like so many other department stores. But it managed to reinvent itself with a new formula that changed the face of retailing yet again. And this seems to be the connection between all the things I find interesting about London and its nation, that they - canals, railways and buildings, have gone through a process of reinvention and renewal that keeps them vital and appealing.