It’s a damp, grey December day but not too cold.

Aboard the 205

We caught a crowded 205 bus and had to go upstairs to find seats. The windows were fogged up so no photos!

Praed Street, Paddington

The bus brought us to its terminus in Paddington.

To the station

We walked down this alley to Paddington Station. (The alley probably has a name but I don’t know it.)

Not very busy

The station was not its usual busy self but was unusually quiet.

Hardly any trains

A clue to the reason for the unusual quietness is provided by this departures board: there are almost no trains running because there is a rail strike today (the latest in a series of stoppages about pay). Fortunately, we have no plans to travel, at least, not by rail.

A famous bear

We found a cafe and went in. Inside, a famous bear was seated beside his suitcase. You can guess that the cafe is called The Paddington Bear.

A cafe…

It’s really a hybrid establishment combining a cafe and…

A shop

…a shop. (The pillar box has no opening so you can’t post your wants to Santa.)

Exploring the station

To go for a walk in the dry, we explored the station.

Marks & Spencer

We toured the shops of which there were several in the station.

Parked trains

There were trains at several platforms but silent and still, as most were not going anywhere, stranded by the strike.

The station clock

Under the clock – this is where people used to meet before they had mobile phones!

Isambard Kingdom Brunel
John Doubleday

We visited Isambard Kingdom Brunel, sculpted by John Doubleday. He has a recorded message about his life and work (read the QR code on your phone to hear it).

Craven Road

Having exhausted the delights of the station, we continued in the street. This is Craven Road.

Gloucester Mews

Leading off the main road are side streets all called Something Mews. A mews contained stables for the houses behind them and, later, they were used as garages for the new-fangled motor cars. This one is called Gloucester Mews.

Bayswater Road

We arrived at Bayswater Road. Opposite was Kensington Gardens but it wasn’t weather for strolling in the park.

The Swan

We came across the pub called The Swan and went in to consult the lunch menu.

In The Swan

We found a table and had lunch.

Aboard the 274

After lunch, we caught a number 274 bus which carried us on a long and circuitous journey back to…

Familiar territory

…familiar territory at the Angel. Fortunately, the rain held off while we walked along Upper Street to…

Barista at work

…Caffè Nero where I queued and ordered while Tigger found us a table.

Quite busy

The place was quite busy but, then, it was the weekend when people are relaxing after a week of work.

Sunshine and rain

When we emerged, there was pale sunshine gilding some façades and reflecting off rain-wet surfaces while a breeze blew scattered raindrops in our faces as we made for home and ended our outing for today.