Di’s Days Out

London Museum Docklands 

Situated on the banks of the Thames at West India Quay, Canary Wharf, our visit to the London Museum was a pleasure. Built as a warehouse in 1802, the museum is divided into several galleries, each telling stories about the docklands and the various trades operating there.

The warehouse gallery revealed the scales suspended from the roof used to weigh the unloaded cargos of tobacco or to sugar. Our guide really brought the scene to life with tales of how hard the labourers worked - if they were lucky enough to get a day’s employment.

We then visited the Secrets of the Thames exhibition which contained many of the fascinating finds made by mudlarks over the last two centuries. In Victorian times they were the very poor women and children who searched the shores of the Thames for coal, bits of metal and rope or anything they could sell. Today, licensed mudlarks search as a hobby for fascinating finds like clay smoking pipes, skeletal remains and fragments of pottery. Anything 300 years old or more goes directly to the museum to be traced for its origin and use.

---

Top of the Pops

St Paul’s Cathedral is one the most popular landmarks in London and Sean, our excellent guide, gave us a very interesting tour of the cathedral, regaling us with interesting anecdotes.

The Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is on the site of the Old St Pauls which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Taking 35 years to build its style has many architectural influences but the iconic dome is unique, being 112ft diameter and 278ft high.

We all stayed on the ground floor of the Cathedral as no one wanted to venture up the 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery! There was so much to admire as Sean pointed out the Portland stone columns and arches, the black and white marble floor, the decorative friezes and metal balustrades and the amazing dome painted with various scenes from St Paul’s life.

St Paul’s Cathedral is renowned for being the resting place of famous people including Christopher Wren and Lord Nelson and for holding the funerals of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher and memorably the marriage of Charles and Diana.

After a break for lunch, we boarded a coach for a tour around London’s various sites relevant to the Great Fire with a lively commentary from Sean bringing all the scenes to life.

Diana Lewington