New Life for Red Telephone Boxes

Why are the red telephone boxes still scattered throughout London in an age when everyone has a mobile?

For tourists of course!

Eat my Hat

A tourist approached me on the weekend and asked why everyone was wearing silly hats. I encouraged him to join in the fun of the weekend. Why else would you be in London? Sustainable fishing and farming was promoted on Southwark Bridge on Saturday. Best fish and chips I've had since I've lived in London. Finished off with a leaf or two from this girl's hat.

Tourist Thrills

No we don't intentionally drown tourists, this is something they pay for. Drive around the streets of London then into the river for a quick whip around and back on land again.

Picture Postcard

Some days you see a spot you've been to hundreds of times at a slightly different angle. I came out of the tube station at Tower Hill to catch the last of the afternoon light. I think I've always walked the other side of the underground side as I haven't noticed this view before.
Perfect tourist postcard I thought.
May also be partly due to the Tower having no scaffolding on it. London is currently being spruced up for all of you coming to the Olympic games next year.

Resting at the Horse Guards

You'll find lots of tourists on the Whitehall side of the horse guards but the museum around the back has less visitors. Maybe add it to your next visit.
Hope you are enjoying tourist tips while I am away.

Take a number 9

You can catch one of the old routemasters on both the number 9 route and the 15 route. The number 11 route, a modern bus, will take you past most of the tourist attractions.

The Nut Seller

Usually it's tourists flocking around the nut sellers, today she has a captive audience of pigeons.

Madam Tussaud and Super Heros

Madam Tussuad's life was rich and fascinating, let alone the legacy she has left behind. Learning her craft from the age of 17, art tutor to Louis XIV's sister at Versailles and making death masks of murdered aristocrats during the revolution.

She came to London in the early 19th century as part of a travelling exhibition and rogue show. Our first sensationalist newspaper? In 1835 her exhibition found a permanent home at its current site in Baker Street.

My visit last weekend to the preview of the Marvel Super Hero's 4D experience was the first time I had entered the doors of this establishment. The wax models of the celebrities, politicians and other famous people was as I expected.

The rest of the experience was not. The TV studio, the chamber of horrors (not for the feint hearted) the taxi ride through centuries of London's history.

Then hall of hero's for inactive super hero action. The gallery, the super hero test area and the command centre.

But the 4D movie experience was simply WOW! You are part of the action. A 3D movie with the added extra-sensory 4th dimension. You feel the action from water and smoke to tremors beneath your feet. This is better than any virtual ride I have experienced anywhere in the world. Way cool. GO!

Theme Day - Red

First of the month is CDP theme day. This month is red.

I stumbled upon this tour guide with her lovely red brolly conveniently by a red telephone box.

Take time to visit the other variations on red.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Souvenirs

Literally tens of millions of London souvenirs are sold each year. I bet you have one or know someone who does.

Summer and Ice-cream

Summer officially ends this coming bank holiday weekend. Not that we've had the greatest summer to have a grand finale. However there have been some pretty wonderful days, blue skies and a mini heatwave lasting all of a week.
I've decided to bring you glimpses of summer everyday this week. The good bits.
Today is a couple of tourists from Toronto enjoying ice-cream. Thanks for letting me accost you at an ice-cream stall to take this picture. Do hope you've enjoyed your holiday in London.

Tourists

My final postcard for this trip and my 400th post.

Tongli a small canal town about 2 hours from Shanghai by car. Unless with our driver. The nail biting trip saw us there in 55mins. This picturesque town rose to fame in the mid 80's when Chinese film makers discovered it. One of the most famous films in which it featured was The Dream of the Red Chamber.

Ten minutes earlier this laughing group of tourists taking my photo were a nervous unsteady group clambering into the canal boat nearly tipping out as their guide organised and reorganised where they were to sit in the boat.