...I was on my way to Excel by the Thames.
No, I wasn't lucky enough to be heading off to some craft show or a concert - I was heading to a management conference for work. It wasn't even in the Excel Centre. It was tucked round the back by the Royal Victoria Docks at a placed called "Centered at Excel".
The day started very foggy and even by the time I was walking to the venue, London was just a hazy vision in the distance...
...and things looked just as dull & gloomy...
...looking out into the old dock area...
...the Spiller's building is currently being gutted to remove asbestos but the shell is listed and has a protection order on it. Planning permission has been granted to create a business enterprise site...
...it is hoped that re-development of the area will breath new life into it...
...there are certainly some strange buildings dotted around.
Later in the day, the sun did break through and there seemed to be a bit more life on the water...
...and the skyline was a bit clearer...
...but although there were small boats to be seen...
...the busiest thing in the area is the London City Airport - we were right under the flightpath and boy was it noisy. Lots of building work going on...
...and as I said earlier - some strange shaped buildings...
...a very different sight to that which my maternal grandfather would have been used to. His father worked in the London dock area and my grandfather would often play at the waters edge or even go swimming with his friends in the warm water from the outflows of the factories in the area (it is anyone's guess what was in that water as there were no H&S regulations back then).
The day never fully brightened up and the area is very run down compared to Canary Wharf where I visited earlier in the year but it was interesting seeing a different part of London as it is being re-developed..........................................................
