My daughter and I took a little trip to London, baby! (originally posted 2014). It was a heady mix of excitement, fun, sore feet, poignant memories, ballet and food. This post is a veritable photo bomb, so continue reading only if you possess extreme picture viewing fortitude.
Covent Garden in London, baby!
Above is the bridge that joins the Royal Ballet School to the Opera House. Below is bronze of a little dancer opposite the Opera House.
We stayed in Covent Garden. We saw Bill Nighy in the street in Covent Garden. He frowned at us. We like Covent Garden.
Cake in the apple market, and the statue above, feature in my novel, TENDU:
Neal’s Yard
The Tube
The Moomin Shop
Quirky Streets
Brydges Place is the narrowest alleyway in London, measuring just 15 inches across where it comes out beside The Coliseum theatre.
This one had fun shops:
Self-indulgent memory alert
The Freed shop was one of the last places I visited before leaving London many years ago. It was to buy a pair of shoes to teach in rather than to dance in, after my body had crumbled… A much happier, sunnier day is shown below, for us if not the staff; there was an angry man in there trying to buy many pairs of shoes in sizes they didn’t have. It was all very dramatic.
Ballet Shoes
Trafalgar Square
I don’t get the blue cock (that is what it’s called) in Trafalgar Square. I’ve read the various excuses explanations for it and they don’t make sense. It’s like a blue joke in an otherwise dignified play… but it is photogenic, so my dislike is not total:
But I prefer the mermaids:
Theatre
We saw the Kings of the Dance at The Coliseum. They were phenomenal, but of course, no photos, other than this pre-show one:
The bar sold chocolate. Just thought I would mention because that impressed me. Right, high heeled boots are abandoned in favour of Bloch dance trainers (an emergency purchase) and on we go.
Shakespeare in Leicester Square. Prime London, Baby!
M&M store
Piccadilly Circus
Chinatown
Year of the Horse
The Rudest Restaurant in London (and one of the best and cheapest)
Wong Kei, formerly the ‘rudest restaurant in London’ (still quite curt and bossy to be honest), and a haunt of my youth due to the excellent and cheap food:
The jasmine tea is free and unlimited, just leave the lid of your pot open and it will be replaced.
British Museum
This iron age helmet was found in the River Thames beside Waterloo Bridge. I want one.
Naked statues in Soho Square
And finally (I promise)…
The London Eye
My camera really doesn’t do night.
Well done. One and all.
Series: A Dancer’s Journey
My dance background and love of history and spicy stories are what inspired this heady mix of contemporary romance and ballet set in a castle. Readers of my historical fiction will recognise the castle and stone circle that feature in these books.
A Dancer’s Journey is available in paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.
Series on Amazon UK
Series on Amazon worldwide
Enjoy a kiss on the London tube in TENDU. Romp up and down the castle stairs! Dance in a stone circle. Attend a Ceilidh in the great hall. Have your brain studied in the dungeon. All fun, I assure you. Well, not quite all…
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I kept saying ‘London baby!’ in my head too when I was there, Joey from Friends legacy!
The Lad and I loved your photos, Ailish. You’ve heightened our desire to go back to the U.K soon (he’s never been, so that would be quite the experience for a seven-year-old). “She’s good at convincing her reader,” he told me just now. He’s a fan of old architecture, buildings, and statues, as well as ballet, so this hit all the right notes. And ah, you’ve made me miss London!
Yes, ‘London, baby’ was a mind mantra for me too!
Diane, it was Lucy above who made me miss London with tales of her trip. Such inspiration leads on to good things, I hope you get to go soon 🙂
Great photos – now really excited about my trip to London next weekend. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Lovely photos! There are many venues here that I have frequented. Not in my youth, but patiently waiting for my daughter to finish her dance lessons. I used to see how many people, in an anonymous city, would return a smile when offered one 🙂
London is a lot friendlier than you might expect, isn’t it?
I hope you pop up some photos too Helen 🙂
A picture tells a thousand words! I almost feel like I was there with you – a delightful picture story. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your photos. I was in London a year ago with the family and your pictures brought back many fun memories. It looks like you had a great time.
So much fun to see London through your camera lens. Thank you for the quick escape vacation (Cucumber Alley and the Blue Rooster made me smile)
Thank you so much for the kind comments ladies. Cucumber Alley made me smile too 🙂
Just got back from London myself and recognized most of your pictures. Mine didn’t come out so well – it was raining!
I love the night pictures! I work right by the wheel and love looking at it all lit up in the dark 🙂 #archiveday
What a great works view to have!
Some lovely pictures. Really makes London look like a colourful and inspiring place; which it is of course.
It really is, must go back soon 🙂
Love this post! We visit London at least once a year & I’m always looking for new things to see & do. Some great ideas here, thanks.
Glad it was useful 🙂
These are brilliant photos! I’ve just finished my first year living here, and I’ve found it quite easy to get disenchanted with the city. This reminds to keep looking and seeing and experiencing it, rather than always rushing my way through it.
Ironically, it is easier to take your time and enjoy the city when you don’t live there 🙂
This was such a fun post/photo essay. Thank you for sharing it for Monday Blogs!
It’s one of my favourite posts 🙂
London used to be one of my all time favourite haunts when I was posted there a long time ago. London is actually two cities, most people are not aware of this.
It is a wonderful city (or two!).
I love Covent Garden too, lovely photo’s thanks!
Glad you like 🙂
Wonderful photos! I haven’t been to London in ages and have the urge to go again now.
I would like to go again too…
Fabulous photos, thanks for brightening my day! Also I was intrigued by the retro ‘Cats’ poster in the Freed of London shop window. I saw the original cast production back in 1980s and all I can say is ‘timeless’ just like London 🙂 Gretchen.
It is timeless 🙂
What fun pictures! Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad you enjoyed them 🙂
The photos were amazing! I lived in London for two and a half years, I enjoyed my time living there.
It is an amazing place. I liked living there too.
Great write up. As I live in London there’s some things I need to visit for myself.
I love London, I bought my bridal boots in Freed!
How lovely!