Walk: Discover Historic Chelsea - From Quaint to Quant - 1660s to 1960s

Today, back with Discover London at last - she does excellent walks, but sometimes they clash, and sometimes they sell out before I get to them! This one was Discover Historic Chelsea: From Quaint to Quant - 1660s to 1960s.

Ah, TFL and its diversions.. I could get the bus there in under an hour, but they said the second one, the #19, was diverted and wasn't going where I needed. Well, as I got there just in time to take it, I said I would, and would see what happened. What happened was, it terminated early, and the driver told us all to get on the #38, right behind us. Which goes to Victoria. And as that was the closest I could seem to get to Sloane Square on it - which was where I needed to be - that was where I got off! Naturally, I headed the wrong way out of the station - London stations are designed to be confusing - but I ended up walking the rest of the way. In bitter cold.

I arrived a bit early, and seeing a place, beside Sloane Square Station, selling hot drinks, decided a hot chocolate would be just the thing! And it was - piping hot. Warmed the hands, warmed the insides. "Chocolate" might be something of a misnomer though - I dropped two sachets of sugar into it, and it still didn't taste of anything much. Hate it when that happens.

Our guide was there early too - and as we waited, the others gradually arrived. Some of them, anyway - most didn't show, probably because of the cold weather, we figured. Funny how many no-shows you get for events you don't have to pay for in advance - which is as it is, but strikes me as rather unfair to all the people on the waiting list (this was booked out for a while), as well as to the guide, who might feel obliged to wait for people who haven't confirmed that they're not coming. It only takes a few seconds to say you can't make it..

Meantime, Chelsea residents were as colorful as ever!

We walked pretty briskly, which helped to warm us up a bit - still, it was painful to be out. As we roamed the backstreets of Chelsea, we came to..

Yes, this is the site of the original Chelsea Bun House, famous for its Chelsea Buns! The owners apparently closed it down because it got too successful!

Now, I've been to the Royal Hospital Chelsea before - but had missed the ironic fact that, while it was built by Charles II, its first inhabitants were those who fought against his eldest son in a battle for the crown!

Plenty of famous inhabitants of Chelsea, over the years - I was intrigued to notice that Bram Stoker's old house has a skull over the door! Someone offered the opinion that it was there to ward off evil spirits.. (wouldn't they have done better with garlic? ;-))

And just around the corner, his pal, Oscar Wilde:

We came to the Chelsea Physic Garden, where I'll be on Wednesday - Lordy, if we're going to be outdoors, and the weather continues this cold, I might want to bring a throw!

It's an historic borough:

And I never realised that Scott's team were the first to discover Antarctic fossils:

This wasn't my first guided walk in the area, but I was pleased to learn several new things - and fair play to us all, and in particular to our guide, for braving the cold! Delighted I made it, this time.

Afterwards, I fairly ran to get a bite to eat, and to get in from the cold - Cote, in Sloane Square, fitted the bill perfectly. Ah, they had such a blast of hot air as you went in.. got me a table without delay, and service was prompt. I felt so much better for the meal, and for the heat - and it was interesting that Google Maps gave the correct, diverted, bus route on the way home.

Tomorrow, back with - you guessed it - Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS), for Romeo and Julie, at the Dorfman.

On Tuesday - not so much appealed on Meetup. Free Stuff and Free Events does have Free Community Singing with Ros Hone and the Global Fusion Sound Singers, which you can attend on Zoom, or in person at Fossdene School Community Hall. Which sounds just fine - except that this is the sort of thing I keep cancelling! So I decided not to confirm until nearer the time. Which is just as well, because - predictably last-minute - Eleanor Salter Thorn, from Tuned In London, just advertised an evening of Iranian music with Shahab Azinmehr, with the World Music Meetup. I adore this kind of music - and for once, it's not all the way out in Rotherhithe! It's just such a trek.. no, this is in St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Which, ironically, is just down the road from where I last lived.. anyway, much closer than usual for these concerts! Refugees and asylum seekers get free tickets.

On Wednesday - back with the Crick Crack Club, woohoo! for Goddesses in the Garden, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Features my favourite, Clare Murphy, along with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Laura Sampson, and Xanthe Gresham. As I say, might bring something to keep myself warm..

On Thursday, my final booking - for the week - with UITCS, for Brilliant Jerks at Southwark Playhouse. And wouldn't you know it, I still had credit on my Pay as you Go subscription, so got it for free! And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.