26 November 2012

Londinium

Nov 25.12 London 027
I haven't posted for a few days. Did anybody miss miss my interesting and sometimes humorous verbosity? I doubt it. But just in case you were wondering... I was arrested on Friday night following a brawl at the local Indian takeaway in which I hospitalized three young thugs who were repeatedly pummelling the friendly Bangladeshi proprietors with baseball bats when I entered the establishment. Only kidding. We were in London - our glorious capital city - mainly to visit our son Ian and his lovely girlfriend - Ruby.

Early on Sunday morning, as Shirley slept in our £103 hotel room (Grrrr!),  I walked down to Father Thames and snapped the picture at the top of this post. Can you tell what it is? I'll give you a clue. "Come on Oxford! Come on Cambridge!" If you have ever watched the University Boat Race on television, you'll be sure to have seen this building. Enlarge it and you'll even be able to read what it once was even though now it has been converted - like many such riverside buildings - into luxury apartments. Plenty of Humphreys and Lucindas in there. I say yaah!

Golden morning light illuminated the building beautifully at the beginning of a gorgeous day. Later, we collected Ian and Ruby and went to Greenwich to visit the National Maritime Museum, taking a stroll through Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory. The view of London was splendid as you'll see from the bottom photograph. By Greenwich Market we ate pie and mash with peas and gravy, preferring to decline the jellied eels.

On Saturday night, we were riding on a red London bus to Notting Hill Gate. A bunch of lairy lads were on the top deck, laughing and talking loudly with occasional swear words thrown in for good measure. Their manner of speaking English is so different from what you might have heard from Londoners in the sixties. Back then it was the traditional Cockney brogue - like the Garnetts in "Till Death Us Do Part" but on Saturday night, it was all "innit" and "Knowwatahmean-man?" - Cockney twang had disappeared entirely from the lads' pronunciation and I wondered where they had learnt this new and to me jarring, modernistic, streetwise English. In school? A correspondence course? Naturally, I lurched to the back of the bus and urged them to speak properly but they seemed rather non-plussed.
Nov 25.12 London 085
In the foreground - Greenwich Park - still recovering from Olympic showjumping.

13 comments:

  1. Two beautiful photos YP. Sounds like you had a nice visit... and perfect weather too.

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  2. U goh a ge wivvit, man. U jus sooo las night ma bruvver, nowaImeen? No man speak english no more. Not dees street. Wat dis english anihow? It de lang de slave trader man. U owe us so shut de fuck up o I cut u. Huh! White boy, tink he own de cuntri...

    As an aside, isn't a hundred and three of your English pounds rather good value in London these days? Or was that for a box room above a Gangsta Rap disco?

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  3. Smashing photos YP ...and of course we missed you, but knew that you must be somewhere interesting and would tell us about it on your return!

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  4. HELEN Sunday was gorgeous. So bright - whereas Saturday had been a miserable washout. That's English weather for you - an exciting lottery.
    MAURICE THE HIPPO How did you learn to speak like that old chap? You should be employed as a language tutor, specialising in Estuarine English! You're right - £103 is a very moderate hotel price in London these days. It was near Olympia. The room wasn't bad but breakfast was rubbishy - nowarrameanmaninnit?

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  5. Sir Pud, check this place out. I always stay here.

    http://www.vsc.co.uk/

    As a member I can have guests, even though I am not there. All I have to do is write a letter of introduction making myself liable if you decide to trash the premises. Or abscond without paying your tab.

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  6. Beautiful, beautiful pictures. And yes, I did wonder....

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  7. Beautiful, beautiful pictures. And yes, I did wonder....

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  8. did you see Jane Darwell sitting in her flower hat singing "feed the birds?"

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  9. MAURICE THE HIPPO Will I need to grow a moustache and learn how to salute my superiors? Thanks for the link. I have been on their website to see what's what.
    MOUNTAIN THYME On such a clear, bright November day it would be hard not to snap a few great photos.
    EARL GRAY Yes I did and The Artful Dodger tried to pick my pocket - the little scamp!

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  10. In answer to your first question, yes, I always miss your golden words of wisdom. I often ponder on the mysteries of the changes in accent over the last couple of decades. No answers really, though, I'm afraid. Hope you got back from that there London safely. ;)

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  11. Sir Pud,

    it is an all ranks club. The only saluting is done with a foaming pint at the well stocked bar.

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  12. Sir Pud,

    it is an all ranks club. The only saluting is done with a foaming pint at the well stocked bar.

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  13. Oh! Look at that. Two comments for the price of one on Yorkshire Pudding. Must shop here more often.

    Blogger is losing its marbles.

    ReplyDelete

Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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