More elderly exercise

Wednesday 22 July 2020

Today's sunny outing began with a pause to photograph the extraordinary bungalow being built along St Pancras way. It may not be easy to make out from my little photos, but it is squished between the cycle track and the canal tow path, up against an older development of apartments. The trees in the plot have TPOs so it's even more constricted than it looks.  I suppose the planning permission was Camden helping to sort the housing crisis. 



As a contrast, here is 65 Agar Grove, which has stood empty since (at least) 1996.  As you can see, it's hardly a bustling work site now.  But let us pedal on a bit.

 

I crossed Camden High Street and headed up Delancey Street, where Dylan Thomas once lived: I expect the area was not as desirable back then. The plan was to ride round the north side of Regents Park in order to see (and photograph) the giraffes, the only animals you can watch without going into the Zoo.  But they were not showing off today, possibly because the Zoo has reopened, and so there were parked cars all along this bit of the Outer Circle, and lots of people entering the Zoo (in an orderly and socially distanced way, of course.)

The mosque was looking attractive in the sunshine. It's easy to get into Baker Street from the Park, and the Volunteer Pub has lovely hanging baskets.  

No time to take more photos, however, as there is lots of traffic to negotiate and avoid.  Two months ago I fantasised that people would so enjoy the clean air and the quiet that they would happily give up their cars.  All that is left is a hollow laugh. 
Still, It's all fine for cyclists: at Marble Arch a series of light-controlled crossings gets you to the excellent segregated bike lane which has left the cars with a single lane heading north, and therefore rather slow progress. My progress south was so smooth and rapid that I failed to take a picture of the Animals in War memorial.  But I made up for it when I reached Hyde Park Corner, which is war memorial central.

First, there's the Wellington Arch, with Victory on her chariot above it, the equestrian statue of the Duke which was planned, proving too heavy




On the Piccadilly side is the Machine Gunners' Memorial, which so upset other sections of the armed forces with its inscription from the Ist Book of Samuel: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'.

On the other side is the Australian Memorial. The names of all the 'home towns' of the soldiers who went to war are listed, and then some are highlighted to show the areas where they fought.

The Royal Artillery memorial is the work of Charles Sargent Jagger, and is noted as a sculpture as much as anything else.  And the set is made up with the New Zealand Memorial.

This is the most recent, with its metal pillars, leaning forward like warriors at the Haka, topped with the stars of the Southern Cross.












My route then followed the edge of Green Park, where I paused at the Victoria Cross memorial, to note the debt owed to the many fighting men of the Commonwealth.

Green Park was looking particularly green and lovely:  I'm sure you know that it was designed for grazing by the cows which provided fresh milk for Londoners able to afford to send their servants out to the milk maids.  That's why this is the Park without flower beds.

To finish off my Commonwealth collection, I detoured to visit the Canadian memorial: water flows gently down a slope, a far cry from the horrible North Atlantic waters which the Canadians repeatedly crossed during the World Wars.







    I pedalled along the Mall to Admiralty Arch, but paused to photograph the hideous Royal Navy citadel, its concrete mercifully shrouded in creeper, and then to add James Cook and the Royal Marines to the set.

Once you get to Trafalgar Square, it is all about the Navy: Beatty, Jellicoe and Cunningham are along the wall beneath the National Gallery and of course the main man is on his column.

Next, I pedalled up the Charing Cross Road, and the Tottenham Court Road, with lots of motor traffic, to get home via Torrington Place and Tavistock Place, and Cartwright Gardens.  The Euston Road was effectively a long traffic queue, made more acute by the new cycle lanes on either side.

Cycling infrastructure has certainly benefited from the lock down.  It would be great if more people took advantage of it.