Diggerland

 At the weekend I took my 7yr old grandson to Diggerland in Kent. This was a first for me so I wasn't sure what to expect.

All the machines are what you would find on building sites and the only difference I could see was the restriction on speed. He was able to drive unaided, dumper trucks and an even larger truck where he struggled a little to reach the pedals.

This was him

One of his favourite machines was this excavator.

This was more of a fairground ride where they were lifted high into the air and swung round and round. I could not be tempted to go on this but he loved it. I have to say it was an excellent day out and for once, worth the money as there was enough here to keep him occupied for hours.

DIY

 The amount of furniture I have had to put together since moving finally reached breaking point this week. It seems that whatever you buy you are expected to assemble some part of it. From just putting the handles on the chest of drawers ( John Lewis product)

to completely building from scratch:

An IKEA purchase. Note there are no handles on it yet as I haven't got a drill or vice that's needed to sort that out. Apparently though Amazon have stick on handles which have good reviews.

But this week I had to put together some garden furniture from B &Q. All the pieces were there. The instructions were in diagram form( saves them having to write in numerous languages) and easy to follow. The problem was that the holes for the screws were not aligned. It took hours with a lot of physical pushing and pulling to finally get the majority of screws in place. There are one or two screws missing but I've had enough. Time for a sit down in the sunshine with a glass of wine.

Exploring a new area

 I'm into my 2nd month now in my new home and almost all the boxes have been unpacked. I've painted all the rooms that needed a refresh and now it's time to explore my new surroundings.  Although I have only moved about 6 or 7 miles I don't know this area at all. I still have to use the sat nav when driving but am becoming familiar with a few routes now. Buses are my preferred method of transport locally and the train for my London jaunts.

Today I checked out a local walk I have found on the internet and discovered that I am a 20 min walk from woodlands.

This is Shirley Windmill, built in the mid 19th century to grind the local grain. Milling eventually ceased here in the 1890s with the introduction of the more efficient steam rollers. The mill has survived the ravages of time and has been  restored to what we see today. I believe it is open on a number of days each year so I will be able to see the inside on another visit.

A five minute walk from the windmill and I am into Addington Hills woodland area.

How this car got here I've no idea!

There is a mixture of heathland and woodland.

Today was not a particularly clear day but I could make out the tall buildings in the City of London on the horizon.

A bit closer were the High-rise blocks of Croydon.

I was very pleased to discover this green area within walking distance of my new home. I wonder what else I will find.

Amsterdam

 I spent a couple of days in Amsterdam this weekend. I was so fortunate not to be affected by the closure of Heathrow on Friday. Fortunately as chance would have it I booked to fly outwards via London City Airport and return via Heathrow. What a stroke of luck.  If I had done it the other way round I would not have been able to leave London. 

The weather was fabulous and myself and my daughter spent most of our time outside walking around and taking advantage of one of the many canal trips on offer.

Central station.

One thing you cannot avoid in Amsterdam and that is the number of bicycles. You really need to be cycle aware when walking around as the cyclists take no prisoners.

So many beautiful cafes and a great selection of delicious food.

You cannot leave Amsterdam without admiring all the flowers. We were not here long enough to visit the tulip fields. Maybe a good reason to return.

New Home

 I have now moved into my new home. It is much smaller than my previous house and so I have had to be ruthless with what I could take with me. The legal side of buying/selling property in England is a fairly long drawn out process and it can fall through right up until the last minute. I had a couple of very stressful issues but all that is behind me and I am happily ensconced in my new abode.

I am living on a small housing estate which is surrounding by greenery.

Until 1903 this was farmland which became individual residential homes for children surrounded by parkland. It closed in 1983 and by the end of the 80s a new development of town houses were built. 

It is an area I am not familiar with and I am looking forward to exploring the locality. It is much closer to my daughter and her two children and has the advantage of a large railway station a short bus ride away. Yesterday I went into London and was pleased to see that it only took 10 mins by train to London Bridge. I am still living in a London Borough and am therefore still entitled to free Travel. A huge advantage of living in London. No doubt I will be posting more about this new area as time goes on.

Outernet

This four storey high building has wrap around LED screens which are interactive with smart phones. These free immersive experiences are on everyday, all day from what I understand. I was mesmerised by the sheer scale of it all and some of the videos were breathtaking. I didn't realise you could interact with the images until I read about it afterwards. I'll have to go back and have another look. It is just outside Tottenham Court tube station.

This butterfly trail was on another huge screen.

 Sorry I haven't been blog active recently but am in the middle of moving house. All the emotions of stress, excitement, frustration and exhaustion rolled into one.

Steiner house

 

This is Rudolf Steiner House, built between 1926 and 1937, a unique example of Expressionist architecture in London. As far as I am aware I think this is the only expressionist building in London. The house was designed by the architect Montague Wheeler. The building takes its inspiration from the work of Rudolf Steiner(1861-1925) Steiner was an Austrian-born spiritualist, lecturer, and founder of anthroposophy of, a movement based on the notion that there is a spiritual world comprehensible to pure thought but accessible only to the highest faculties of mental knowledge. Britannica

It is an unusual building but I really liked the way it flowed with the numerous curved lines. Parts of it reminded me of Gaudi's buildings in Barcelona.

The sculptural staircase 

No lines are repeated. This is the floor.

Rudolf Steiner House is home to many activities and events throughout the year, all of which are open to the public, as are the Library and Bookshop. In 2008/9 a lot of work was done on the property to comply with health and safety regulations. A new kitchen and cafe were also created. 

The main feature in the cafe is a central supporting wooden pillar. The pillar has inserts of the seven planetary woods: Ash/Sun, Oak/Mars, Sycamore/Jupiter, Hornbeam/Saturn, Cherry/Moon, Elm/Mercury, Birch/Venus.