London 28 July 2018

The morning was taken up with a walking tour focusing on the bridges and tunnels built by the Brunels. The tour was led by the director of the Brunel Museum. He is very personable and obviously knows his stuff.

The pictures from today, however, are simply awful by any standard. Part of it was paying attention to the tour guide, part of it being the boat ride part being too quick for me to properly frame and compose the photos (Some people are good at that doing that quickly. I’m not.) But I’m going to inflict them on you anyway.

London skyline from boat on Thames Small boat in foreground, skyline in background Gothic-style building Red brick bridge support Heraldic crest at top of bridge Four red stone columns Three-masted ship Old building in background, tree in foreground. Plaque commemorating Thames Tunnel

This is a picture of a globe commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe. There are red dots marking the places where he stopped, but they are not visible from this distance.

Wire-frame globe

This is a chain near the ramp where Brunel’s Great Eastern was launched (disastrously). There are large metal ”staples” holding the chain to the concrete—as if anyone could just casually come along and carry it off.

Large chain used in towing a ship

Signage

Seen in a horse and pet supply store near the hotel.

We realise your phone call may be impotant, so we will not interrupt you by serving you whilst you’re on the phone.