Last Day spent in Champion Style at Wimbledon

The sunny London weather disappeared today just as we packed away our thermals, thick coat and umbrellas for early checkout of the hotel - figures! So, huddled in our Doha and Sydney clothes and lighter jackets we travelled the Underground out to Wimbledon Park to see the famous tennis centre. Surrounding the All England Tennis Centre were beautiful homes and gardens, a croquet club and golf course. The tennis centre was quiet with just a few interested people, including us, doing the Centre Court and Tennis Museum tour. It was fascinating listening to the methods of growing grass on the courts using ultraviolet light and fans to avoid excess moisture and disease. So a number of courts including Centre Court (which is only used for 2-3 weeks in June/July for Wimbledon) were aglow in unnatural ‘sunshine’.

Fake sunlight and fans to help strong growth of the new grass - it’s replaced every year.

Last games played on Centre Court

The newly installed roof

Inside the Wimbledon Tennis Museum

A coffee with the champions at the Wimbledon Cafe

Last look at the Southbank as we wheel our suitcases across a crowded Westminster Bridge, dodging showers, to Westminster Underground and then to Victoria Station to catch the train to Gatwick Airport. Bye, Bye London!

London Eye and West of Westminster



Another sunny day in London with the perfect weather continuing. We started locally at the London Eye which is only a block from the hotel. While the crowds were starting to grow, the queue to the London Eye moved quickly. Cramming as many people as possible into each capsule made viewing limiting for those people in the middle, while others raced to a prime position and didn’t move or share the view in the 30 minute ride. Still it was a great view, especially from the top position. 

Following the London Eye we walked across Westminster Bridge and headed west past the Houses of Parliament and along the riverbank to the Tate Gallery and MI6 Headquarters.

Westminster Bridge on the not crowded side

Westminster Houses of Parliament

 Vitoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament

Buxton Memorial Fountain

MI6 Headquarters

Tate Gallery where the Turner Prize plus many examples by Turner, Constable, Henry Moore and Francis Bacon were on exhibition. Using the Underground we went to Oxford Square to see the shopping district but there were soooo many people - in fact, wall to wall crowds on both sides of the road. Escaping into Liberty of London, there were amazing designs of high end products and a very crowded Christmas section.

Looking down from the upper mezzanine floors

Liberty’s Christmas windows

As dusk approaches around 4.30pm, more Christmas lights appear on Oxford Street, along The Strand and outside the Park Plaza Westminster while the The Houses of Parliament glow in amber light.

Oxford Street and a laneway in Soho

Christmas lights along The Strand

Lights near our hotel outside the Park Plaza Westminster