hkskyline's 2024 in LONDON

[IluvATX]

The round, white building looks very similar to Marina City in Chicago. They should have built 2 of them and it would’ve been nearly identical.

[hkskyline]

Located south of London near Croydon, Mayfield's lavender story is attributed to Brendan Maye, who managed the fragrance division of Wella UK. He wanted to grow lavender to solidify the brand and leased this field, working with an environmental charity to plant the lavender. Maye eventually bought the farm and handed it to his wife to manage.

























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

A long walk from Osterley station on the Piccadilly Line, including through a vast section of green space, Osterley House was the party palace for the Child family in the late 18th century.

Designed by Robert Adam down to the smallest details, what we see today has replaced a Tudor house built in the late 16th century. Sir Francis Child bought the property in 1713 and his grandson set off to transform the site into a grand mansion.

The family wealth came from banking, just like today's top echelon in the financial services industry who have way more money in their wallets than they need.











The entrance hall has a Roman flavour with expensive French Grey walls as well as design furniture that only fits this room's dimensions.











The Long Gallery showcases green pea coloured walls and plenty of paintings and chinoiserie artifacts, which were popular during the 18th century. The room is so long that it took up to 3 days to wax and polish the floor.















Continuing, the next few rooms are under renovation with many furniture packed up to protect them from construction. The Drawing Room was used to relax after dinner, such as playing cards or playing music. Up above, the ceiling is based on the Temple of the Sun from ancient Syria, a mid-1760s design. The old curtains have also been taken down and put into display cases.



















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london-osterley.htm

[hkskyline]

Hammersmith is believed to be once a small fishing village, developing into a residential area in the 19th century when the Hammersmith & City railway opened in 1864 to connect with the City. It is also home to the much older Fulham Palace, which was a bishop's residence, as well as an exhibition centre, huge Westfield mall, and BBC studios.









































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures!

The Osterley House looks wonderful! I love that interesting facade with the opening to the courtyard!

Is there any connection between Haarlem Road and the Dutch-looking facades for those houses?

In that second-last picture, with the cars parked the other way, it made me think it was an American scene for a split second.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Great pictures!

The Osterley House looks wonderful! I love that interesting facade with the opening to the courtyard!

Is there any connection between Haarlem Road and the Dutch-looking facades for those houses?

In that second-last picture, with the cars parked the other way, it made me think it was an American scene for a split second.

I didn't cover Haarlem Road in this set although I was all over the neighbourhood such as Addison Gardens and Sinclair Road. The area's street names don't have a particularly Dutch resemblance though. This area was laid out in the 19th century with a mix of styles. They're not tall enough to look like the narrow Dutch rowhouses I've seen in Amsterdam, and they're from a later era anyway.

[hkskyline]

Continuing with Hammersmith, it's actually walkable to the huge Westfield mall at Shepherd's Bush. A North American-sized mall is a rarity in London, and this redevelopment in zone 2 was quite a game changer when it opened years ago. Luckily, I haven't seen these beautiful rowhouses being demolished to make way for higher density buildings.

































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Canary Wharf is quite a walkable neighbourhood with many waterfront promenades along the former cargo loading corridors. There is good landscaping with seats, flowers, and the occasional shade. No wonder so many office workers were out chatting and soaking up the rays despite being in the middle of the work day.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Located in the suburban southwestern reaches, New Malden is home to London's Korean community, and believed to be the largest concentration in Europe. It is estimated that around 10,000 Koreans live in New Malden and up to a further 20,000 in surrounding areas, while Samsung Electronics had its UK offices here until 2005 and the South Korean embassy was originally in the area as well.





























































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Islington is located just north of the City and they even have a small museum showcasing its local history. Medicinal wells were discovered here and the area became a famous spa with pleasure gardens in a rural setting. Urban development arrived as the canal and roads were built in the early 19th century and Islington is now a mostly residential area.











































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

Just a short walk through desolate construction sites behind North Greenwich's bus station and the O2 arena, there is a lovely waterfront promenade with views of Canary Wharf across the Thames. On the hottest day of the year so far, I braved the sun and made the trip, although the latter parts of the walk where the path bends around for north-facing views has a little bit more shade and grass.





























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[mousquet]

Do you think they could safely swim in their river?

They did it this morning in the Seine river for triathlon, then a sweet Frenchwoman made a gold medal for the country.

No kidding, it's hard to keep a river clean in a downtown. Over here, there's no more nasty chemicals to kill the fish, but the sewer system still overflows when it rains a lot.
That means human poop and unhealthy bacteria in the river.

I don't think I'll ever swim in the Seine river. I'm no politician trying to draw voters or any athlete wanting gold medals, huh.

[ColDayMan]

Loving this London tour.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by mousquet

Do you think they could safely swim in their river?

They did it this morning in the Seine river for triathlon, then a sweet Frenchwoman made a gold medal for the country.

No kidding, it's hard to keep a river clean in a downtown. Over here, there's no more nasty chemicals to kill the fish, but the sewer system still overflows when it rains a lot.
That means human poop and unhealthy bacteria in the river.

I don't think I'll ever swim in the Seine river. I'm no politician trying to draw voters or any athlete wanting gold medals, huh.

I wouldn't do it. It was quite muddy with a small amount of trash washed up on the banks.

Sewage ending up in the river is also an issue as well : https://www.ft.com/content/d26f2b0f-...1-763ea7508cab

[hkskyline]

The Grant Museum of Zoology was established in 1828 for teaching purposes and now has about 68,000 zoological specimens that includes fluid-preserved creatures, wax animal models, and fossils. It closed in March 2023 and re-opened in early 2024 after a 300,000 pound improvement program. Although they don't have a large physical space, it is packed with exhibits in a beautiful setting.





















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm

[hkskyline]

The Bank of England was founded in 1694 initially as a private bank to fund the war effort against France and to "promote the public Good and Benefit of our People". They have a free museum in the heart of the City to showcase its history and give a bit more insight into all that gold stored underneath.



This is a sovereign weighing machine from 1842 used to weigh coins. When money was based on the gold standard, the gold coin needed to be the exact weight to support its value. Underweight coins are sent back to the Royal Mint to be melted down, and only correctly-weighted coins are distributed to customers.



This Murdoch's Millions note from 1986 protested Rupert Murdoch's decision to move newspaper production from the City to Wapping.



This polymer note can be used as a voucher for Itsu's Lime Street branch.



This cartoon was published by an unnamed artist in 1818. Banknote forgery was problematic as the new 1 and 2 pound notes were not produced with good quality. Not even the Bank of England's staff could easily spot their authenticity.



A forger used these copper printing plates to produce fake 1 and 2 pound notes. They were found in 1799 and given to the Bank.



The public could use scales like this from the 1770s to check how much their gold coins weigh.



The Bank of England's Charter was granted by the King and Queen and became official on July 27, 1694.



The Book of Subscriptions shows the Bank's first subscribers and the amount each invested. The King and Queen contributed 10,000 pounds, while many merchants subscribed as an investment of over 2000 pounds might earn you a Director role.



This cartoon published in 1797 shows the Prime Minister wooing an old lady, who represents the Bank. He intended to get to the Bank's gold reserves, but the old lady is the way, sitting on the chest to protect it, with the bank's clerks at work in the background.



Over 300 were hanged for counterfeiting or using fake notes between 1797 and 1821. Some were also sent to Australia's penal colonies.



During World War II, the Nazis tried to wreck havoc on the British economy by sending large quantities of counterfeit notes into circulation. The Bank then withdrew all notes above 5 pounds.











The Bank is the world's 2nd largest gold custodian after the New York Federal Reserve. Its gold vaults downstairs hold some 400,000 bars, of which only about 6% belong to the UK Treasury. Gold owned by other central banks and companies are also safekept here. Besides, having one bar on display in a case, they also have a few gold items in the exhibits, although the vaults are off limits.



To tease you, they show a photo of the vaults instead.



More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/london.htm