Bow Street, Marlborough Street and Vine Street make up the set of the orange properties and all have a connection to the police and the law. The Bow Street Runners and later Bow Street Magistrates Court, Marlborough Street Magistrates Court and Vine Street Police Station. All have had some high profile arrests and court cases. Marlborough Street itself doesn't actually exist and was mis-named on the board after the aforementioned magistrates court, it is actually Great Marlborough Street. For logistical reasons I will not be visiting them in order they appear on the board. (Great) Marlborough Street, Vine Street, Bow Street will be the order in which I visit each 'property'.
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Marylebone Station, pronounced mar-le-bone, is the second station on the Monopoly board and opened in 1899. Designed by William Henry Braddock, it is one of the smallest main line stations in London and serves trains to Birmingham however it also links London to Leicester, Sheffield and Manchester. It has its own tube station which is part of the Bakerloo line. Being one of the quietest stations it has often been used in films, most notably The Beatles 'A Hard Days Night' (1964), 'The Ipcress File' (1965), 'The 39 Steps' (1978) where it stood in for St Pancras and 'The Day of The Triffids' (1962). Being small it didn't have that big busy London station vibe about it which was nice. In the men's toilets, and very likely the women's, there is a large Monopoly board on the wall. Unfortunately I was unable to take a photo. Lords cricket ground and Regents Park are nearby. After what had been a long and fairly uninspiring walk from Pimlico, and I had a bit of time to kill before my train back home, it was time for a well deserved pint. There is a sports bar attached to the station which had a pretty well stocked bar but at £6.25 a pint it is my most expensive pint in London, something I would prefer not to better.
I leave the cafe and head in the general direction of Victoria in what will be the final leg of the journey to Marylebone Station. The roads are all pretty wide with large white houses, many of which are budget hotels, Victoria it seems is the land of the budget hotel and backpacker hostel. I pass a lot of the sights that I took in on my journey from Pall Mall. I pass Little Ben and Westminster Cathedral again and it crosses my mind to go in and up the tower, but like the last time I was here its poor weather so the views will not be so good. I continue along Victoria Street but I must have taken a wrong turn as I come across an interesting looking building, Blewcoat School. The school was founded in 1688 as a school for the poor and at the time only admitted boys. However the building in the photo was built in 1709 and the school relocated here, Caxton Street. The boys wore a distinctive uniform of long blue coats (hence the name) and long socks that were soaked in saffron, which was said to deter rats and gave them their colour. The school admitted girls from 1714 until 1876. The school operated until 1926. During World War II it was used by the American Services and after the war the girl guides used it as a youth club. In 1954 it was bought by the National Trust and used as a gift shop and information centre. In 2014 it was bought by British designer Ian Stuart and opened as a high end boutique specializing in bridal wear. It featured in the Channel 4's 'The Posh Frock Shop' along with owner Ian Stuart. There is speculation that it was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a Grade I listed building. The closest tube station is St James Park. I continue walking until I see one of the city's most famous buildings, Buckingham Palace. Due to a combination of the weather and the time of year its not so busy with tourists. I take a couple of photos and carry on walking. I begin to lose my bearings around now but just continue heading north, through Green Park, into Mayfair, with Park Lane and Hyde Park to my left, hoping to arrive at Marylebone Station as soon as possible, its been a long walk. Maybe half an hour later I find myself turning onto Marylebone Road and the final destination in sight.
I come out of the station, get my bearings and I come across another piece of art in the form of an Eduardo Paolozzi sculpture. Its an underground ventilation shaft, although there does seem to be some confusion over the purpose it actually serves. Some say its for the Victoria line, whilst others say that its for an underground car park. Whichever it is it's impressive. It was finished in 1982 and is an grade II listed 'building'. The top of it is the actual ventilation grilles. As I think about the direction I must go in it begins to rain. My first thought is the nearest pub but I know one pint soon leads to more and I am heading back to Bristol later so I opt for a coffee at a nearby cafe aptly called Pimlico Village. It was the neon sign in the window that drew my attention to the place, 'Coffee Shop', which reminded me of an Amsterdam coffee shop where coffee is not the priority. I ordered a Flat White and a piece of homemade carrot cake which is very good, moist with sultana's in and a decent sized piece. Coffee is also good and the prices reasonable. So if you are ever in Pimlico I would recommend coffee and cake here. I take a few notes before it's time to head off again and the rain appears to have stopped.
'So I was back in London for the weekend, looking to start where I had finished off my last trip which was Pimlico, to continue with my journey to Marylebone Station, and then on to the next set of 'properties'. Unfortunately the weekend was a washout with torrential rain, not the weather you want for walking. Luckily on my final day it cleared up a touch so I headed by tube to Pimlico Station. I arrive at Pimlico Station, which is probably best known for being the nearest tube to Tate Britain, and take what turns out to be a different entrance/exit than last time which actually made for a more interesting arrival. The subway walls have a collection of murals of famous paintings which include 'Claude Monet Painting By The Edge Of The Wood' by John Singer Sargent, 'Head No. 2' by Naum Gabo, 'Coming Out Of School' by L S Lowry, 'Metamorphosis Of Narcissus' by Salvador Dali, 'Woman At Her Toilet' by Edgar Degas, 'Yacht Approaching The Coast' by Joseph Mallard William Turner, 'Recumbent Figure' by Henry Moore, 'The Death Of Chatterton' by Henry Wallis, 'No. VI, Composition No.II' by Piet Mondrian, 'The Beloved ('The Bride)' by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. One stop to Victoria, change for the District Line and the rush hour journey to Upton Park begins. Packed like sardines in a can its an awful journey but what can you do? I arrive at Upton Park tube around an hour after leaving Pimlico Gardens and head for Lahori Nihaari. This was in a list of recommended places to eat in East Ham by what is probably London's biggest and most informative Blog Londonist, a blog I would highly recommend to anybody living in or visiting London, https://londonist.com/ . I walk along Green Street, which is where the original West Ham United ground was, turn right and suddenly it feels like I am heading into the projects and the last place I expected to find a restaurant, my apprehension is short lived as I see the main road, turn left and I have arrived. Staff were friendly and helpful. I ordered Tandoori Chicken wings, Chicken & Spinach curry, Rice and a Kulcha Naan, which was a bit darker and denser than the usual Naan breads and had what I think were sesame seeds on top. All the foods was very good and I would recommend eating here if you find yourself in the area. One thing I have to mention is whilst the food is very good here it is different to your standard high street Indian restaurant and often the meat will be cooked and served on the bone. I finish my dinner and its time for another long tube ride to Paddington Station where I catch my train back to Bristol.
My day draws to an end and its been a long day, I've covered a lot of ground and seen some interesting sites. Being on the bank of the Thames makes me realize what a long winded and almost ridiculous route I have taken, I'm actually further away from the next 'property', Marylebone Station, than when I arrived at and walked the entire length of Pall Mall. The three key sites were all ideas taken from Mark Mason's book Walk The Lines and to be honest I am glad I visited them all, just a pity I was unable to go up the tower at Westminster Cathedral, but I'll save that for a sunny day. I am heading back to Bristol but before I leave London I am off for a curry in East London. I head to Pimlico tube station which takes me about 10 minutes. I head down into the tube station and board the train to East Ham for a curry.
After taking a couple of photos of Little Ben I walk back around the corner to Vauxhall Bridge Road and walk down towards Pimlico. With my route mapped out I veer right into Upper Tachbrook Street which becomes Tachbrook Street and its here that I find the Queens Arms pub and decide its time for a break and a couple of well earned pints, I feel as though I have been walking for hours. Its pretty quiet inside, the dinner time crowd have left, a table of four are finishing up and a couple sit on a table in the corner. Bar is pretty well stocked with the usual suspects, a couple of craft beers on tap and a couple of cask ales. As its quiet I end up chatting to the assistant manager. Three pints later it's time to continue my journey. I turn right out of the pub and first left onto Belgrave Road, down to St George's Square before I arrive at my final destination, Pimlico Gardens. It's home to Westminster Boating Base, but the purpose of my visit is to see the statue of William Huskisson. Huskisson was a British Statesman in the late 18th and early 19th century but is more commonly known as the first reported person to be killed by a train when he was hit by Stephenson's Rocket on the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester railway.
At the end of Buckingham Gate I turn right onto Victoria Street, past Westminster City Hall which was built in 1966 and was the first skyscraper in the area. The street itself is very similar to high streets across the country in that it has all the usual high street stores and places to eat. There is a branch of John Lewis which also houses its head office. For the more upmarket you have Hugo Boss and The Ivy. One of the more impressive buildings is Artillery Mansions, formerly a hotel where a young Norman Wisdom worked as an errand boy. Further along I come to Westminster Cathedral, a Catholic cathedral that was completed 1903 and was built on land that previously housed a prison. Although not so picturesque from the outside its very impressive inside. The tower has a viewing gallery that is 64 metres (210 feet) above street level that gives an impressive 360 degree view of London, which is actually the reason I came but unfortunately the day is overcast and the staff advised me not to bother as the view would disappoint, so I will save this for a sunny day in the future. http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/ A few minutes walk along the road I come to the junction with Vauxhall Bridge Road and Wilton Road, and its here I find Little Ben. It is a cast iron miniature clock tower that mimics Big Ben. It was erected in 1892, then removed in 1964, restored and re-erected in 1981. During the refurbishment of Victoria Station in 2012 it was removed before being reinstated in 2016. To be honest it was a bit of a disappointment but that's life. Another one off the bucket list.
I walk out of St James's Park onto Birdcage Walk which runs from Great George Street, off Parliment Square, up to Buckingham Gate, Buckingham Palace is to the right. It was named after the royal menagerie, which was the precursor to the modern zoo, and aviary which dates back to the reign of King James I and was expanded by King Charles II in 1660. Until 1826 only the royal family and the Duke of St Albans were allowed to drive along the road. Wellington Barracks, Royal Military Chapel (Guards Chapel) and Guards Museum are all here. In 2012 it formed part of the marathon course for the London Olympics.
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AuthorLouis Mogg. Archives
March 2020
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