Day 2 of 'work' in London

Today along with 200 other intranet nerds I attended IntranetNow. Caught up with a lot of friends and met people that I had 'digital friendships' with for the first time face-to-face. A great day.

As I left to go home it was just getting dark so thought I would take the tourist route home along the Thames. It was a beautiful meander ending with a full moon rising in Tower Bridge. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Going international

Fixing my hair

Travelling on train with bag full of trophies

Kicking off the session

Team from Scottish Government

Martin from Inverness

Avon and Somerset Constabulary

The winners, now to the pub 

The day has finally arrived. The reason I am in London is to present the winners of the 2017 Intranet and Digital Workplace awards for UK and Europe. So back to Clerkenwell, I go in my favourite pink jacket.  

Winners arrive from all over UK and Europe, Martin via the Caledonian sleeper train from Inverness, Morten popped over from Copenhagen as casually as if he had just caught a train from Parramatta to the city. Ernst was in New York on another project so he arrived a bit bleary-eyed. All in all we had 10 winners in the room to wow the crowd and share their stories. 

A great afternoon and finally we were done with my first international gig and we could go to the pub to celebrate.

Audi Tace Vide (Hear, see, be silent)

Path of Illumination, Tasmanian Blackwood

I step out into the crisp autumn air and the first thing to cross my path is a squirrel, a few steps later there is a mouse. The change of season has got everyone scurrying around. Time to get on the train, everyone is running to different doors and squishing in, I make it. This is more crowded than Tokyo in rush hour!

The main event today is a tour of Freemasons Hall. The building has intrigued me since the first time I saw it and finally, today is the day to do a tour. Steve, our guide knows his stuff and shares great insights into the rituals of freemasons, the building and all the symbology. Built in the 1930’s in art deco style with sweeping staircases and grandiose halls this is impressive.

Th path of illuminations is made of Tasmania Blackwood. Everywhere you look there is something to delight the eye. My absolute favourite bit is the memorial to freemasons who died in WW1. Covered in symbology and statues its a masterpiece. After the tour we do an impromptu photo shoot on the main staircase.

The building has been used in many movies including Bond films and the TV show, Spooks.

Early day today so its home to Ladywell Lodge.  Reading the new Time out magazine on the train and burst out laughing. A few quotes from the most ridiculous things overheard in London this week.

• Did you know you can see maps through your iPhone? I think its called argumentative reality.
• Seriously, though, does halloumi make you super sassy?
• I think I am more upset about Uber than I was about Brexit.

Connections

The Fourth Plinth

With our Royal Academy all access pass

Jane showing the painting she brought last year

Patiently waiting for our tea

After the Christmas shop

Autumn decorations are really unusual

Popular shoeshine man in Burlington Arcade

I tried on so much, in the end, I
could not decide what to buy!

Banqueting House

Banqueting House

Its Monday morning, while everyone else on the train looks depressed, we are ready for a fun tourist day. First stop is a detour to check out a venue for future work events. The venue is perfect for our needs, and as a bonus, the event manager gives us an all-access pass to the Royal Academy. Second stop is the Royal Academy to check out the exhibitions for Matisse and Jasper Johns and exit through the gift shop. After all that excitement it's time for a sit down at Fortnum and Masons.

Then it's on to Warren’s old haunt, Burlington Arcade. There is a line for the shoeshine man, he must be good. A beadle (arcade police) is helping a Spanish lady translate and she is ever so grateful. A quick pit stop at Sotherbys however, there is no action today. Lots of the shops are decorated for autumn. I have my one conker that I found on Sunday but will need to find more if I am going to make an autumn creation. Or maybe I could go to a school yard and challenge a kid to a game.

We keep walking up to Wallace Collection as we missed the armour section last time and wanted to see The Dagger of a Mughal Prince and yes it is as impressive as the photos. Over 200 jewels encrusted into one piece that is exactly 400 years old this month.

More walking, shopping, eating, where does the time go. It's time to hop on the tube and go two stops down towards to our last stop for the day, Banqueting House. This was once part of the Palace of Whitehall and the scene of many parties, masques (performances) and even a beheading. The ceiling was created by Rubens. The best bit is that there are bean bags so you can lay down and marvel at the ceiling. Quite an ingenious idea.

A ramble thru Hampstead

Track work closures made our journey more complicated
but at least I saw the revamped Tottenham Court
Road station with the saved murals 

This house was inspiration for story in Mary Poppins

Our group on the heath

Conkers for autumn

Barber shop

Our destination for today is Hampstead a pretty village in the north of London. Well, that plan may be foiled, as part of the northern line is closed, no trains are going to Charing Cross and its drizzling, But the ever intrepid explorers we are we get google’s help, take a bus to Lewisham and then skirt around and into the city on the DLR. Two more tube changes and we make it to our destination with 5 minutes to spare. 

Along with a bunch of other middle-aged people (did I just say that?) we set off with our guide to explore around the village. Hampstead has been a magnet for the literary, artistic and thespian for years and is a very wealthy area nowadays. We head up lanes, down dales and along secret paths, Halfway through I am dying for a cup of tea and a sit-down, but Jane comes to the rescue with a Penguin that materialises from the depths of her handbag. 

There is too much to share from this delightful village, some of the highlights included houses where famous people lived or stayed like:

• Actors, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Dench, Emma Thompson, Rex Harrison, Peter O'Toole, Alan Bates, Dudley Moore and Rowan Atkinson.
• Writers, DH Lawrence and HG Wells houses.
• Painters including Constable and the naughty George Romney

the list goes on and on.

Plus where Mr Bean walks his dog :)

We are just 4 miles from the centre of London, but it feels like 100 miles. I can see why so many people escape to live amongst all the greenery. But we have saved the best for last a side trip to the Hampstead Village Church, and we find the grave of John Harrison one of my favourite inventors (marine chronometer fame).