Travel in Portugal, Day 1, Palmela to Flor da Rosa
We set out from Palmela on the motorway to Estremoz, turning off for Vila Viçosa. The road was quiet and the countryside stretched for miles ahead – it was good to be in Portugal again.
Travel in Portugal, Day 1, Palmela
I love travelling in Portugal and I have just enjoyed some days spent mainly in the Alentejo. Easyjet took us to Lisbon late in the day and we spent the first night at the Pousada of Palmela, originally a monastery for the Knights of … Continued
Waterloo Station, Bradshaw’s Hand Book (No.96)
Bradshaw says ‘Opposite [St John’s Church] are the vast premises forming the London Terminus of the South West Railway.’ The original thinking was to create a rail link between Southampton and London for trade, and the first station opened at Nine Elms in London in … Continued
The Peabody Trust
The Peabody Trust was founded in 1862 by George Peabody, an extraordinary American banker and business man who lived and worked in London. He wanted to ‘..ameliorate the condition of the poor and needy of this great metropolis, and to promote their comfort … Continued
St John’s, Waterloo
There were signs of spring in the garden around the church.
The Waterloo Road, Bradshaw’s Hand Book (No.95)
Bradshaw says ‘..The Waterloo Road, leading to Waterloo Bridge, is a broad but ill-built thoroughfare..’.About half-way down, on the eastern side, is the Victoria Theatre, a cheap place of minor dramatic entertainment, and opened as the Coburg Theatre in 1818.’ Well, haven’t times changed – the … Continued
St George’s Circus, Bradshaw’s Hand Book, (No.94)
Bradshaw says ‘..At the junction of the London Road with the Blackfriars Road is an obelisk standing in the centre of the open ground whence six roads branch off in different directions. It is now considered merely as the indicator of various … Continued
West Square, Bradshaw’s Hand Book, (No.93)
West Square was built between 1791-1810. The Temple-West family owned c.two acres in St George’s Fields and leased land to a Mr Hedger to build houses. The Hedger family owned the Dog & Duck tavern and from the 1780s James Hedger … Continued
Burial Ground for Bedlam
An interesting article appeared this morning – Exploring London writes about the excavation of a former Bedlam burial ground in Liverpool Street in the City of London. The site lies underneath the eastern ticket hall of the new Crossrail Station and contains … Continued
Razor Wire
Guarding a housing estate in Southwark, built on the site of the King’s Bench Prison.