These are just little tidbits I encountered while wandering around London that made me smile. Stay tuned for a swimming pool suspended in mid-air; cheeky subway notifications and Tube merchandise; a shop’s homage to Queen Elizabeth II, London’s Chinatown, a first taste of Scotch Eggs, a gossip magazine’s HQ, and a useful household device.
The Legacy Buildings at Embassy Gardens (a residential complex) have a pool suspended in the air between the two buildings. Would you take a swim?
July 28, 2023
OK, it’s not quite that bad, but on a mild 70F day, it’ll be 80F in my train car. I have no idea why. Not sure I’d like to experience it during a heat spell.
July 29, 2023
Charles may be King now but it’s QEII who rules the hearts of the souvenir shops.
July 19, 2023
London’s Chinatown
July 22, 2025
That oh-so-London phrase. And yes, they still say it. (August 1, 2023)
This notice was in the ladies’ room at a tavern we went to. I think a signal like this is pretty useful. (August 1, 2023)
Shelly wanted me to try her Scotch eggs. I kept demurring; they didn’t look appetizing to me. But then I said “I guess it’s my job to try new things from now on, right?” Scotch eggs are boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat, coated with breadcrumbs and then baked or deep-fried. I wasn’t excited about it but at least I tried.
From July 22, 2023
The Globe is a news and gossip magazine based in London. I liked their headquarters building. (August 3, 2023)
In the London Tube stations, there are always helpful signs leading you to the exit. I always get an internal giggle seeing “way out”, though. I picture hippies making peace signs with their fingers, saying “far out, man.” (August 3, 2023)
Most apartments that I’ve been to in Europe don’t have a dryer. Washers, yes, but not dryers. They typically dry their clothes on a wooden or metal drying rack. If you’ve ever tried to dry jeans and thick socks in the winter on a rack, it takes daaaays.
Yesterday, I got caught in a heavy downpour and was soaked through. It was also my last day before moving on to my next destination. I didn’t relish packing wet clothes in my suitcase. My hostess pulled out an electric drying rack. I’ve never seen one before. Wonderful! My saturated clothes were nice and toasty by morning. (August 3, 2023, in Brighton and Hove)
Three years later, I’d use this knowledge to buy a heated drying rack for my apartment in Belgium. (August 3, 2026)
I noticed this mileage marker along the Queen’s Walk on the South Bank, but couldn’t find any information about why it was placed there or why green tea and Falmouth wool were chosen.
From July 27, 2023
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Back in 1976, Peter Lord and David Sproxton created a terracotta figure who could instantly change back into a lump of modeling clay. Because he could metamorphose, they named him Morph. He was popular on the British children’s television show Take Hart in the 1970s and 1980s, but then faded out of sight until 2013, when a crowdfunding campaign gave him a comeback. Morph now has a loyal fan base of nostalgic adults who grew up with him and children who follow Morph on his YouTube channel and on a program called Sky Kids.
For two months this summer, a charity called WhizzKids (which helps young wheelchair users) has sponsored “Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in the City”, a public art trail with 56 giant brilliantly painted Morphs in iconic locations (these two were on the Queen’s Walk near the Tower Bridge). Their goal is to highlight issues of inclusion and accessibility. When the exhibit ends, the Morphs will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to WhizzKids.
When I return to London, I’ll see if I can find more.
July 27, 2023