Battersea Power Station

Not exactly Sutton Coldfield... went to London today with both daughters for the eldest one's wedding dress fitting - by RuffleRuffle. Before the fitting, they both met up with friends, and I wandered off to the Thames.

Spent the hours constantly walking, and seeing mainly trees, snowdrops, daffoldils, and sunlight on water - not a coffee shop, or any shop, to be seen, and not many people either - was this really London??

Did see the iconic Battersea Power Station, built in the 1930's, and supplying a fifth of London's electricity during WWII, which is why barrage balloons were flown above it to protect it from being bombed - so all the planes attempting to do so then dumped them on Pimlico on the other side of the Thames (where I was walking), flattening almost all of it.

It was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed the red telephone box, Liverpool Cathedral, and Bankside (now Tate Gallery). It is the largest brick building in Europe, and has appeared in many films, and as the cover of Pink Floyd's "Animals" album, with an inflatable pink pig flying above one of the towers (which broke away, astonishing planes flying past it).

Apparently, after several attempts to develop it, a Uruguayan architect has now been commissioned to design flats in it - the penthouses costing over 6 million. Since Thursday, over 600 of these 3, 400 properties have already been sold. Wouldn't be my choice of residence, but glad it's going to be in use again.