London Adventure

We travelled to London on a National Express coach, and after arriving at Victoria Station set off on foot to our accomodation while doing some sight seeing on the way.

The first famous landmark was Buckingham Palace, where the King & Queen sometimes stay, but they don’t live there all the time.

A stuffed bear in front of Buckingham Palace, with tourists in the background and ornate gates visible under a blue sky.

Due to the very mild autumn weather all the geraniums in the flower beds were still in full bloom.

A teddy bear wearing a checked shirt and overalls poses in front of a landscaped garden with colorful flowers, with Buckingham Palace in the background under a clear blue sky.

Here I am on The Mall, the road that leads to the palace and where crowds stand when there is some sort of royal event happening. It was closed to traffic hence I was able to stand in the middle of the road!

A teddy bear in a checkered shirt posing in front of a sunny street leading to a large building, surrounded by trees and people walking.

St James Park was looking quite autumnal, and felt quite peaceful. You might be able to spot Big Ben in the distance.

A teddy bear wearing a red outfit stands in a park surrounded by trees and people walking in the background. The ground is covered with fallen leaves, and the sky is clear with a few clouds.

I paused for a little while to watch the swans on the lake.

A teddy bear wearing a checked shirt and red overalls gazes at a serene lake with swans and lush greenery, reflecting the sunlight.

My legs felt quite tired so I stopped for a rest on one of the deckchairs in the park. Being a bear I didn’t realise that there is a fee for sitting on deckchairs! There were two young men sitting nearby, suddenly one said to the other ‘quick, he’s coming’ and they leapt out of their chairs. A deckchair attendant was approaching, so I thought I had best leave quickly too as I don’t carry money. After looking at the sign I realised that there is a fee of £4.50 an hour to sit in a deckchair in the royal parks.

A teddy bear dressed in overalls and a checkered shirt sitting in a green and white striped deck chair, with fallen leaves on the ground.

There was plenty of space as St James Park wasn’t very busy (this was late afternoon in October)

A teddy bear dressed in red overalls and a checkered shirt standing on a bed of autumn leaves in a sunlit park.

I sat on the ground to eat snacks brought from home with a drink from the refreshment kiosk.

A plush teddy bear wearing a red checkered shirt and red overalls sits on the grass in a park, beside a small orange, a snack, and a can of apple juice.

After leaving St James Park we found the new Banksy statue in Waterloo Place, of a human unable to see due to a big flag blowing in his face. Very thought provoking.

A plush teddy bear in the foreground with a historic building and a tall statue of a man holding a flag in the background, under a blue sky with clouds.

I didn’t venture into Trafalgar Square as there was some kind of Chinese festival taking place making it quite crowded. Nelson is still on top of his column.

A stuffed bear toy in the foreground with Trafalgar Square's Nelson's Column and a crowd of people in the background under a blue sky.

Walking on towards Bloomsbury past buildings that all have a history I noticed the shop that used to sell horse clothing.

A teddy bear in front of historic brick buildings with shop signs, including one for 'Shiro.' The buildings feature large windows and decorative plants.

Finally feeling tired and rather warm in the October heatwave, we arrived at Russell Square.

A stuffed bear wearing a red outfit stands in front of a sign displaying a map and information about Russell Square in the London Borough of Camden, surrounded by greenery.

I could not resist paddling in the fountains, and amazingly I did not get wet!

A teddy bear wearing a red checkered shirt and overalls stands in front of a water fountain, with small jets of water splashing around it.

We finally arrived at the studio apartment which was ideal for a short stay in London as we had a little kitchen in the room.

When in London the easiest and quickest way to get around is using the underground tube trains. The London Underground’s first line opened in 1863 and initally carriages were pulled by steam locomotives. Russell Square station is on the Piccadilly Line, which is a long way down underground and known as a ‘deep-level’ line. The station was built in 1906 in the art nouveau architectural style.

A stuffed bear wearing a red checkered shirt stands in front of the Russell Square Underground station in London, with people walking by and a clear blue sky above.

It was quite an adventure getting down to the the trains. A man’s voice announced on the tannoy system that one of the lifts wasn’t working, and warned that there are 175 steps and advised not to use them unless fit. My human likes a challenge and considers herself to be reasonably fit so we set off down the stairs (and came back up them on the return). I hitched a lift in the bear carrier as I was just too slow.

Once on the train it departed very quickly from the platform. I didn’t have a seat so I had to hold on tight to avoid falling over!

A teddy bear wearing a red and white checkered shirt stands in a subway train surrounded by seated passengers.

We changed trains at Piccadilly station and I managed to get a seat for the next part of the journey.

A stuffed bear wearing a red and white checked shirt and beige pants sits on a seat in a subway train, next to a window.

The tube trains travel very quickly and it didn’t take long to reach Regent’s Park, our destination.

A teddy bear wearing a checkered shirt poses at a subway station with a train speeding by in the background.
A teddy bear in a checked shirt poses next to the Regent's Park London Underground station sign.

I was very keen to get above ground again, but enjoyed looking at the beautiful green tiles at Regent’s Park Station.

A stuffed bear wearing a red and white checkered shirt stands in front of a decorative green tiled wall.

My human wanted a photo of me with a red bus behind and the underground sign, but she nearly didn’t get me in this photo at all!

A teddy bear in the foreground with a red London bus in the background, featuring a '453' route sign. An Underground station sign is visible beside the teddy bear, with trees and buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.

Our destination was only minutes away from the station, Regents Park, another of the parks known as ‘The Royal Parks’.

A teddy bear in a checkered shirt stands in front of an ornate gate surrounded by trees and a clear blue sky.

There were several heatwaves during the summer and very little rain so the gardens weren’t at their best, but still very beautiful.

After walking through Regents Park we climbed up to to top of Primrose Hill where there is a very good view London.

A teddy bear in a red checkered shirt placed in front of a viewpoint sign at Primrose Hill, with people sitting in the background enjoying the view of a city skyline under a clear blue sky.

I was able to identify quite a few buildings including the BT tower on the far right. When I was a young bear it was known as The Post Office Tower.

A teddy bear wearing a red checkered shirt sits on a grassy hill overlooking a city skyline with skyscrapers under a clear blue sky. People are scattered throughout the park, enjoying the scenery.

A panoramic photo without me in!

Panoramic view of a city skyline against a clear blue sky, with lush green parks and trees in the foreground.

On our way back to Regents Park we crossed Regents Canal.

Back in the park again I stopped for a moment of reflection in the Queen Elizabeth II garden and remembered her having afternon tea with Paddington Bear. I think she liked bears.

A plush teddy bear sitting on a bench, gazing at a clear pond surrounded by lush trees under a bright blue sky.

I enjoyed a wood fired pizza sat outside in the sunshine at The Regents Park Bar & Kitchen before setting off back to the apartment.

A plush bear dressed in a checked shirt sits at a wooden table outdoors, in front of a large pizza topped with cheese and tomato sauce, alongside a carton of apple and mango juice.

Seeing one of my favourite bears on stage was the highlight of the trip.

A teddy bear wearing a striped shirt with Paddington Bear on it, standing in front of the Savoy Theatre, with a London bus and a crowd of people in the background during dusk.

Paddington the Musical is currently showing at The Savoy Theatre.

A promotional poster for 'Paddington the Musical' featuring the text 'Most Awarded' and listing various award categories and winners from the Olivier Awards 2024. A stuffed bear resembling Paddington is in the foreground.

The Savoy is quite a small theatre and I had an excellent view of the stage.

A teddy bear in the foreground, with a theater stage set in vibrant red and blue in the background, filled with an audience seated and waiting for a performance.

The show was very enjoyable. Do go and see it if you can!

A plush Paddington Bear doll wearing a striped shirt and red trousers stands against a wall decorated with illustrations from 'Paddington the Musical', featuring a red double-decker bus and other related imagery.

The next day we left our apartment to head for Victoria Coach Station but we had some time to spare so decided to detour to the London Eye.

A teddy bear wearing a striped shirt stands on a bridge, facing a skyline featuring modern buildings in the background with a cloudy sky.

I was a bit worried about going up so high.

A teddy bear wearing a striped shirt stands in front of the London Eye, with blue skies and fluffy clouds in the background.

However once inside the pod I felt very safe.

A teddy bear in the foreground with people enjoying a view from a glass-enclosed observation area, likely on a tourist attraction. The background shows various individuals looking towards the outside, with scenic views of a city and posters visible on the walls.

The pods travel very slowly so you hardly notice the movement.

A plush teddy bear wearing a striped shirt gazes at a cable car traveling above the River Thames under a blue sky with clouds.

The view was amazing and the ride not scarey at all.

A teddy bear wearing a red and white striped shirt gazes at the scenic view of a river and city skyline from a high vantage point.

Big Ben looked quite tiny once we got up to the highest point.

A teddy bear wearing a striped shirt gazes out over the River Thames and London skyline from the London Eye.

I am always smiling so ignored the sign!

A teddy bear with a smiling face sitting next to a sign that says 'Please smile for your photo' in a cabin of a ferris wheel, with a view of the city in the background.

After the ride we continued towards the coach station, passing many landmarks on the way.

A teddy bear in a striped shirt overlooking a busy street in London, with the iconic Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background.

I was a bit concerned about the King’s Guard horse guarding the formal entrance to Buckingham Palace & St James Park, as it was a hot day for a horse.  Apparently though they only stay one hour and then the guards and horses change. One hour seems a long time to stand still but I am sure the horses are well looked after.

A toy teddy bear with a striped shirt posing in front of a mounted guard on a black horse, near a sign warning about horse safety.

After a bite to eat we headed for the coach to return to Bristol.  It was a lovely few days that I will treasure in my memories.

Horace the Alresford Bear 23/10/2026