Tour a replica of the Cutty Sark

Readers will remember that Victorian tea clipper, The Cutty Sark, burned down in 2007, and this summer a replica of the ship was opened in the dry dock the original once sat in, using some of the original metal & bits which survived the fire, but using plenty of shiny new wooden bits.


Your author visited a few weeks ago and was - as expected - rather underwhelmed by the experience, for there are plenty of things worthy of preservation and when one is completely gutted by fire, it is a little odd to pretend the replica you have created is the same as the original. The views of the tasteful sorts at the Victorian Society on the design of the surroundings for the ship are also pretty spot on.

But of course, you should probably decide for yourself, just think of the money which you pay to visit as an unprompted donation to charity. For details, see http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/

See Stonehenge in London

The Olympic Games throw up all sorts of things you wouldn't expect to see, and as part of it an inflatable model of Stonehenge has been travelling around the country. It may sound awful, but it's not as bad as some of the things they've been spending the money on.


This weekend it pitches up on the Greenwich Peninsula, for free, to allow members of the public to bounce around and get close to the stones. Just don't take any sharp objects with you.

For more, see http://sacrilege2012.co.uk

_{^Picture © john bristow used under a Creative Commons license^}

Eat a big lunch at the Old Royal Naval College

As part of a combination of the annual Big Lunch series of street parties and the Diamond Jubilee, the Old Royal Naval College is today holding a street party for up to 8,000 people, on a table stretching the length of the college.


The event, which lasts from noon until 5pm, hopes to be the largest street party in the UK, and is attempting the world's longest ever lunch table, also hopes to have live entertainment, market stalls, workshops, ales and activities for kids.

For more, see http://www.ornc.org/events/detail/the-big-jubilee-lunch

See the Arctic Convoys Exhibition

Opened to mark the 70th anniversary of the first Arctic convoy to Russia in August 2011, the Arctic Convoys, 1941-45 exhibition at the National Maritime Museum is a particularly poignant exhibition telling the stories of the men who kept supply lines to Russia open during the dark days of the Second World War.


The exhibition includes photographs, paintings by war artists, ship models, articles of clothing and other objects, showcasing the experiences of those involved and attempting to tell the story of the men who worked on ship in freezing conditions.

For more, see http://www.rmg.co.uk/visit/events/arctic-convoys-1941-45

Celebrate Greenwich's Royal Weekend

This weekend, the London Borough of Greenwich marks its accession to Royal Borough status with a number of events and activities already having taken place in Woolwich and Eltham town centres, today is the biggest festival day in the centre of Greenwich.


The day finishes up with a Grand Royal Greenwich Parade and a spectacular musical fireworks display, and before that special events at the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House, the Royal Observatory and the the Old Royal Naval College take place. Though your author is no royalist, the crown making sounds particularly engaging...

For more, see http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/events/event/65/royal_weekend

Take a Meridian Duck Tour

To your author, there has something quite special about the yellow duck buses which stalk the streets of Waterloo, waiting to splash down into the Thames, and for those who also don't hate them there is good news, for they have come to Greenwich.


The amphibious craft, first developed for use during the Second World War, have been in London since July 2003, and are also popular in other cities around the world, and their latest London route takes tourists (and it will be tourists) on around Maritime Greenwich and onto the river for a tour which takes in views of the Millennium. At £15 a pop its shamelessly touristy, but at least it is trying.

For more, see http://www.meridianducks.com/

Wander in the East Greenwich Pleasaunce

Hidden away on the edge of a railway line not far from East Greenwich, the East Greenwich Pleasaunce is a small park with an interesting history that is easily missed. The park was originally part of the Westcombe Estate, but was acquired in 1857 as part of Greenwich Hospital, to become a new burial ground for Greenwich Pensioners.


The park contains the remains of around 3,000 who died during the Battle of Trafalgar and the Crimean War, but it isn't nearly as eerie as it sounds. In fact it is a testament to how pleasant such a place can be, with a playground and a small cafe and - when your author visited - even some youngsters building dams.

For more information, see http://fegp.typepad.com/

See the Titanic Memorial Garden

Found in the grounds of the National Maritime Museum, the Titanic Garden is not particularly impressive, but is an interesting feature nonetheless.


Opened in 1995 by Titanic survivor Edith Haisman the garden is a tribute to the 1,523 who perished when the ship struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage in 1912.

For more, see http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/survivor-to-open-titanic-memorial-1615644.html

Collect conkers in Greenwich Park

Two lines of aesculus hippocastanum run along Blackheath Avenue in Greenwich Park. Better known as horse chestnut trees, these trees give a harvest of beautiful conkers at this time of year. With the amazing winds we saw yesterday at the tail end of Hurricane Katia, the ground is more littered with horse chesnuts than ever, and they're now ready for collecting.


The avenue itself is the park's main axis, and was set out in 1660 and aligned directly on the Queen's House at the bottom of the hill. Whilst only four of its original sweet chestnut trees survive, there are some fantastic horse chestnuts, introduced to replace the avenue’s original sweet chestnuts or elms.

Today, the avenue now provides parking for visitors to the park along each side, making it a great place to stop if you're after a bit haul of conkers.

For more on Greenwich Park, see http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/Greenwich-Park.aspx

Stroll along Anchor Iron Wharf

Just outside Maritime Greenwich, and now home to an odd housing development, the views North from Anchor Iron Wharf towards Canary Wharf and the Millennium Dome are fantastic.


A large anchor records how the history of the land which now forms the wharf, from King Edgar, who granted it to the abbey of St Peters, Ghent in 964, to Charles Robinson, who moved to the wharf in 1953, trading scrap iron, lead, metal and glass.

For more, see http://www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk/2009/02/anchor-iron-wharf/

Browse at Greenwich Printmakers

The Greenwich Printmakers Gallery is run by the Greenwich Printmakers Association, founded in 1979 and still providing a permanent gallery space in Greenwich Market to display many prints, available for sale in the gallery.


As with all these things, there are some excellent prints available and some a little more questionable in style and taste, but they will all appeal to someone, and it is at least an achievable way to buy some art. Plus it's right beside Greenwich Market which makes it a great place to browse as part of a wander around the wider market.

For more information, and full contact details, see http://www.greenwich-printmakers.org.uk/

Drink at the Plume of Feathers

A fantastic pub on the edge of Greenwich Park, the Plume of Feathers dates back as far as 1691, when kings and queens walked just over the wall in the Royal Park.


Today, it is a great little pub which attracts locals and the more discerning tourist, offering food and good ales served from an attractive central bar, by polite and friendly staff.

It all makes for a lovely atmosphere, with the one caveat that Sunday evening double G&Ts with old friends should be avoided by those looking for a quick walk home, and a productive Monday.

For more, see http://plumeoffeathers-greenwich.co.uk/

_{^Picture © Sam Kelly used under Creative Commons^}

See the Miss Britain III

Designed and built by Hubert Scott-Paine in ten weeks in 1933, the Miss Britain III is famous for being the first single-engined boat to travel 100mph on open water in a record set the same year, which remained unbeaten for fifty years afterwards.


The hull of the boat is made from Alcad, a strong, light Aluminium Alloy which is part of the boat's secret. In 1951, the Miss Britain III was presented to the National Maritime Museum by Scott-Paine, and it is still on display sixty years later, in recognition of its importance in the world of speed records.

For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Britain_III

Visit the new wing at the National Maritime Museum

Your author happened to be wandering in Greenwich yesterday afternoon and discovered that a new wing at the National Maritime Museum had opened this week, thanks to a £20m gift to the Museum from the late shipping magnate and philanthropist, Mr Sammy Ofer.


Sadly, Ofer died a month and a half ago at his home in Israel, but he would have every reason to be proud of his new wing, which brings a museum which people have previously been too quick to deride right up to date, even though it does change the entrance so it is on the wrong side.

The new Sammy Ofer Wing presents a new exhibition space - currently showing an exhibition on the High Arctic - an archive research centre, a cafe and a new shop, amongst other things.

For more, see http://www.nmm.ac.uk/about/sammy-ofer-wing/

See the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea

As your author climbed Crooms Hill in Greenwich last Saturday, he was struck by the beauty of the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea at sunset. Granted it was a beautiful day, but there was something special about it.


Originally built in 1793 and rebuilt in 1851 by W.W. Wardell, the church was designed for the Catholic seamen who were based at the Royal Hospital down the hill, attracting a mixed congregation dominated by those born in Ireland but also including sailors from Portugal, Brazil and India. Inside, the church boasts designs by A.N. Pugin.

To read the information above again, visit http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/LeisureCulture/Churches/ChurchLadyStarSea.htm, from where it came.

Visit Peter de Wit's Cafe

Established in 1988 by Jane and Peter de Wit, Peter de Wit's is a small family-run cafe in the centre of Greenwich.


The cafe serves as an traditional English breakfasts-and-sandwiches cafe during the daytimes, priding itself on free range eggs, local sausages and local beer, and in the winter season also has Jazz nights which sadly only last from September to June. We shall return to them later in the year.

For more, see http://www.peterdewitscafe.co.uk/

Buy maps from the Warwick Leadlay Gallery

Established in 1974, the Warwick Leadlay Gallery sells historical maps, images and artefacts from two twin shops in Greenwich Market's Nelson Arcade.


The rich mixture of historical maps and local images from various ages makes it an interesting place to browse, and the knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help you out if you're looking for something special.

The Warwick Leadlay Gallery is open daily and also offers an expert framing service. For more information, see http://www.warwickleadlay.com/

Visit St Alfege, Greenwich

The grand church which dominates the shopping streets of Maritime Greenwich stands on a site which has witnessed Christian worship for nearly a thousand years, since the time when viking raiders kidnapped Alfege, the Archbishop of Canterbury and murdered him on the site in 1012.


The church which stands today is by Hawksmoor, and was constructed the second, thirteenth century church, collapsed in a storm in 1710. Despite some damage during the Second World War, it is still largely intact. Memorials to a number of royal courtiers still lie beneath the floor, showing evidence of the time when Greenwich was a centre of monarchy.

For more on St Alfege, see the excellent website at http://www.st-alfege.org/

Visit the Stephen Lawrence Gallery

Established in 2000 at the University of Greenwich, and named after the former student of the university from Eltham who was stabbed to death in 1993, the Stephen Lawrence Gallery was put together by Paul Stigant, then dean of the Woolwich faculty at the University of Greenwich, in conjunction with Stephen’s mother.


The Gallery is found in a space in Queen Anne Court at the stunning Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, which is now home to the University. The aim is to showcase for contemporary art, and to promote cultural diversity in visual art, which is a fitting tribute considering Stephen's story, and the findings of the Macpherson report into the police handling the murder inquiry.

The gallery is free to enter and is open Monday - Friday from 10am until 5pm and Saturdays from 11am until 4pm. For more information, see http://www.gre.ac.uk/pr/slg/

Hire a pedalo in Greenwich Park

If you're off to support a loved-one in the marathon this morning, and looking for a quick distraction while they run the Woolwich bit, you might consider hiring a pedalo in Greenwich Park.


Sure they're a bit large for the pond, but next year the pond will become a water jump for the Olympic horse prancing which will take place in the park, and will be lost for an uncertain amount of time.

For more, click here, or to read very sketchy details about the Olympic plan for the park, click here.