The Story of London

Mayor Boris Johnson today launched a month-long celebration of London, its history, culture, architecture and people. The mayor’s site lists a lot of great events which I am hoping to take advantage of, including a walk this weekend around the Olympic Stadium and park under construction for 2012 Summer Games. Watch this space. Or of course link in to the mayor’s space.Story of London site

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Walking to Kew

It’s about five miles from our house along the Grand Union Canal system and we’ve done it before. But this time we had a picnic lunch, a hot sunny day and a video camera.  Here’s the resulting experiment. Emphasis on experiment.

Blighted beauty along London’s canal system

There are hundreds of miles of canals in and around London, much of it protected parkland teeming with birds and other critters. I live near the Grand Union Canal Hanwell Locks in West London and had a beautiful two-hour Sunday walk there this morning. The pictures show how beautiful it is.

A narrow boat motors along the Grand Union Canal near Hanwell

What you can’t see is the shocking amount of trash – car tires, shopping carts, plastic bags and bottles, beer cans – that litter both the water and the  walking path. It must be expensive to keep up such an extensive waterway. And it is such a tragedy that this treasure is so blighted.