Sky High in the Smoke.

Tuesday Oct 22^nd London and The Shard

Way back in May this year we had a holiday in Italy. Our trip was booked with a local travel firm it was also was affiliated with a Yorkshire firm. Half way through the holiday the Peterborough people realised the Yorkshire people were talking about the home wards journey a day before we were expecting to go. We had, after all booked a 10-day holiday from their brochure. Frantic emails went back and forth from our driver to the offices of the Peterborough firm and the Yorkshire firm. Oh dear, the Peterborough firm had screwed up proof reading their brochure. We were not too happy but there was nothing to be done but enjoy the remainder of our holiday and sort it once back in the UK. All to soon it was time to return home.At home we found the Tour firm had already pre-empted our concerns and an envelope with an abject apology and vouchers for £40 each had been delivered.

The vouchers sat in the cupboard until I thought it was about time we used them up. I pinpointed two day trips from their excursions brochure and we discussed. The London Shard with afternoon tea was decided on and I rang to book it. I wasn’t sure if we would get seats, as the trip was only two weeks away. No problems the coach wasn’t full. We now just prayed for a fine day.

Tuesday arrived, as did the rain, Oh well can’t be helped. We drove to the pick up point we had chosen and the coach pulled in right on time. The journey was uneventful, driving along the grey wet motorway cheered up by the autumnal tints of the roadside trees. A comfort break was made at South Mimms before we hit the snails pace of London traffic. The one good thing about a slow coach ride through London is that you can take in all the architecture of the Georgians, Victorian and the Edwardians.

'The Navigators' at the Hays Galleria.

Eventually we arrived outside the Hays Galleria and were dropped of with our Courier. Then coach  and driver beat retreated to a distant coach park for the day. The Hays Galleria was named after Alexander Hays who bought the property, then a Brewhouse in 1651. The present buildings were created out of the Pool of London’s Wharf and warehouse complex, where, in past decades, Tea Clippers berthed and all the Perishable goods for London arrived. It was known as the Larder of London. Badly Bombed in World War 11, the area became economically depressed.  A program of regeneration was embarked upon in the 1980’s and the now restored tea and produce warehouses are a maze of independent shops, offices and restaurants and is a fascinating areas to explore. We walked through the Galleria’s central court yard past a fountain with a moving bronze sculpture called ‘The Navigators’. Created by the sculptor David Kemp, it was unveiled in 1987 and commemorates the Galleria’s shipping heritage. On through the massive Port gates to the riverside’s Jubilee Walk. Here you see the last surviving Battle Cruiser, HMS Belfast moored. She is now part of The Imperial War Museum and open to the public. My brother actually served on the Belfast when she was Berthed in Portsmouth before she was decommissioned and dispatched to her present berth on the Thames. A little further along the imposing Tower Bridge spans the river. We only had a short time to explore as our time for the Shard experience was fast approaching.

Part of The Hays Galleria

The Galleria plaque.

HMS Belfast moored in the Thames

Looking to Tower Bridge

                       

A short walk brought us to this new iconic London Landmark. In 1998 the London based entrepreneur Irvine Sellar and his Partners decided to redevelop Southwark Towers in the Tower Bridge quarter of London. The Italian architect, Renzo Piano was approached, and at an initial meeting he apparently spoke of his contempt of conventional tall buildings. He flipped over the restaurants menu and sketched a spire like building rising from the river Thames. Apparently he was inspired by the railway lines next to the site and spires depicted by the 18^th century Venetian painter, Canaletto and the masts of sailing ships.

There was much opposition to the plans but in 2002 John Prescott the then Deputy Prime Minister approved the plans. Funding was eventually obtained from an Arab consortium including the Qatar National Bank. Construction began in the spring of 2009. The 87-story, 310 meter, high skyscraper was to be a slender glass and steel spire. It is currently the tallest building in Western Europe. In early 2011 the Shards Concrete core was topped out at 245 meters, the 72^nd floor.  The floors above -73 to 87 are the glass and steel Spire of the building.

Quite an impressive reflection

The ground level entrance

Level 72 Note the rain splatter floor

The open shards

We really did it!

and it was fun!

The views were impressive even on a grey day.

The Ground floor is to be a hotel, restaurant and an office reception. Level 1-2 is to be office and retail space. Level 3 – 28 offices, 31-33 are 3 restaurants. Level 34 – 52 is to be a hotel called The Shangri-la. The opening of this is delayed apparently due to fitting out problems. Level 53 – 65 are Residences and level 68-72 is the viewing area called simply ‘The View’. It was opened to the public in February this year. The experience doesn’t come cheap. Pre booked tickets are £24.95p and tickets on the day are £29.95p. You enter the building at street level and go through an airport security type procedure. Your bags and coat are scanned and you walk through an x-ray portal. We were told to take photo identification but we didn’t actually need to show it. Next was the usual ‘experience’ photo that you could buy later. A short walk followed, through a corridor were the walls screened the Shard construction and the views to come, brought you to the two lifts. The first smooth and rapid ride up is to level 33, then a short hop around the corner into the second lift the whisks you up to level 68. Stairs then took you up to the next level, 69, the indoor viewing level. Or a small lift takes you up to level 72 the outdoor viewing platform. We went straight up to 72. It was quite cold and windy. The area you walk around was glass panelled, no possibility of accidentally chucking yourself off!  But the shards of steel and glass towering to the spire were open to the elements. The 360-degree views were breathtaking even though the weather wasn’t good. By this time there were just rain showers and the cloud layer was breaking up to give some small blue patches. After scanning the views and the usual photo shots from all angles we went down to the comparative shelter of level 69. On this level there were interactive telescopes, free as well, that you could point at the views out side and the screen would tell you what you were seeing.

My postcard purchase from the gift shop

Viewing over, we congregated on the lower floor where all the Shard commemorative gifts were to be found. Sorry to say we gave them a miss and the ‘experience’ photo, Just the one night time postcard was my only purchase  Our courier took us the short walk to the Hilton Hotel were our Afternoon Tea was booked. Although the walks were short I struggled to keep up and by the time we reached the hotel my back knee and ankle were sorely complaining. My first action, once the teapot of Darjeeling was placed on the table (after it had brewed according to the special Twinning tea timers on the table) was to wash down two Paracetamol tablets. Never has a cup of tea been so enjoyed. The food arrived it looked delicious and was duly devoured and thoroughly enjoyed.

My desperately need cup of tea. Mine was Darjeeling and 
Dave's was Earl Grey. Note the nifty timer for timing the brew.

Afternoon Tea Hilton style.

All to soon we were on the coach once again. Our driver took a different route through London. We drove slowly over Tower Bridge, slowly because it was rush hour and all the traffic could do was to go slow. He also took us through the Camden Market route. If I had been several years younger I should love to explore this area of London and many more but now days I’m afraid although the spirit is willing the body will not comply!

Out of London we hit the rain once again and it stayed with us most of the way accumulating in a really heavy down pour when we reached out destination. Good job the car was parked just across the road.

We both thought it was a good day out and not at all scary although I must admit just once me heart missed a beat and the old legs did buckle. I had to grab the steel upright edging the glass panels and remind myself there was absolutely no possibility of falling!