A little bit of Culture

It was nice to be already in London when I got up the next morning. Over breakfast of a coffee and croissant, I looked out of the window across the road and saw heads wandering about behind what appeared to be a walled garden. On further investigation I discovered it was The British Library. In the middle of the peaceful oasis was a statue of Isaac Newton concentrating on something he was measuring with a mathematical instrument, an empty cafe and the entrance. I didn’t stay long. It was cold and a detour on my way to somewhere else.

Scootering to the pub the previous evening, I had passed a sign saying ‘London Canal Museum’ just before I crossed Regents Canal. I resolved to go there today.

It was a tiny museum in an old ice shed. Until the advent of mechanical refrigeration in twentieth century, ice had been shipped from Norway and stored underground before being distributed around London by canal. You could peer into the depths of one of the storage holes. There was so much ice it stayed frozen for months.

Also in the museum was information about the construction of the canals, and the huge network of them there had been across London and the country. There were stories from many of the barge owners who had worked them. There was half a barge in the museum where it was possible to see the cramped conditions that families lived in. Despite that there had been a community spirit of everyone working together.

From the museum I took a short stroll (scooter) along the canal towpath. It was hard to believe I was in the middle of London, it was so peaceful. There were birds and ducks bobbing on the water and colourful barges moored along the edge. I passed a couple of walkers and cyclists also on the towpath, but mostly I was on my own. When the canal disappeared into the Islington Tunnel it was time to return to the city. I was sorry to leave.

I consulted my map. Nearby was The Charles Dickens Museum so I headed there. The author had lived at 48 Doughty St for two years and was where he wrote Oliver Twist. The house has been preserved as it would have been at that time. It houses a huge collection of his personal books and other belongings and contains the history of both his writing and his social campaigning. If you love Dickens and his wonderful stories, it is a delight to visit. I must just return.