Some favourite places in London

Continued from From UCL to the LSE.

After spending time at LSE we walked north-west towards Trafalgar Square.

This place needs no introduction. It is a major icon of London.

Next is another world-famous icon, the Piccadily Circus.

The flashing billboards across the fountain could be one of the most photographed objects on earth.

From Piccadily Circus we returned to Baker Street and rest. Here I would like to share a few other places which would become our regular haunt over the next few months or so starting with Camden Town.

It has a picturesque canal around.

Then there's its market well-known for variety of wares including antiques...

Back at central London, the charms of Covent Garden often calls.

Street performances are aplenty here.

Then of course there's art in its wares.

The big garden called Hyde Park remains a favourite spot right until my last days in London 4 years later.

Situated west of central London it is I think the city's biggest lung, at least within what is designated as London Zone 1.

Just above a kilometre to the north lies the equally green Regent's Park.

It is in fact situated much closer to Baker Street where I've bunked at for about 3 month I think.

About 3 km to the south of the park and slightly east lies the parliament besides the river Thames.

The iconic giant clock called Big Ben looms large watching over the horizon.

About 3.3 km on a straight line eastwards from Big Ben lies the Tower Bridge. After Baker Street, I've stayed at somewhere in Bermondsey, about 1.7 km from the bridge.

From UCL to the LSE

Continued from Frolicking down Oxford Street.

From Tottenham Court Road we walked northwards to Gower Street. We wanted to get to the University College of London, the world-class institution where I would study.

The Maths Department at which I would take lectures lies at one corner of the university, above the student union.

After having a look at the department (can't remember if I registered there and then or on another day), we then walked southwards. Just south of the campus lies the Dillon's book shop which would be among my favourite haunt. However I could only find pictures of the same shop bearing the  name Waterstones. This is because Dillon's has been absorbed by it since 1998 or so.

Going further southwards we passed through another famous world-class institution, the SOAS, School of Oriental and African Studies.

Next we passed through the British Museum.

Further southwards is Holborn and its under ground station.

From Holborn we walked along the street called Kingsway to reach Aldwych.

There lies the old girlfriend's abode of study.

Another world-class institution, welcome to the LSE, London School of Economics. Along with UCL, SOAS and a number of illustrious institutions it formed the University of London consortium, at least during those days...

Frolicking down Oxford Street

Continued from Marble Arch and Malaysia Hall.

After putting my baggage at the girlfriend's place and resting a bit we went out for a walk. From Baker Street we went back towards Marble Arch but turned eastward to follow Oxford Street just besides the big shopping store called Selfridge's.

Oxford Street is the main shopping street of central London. Most of the time it is busy and packed.

There are so many famous stores along it.

Soon we arrived at Oxford Circus which is practically the halfway mark between the street's ends.

Here lies another of London's main under ground train station.

Northwards from Oxford Circus lies Portland Street. Or is it Portland Place?

Southwards is Regent Street, another famous shopping place.

We continued eastward towards that end of Oxford Street.

At the end lies Tottenham Court Road marked by this tall building with a train station underneath. For the record Oxford Street is 2 km long.

Marble Arch and Malaysia Hall

Continued from First time at Heathrow - Arrival in London.

After passing the immigration check and retrieving my baggage I was greeted by an old girlfriend. We took the 'tube', the London under ground train to Marble Arch in central London.

The train station lies almost directly under its namesake, the marble structure that marks a corner of London's famous Hyde Park.

The girl wanted to bring me to her rented flat shared with some friends at Baker Street. On the way we passed by Bryanston Square.

Among the buildings which lined up the square lies Malaysia Hall. Containing the Malaysian Student's Department it is the place for Malaysian students to converge, at times to get the latest news from home. The Hall also housed a canteen which offered what many believed was the cheapest meal in London.

However Malaysia Hall has been moved to another place a distance away, near Bayswater if not mistaken. I couldn't find pictures of the old Hall at Bryanston Square from the Internet. This is the best I got.

First time at Heathrow - Arrival in London

A new series telling stories about my time in the United Kingdom specifically in London 1991-1995 has been started at my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU. It was conceived as an attempt to remember and recover memories largely forgotten and to deal with some old issues. During those years I've never owned a camera until summer of 1995... even then only to take pictures for a hitchhiking travel around Europe. So I've never recorded any picture in London and would have to rely on those acquired from the Internet to support the storytelling. 

This blogspot would be used to show pictures of places I found memorable. Since I'm at it might as well accompany the pictures with some sentences. Let's start with Heathrow Airport. Here goes...

End of summer 1995. It was the first time ever I took a plane and first time travelling overseas out of Malaysia except for Singapore.

Only God knows how I felt after 13 hours of flight or so, the plane was about to touchdown at Heathrow.

I was going to continue studies at the University College of London, a world-class top institution. As the plane approached the terminal my heart beat faster.

Yes. I was officially in London.

Among my first impression was what an airport. I was very much impressed as it was like light-years ahead of Subang which was then the main airport in Malaysia. Never would I suspect then by 7 years later we would have a new airport, the KLIA in Sepang, which could equal if not beat Heathrow...