Forget beefeaters or the Houses of Parliament, nothing says 'I've been to London' like a drunken self portrait taken on the tube. After an acoustic music night at a Tapas restaurant in Turnpike Lane, I managed to snap a few photos of myself on the last Picadilly Line train. In case you're thinking I've suddenly become some kind of exhibitionist, I of course looked around to make sure nobody else was in the carriage. Taking photographs is second only to talking to people you don't know on the list of Tube no-no's. We are British, after all.
I don't care how old you are - Dinosaurs rule. Simple as that. It explains why the only part of the Natural History Museum you have to queue up for (apart from getting in), are the boney lizards like this one. Like all men, I had a dinosaur phase when I were a lad, and it was fun walking around looking at the youngsters open-mouthed as they excitedly tried to take it all in. It would have been even more fun if they'd let me get to the displays to push the buttons to make the models roar. Little bastards.
This is the monument erected by the people of Great Britain - after much controversy and expense - to the actor Anthony Daniels, for his timeless performance as C3P0 in the Star Wars series. At least that's what it looks like from a distance, as when you get closer you find out it's really to Prince Albert and so is far less exciting.
Kew Gardens in leafy South London is home to millions of plants and flowers and trees - and also the largest Victorian glass building in the world (this isn't it). When the weather's nice, it's a pleasant stroll around the gardens and through the sweaty greenhouses. Sadly the experience is let down by the £11 entrance fee - Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens is free (and far superior in my admittedly florally ignorant opinion), and the fact that every 60 seconds a low-flying plane rumbles overhead en route to nearby Heathrow. A bit rich seeing as how I travelled to London, I know, but it's not as peaceful a place as it should be.
Under cover of darkness, Andy and Grant belt out some classics from their heaving back catalogue at an acoustic night. After the aformentioned impromptu gig at a Spanish restaurant in North London, this was at a more traditional muso event underneath a pub in Farringdon. They are extremely hard to pick out in the blackness, but Grant's on the right next to the drum. Andy is on the left hidden by his hair, as ever. You can go here to listen to some of his music. If you do, you'll see what the above photo would have looked like had I turned the flash on.
The 'Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain' in Hyde Park, which was exceedingly controversial when it opened. A circular ribbon of water, it runs around a loop on the banks of the Serpentine in Hyde Park. When she died, it became a 'Where were you when you heard?' moment. I can distinctly remember where I was - in our local waiting for the Liverpool Newcastle match which they cancelled as a mark of respect. She didn't get much respect from the Sherwood regulars as a result, I can tell you. The fountain is impressive - but only in a technical way. Kids can paddle in it, which she would have liked, but it also traps rubbish and sucks water out of the water table when it could easily be recycled. It just doesn't serve as a memorial in any way - it just seems pointless and a waste of money. Maybe intentionally.
