Little Venice/Camden/Jack The Ripper

Today is a lovely sunny day in London. 15°C!!! After -1C a few days ago, this is heaven. My hotel Park Plaza is so lovely and warm, the shower hot and great pressure. I feel great after the last week of freezing I was feeling very grumpy. I chose a beautiful day to start off in Little Venice. Did you even know there was such a place in London? I took the tube to Royal Oak and then walked to Little Venice. Look at these homes!!

Pretty Little Venice.

I took the Little Venice Regent’s Canal Water Bus to Camden tour which is a unique perspective of life along the canals of London. The tour takes you along the London Zoo and you get to see many beautiful mansions owned by various entertainment industry celebrities.

On arrival to Camden you may be greeted with the pungent smell of marijuana which lets you know you have arrived to a bohemian area. Marijuana is illegal in London, although as in many parts of the world, I expect a smoking offence is not worth the police work involved. The market is buzzing with stalls of food and colourful shops to cater to the eclectic mix of patrons.

Then I took a bit of a walk to St Pancras Old Church. This has been a worship site since the 4th century.

I found The Hardy Tree on Atlas Obscura which intrigued me so I added this to my list of quirky to do. The Hardy Tree has headstones which were moved by author Thomas Hardy. My photo doesn’t do it justice but click on the link above for a clearer picture and history.

I then realised I was close to Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station. I could not go to London without visiting.

Last but not least for today I went on a Jack the Ripper Tour. Ripperologist Tom took us through the historical part of Whitechapel and the sites of the gruesome murders. He was very informative and entertaining and included some very graphic photos. He had a good balance of humour and seriousness sharing the life of Whitechapel during that period and information of the victims with utmost respect. Thank you Tom. I look forward to the Haunted tour of London.