Trafalgar Square
Our hotel was near the center of the city of London - that is, the central square mile of London. One day I took a walk without benefit of a map. After an hour I was hopelessly lost and had to ask directions five times before I found my hotel.
Looking at a map of the area later, it was apparent why I had gotten lost - the streets of the city have no consistent pattern. There are many short and curving streets, and the Londoners have the habit of changing the names of the longer streets every two blocks or so.
Later, when our team walked to the British Museum, we were more understanding about why even people who lived a few blocks away could not give us clear directions on how to get there.
Having finished my presentations while my companions were still facilitating workshops, I spent most of a day re-exploring the south side of the Thames. I crossed at the Tower Bridge that overlooks the Tower of London. The map I brought wasn’t needed; you won’t get lost on the Bankside walk because you always have the Thames as your reference point.
Tower Bridge
Historically Bankside was across the river from the city of London, and it was there that Londoners crossed the old London Bridge to find sin. Here the prostitutes worked out of "stewhouses" or brothels, betting was done on animal-baiting at bear pits and plays were staged at such places as Shakespeare’s Globe. Being considered the most sinful, plays were eventually forbidden even in Bankside.
In a relatively short distance are the Tate Modern, Bankside Gallery, Shakespeare’s Globe, Clink Prison, Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hinde and Southwark Cathedral, and a short distance beyond you will find the London Dungeon, HMS Belfast and the Britain at War Experience. There is certainly much more to see here than one can in a day’s activity as a tourist. I’ve spent many days in the area over the years, and a number of these places have already appeared in my stories about London.
HMS Belfast
Life-sized mannequins are being drawn and quartered in gory blood-spattered detail. Torture methods are highlighted, and actors dressed as vampires jump out of dark corners at the customers to keep the adrenaline flowing.
As usual, a long line of young people were eagerly waiting for tickets so they could be grossed out. This is one major attraction that I haven’t had the patience to stand in line for, and I went off instead to see the Clink Prison and its horrors. It was late in opening, and I was the only customer.
From childhood I’ve heard the term, "They put him in the Clink," and I hadn’t realized that the name came from a real jail in London where jailers kept prisoners, whom they didn’t feed. Instead, there were bars at passersby’s leg level so prisoners could beg for food.
Despite the emphasis on the miserable conditions of the inmates shown by mannequins, it obviously doesn’t have the negative charm of the London Dungeon for tourists.
I had hoped to climb aboard the Drake’s Golden Hinde, but it was closed for maintenance.
The Southwark Cathedral was open, so I spent time inspecting the memorials, including one to Shakespeare, whose brother is buried here. Built in 1212, it’s been added to and subtracted from and built around but still maintains character and is worth a visit.
A visit to the Tate Modern topped off my visit to Bankside. As usual, I found the exhibits both amusing and moving.
Despite my mistrust of modern art as a put-on, I find some of it elicits a strong emotional response.
This time, with my map in hand, I had no problem working my way back past St. Paul’s to our hotel.
Drake's Golden Hinde
