Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

As a follow on from my Loncon 3 report, I thought I’d do a post on London. We arrived Tuesday 12

September. We were sharing an apartment in Limehouse with Kim and Shauna. It was a lovely place and close to the DLR, which we needed to get on the metro and to the Excel where Loncon 3 was being held.

I thought a self catering apartment would have advantages. We could could meals, wash clothes and hang in the sitting room. This was a good plan except Kim and Shauna discovered the cafe on the corner and once I went there I wasn’t keen on cereal for breakfast. We think it might have been Polish but we don’t really know. We went there everyday and when we left popped in to say goodbye. Limehouse is in the East end of London, closer in to the river from Whitechapel (Jack the Ripper fame). I wanted to walk to Whitechapel, but as it was Matthew and I walked into Gracechurch Street and cheapside on day.

The walk in was interesting because of the ethnic mix of people and the sort of poorer area. We went to a market and had a look around. Along Commercial Road there were numerous direct to public clothing warehouses. I was sorely tempted but I had a goal to walk into the city. We could see the Gerkin for most of our walk.

Gracechurch street is where Lizzie’s uncle lives in P&P. It’s in Cheapside. We also found a patch of river and I picked up some pieces of pottery, which satisfied the archeologist in me. On the way back we got some fab shots of the Tower of London.

Tower of London, exterior, taken August 2014

Banks of the river Thames with bits of the past washing up

Under London Bridge

Gracechurch Street, Cheapside, London, August 2014

During our time in London we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and we have some lovely photos. We went to the Wedding Dresses exhibition but no photos were allowed. I really enjoyed just walking the streets and soaking up the feel of the place.

You will see from the photos that I concentrated on the Regency and Victorian fashions. Be prepared for a photo fest.

Victoria and Albert Museum taken from the quadrangle

Bonnet

Focus on bodice, Regency gown V&A

Catalogue for fashions Victorian era

Victoria era dress showing rear view of draping V&A

Crinoline petticoat V&A

Top and fabric for dress, Victorian era V&A

Male dress, Regency era, V&A

More historic male clothing

Bodice close up of black and white Victorian dress V&A

Regency dress coat

We ate in the V&A cafe, which was very Victorian.

V&A ceiling of the tea room

Shauna O’Meara, V&A tea rooms, August 2014

Kimberley Gaal, V&A tea room, August 2014