London Enbankment...............

Did you know that what we know as "the enbankment" along the River Thames was once 22 acres of water meadows. The land was reclaimed and the walls built to enclose the river so that at high tides or flood time the city remains safe. It had to be an amazing challenge at the time. Now of course the Thames Barrier is the big wonder, but without the enbankment London would not exist as it does today. The River Thames is the life blood to London. The wharfs along the river hold the Markets. World famous, and you sure know when you get close to Billingsgate, the fish market at Canary Wharf. This was not what I was going to write about though. When I was "courting" and living in London we would walk through the East End and I learned a lot just walking around the city. I knew my way around back then, could not do that today but I do sometimes dream about it. My boyfriend was from Dagenham in the East End...........I learned a lot from him about the city, not all good. Dont ask me now why I was with him its a long story but at least I got to know London.I also learned about life. The enbankment walks are much used in the same way as they always were. Strolling along the river on a sunny afternoon or starry evening,For me it was a magic place. Especially at night. We would stroll through back streets, you would be amazed at some of the architecture of the hidden places. The Enbankment itself has history for those who look, and maybe that is part of my fascination. Egypt. Egyptology. Cleopatra's Needle, that has nothing to do with Cleopatra but is authentic and has quiet a story behind it. It was over a thousand years old in Cleo's time. Then the Sphynx who watch it, they were set the wrong way apparently and do not guard as they are supposed to and are forever destined to look at the "needle" a bomb came close to destroying them in WW2. You can still see the marks from shrapnel. When I talk of the embankment thats the part I mean, in fact there are enbankments all along the Thames but the City of Westminster is what I was familiar with. I used to know the area inside out but not any more. I would not be able to negotiate the streets now. Maybe once I spent some time there. Bodicea she still stands there as she has for a very long time You can gaze down at that river and know its the same old river that the Romans first saw and the Vikings lost a ship in. They found that one hot summer when the water went down. We would walk from there across Tower Bridge and (shame on us) we carved our initials on the bricks. You walk past the Tower where traitors used to be executed and I would often get the tube at Tower Hill to go back to Putney Bridge. So very long ago now. No I didn't marry that person and he is gone now. I was in love for a brief time and maybe its because I loved London rather than him???? How do I know I was 18.


Linking up with Little red house, mosaic Monday