Clerkenwell

A few photos from the 2 mile walk I did around Clerkenwell.  An area of London that is, according to my guidebook, rich in historical features.  And although it was nice enough to get away from the crowds and wander around the quieter backstreets of London, this was one of the least photogenic walks I've done from this guidebook.  I wouldn't have known the history if I hadn't read it in the book.  And a lot of it was either destroyed during the Blitz or has been built upon beyond recognition.  For example, there is a medieval well called the Clerk's Well (hence Clerkenwell) - but it is inside an office building and you can only see it by peering through an office window.  Not sure I care for that.  But perhaps this would have been a more pleasant walk if it hadn't been so hot and I hadn't overdone it - as proved subsequently as I am apparently suffering from both a heat rash on my arms and Disney rash (look it up) on my legs.  Yikes.  

RAF Museum

As mentioned, I went to the RAF Museum yesterday.  A somewhat bittersweet experience, because it was one of the last places I was supposed to go with my Dad before his mental health deteriorated, but we never did.  And I think he would have liked it.  Lots of airplanes on display from the 1st and 2nd World Wars, up to the modern day.  I'm not sure a visit to the museum alone would justify a trip into London, but it does make a nice detour on a rainy (or hot!) day and you've got a couple of spare hours.  Here are some photos of some of the airplanes - which I guess some (most) of you might find kind of boring...

Heat

Whenever I come back to the UK, I like to do various excursions into London.  It's been a long time since I've come back to the UK in the peak of summer.  And one of the reasons I don't like it is because it's too hot to do much walking.  Especially after 50 plus days without measurable rainfall, or whatever it is.  I did my first excursion into London today, and it was exhausting.  My main aim was to go to the RAF Museum.  But with the cost of an off-peak one day travel card now at an ungodly amount, I felt I had to get my money's worth so I followed up my museum trip with one of the walks from my book.  And it was a struggle.  I probably tried to do too much in one day.  I need to pace myself a bit better, and make better use of drinks and refreshment - after all, this should be something that London is good for.  With no discernible rainfall in the forecast, I don't think conditions are going to get better any time soon....  I'll aim to post some photos in the upcoming days.      

Godalming

Godalming.  Famous (maybe I should use inverted commas: "Famous") for the world's first public electricity supply and birthplace of Titanic wireless operator Jack Phillips (who went down with the wreck).  And also, as of this year, as the site of the largest Marks & Spencer standalone food hall in the world.  And having walked around this store, you will be blown away.  Not.  It is decidedly unspectacular.  It just seems like it offers the same stuff that you might be able to get at any other M&S store, but spread out a bit more.  And you are actually more likely to notice the things that this store does not offer: clothing, a cafe, even just a toilet.  When you are literally located within view of a Waitrose on one side, and a Sainsbury's on the other, the location is nonsensical.  As is the fact that the store is clearly big enough to sell clothes - something that is majorly lacking in the Godalming area.  Seems like a huge missed opportunity.  What a joke.  I don't think it is sustainable.  

BA BS

I composed this on my Notes app on my phone during the flight yesterday... it is a bit of a moan, so sorry about that.

Although I’m happy to be back in the UK, it was not a pleasant flight here.  I’m utterly fed up with British Airways - when I checked in, I had no seat choice.  A window seat in the corner of the back row of the premium economy section.  A seat that I wasn’t able to change at the airport, despite asking both at the check-in desk and at the gate.  And arguably one of the worst seats in the section (eg too close to the toilets). I blame BA for downgrading my membership tier, so I couldn’t select a seat a week before my flight and instead could only do so a day before.  I notice also that I was never offered a drink before the plane took off.  That was something that I’m sure we got in premium economy before.  BA has gone seriously downhill.  I think this might also be the last time traveling back to the UK in summer.  I hate airports at this time of year.  Too hot, too busy, too crowded.  The terminal was a nightmare - and I was sweating through my clothes as I was walking around.  I clearly didn’t use enough deodorant this morning.  Very unpleasant.  I was on a full flight, and I think this might be the first time I was never asked if I might be interested in paying x amount to upgrade.  Perhaps even the business section was full?  There are clearly way too many people with way too much disposable income in this part of America to be able to afford flying business class.  Anyway, I have got to book flights back for Christmas soon.  I will definitely be considering airlines other than BA for that trip.

I must have written this early on in the flight, because later on I actually noticed there was a free aisle seat in the premium economy section, which is all I asked for.  Which takes the p*ss.  And add to that a massive long wait for my checked bags after breezing through immigration.  Yep, I feel like I might be done with BA (until I find out they have the cheapest priced flights...)  

Blighty

Yep, I've made it back to the UK once again.  Too tired to compose a meaningful post.  But, surprisingly, I think I actually got some decent sleep on the flight over - though in typical airline fashion, it was very fitful sleep.  And don't get me started on British Airways itself.  Let me save that for tomorrow.

Smoke

It seems I've timed my trip back to the UK quite well.  It has been quite nice here, apart from one major exception over the last few days which I'll be glad to leave behind.  And that's the wildfire smoke pouring into our region.  You can noticeably see and smell the smoke in the air.  Does make for some very photogenic orange skies - especially at sunrise and sunset.  But it does mean we have a severe weather alert for air quality.  In addition, it looks like there's a heat advisory tomorrow and Thursday.  Heat and smoke together is a very toxic combination.  I think all the smoke is coming from some big wildfires in the east of the state.  Apparently there have been tens of thousands of forced evacuations around Spokane, with huge areas affected and lots of buildings destroyed.  And that's just one of many.  What makes it worse, the Spokane fire was caused by arson - which is disgusting.  I guess climate change doesn't really matter when you have the idiocy of humanity.