West End to East End

Day three Wednesday July 16th

Leaving our comfortable hotel in London's posh South West district we crossed via the hot airless undergound tube once more, to Kings Cross main line station to leave our luggage for the day. We had decided to hit the Museums but as it was a fresh warm sunny day we decided to head for the Docklands in the once notorious East End.

The Docklands in the East end have been the landing stage for immigrant for over 2000 years Romans, Saxons, Vikings, Jews, Russians and many more. The East End became a sink hole for all the poorest of the poor and the haunt of the notorious 'Jack the Ripper' The poverty was indescribable. After the blitz damage in the second world war the docks seriously declined as sea trade moved elsewhere and good were air freighted across the world,

Several of the original dockland tugs remain moored in the old docks. One has been converted into a church, another a conference venue.

Over the last decade the Thames Docklands have been transformed. A few of the derelict dockside warehouses have been saved and turned into desirable loft dwellings but many have been swept away completely and in their place new high rise glass sided office blocks and apartments have sprung up along the Thames side and clustered around the old docks. This new immigration into the London Docklands is like nothing ever seen in previous century's. These immigrants are from the London business communities and have nothing to do with the river except for enjoying the new ambiance created by the developers.

Some of the old warehouse still survive. These old sugar warehouses are smart restaurants and also houses the Dockland Museum . The main feature of the museum at the moment is a 'Jack the Ripper' display and presentation and gruesome it is!

Lovely well kept green areas with neat mown grass, shrubs and trees, rills of water and gushing fountains sweep between the tall office blocks. Every where is so peaceful, pleasent and well maintained.
......even a hugh television screen broadcasts the news chanel in one area of the gardens! These relaxing green oasis areas make a refreshing green space for the office workers to come out to have their picnic lunches.I commented on how it all reminded me of Vancouver when we came across this name plaque!

..............and this part of the underground shopping mall is called Canada Place. Its very Canadian! The shopping mall runs the whole length of this part of the Docklands All the wel known store have space here and its all so fresh and modern. Shopping or window shopping is so much more pleasurable when away from the smell, grime and noise of traffic.

Canary Wharf underground station terminal The trains run deep, deep underneath.The Cat and Canary pub on Fisherman's Wharf

The Dockland Museum in an old sugar warehouse and the statue of Robert Milligan who built the West Indian Dock in the 1700's