Victoria Station, linear walk to Camden Lock via Regents park

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Start time: 10:30

Moderate 6 miles / 9.7 km

Group North West Kent

Morning linear walk with lunch at the end of the walk. Meet in Victoria Main Line Station outside W H Smith

Lunch: various places near Camden Lock at the end of the walk

There always seems to be construction around Victoria

Eye-catching! Black and white patterning

Past Buckingham Palace and into St James Park -

We're in royal ceremonial territory here, just beyond Buckingham Palace

As we hurried past, the Guard was getting ready to change. Musical support for the changing of the guard was provided by the Band of the Irish Guards and the Band of the Grenadier Guards; they escort the New Guard from Wellington Barracks -

The bearskin hats cost over £1000 each!

No traffic flows along The Mall on Sundays; the police presence is quite noticeable.

Beside 9 Carlton House Terrace, a little memorial to Giro, "ein treuer Begleiter" (a faithful companion). The German ambassador's beloved dog stepped onto an electrical cable and was electrocuted in 1934; the ambassador, von Hoesch, died of heart problems in 1936.

Drizzle had made the pavements into mirrors -

Mosaic floor of the porch of one of the gentlemen's clubs at the foot of Regent Street -

Memorial plaques along Pall Mall -

Frederick Winsor, pioneer of gas lighting

Blue plaque for artist Thomas Gainsborough came into view after this photo was taken -
it's cradled in the arm of the far statue

From Piccadilly, it was through the Burlington Arcade (opened 1819) and on to Hanover Square -

More black and white patterning

A cardboard home on Savile Row

Up Marylebone Lane, which ran along the Tyburn River -

One of the outrageous shops

Past Baker Street station and on to Regent's Park -

Sherlock Holmes,larger than life

Dog walker's delight

Past the football pitches ("booked games only") are some wooden
sculptures of animals on the west ...

... and zoo structures on the east of the path

Up Primrose Hill to have a look at the view -

Then the group went to Camden Lock for lunch, and I headed for home.

Large houses, lovely windows etc etc, in St Johns Wood

This house looks rather out of place
(Is this really a painting of the interior, or is it of the interior of Rosenstead,at the same address - possibly an earlier house on the site, home of art dealer Ernest Gambart)