Hi All
I lived in London for the best part of a year in the late 1970s. Computers were “Coming of Age”, so I soon found employment using my Computer Science degree. The company I worked for was developing software for a Hotel Reservation system, ensuring valuable experience for my future computer programming career.
I shared a bedsit in Shepherds Bush with two other guys from my hometown in Bulawayo. I seem to recall just four days of Sunshine during the whole time I was there. One would wake up in the dark; travel in a crowded, grubby old Tube Train for 30 minutes; work in a dingy little office for 8 hours; and then jump back on the tube in the dark. We seemed to have a “guti” type rain for most of the year, so every bare surface was covered in a sticky muck.
I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised on the infinitely improved situation when I returned there a few weeks ago for a two-week stint with 2 of my grown-up children. They had invited me over to spend my birthday with them. There were sunny skies the whole time with weather reminiscent of a fine Spring Day in Harare.
The one very noticeable thing was the number of streets that were lined with large bunches of flowers adorning shop fronts- Petunias, Pansies, Dahlias and many more. One must visit is Elizabeth Street in Kensington for the best road for flower displays. The streets of London were, by and large, clear of any noticeable litter.
Hyde Park is not too far from where we were staying so we walked over there one Saturday morning. Lots of folks reclining in in their deck chairs showing all the bad signs of sunburn. The grasses have obviously been badly affected by the recent heat waves but I’m quite sure they’ll all recover with the onset of the winter rains. We came across a large group of folks meeting up for their weekly dose of skipping! Not just the standard skipping – these people compete for the most imaginative way of moving the skipping rope around heads and between legs without doing a “wheels- up”. Anyone interested in meeting up at the Highlander one Saturday morning to try out a similar experience? Watch this Lauren Skipping video and you will be hooked!
I wore shorts for the whole time I was there – unheard of in the 70s. A company called Santander has set up hundreds of Bike racks around the city centre where you can very easily hire a road bike (3 gear Manual or “Electric”) for just US$5 per day. It was a given, therefore, for me to jump on a bike and ride some 8 or 10km to the Queen Mother municipal swimming pool for my daily dose of exercise. Kensington has some very up market restaurants with seating either on the pavement outside or within – Birthday dad did, after all, have to be offered the best culinary delights by his now grown-up, working kids. Late afternoon naps were of course a must as were the nightly sundowners at the nearest pubs.
One morning I decided to go for a run ending up so far from my hotel that I chose to hop onto the first bus heading back in that direction. I had to jump off at Earls Court and walk the last few kms. Along the way I happened to pass the front door of the St Philips Anglican Church just as they were starting their weekly “Holy Eucharist” at 10.30 am. I could not resist entering the back of the church with a young guy playing such melodious hymns on the historical Pipe Organ – do yourself a favour and spend a minute listening to some Pipe Organ. The Church Vicar, Rev Philippa Turner gave my kind of sermon.
This trip to London has changed my perspective on the city and I would recommend you spend a few weeks holiday there whilst you still can – trouble is that you need to save a lot of money first! Ciao Mike G