Day 4 of 35 - Lulu's 70th - Ted Lasso in Richmond - Eel Pie Island in Twickenham

July 12th - 2024 - Lulu's birthday

It was little cooler today in London - low 60s - but no rain. I just love escorting Lulu in her favorite town on her big day. After a light breakfast in bed - we caught the train to Richmond - about 25 miles away. Lulu loves watching British TV shows - and Ted Lasso is high on her list. It is about an American coach that is imported to run a soccer team - The Richmond Greyhounds. They film some of it in downtown Richmond. 

We stopped at a place on the street for lunch. When I went to pay - the owner said they only take cash. I did not have enough - but I had lots of USA money. A local guy came inside and tried to pay for our lunch.  The bill was 30 pounds - about $40. I would not consider it - I said I would go to an ATM machine. Then I said I have American dollars. I gave the owner $40 - he came to my table and slipped me a $10 bill. The couple that tried to pay - ended up being from Ireland - they were in town for their oldest son's wedding. We had a great conversation - as I said before - we meet so many nice folks traveling. 

Our next stop was Eel Pie Island. It was 1.3 miles away. We walked to Twikenham. There a a museum there - in a community building. We were greeted at the locked door by a lovely lady who insists on giving us a VIP tour. 

Eel Pie Island is a small island in the middle of the Thames River. The river is much narrower here than in London. The only way on the island is a foot bridge. In the old days - from 1900 to 1960 - there was a big old resort hotel there. It turned into a destination for jazz music. They added a giant ballroom to the hotel - something like Lakeside or the Lakewood Ballroom. The dance hall had a spring loaded wooden floor - similar to a trampoline. When the place was literally rocking with music and dinners - the building would vibrate. 

It started out with jazz music. Next came blues music. After that Skiffle - a cross between folk and blues. This was an oven where rock and roll was baked in London. In the summer of 1964 - The Rolling Stones played every Wednesday - Blues Night. The Who played there. Rod Stewart. Eventually the island became a commune. Soon there were more cops in wigs than kids trying to bust them for drinking and drugs. 

Finally in 1968 - the hotel burned to the ground. Some say the cops set it on fire - some say the owner had lightning strike it for the insurance money - and to build exclusive condos. Today they are a few upscale places there with a bohemian air to them. There are boat houses and boat repair businesses there - but still only a foot bridge connecting it to reality.  It is a very quiet haven in the middle of the river in the middle of a city. 

A bus and two quick trains - and we were back at our hotel by Hyde Park. We rolled into bed for a short nap. Then we got cleaned up to celebrate the birthday girl with dinner at a nice little Italian Restaurant. After supper we took a walk through Hyde Park as the sunset. We could hear one of Lulu's favorite artists playing the park - Stevie Nix. 

We planned to take the train tomorrow to Durham for the famous Miners' Gala Parade. It is 450 miles north of here. We were there two times before.  but because we did not buy train tickets earlier - they were $250 each - and 3 hours each way. Since we leave London on the Queen Mary 2 on Sunday - we decided to see other things. Being in our 70s now - we have to pace ourselves better. I can really see the difference in Esther Williams legs. 

Eel Pie Inland in Thames River

Richmond Greyhounds

Tess Lasso Clubhouse

Ted Lasso is played by Jason Sedakis

Pub on the town green

Honda Electric - London car of the year - 2021

The old hotel burned down

First it was a jazz club

The Beatles first played Skiffle

Listen to Lonnie Donegan

The kids had to join the club - Eelpiland

This was the trampoline dance floor

Keith Richards played here

Brian Jones wanted to stay playing Blues

Lulu checks out the red coat

Mick Jagger performed with shirt and tie

Eel Pie Island Museum

House on island today

This bridge was only way in

Birthday girl in Hyde Park - 
Kensington Palace where Diane lived.

Queen Victoria in Hyde Park

Day 3 of 35 - London - Mrs Doubtfire Show

 

We just finished day 3 of our Euro Trip. You lose track of time. We left Tallahassee on Tuesday. We flew 10 hours and lost 5 hours to the times zones. First day we left home at 7 pm. We got into Atlanta a little late - and then we waited in Atlanta for many passengers. It was nearing midnight - when our jet took off from the world's busiest airport - our goal London Heathrow Airport. We arrived here Wednesday around 1 pm - and our hotel in downtown at 3 pm. 

Wednesday - we got our bearings by walking down along the Thames River. We visited Big Ben and The London Eye big wheel. Weather was sunny - breezy - 70s. We stopped by a local pub for supper and to watch the England vs Netherlands - Euro Cup Soccer Gams. We experienced their last minute 2-1 victory. England is used to losing big important matches. Now they play Sunday for the European Championship against Spain. We will be on Queen Mary 2 during that event. It could be a very sad day over here - I am sure there will be plenty of Brits on board watching. 

We woke up today - Thursday - with lots of energy at about 9 am local time. We took a bus to the Shaftsbury Theatre to get tickets for a play - Mrs Doubtfire. You may recall there was a movie featuring Robin Williams - playing the famous nanny. If you go to the box office on the day of the show - you sometimes score some nice tickets cheap. I was lucky to get 2 tickets in the second row for 27 pounds each. This was 50% off. A pound is worth $1.30 on this trip. The show was at 2:30 pm - so we had time for a light lunch - and some shopping. 

I was surprised at how full the theatre was for a Thursday afternoon show. Mrs Doubtfire is a play about divorce and raising kids. So the theatre was full of women  and kids. I imagine half of them were divorced. There were few men - many kids - there was no profanity. 

Our seats were very good - there was an empty seat next to me - I could stretch out - but seating was tight. The play included a full orchestra - and there was lots of upbeat music to dance to. It was a large cast I thought. 

With jet lag - it goofs up your eating schedule. The less you eat the better it seems. We had supper at a Chinese Restaurant near the theatre. After that we walked Oxford Street all the way back to the John Lewis Store. Lulu's watch said we walked 7 miles. Tomorrow is a very big birthday for my lovely wife. We had little shopping to do. After shopping - Bus 94 took us straight to our hotel on Hyde Park. 

After a really hot June and July in Florida - the 70s and breezes is a welcome relief. 

We have three more nights in this hotel before embarking on the Queen Mary 2 to Norway. 

Tallahassee is 30 degrees north of the equator. Tamaqua PA is 41 degrees north. London is 51 degrees north - thus it gets colder yet. Finally we will reach places in Norway where you are 61 degrees north of the equator. Though we will not approach the North Pole - 90 degrees north - we will be near the Arctic Circle - which is 67 degrees north - the land of the midnight sun. The only other time I was 61 degrees north of the equator was in Anchorage AK. 

After a week exploring Norway - we will fly south to France - to visit family and see the Olympics in Paris. 

A full house saw Mrs Doubtfire

We got second row for half price

I love this old umbrella shop

Bloomsbury Pub - claims
oldest brewery

We walked by the Harry Potter play

London Eye - Wheel is made of wires

Newly renovated Big Ben

Our flight from Tallahassee to London

Ready to land at 1 pm yesterday

The Last Miner - Durham England

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HeU_kQcqdA

Kitty Hawk - North Carolina - The Wright Brothers

Metal replica of Wright Flyer

Come fly with me

This is the monument to their flight

On December 17 - 1903 - the Wright Brothers built and flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk NC. After years of practicing with gliders - they officially flew the first heavy than air powered vehicle. They built everything from scratch including the 4 cylinder gasoline engine. 

Kitty Hawk is on an island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They chose it for 3 reasons - steady winds - plenty of soft sand - and isolation. They hauled everything they needed by train and boat from their home in Dayton OH. They ran a successful bicycle factory there that funded their experiments. 

Wilbur and Orville - the Wright Brothers - never married. They spent their lives single-mindedly inventing and promoting their aircrafts. For three years they designed and flew gliders. They corresponded with other great inventors of their time on designing aircraft. 

Everyone thought they were silly - thinking they could fly - but this did not stop them. Later - they landed large contracts to build aircraft for the US Army. 

Others flew in balloons - lighter than air aircraft - as early as the 1820s. Later in the 1870's - the French flew dirigibles - they had steam engines - but were still lighter than air. Today - the Wrights brothers are recognized for their Wright Flyer - a power and controlled heavier than air aircraft. They lived to tell about it and documented their flights. 

Lulu loves the beach - so we drove to Kitty Hawk in our red electric car from Florida - about 800 miles each way. The Everhart 4 met us there and we spent 4 days together in an airbnb beach house. The ocean was only 70 degrees - so we did not do much swimming - mostly sunning. I kept thinking our pool at home was 88 degrees.

The Wright Brothers are near the top of my list of American heroes. This week we are flying to England - then taking the Queen Mary 2 to Norway - then flying to Paris. Every time we take off on a flight - I think back to Wilbur lying on the wing - holding onto the controls - and riding the first airplane like a bucking bronco.  The two spinning propellers were just inches from his head. He was very brave - and was thrown off many times. But he just kept trying. 

This view from the monument shows their flight

Genius is 1% inspiration - 99% perspiration

Lulu and I visited here with the boys in 1983

The steady wind assisted take off

The plane launched off that rail -
lifted at that spot

A wooden rail with a metal strip

The first flight landed here

The second of 4 flights that first day

The third

852 feet - 3 football fields long

They had a cameraman capture the flight

They built this hangar - assembled the plane here

Just pine boards - lots of sand blew in

They lived in a second building

A wood stove - a 55 gallon drum

They slept in the rafters - hanging like bats

Two buildings - the monument on the hill

They picked NC for this reason

Real American Heroes

The Wright Flyer in the museum.

4 cylinder gasoline engine