Paris (South)

Posted on 26 Apr 2025 by Phil

We decided to explore some lesser known parts south of the Seine. We took the Metro to Liberté then walked through Bois de Vincennes – a pleasantly quiet wooded area:

Chateau Vincennes was at the other side:

And more importantly, a café:

From there, we got two more Metros from Vincennes to Place D’Italie, which was on our list but we couldn’t remember why!

After a bit more research, our intended destination was Butte aux Cailles, a quiet and interesting area full of shops, bars and restaurants. So time for a beer:

Then another Metro from Corvisart to Raspail:

After grabbing a sandwich for lunch, we explored Montparnasse Cemetery with surprisingly varied tombs:

We then walked to a very busy Jardin du Luxembourg:

Then on to Luxembourg station and a couple of RER trains to Pont de l’Alma, by the Seine:

Nearby was the Paris Sewer Museum. Not an obvious choice but very interesting, complete with real sewers running beneath our feet:

On our way to the Metro station, we could see the Eiffel tower, which has saved us visiting it again!

Finally a very crowded Metro train from Alma Marceau back to Republic station and a walk back to the hotel.

A nice day, but a lot of walking!

Paris

Posted on 25 Apr 2025 by Phil

Off on Eurostar to Paris this weekend. A speedy journey up to St Pancras with some time to explore a (new) area nearby:

Our departure was slightly delayed by a “security incident” so we arrived in Paris a bit late.

After a bit of faffing getting smart cards for travel around Paris, we walked to our hotel near the Canal St Martin, nice and quiet despite a lot of students relaxing:

And plenty of bars, so time for a beer:

Interesting that they were served in pint glasses. French beer has advanced; the one on the left was a wheat beer, the one on the right a “triple” with a lot of flavour. By then it was time to eat, so we found a nice brasserie for supper.

Another beer in a pint glass, this time a “picon”. Followed by excellent duck and salmon tartare:

After which, we had a stroll along the canal back to the hotel:

Aspley House, Take 2

Posted on 12 Apr 2025 by Phil

Having failed to view Aspley House when we were at Hyde Park Corner in January, we had a second attempt today.

Usual fast train to London Bridge, then the Jubilee line to Green Park, which has an exit leading to Green Park itself:

(The crowds of people are heading for Buckingham Palace)

Whilst waiting for our coffee, a couple of police horses arrived for a drink:

The view to Buckingham Palace:

The park was pleasant in the sunshine, and surprisingly quiet for central London:

There was a fairly new memorial to Bomber Command at the other end of the park:

The aluminium roof is made from metal from a crashed bomber.

Then to Hyde Park Corner itself, and the Wellington Arch:

Aspley House (home of the Duke of Wellington) is in sight, but we needed a subway to cross Piccadilly:

It is VERY ornate inside:

From there we caught the tube back to Waterloo, where there is a surprisingly interesting temporary exhibition about the work of the Railway Heritage Group:

And after a nice lunch in the pub, we headed home.

House Computer Restart

Posted on 29 Mar 2025 by Phil

I’ve spent the last 15 or so years developing a replacement for the computer that runs our house. The new one is based on a Raspberry Pi and I’d designed some interface boards for it back in 2013:

Once populated, these boards have been sufficient to make a test rig for the software to be developed and tested.

However, one interface was “hand wired” and whilst it was fine for development, wasn’t really up to the job for the final system:

Excuse the dust, but it had been in the office for a while!

I decided to design a PCB for this interface, and after trying to use the CAD software I’d used for the original board, I couldn’t get on with the updated version. So I tried some open source software, KiCad, instead. It has its quirks, but a day later, I had a new board designed:

The CAD software can show the board and components in 3D:

This design was sent off to Hong Kong along with £3.25, and a couple of weeks later, 5 PCBs arrived.

I built one up, and much to my surprise, the components fitted properly:

I then put this on the test rig, and it all just worked:

It’s really nice getting back into development again!

Heathrow

Posted on 28 Mar 2025 by Phil

I last explored parts of Heathrow in 2017, a trip that had to be aborted due to issues with the trains.

So it was off on the Elizabeth Line to Terminal 5:

I then got a Heathrow Express train to Terminals 2/3:

and a bit of a walk to Terminal 2:

and yet another train to Terminal 4:

From there, an Elizabeth Line to Bond Street and the “other” exit that we’ve not used by Hanover Square:

From there it was a short walk to Oxford Circus and the Bakerloo Line:

Next stop was Elephant & Castle, somewhere I’d never been to. Shame the nice entrance is covered up:

Another entrance was better looking:

Nearby was the Faraday Memorial and a third entrance:

From there, it was a tube to London Bridge and a fast train home.

Wimbledon to Croydon

Posted on 21 Mar 2025 by Phil

We decided to explore the tram route from Wimbledon to Croydon today. First off, a train to Waterloo East, a walk to Waterloo and a train to Wimbledon:

Then onto a waiting tram heading eastwards:

We got off at Phipps Bridge, which is VERY conveniently located for Morden Hill Park, a National Trust property that I visited last year – see London Explore

The River Wandle flows through the park:

After eventually finding an open cafe for a morning coffee, we explored the rest of the park:

and then back to Phipps Bridge (seen behind the trees) for a tram onwards:

Next stop was Mitcham Junction, unfortunately with a very uninspiring bit of Mitcham Common nearby:

One stop down was Beddington Lane, with a more interesting bit of the Mitcham Common:

And “One Island Pond”, which did indeed have one island:

We then got the tram to Wandle Park, again nicely adjacent to the Tram Stop. I’d visited this park last month (see Trams), but it was much warmer this time:

And a nice place to stop for lunch:

Flowing through the park is the River Wandle, looking a LOT smaller than at Morden Hall!

From there, our final tram was to East Croydon station, and a fast train to London Bridge and another fast train home to Orpington.

A nice day out!

Docklands Explore

Posted on 13 Mar 2025 by Phil

Another day out exploring London. First was a train to Hither Green and another train to Dartford. There are some interesting plaques on the fence at Dartford Station:

From there, a third train took me to Woolwich Arsenal, then the DLR to Pontoon Dock:

Adjacent to the station is the Thames Barrier Park, so it’s off for an explore:

This leads down to a Pavilion of Rememberance by the Thames:

and as its name suggests, a good view of the Thames Barrier from the north side:

Then it’s back to the station and a train to Canning Town:

There is a footbridge that crosses the river to ‘City Island’:

City Island turns out to be a mixture of new housing and retail, all still looking very sterile:

After all that (non)excitement, its back on the train to Limehouse:

This is right by the northern portal of the Rotherhithe Tunnel under the Thames:

A short walk takes me to Limehouse Basin, the place where the London Canals join to the Thames:

As you can see, the DLR is nearby:

This is the lock to the Thames:

There is a wide variety of boats in the basin:

You can see Limehouse Station at the end of the alley in this photo:

Back on the train, this time to Bank, where I took the escalator link to Monument Station:

The Monument is right outside:

After a bit of lunch, I took the tube to South Kensington:

and from there, a tube to Victoria and a train to Sutton:

Shortly followed by another train to London Bridge, then a final one back to Orpington:

London Explore

Posted on 7 Mar 2025 by Phil

Another nice day, so it’s back on the trains for an explore…

First a fast to London Bridge. I was going to take the tube to Fenchurch Street, but it was such a nice day, I decided to walk:

It was a bit noisy walking over Tower Bridge though. I had intended to follow the path between the Tower and the Thames, but it was closed, so I found a new path along the back of the Tower:

This lead to Trinity Square gardens and Trinity House itself:

After all that grandeur, the Fenchurch Street entrance seems a bit grim:

I had a bit of a wait for my train, so took some photos:

It was a nice run out to Upminster, whizzing past the tube trains sharing the route. Upminster Station is a bit unexciting, unfortunately with quite a long wait for my next train:

Eventually my train appeared:

This is the newly named “Liberty Line” overground service, a shuttle between Upminster and Romford and turned out to be fairly busy.

We arrive at Romford a long way from the main platforms:

From there I got an Elizabeth Line service to Stratford, and walked around what seemed to be most of the station to find Platform 11, somewhere out in the “sticks”.

However, a Class 720 was waiting to take me on an untravelled line to Tottenham Hale past the Temple Mills depot full of Class 720 and Eurostar trains.

Tottenham Hale station is a very busy interchange between the Victoria Line and trains to Stansted:

But for me, it was time for lunch, so I escaped back to the real world:

Nearby is the River Lee Navigation, complete with a sunshine, a nice bench and a lock:

From there it was back to the station and a train to Liverpool Street station.

From there I walked to Moorgate and got a train to Finsbury Park. It’s mostly in tunnel, but this line now has new stock and is running under ETCS – which is slowly being rolled out on the East Coast main line.

I thought I’d have a long wait at Finsbury Park, but a Thameslink train was running late and after a bit of nifty footwork, managed to catch it back to London Bridge, with a fast back to Orpington 10 minutes later. So no photos of this bit!

Trams

Posted on 28 Feb 2025 by Phil

Another fine day, so I thought I’d revisit the Eastern section of the Croydon Tramlink trams and routes.

I saw one of the new tram-buses being charged at Orpington Station. The pantograph comes down from the charger:

I’m not sure why it needed quite so many people to watch it though.

First a train to Lewisham, then to Elmers End:

South Norwood Country Park is right by Elmers End station, but the path was a flooded so I gave up on that:

From Elmers End, I got a tram to Sandilands (where the fatal derailment occurred in 2016):

Next was a tram to New Addington. Not the most exciting places, but nicer now than when I first visited:

Part of the route goes through the Addington Hills, so I got a tram back along the line to Coombe Lane:

I was last here when I was walking the London Loop in 2016:
London Loop Walk 4 – Coney Hall to Whyteleafe

Addington Hills is adjacent to the stop, so had a nice walk up to the viewpoint:

Splendid views across London, from Croydon in the west to Docklands in the east:

The back down again, and a tram to East Croydon (looping via West Croydon):

And yet another tram westwards to Wandle Park:

The park is adjacent to the tram stop, and a pleasent spot to stop for lunch:

Then back to the tram stop for a tram back through Croydon to Beckenham Junction and train home:

A lovely day helped by clear blue skies!

Reading

Posted on 21 Feb 2025 by Phil

The weather has finally warmed up enough to warrant having a day on the trains, so it’s off to London again.

A quick journey to Farringdon via London Bridge, then an Elizabeth Line train to Maidenhead. This train was very delayed, and with a Reading train following behind, was fast from Hayes & Harlington to Maidenhead, giving me time to stop for a quick look at Maidenhead station: