The Enigmacursor has only been at the museum for a few months now. On the small size, it was probably about the size of a Yorkshire terrier dog. It’s a little away from the beat and track of the museum footfall, above the east exit on the stairwell. So if you are visiting have a look out for this new specimen
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/enigmacursor.html
I picked a company called Exodus which has its premium holiday to Morocco. And I picked October as the time to go thinking it wouldn’t be too hot. It was pretty hot later on my holiday.
Apparently, I was supposed to be staying in a five-star hotel! Certainly didn’t feel like that. Room was okay know, breakfast! Somewhat a joke if you ask me!
Casablanca
The first site on the itinerary was a trip to the Hassan II Mosque, now that’s a huge mosque! Commissioned by the King of Morocco, created by how many craftsmen I don’t know, but lots of different people worked on the project and an amazing job they did. The tiling, amazing open space, flooring and the Murano chandeliers. Trying to imagine the 200,000 worshipers in that space alone would be, well something else. After seeing the main hall, we entered one area were what could be said was an entrance with two doors both with what could only be described as portcullis doors. Here the wind flew through and you could see the fog on the wind. When we had arrived it wasn’t that foggy, by the time we left. Well, the fog had rolled right in and it was truly mystical in many regards. We didn’t get to experience much else of Casablanca it was just the mosque.
Moulay Idriss & Volubilis
Back on the bus and onward, our next stop was Moulay Idriss. I wasn’t sure what I experienced about the place, walking around and, well it just felt like any other town. Except I didn’t understand why people were dumping their rubbish in buildings and down the drains. That’s not cleaning up! That’s just pollution! And there was a bit of a dodgy smell about the place. There was obviously importance about the place due to the fact that Moulay Idriss was buried there, but you can’t see or feel that when they say only Muslims are allowed into certain areas. It didn’t quite work for me.
Onward to Volubilis, which is a hugely impressive Roman site. Given a tour and a talk, we followed as a group. Pottery, building debris scatter all over the place. Of the areas which have been unearthed, amazing mosaics, lots of them, the building layouts and the city scape all there to see, and maybe more under the soil. There is so much archaeology just sitting there on the top. The land around the site is fertile and that’s probably why this ancient Roman city was built here. I also felt the tour guide for this area got some pieces of information wrong, he was talking about one place was a private villa, right next to one of the towns entry gates. However, the five frontal pillars of the building say otherwise! But who am I to know!
Back on the bus and we carried onto Fez. We checked into a riad and being unlucky again I got the room where there was brown paint all over the floor, uncleaned looking like droplets of blood. The white cement not cleaned up either, the floor looked terrible and unclean in this room and I had to stay in there for two nights. I never slept at all in this room; there was one pathetic little window which allowed all the sound from downstairs, were people ate talked and passed through. Constant irritation on my part.
Fez
The next day we did a tour of Fez, an amazing warren of very tightly constructed buildings leaving very little room to move around in some areas. As we walked through, we came to one shop which had a decapitated camel head on the stand advertising camel meat. Ugh, this made me feel so dam ill! I couldn’t bring myself to take a picture of it. Others did know. We were then given some snacks, I had a few olives to eat. But honestly, after seeing the camel head and feeling somewhat dirty around there. I couldn’t bring myself to eat really.
We carried on through the crowds until we came to a leather shop. All the way up to a viewing area and the smell as we walked through, then on this balcony overlooking we saw all the mud pits full of all the different dyes, with people working away in them. I remember this place from TV. Remembering James Bond running through them.
Back inside the main shop I honestly had no interest in buying here, I had a look around a little bit. But nothing really interested me at all. Afterwards we carried on and we had a look inside some mosques hidden away. As always, we are not allowed in, as we are not Muslims!
Lunch time came and we all sat together in a restaurant, everyone’s meals looked huge for lunch and when my mixed grill and rice came. I was really happy, looked a lot less food and easy to manage which it was.
Walking through more tightly thin streets we made our way to another place this time dealing in metal works, it felt odd somehow, there was one guy working away, but in all honesty. This felt more like a gimmick to me. I couldn’t explain it. The gentleman said in his big shop that it had been in his family for decades and they had worked all the objects in there. But again, it didn’t feel right. Felt like some kind of fabricated lie to me. I couldn’t explain it, just that strange feeling.
After the tour of old Fez, we stopped at a viewing point to take some pictures then we went and had a look at a pottery crafting place. This felt real this time. Some of the group seemed at odds with it, but I didn’t. Interesting seeing the amazing craftsmanship here. I could have brought something, but didn’t.
I feel my problem is that I have been filling up my own with stuff from my mum’s house who is downsizing and well. I seem to be accumulating more junk here! I really need to sell more on eBay!
So, after the tour here I sat down on the table with the two guides watching them trying to stack empty water bottles on top of each other like some game. I then said, you really need to be light with your fingers for that. They looked at me, and told me to try, what they had been struggling with I did on my first go!
Not much else happened this day other than picking up some food for dinner from a super market and being disappointed. I was confused about the evening, and being where my bedroom was. I again didn’t get any sleep.
Bus ride to hell and the great escape!
Off we went in the morning, a long ride on the crappy bus, doing my lower back in. Stopping off for lunch and I had a turkey taco! Or was it, what ever happened after that I just went downhill later.
I remember getting to the next place where we are staying. Diarrhoea started and didn’t stop. Burning pain, mixed with a dodgy tummy. Ugh my Tummy. I was struggling and the slight heat at 32C wasn’t helping. Least the room I was in had air-con. The next day I was out of it, pain in my back as well as my front, knocked out. I felt so bad, it wasn’t right. My tummy had given out; it didn’t like what went into it. I was poisoned. Death felt like it wanted to call me. I spent all day in this place in the middle of the desert. Imodium didn’t seem to work! That and a combination of rehydration salts. And I was getting to the point where I had too much and I had, had enough. I wanted to go home. Later that day I moved onto the next camp with the group, riding through the desert in a 4×4 and the next morning. I had organised my escape from Morocco. I was hardly eating, too scared to eat. I did have little bits, not a lot really. Just a little bit of bread. I didn’t want to give any food to my body as I felt it would well, you know!
Nine hours in a taxi through the desert into the Atlas Mountains, stopping off on the way for a little bit of chicken and rice. I also had to stop off to use the cash machines. I couldn’t work it out at first. Then it turned out I could only take out 2,000 MAD or less at a time out of the machines. And I had a little bit, not much at all, still charged as if I had a three course meal from their menu. 140 Moroccan dirham (about £11) Another stop to have a wee in a filthy toilet on the way!
As we are driving, I didn’t understand why Moroccans litter their deserts with so much rubbish! All that plastic out there floating around really did sadden me.
Continuing on I noticed this diamond sparkle, as we drove along the road, it was bright. Then the taxi driver told me it was a special solar power plant. I worked out it’s called Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. Even know I was feeling ill, it was still an impressive sight. Like a lighthouse in the desert.
Finally I got into Marrakech, placed in a 3-star hotel which was bearable and I actually had a few hours’ sleep that night. The most sleep I had in a whole week of being in Morocco. Over £200 paid for a taxi across the Moroccan desert and mountains, £17 a night in a crappy hotel! And a £190 flight back home.
I made it home, however Sunday night into Monday morning I got worse, ended up in Barnet hospital. Drip in my arm, pills in me and 13 hours later discharged with some strong tablets to help my back and others to sort out my guts!
Honestly, I didn’t understand how I went downhill so quickly, my problems carried on for a few more days. I was just glad to be at home in my own bed. Still got back pain as I am writing this. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer now. But just over a whole week with diarrhoea was nothing short but pain and with my epic escape from Morocco has to be classed as stuff of legend.
I never knew you could go inside Wellington Arch until a few weeks ago, so I thought I should take a look. It’s has a fair amount of space inside and a little bit of a museum to explore.
I also never knew it wasn’t in its original position and was taken down and moved to its current home. And the original top contained Wellington on his horse, that is now gone and it was changed over to what you currently see. Right up until the 1950s it also was home to a police unit.
Now it’s more a tourist attraction and a good view of the Kings Guard passing through.
If you want to visit it, it’s a good idea to check the days and times at; https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wellington-arch/
Not necessarily off the beat and track in Westminster, but for some reason it’s away from all the crowds. Maybe it’s not well advertised or maybe it’s just that bit too expensive for the tourists for what it is.
Over three floors, but really two with the café part on the bottom you have history of the tower and in part the history for the old Palace of Westminster. The building was more or less a battlement of the Palace which in turn was vault storage, partly surrounded by a moat fed from the Thames.
The monarchs used the space to store their treasures right up until a fire ripped through the palace at the beginning of the 14th-century. The then reigning King Henry VIII moved his valuables to Whitehall Palace.
Later on, the House of Lords began to store all its records in the building. On the first floor in the storage room, you can see some examples of what they found in a unique desk where you can pull out copies of those unique items.
There is a cabinet full of finds they have found in the old moat which shows glimpses into when the building was lived in. And you’re pretty much done. You really don’t need more than half an hour. I was here for around 20 minutes. You can book an advanced ticket but I just turned up on the day. Please be aware it may not be for everyone, but if you do go I’d be interested in your thoughts.
The tour started with a bit of history and started to feel like many other hidden London tube tours, the descent down. But there are some interesting elements, accessways, old tunnels, covered in good old thick dust everywhere! We explored an area which was partially used during World War 2 and saw a huge wind turbine which they didn’t have on. We’d be blown away if it was on it was so big!
Making our way back ascending back up the stairs towards the main concourse then back to the multi-platform area. Here is special part when you descend down the furthest platform then down onto the track, not so deep down, but very much under London. Walking alongside the old track felt amazing, another case of “I am amazed I am allowed here”!
There was even a little headless horse statue down there. But for the life if me, I can’t remember if the girl said why it was there. We then went round into another access area, which had this incredible graffiti that no one will ever see, this felt very much like some sacred underground church with the high ceilings. However, they said we were not allowed to take photos of that area, as they seem fearful other people will get in to tag the place. I am still amazed that people can get into the area to spray. They must have to walk a long way to find this obscure, way off the beat part of the hidden underworld of London to even get here.
As always, I tend to labour behind the group so I can soak up as much as possible. I was hearing the sound of rushing water and look down into a grate. I asked is that a hidden river? Because we do have a lot of those in London surprisingly. However, the tour guide explained that this was part of the sewage system. That really must be quite big, because that was a lot of water running under my feet.
We started our ascent back and I didn’t realise how deep we wondered into the tunnels, must have been a four to five-minute walk back to the front of the platforms. There we got to hear about the special metropolitan Moorgate roundel and then that was the end of the tour. I did rather enjoy this one. Especially walking alongside the old track. This one I recommend.
This TFL Hidden London tour started outside at the Diana statue in Green Park and then took us into for a tour of some of the hidden passages for this tube station. After the close of the old Dover Street station entrance, they moved to the newly opened entrance of Greek Park in 1933 next to the Ritz which is where everyone enters and exits each day.
As a group we made our way down and through another gate. These areas were closed off before the war as they were no longer needed however as WW2 came along the passages were reopened and they created lots of small units and areas for the war effort. This included an underground HQ for the Railway Executive Committee (REC). I was constantly looking for the old wall lines of the partitions to understand how small each unit was. And very small they were.
We carried on round to see more hidden tunnels, where the old lift shafts where, which had been turned into offices and one into a kitchen. Then back we visited a very impressive air shaft. The stairs down and the air shaft itself where you really feel like you’re not supposed to be there. A rather unique experience. This is certainly one of the top experiences on the TFL Hidden London tours. I certainly recommend this one.
I decided to go have a look at this small London museum south of the river in Rotherhithe and I wasn’t sure when I first entered. This was a Saturday and there were a fair few people, however this was really a very small venue and it really didn’t take me long to consume what content there was. A little bit of history on the tunnel underneath and transport history and that’s it.
My next problem was the tour itself. I know they are volunteers; however, I couldn’t hear the fella that well at all. This small old knowledgeable man had such a small voice it didn’t travel past the amount of people. So, I then walked away to see the pit shaft. And that’s all it was, a big old pit shaft.
I couldn’t even bring myself to take any photos. I was left feeling very disappointed, I looked at the nice view across the river on the way out and made my way back home. No matter how nice the volunteers were, it didn’t help me what so ever. My disappointment lingers even now as I write this.
Honestly, there are far better places to visit in London.
Into London for a fairly new tour, this time at the Piccadilly Circus hub. You start off by one of the least used exits and make your way into the concourse getting a history lesson along the way. There is an old map in the concourse area and directly opposite a tribute to Frank Pick.
Here I felt that we should have been shown around the concourse a lot better before descending down the stairs to the hidden tunnels. There is a fair amount of unique 1920s architectural features to point out. The tile work, pillars lights, a very unique world clock map was addressed. Maybe it would help to point out the location of where Stephen Bone’s mural was before it was lost. We then walked round to an area with a few small shops. However the majority of these seemed unoccupied, but the foot fall at the time didn’t look like it would help the matter.
The lead tour guide chose some steps next to a small shop and we descended down. This seemed mainly to not get caught up with other passengers. We made it down to the Northern Line platform where at one end we entered through a gated door.
This is where you enter and feel really off the grid, a feeling of, I shouldn’t be here. These tunnels and others around housed many of the peoples of London during the WW2 blitz. We were shown many photos of the people sleeping on the escalators as well. One photo looked a lot like St John Woods tube station. There was also a section of tunnel to house artworks to protect them from the bombing. These were transported from Dover Street (now Green Park) via a tube train for storage. Saw some abandoned lift shafts, round a bit more then the tour felt like it abruptly ended.
This is the first time I feel that a Hidden London tour needs to be adjusted. But nevertheless, it was an interesting experience. Not as good as their Aldwych experience which is the one I recommend the most.
I arrived at Clapham South not knowing what to expect, I exited the station had a little walk into the park and back around meeting everyone to start the tour.
We slowly descended down the spiral staircase and made our way to the bottom. There was a gentleman there who was re-enacting as an original staff member during the time of the shelter. He gave us all a replica ticket, this would help us find our beds later.
We had our introduction and walked to a room which shows some of the bombs that fell on London. I never knew about a bomb called a butterfly bomb. That was certainly interesting to see.
Upon exiting this room, I noticed one of the top brass Chris Nix (curator for the London Transport Museum) had joined us. I said hello and we had a little bit of a chat as we went round the complex.
We walked back out and into another very large tunnel room. These rooms go on forever! We were told there are two miles of tunnels so you will certainly get your steps in at this location you have to do. They showed some pictures of the raised level of Clapham Common but when I enquired after, (was that the spoil from creating the tunnels) The lady said yes it was. So it seems Clapham Common once had raised level area’s after many digs to create the tunnels and then over time they had that taken away.
We walked all the way down and round into another tunnel, told to look at our tickets and then find our beds we were staying in. I noticed that I was standing right in front of my bed for the night. (Least I wasn’t really staying for the night! It’s spooky down there.) And there are multiple tunnels with different names with thousands of beds.
After the war the tunnels became a cheap hotel to help the homeless and later the Windrush generation. After more knowledge consumed we carried on, found a lost teddy bear, the mess hall, James Bond’s secret layer and finally out. But then I had to get back up those stars. That really is a tough climb! As quick as I have written this, this wasn’t a quick visit either. It was a good 90 minutes walking, wondering and I really enjoyed it. These hidden London tours just seem to get better and better. This is a must for any WW2 fan, historian and schools really need to book in to visit as this will be an exceptional learning aid for young children to know what it was like during the war years.
I got myself a ticket on the Eventbrite app to go Mudlarking on the Thames which is run through the Thames Explorer Trust.
The day started off very cold, but got very nice rather quickly and a sunny day it was. I took the train down to Blackfriars and walked along to Millennium Bridge waiting there a bit, met a few people and we started off with a talk on history and what we can find and off we went.
Down diretly under the bridge we went onto the foreshore. I walked up and down the area to have an explore around and there was a hell of a lot of building debris around from different types of bricks to roof tiles. In amongst all that were loads of different types of shards of pots. A lot of animal bones scattered around, (at least I hope it was all animal!). Various different bits of glass, many washed to rounded edges from the tide. I had an interesting time. But the jig is, you can’t take anything home.
I will have to apply for a permit myself. However this is what I found.
I rather liked the London gin bottle with London written on it. (I assumed it was suppose to be London considering it’s the city I found it in!) A few bits of pottery and the old bottle top which looks rather like one a codd-neck which would have had a marble in.
Alas I had to leave it all on the shore to wash away. Guess I will have to get a permit for a year so I can take some finds home.
All in all, an interesting few hours on a nice sunny day.
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