Back in London for six days before we head home

 This Photo is in Paddington, just off Praed Street as we go down to the new Elizabeth Tube line.

Having rest after having come down from Oxford on the Wednesday afternoon.

                        Watched women's tennis from Wimbledon. So much sport on.

A fox on the green as we go to David and Alisons house in Ealing

    At David and Alison's in Ealing, they have a lovely house and Gardens look so good. 

This photo is off David and Alison, not at their home but after the theatre show Hamilton in London, Victoria palace. Very funny story behind this photo. 

They were very generous of them to have us stay for a couple of nights and we had a really enjoyable time to catch up. 

David was my manager for many jobs whilst I was working in London in the years 1983 to 1985. 

They also became  recent grandparents for the second time. 

Live busy lives which is great for them. 

                This is the crew and you can see the smiles after a funny camera moment.

Met a gisborne young  man when we went to Hamilton musical at Victoria palace theatre. 

Matthew Hatten, son of Paul Hatten. Went to Lytton High too, like both of us and all the family. 

Been in UK for I think a year. 

What's the odds. He recognised my kiwi accent and asked where I was from. 

Looking to further his career in UK. good on him.

Look closely this advert on the Tube going back to Alison and David home after the theatre.

Will zoom in so you can read the detail. Sad and Usury.

This is a man in the clock at the entrance to the Elizabeth line which is just above where the first photo is taken in this post where I am with the bronze sculptures.

In the tube as I raced down to the Pub in Earls court from paddington only to find I had wrong information, unwittingly from Pub in Paddington who was trying to be helpful about where I could watch a live telecast of the rugby . Was hoping to watch England play the All Blacks in Dunedin , so had to rush back and luckily found a BBC radio commentary from just before half time.

 Frustrating. it is sounding like an exciting game with 10 minutes to go. All Blacks win 16-15 at end. 

Alex was trying to get me TV coverage from Nelson. 

David and Marion were exchanging messages with me from Hamilton about the game to give me information. 

Me having a quick breakfast and found the game wasn't being televised at that Pub as I was lead to believe.

         Paddington Bear mates in the small garden as walk from tube to our accommodation.

Saturday afternoon we went to the Science Museum in Kensington on Exhibition road . Was way better than the Victoria and Albert section of the natural history museum that we went to the day before which was just a collection of nick nacks from a time period. It just didn't tot my whistle

.

I remember that Andrew  Evans I think  had worked for Google one holidays I think mapping for google in a google car . I thought a bike was apt photo given the reason for this visit to UK !. Mapping software has simply changed the way we get around, but is reality recent.

We Spent most of our time in only a very small part of the Museum, which was dedicated to do with communication and the six  network themes they sought to go thru. 

They being the following networks; 

cable,

Broadcast,

exchange,

Constellation, 

web 

and cell

A lot has happened thru technology developments in just a short spell of human life.

This a value based network. Basically a big crystal set. I remember having Crystal set as a young man.

The use of GPS is available by these satellites revolving the earth. Maths based essentially.

A used  earth  landing space module and underneath you could see the heat shield deterioration

Continuing the bike Theme, saw this and took a photo.

we were on one level of this huge museum. with many large exhibits and themes. We only covered a small section and then in a rushed way. Need days and weeks to do it properly.

On the way back to paddington and looking at the royal Albert hall and the where Lee -Anne is looking to the Albert memorial in Hyde Park(see the next photo after one below)

The bike stand outside our accommodation, 

I was up early before the rain . Lyall had a short ride into Hyde Park, hopefully tomorrow we will ride around parks together.

Below selfie  is taken looking down to the Serpentine  lake where I used to swim when staying in paddington . The lake temperature  apparently was 20 degrees talking to a swimmer ,so not too bad temperature. Next weekend on Saturday morning I will be back in the new Olympic pool. Hope I can still swim as been six weeks. I am definitely a different body shape as have eaten so much !

Lee -Anne leading us down Oxford street, where we caught up with Jodi and Kate.  

Was so good to see them. 

Really enjoying hearing what they are unto and all their plans . Kate has a clear sense of direction and plans and was thoroughly charming. 

Been 9 years since we last saw them. In  late Oct  day at the 2015 Rugby World Cup final in London, where   we had lunch with them then walked up the road from their Twickerham home. Weather in oct 2015 was way better than they are having in the height of summer in July 2024 😀 !!!!!!.

At a old pub around the corner from Oxford Corner.