A Tale of (a Birthday in) Two Cities: The Last of London

This was our last day in London and we started out early at St. Pancras Station where we secured our tickets for the EuroStar to Paris.

There is a grand statue of one of my favorite English poets: John Betjeman.

And bits of his verse scattered about on the floor.

And this extraordinary, 9m., piece by Paul Day called "Meeting Place."

More sculpture nearby at The British Library: Newton. It is massive.

We strolled through Saville Row, Piccadilly, and Jermyn Street

and ran into the fellow who is responsible for all these incredibly expensive men's fashion shops, Beau Brummell (he is on the left.)

To the Dickens House on Doughty Street.

This is where Dickens lived from 1837-1839. Here he wrote Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, several miscellaneous pieces and a play titled "The Lamplighter." Amazing.

The house was brand new when he acquired it and it and the stylish neighborhood growing around it perfectly suited his status as a young man of growing fame and fortune.

We did not take many pictures in the house, lighting and spatial problems made it impossible, but I have a guidebook if any of you want to see the treasures this house holds.

Start in the basement where you can see a very good twenty minute biographical film; I usually skip that sort of thing but this was really well done and I learned a few things.

There is a peaceful garden area in back, just off the gift shop, and it is worth visiting since it contains a few nice artifacts such as this step from the "Little Dorrit Church."