Hidden London...

I met a good friend for lunch the other Friday. In between all the eating and drinking (there MAY have been a glass of something lightly sparkling involved) we talked, among other things, about the hidden stuff in London, the things that the vast majority of people walk past without even looking at. After she had headed home to Surrey, and I was walking back through to get on the tube, I started really looking around and hunting out the odd things along my path.

I walked through Horse Guards Parade first - past the smartly dressed members of the Household Cavalry on guard at the entrance. Straight ahead of you, at the other side of  Horse Guards Avenue is the Guards memorial, which most people will likely recognise.

But look - just off to one side is this memorial to Lord Kitchener...

...I remember seeing that years ago, when I was a child my Nan used to take me all over London - her own knowledge of the Capital was just superb, and she taught me about so many of these little hidden places, like Postmans Park, for example. (Google it - I can't find any photos on this computer!)  Anyway, I had another quite specific statue in mind next, so turned onto The Mall where the flags were fluttering proudly...

...don't worry, I didn't take my life into my hands to take this shot - there was a traffic island...and, incidentally, FAR less traffic than you expect there to be. I got distracted before I got to my next target by this...

It's Scott of the Antarctic of course - or Captain Robert Falcon Scott to give him his proper name - and I had absolutely NO idea he was there! ("There" being at the Mall end of Waterloo Place, for those who know London at all). Impressive eh? I couldn't get a full height shot of him on his plinth sadly as in spite of the fact that I was clearly standing there photographing it, a couple of tourists came and plonked themselves down on the base of it - gah! I mean, how rude?!  Anyway, that did mean I lingered less before heading onwards - to this...

This is the memorial to the Crimean War, with Florence Nightingale taking her place at the front.

Oddly enough so far as I can find out there is only the one Statue to Nightingale in London, although Derby has three.

I was back in London the following day, and obviously still had my "spotting the not-so-obvious" head on as I saw this fascinating clock on the way to the platform for our train from Kings Cross...

...I was quite disappointed when I got to the other side of it that it didn't run from 1 > 12 on that side!

Robyn