Route: Columbia Road Flower Market
Area: East London
Date of walk: 15th February 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 1 mile
Weather: Mostly overcast
It’s stretching things to define this as ‘a walk’ as the only walking involved was up and down Columbia Road, but a visit to the Flower Market there is such a worthwhile objective that I’ve included it in this site
We were staying near Kings Cross and from one of the nearby docking stations we hired a couple of ‘Boris bikes’ – a great way to get around London, especially on a Sunday when the traffic is lighter
It took us about 30 minutes to reach Columbia Road Flower Market which is open on Sundays from 8am. Although we arrived quite early the place was busy. There was a wonderful selection of flowers and foliage of every imaginable type and we had a great time admiring the displays, and listening to the amusing sales patter of the flower sellers
After an enjoyable hour or so at the market we hired another couple of bikes and carried on riding round London, visiting the Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition and meeting up with our nephew Tom in the process. We cycled about 8 miles in all, before returning to the start to catch our train home. What a great day it had been
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Docking station near our hotel
On the way to Columbia Road
We dock the bikes near the market
Columbia Road Flower Market, a riot of colour to brighten up a dull day
We liked the music, and the sign ‘lose weight by tipping buskers’ - so we did
It was fun listening to the sales patter - “Orchids, only a fiver, cheap enough for your worst enemy - or your mother in law”
“Primroses, only a fiver, I’ve been up all night painting these”
Last photo of the market - we retraced our steps and hired a couple of bikes again
Cycling through the financial district, the Gherkin is ahead
Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast. By now we are beginning to suffer from withdrawal symptoms……
…… so we visit the Landscape Photographer of The Year exhibition at Waterloo
Another fix of lakeland - this one is our local lake Crummock Water by Colin Bell - and we feel revived
We met up with our nephew Tom at Waterloo and walked with him for a while, admiring The London Eye and Big Ben as we went along
St Paul’s to the left
Gilly and Tom on London Bridge
Looking along the river to the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament
We cycle back to Kings Cross
The Sir John Betjeman statue and the Dent Clock at St Pancras marking the end of a great weekend
