London Town

An Irish niece of mrs maytrees came over this week and stayed with us for a few days. She works at Trinity College Dublin and had to attend the odd lecture in the UK as part of her employment duties for example at Oxford Brookes University. 

She had  ample time way from work however to enjoy London and the beautiful sunny and warm weather which is still prevalent in SW London.

A day or so back mrs maytrees and I decided to show her Borough Market. Interestingly despite the ISIS attacks of a year or so back the market was thriving to overflowing, so much so that for a quiet cup of tea we took seats at the nearby CoE Cathedral restaurant.

On another day  early in the morning she accepted my invitation to take a longish walk over Wimbledon Common to the Windmill and cafe, next to one of the local  golf clubs - London Scottish? 

The Wimbledon Common Cafe has been well modernised and now sells  some quite decent coffee which we bought to drink on the way back. She is a vegan and the cafe even had Soya milk for her which I doubt would have been on the menu not that long ago. 

The walk back took us through Wimbledon Village. The Wimbledon Tennis flags which drape the Village for a fortnight have been taken down but this year in their place are flown a couple of dozen small Union Jack flags.

I find the flying of particular flags everywhere as in  many places eg the EU and the USA, almost like a sign of national immaturity emphasising the differences between  communities and nations rather than concentrating on the commonality of mankind. Nonetheless Wimbledon Village did seem brighter with the flags - personally though I would prefer the tennis rather than the national flag.

We walked home through alleyways and away from roads in the continuing beautiful weather which reminded me of the folk song Streets of London by Ralph Mc Tell
Streets of London

So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and
Lead you through the streets of London
Show you something to make you change your mind