Week thirty-nine

I can't believe quite how many firsts I had today.  First time on a boat on the Thames, first time to Greenwich, first time on the DLR and first time going on a tourist walk in London.   Throw in watching the Godfather and I would have achieved an awful lot for a casual Sunday.

When I first had the idea for my blog there were a few things that I knew I wanted to do from the beginning and one of them was going on a walk somewhere in London with tour company London Walks. I'd heard good things about them from a friend and I've never really done anything touristy in London where I'm learning about the history of the city.  I was just waiting for a weekend when I didn't have too much on so I could enjoy some leisurely but informative ambling.  Who knew the weekend I'd pick would be one of the hottest of the year.....and in October.

I decided to pick the walk "Historic Greenwich"; knowing very little about the area other than knowing the phrase, Greenwich Mean Time and that everyone says how gorgeous it is.  My friend, Will and I met the group at Tower Hill in the morning and our tour guide,  Ann, who began her introductory spiel with some very helpful health and safety rules for the day: "don't fall over anything".

Sat atop the city cruiser boat that would take us to Greenwich, with the sun beaming down and the breeze blowing was beautiful.  With an early break for Ann, the guide on the boat; a sprightly Cockney took over with a local charm that was beguiling.

We passed under Tower Bridge and then began the fascinating journey through the wharfs of the Thames.

Perhaps its because I've never been a massive boat person or maybe its because I don't live by the river but I've never really thought about London having a Navy history.  This is clearly very stupid I know but its just not something I've paid a massive amount of attention to.  Nevertheless, I was enthralled at some of the stories the guide was telling us.  Back in the 18th and 19th century the Navy was not a desirable place to be; the life expectancy was only 3-5 years, consequently, a rather distressing method was employed to find new recruits.  Unsuspecting young drunk men would leave pubs by the river,  get hit on the head and wake up miles out to sea and that was that.

There is a lot of Dickensian history here, ranging from Saviours Place, near Butlers Wharf, being an inspiration for Oliver Twist, to a pub called The Grapes in Limehouse where Dickens lived and wrote Great Expectations.

The Grapes pub is on the far left

As we approached our destination, it became obvious how the rather lovable Cockney guide was both obsessed with Navy history (having served himself), but also how proud he was of Greenwich (having been born there). Not only did he gush about Greenwich's long maritime history but also what great value it is:  "There's a Weatherspoon's pub where you can buy a meal and a drink for £6, and not just chips but all different stuff".  

We disembarked and rejoined the rather more refined guide, Ann for the rest of the morning. As soon as I found myself on dry land, standing beneath all the trees, with the University just beyond, I felt like I was in Boston.  Greenwich really is gorgeous.  We began with a stroll up to Cutty Sark, which I will admit I knew almost nothing about, other than that it features in the London marathon.   As it turns out the ship was mainly used as a tea clipper in the 19th century coming over from China.  It was also used to transport wool from Australia and at one time its journey of 70 days from down under was a world record.

I also learnt that Greenwich was the birthplace of some rather infamous monarchs; namely Henry VIII, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I, which is why its a world heritage site.  There once stood a Royal palace here that Henry's father built but after falling into disrepair, it was rebuilt as a home for old Navy sailors by Sir Christopher Wren.  It then became a Royal Navy college and now forms part of the University.

The best preserved English baroque collection in the country

Other than being steeped in maritime history Greenwich; also known for giving its name to Greenwich Mean Time, is where all time and space are measured from at zero degrees.  Basically, sailors needed an accurate time check as they found it difficult to find lines of longitude, so the observatory was built and every day at exactly 1pm a ball drops at the top of the building.  Supposedly the saying "on the ball" is connected to this.

After an hour's or so stroll around with Ann through the park and into the village our tour was over.  I found Ann to be a little stiff at the beginning but I think that's only because she wanted the tour to run smoothly.  She was extremely knowledgeable but didn't drown us with words.  She kept everything moving and what she said was very interesting.  

After all going our separate ways, Will and I moseyed around the lovely market, bought sushi, sunbathed in the park, ate soleros and made our way back West.  Lush day.

If you fancy being a tourist in London there are loads of great walks that you can do with London Walks every day.  Find out all the details here.  

Next week I'm off to the Sir John Soane's Museum where it will be lit only by candlelight....spooky.