Thursday, 29th June, 2023
It was a bit drizzly today, so I took my umbrella. This ensured that
the rain stopped and that we were not bothered by it again
throughout the day! First up, we visited the London Museum of Water and Steam. This
museum houses the world's largest collection of Cornish cycle beam
engines, including the largest working beam engine, the Grand
Junction 90 inch, which has a cylinder diameter of 90 inches and was
used to pump water to London for 98 years. This machine is over 40
feet high and weighs about 250 tons. It was described by Charles
Dickens as "a monster". This was a very interesting museum which
detailed how water has been provided to Londoners over the years.
Exhibits included a large variety of pumping equipment of various
ages and powered by steam, electricity or gas. There were some
interactive exhibits requiring one to work out how to complete a
particular task by means of directing water from one place to
another.
This small pump is a Benham Engline Pump.
It was built in 1898 and was used in Salisbury until c.1970
The display on the wall had a huge number of items relating to
the use of water. The following few photos show more detail.
The triple expansion engine is one of the most efficient and
well-engineered steam engines ever used for water supply. It
is so good that, when this one was built in 1910, they were
one of the most common and preferred designs for waterworks
use. This engine required little maintenance and could run
non-stop for long periods of time without requiring attention.
Similar engines were also popular for use in steam ships such
as the Titanic. It is called 'The Triple' because it uses the
steam's power three times, making it very efficient. This
engine was originally at work in the Southfields Pumping
Station in Newmarket. It was rebuilt here by museum staff and
volunteers between 1978 and 1981.
This interactive display required one to follow the
instructions to pump water into the left-hand tank to make a
little yellow duck float.
It took Satoshi a little while, but he achieved the goal!
This is not a chimney but rather a standing pipe. It contains
cast iron pipework which was once connected to the steam
pumping engines and the underground mains pipes. Its job was
to protect the engines and mains pipes from damage that could
be caused by water pressure changes. Without it the pipes
would burst and the engines could be smashed.
A water wheel
There were several "hands on" exhibits designed for children
but some others enjoyed them too!
After a simple (but not quick) lunch at the museum, we moved on to
the nearby Kew Gardens. It is
claimed that these gardens include the "largest and most diverse
botanical and mycological collections in the world". The herbarium,
one of the largest in the world, has over 8.5 million preserved
plant and fungal specimens.The library contains more than 750,000
volumes, and the illustrations collection contains more than 175,000
prints and drawings of plants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We
learned that there are no less than 350 scientists undertaking
research there. All that is very impressive but our experience was a
bit "ho-hum" really. Perhaps we are spoilt by the wonderful gardens
in Australia?
There is the famous, and very large, "Palm House" glasshouse but we
didn't find its exhibits of much interest. There is a small treetop
walk which probably would be exciting if one hadn't visited several
much bigger such structures in Australia. The Rose Garden had
nowhere near the number or variety of roses found at our own
Victoria State Rose Garden at Werribee Park. The Waterlily House had
some lovely waterlilies but, again, this display is completely
trumped by the Blue Lotus Water Garden near Yarra Junction. Having
said that, we did have a pleasant time wandering around the gardens.
They are certainly large and, although we were there for about three
hours, we probably saw only half of the things to see.
The Victoria Gate of Kew Gardens
For £6.50, one could go on a tour of the gardens. It was a
40-minute ride. It gave us a good overview of what was
available to see.
The iconic "Palm House" glasshouse
The Red Dragon of Wales
by James Woodford OBE, RA (1893-1976)
Portland stone, 1956.
The red dragon was used as a badge by Owen Tudor. His
grandson, Henry VII, took it as a token of his supposed
descent from Cadwalader, the last of the line of Maelgwn,
Kings of Gwynedd. The beast holds a shield bearing a leopard
in each quarter; this was the coat of arms of Llywelyn ap
Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales. There were ten
statues like this, each was a copy of a plaster sculptor
displayed at the entrance to Westminster Abbey at the 1953
coronation.
The Botanical Brasserie
A Koi Carp swimming in the lake (above)
Inside the Palm House
Costus Barbartus, sometimes called Spiral Ginger, is native to
Costa Rica.
It was possible to climb up to the roof of the Palm House.
Satoshi took this photo of me from that vantage point.
Another view from the top of the Palm House
Like our accommodation, Kew Gardens was a location for "plane
spotting".
Rosa
'Silver Jubilee'
Rosa
'Dame Judi Dench'
Rosa
'The Lady Gardener'
Rosa
'Hyde Hall'
Inside the Waterlily House
"Red Hot Cat's Tail"
Acalypha hispida
These flowers were clearly very tasty!
Inside the Temperate House
Again, it was possible to climb up some stairs to ge a higher
vantage point.
The Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens has one advantage over
others I have experienced - lift access to the top!
It was a lovely experience too!
The Temperate House viewed from the Treetop Walkway
From the gardens, we travelled to the President Hotel for dinner at
"Faulty Towers". This was a three-course meal accompanied by
entertainment in the form of three of the characters from the TV
series "Fawlty Tower", namely Basil and Sybil Fawlty, and Manuel,
the hapless waiter from Barcelona. Scenes from several of the
episodes were revisited such as the cook getting drunk, Basil
winning some money on the races and Manuel's pet rat. The three
actors were excellent and had the mannerisms of the characters they
portrayed "down pat". It was thoroughly entertaining and great fun!
Basil
Manuel trying to place a napkin on a guest's lap
"Helping" a guest with his dinner!
Sybil
This photo was taken by another diner at our table.