Uptown, downtown

Today dawned dull with a threat of rain. The forecast wasn't great, but I'd already decided to go up to town, so I stuck with it. I took the train to Vauxhall, then the Underground to Pimlico, then walked along Millbank which is becoming very familiar. Approaching Lambeth Bridge I noticed a small gate with steps going down to the Thames, so naturally went down them! They were covered with slimy mud as the tide had not long gone out. There were three men already poking about on the shore, looking for anything exciting, so I joined them. One was from New York City and the others from Arizona! One of them had found the top lip of an ancient bottle and lots of clay pipe bits. The shore is scattered with cattle bones from the ancient slaughterhouses along the river and I picked up some nice old oyster shells.

I wanted to visit the college garden at Westminster Abbey, said to be the oldest continually maintained garden in Britain, with records going back to 800AD. The Head Gardener, Jan, with whom I'd corresponded last spring, had told me to let her know when I might come again and she would get me in, but she hadn't replied to my email. It turned out that she was on holiday and the man at the main Abbey gate wouldn't let me in unless I paid the complete Abbey entrance fee of more than £27! I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't budge! A uniformed lady who was with him suggested that I called in at the office which I'd passed minutes earlier, where the very kind lady put a band on my wrist which allowed me to visit the cloisters and garden without charge!

When I reached the garden I met two gardeners who were very welcoming when I explained the situation and we chatted for some twenty minutes. After leaving them and wandering off to inspect the gardens I saw one of them, Danny, approaching me to point out some plants he thought I would like to see. He went on to give me a guided tour for the next two hours, which must have taken his lunch hour and a lot more. I think he really enjoyed talking plants with a gardener instead of chatting with tourists! My Blip today shows him standing in front of a couple of avocado plants which he planted out for somebody, assuming that they would die in the first winter. They have thrived - it must be the central London microclimate!

I eventually got away and returned to Vauxhall station where I caught the train back to Hampton - a great day out and sore knees to prove it!