Last night I met up with some old work colleagues in Marylebone, so I headed into town a bit early to do some exploring. I started off from Stevenage station that is built around a trio of monoliths that may be aligned with ley lines for all I know.
I'd had a look on the map to see where might be interesting to go and found the Grant Museum of Zoology. This is part of University College London, but it's open to the public. Entry is free, but it's only open on afternoons.
It's really just one room, but it's crammed with displays of animal specimens dating back two hundred years. They are elephant skulls, skeletons of extinct animals and lots of preserved creatures in jars. This is a typical display case.
Some of them are a little creppy, like this kangaroo, but these may have been the only way scientists back then could study animals from around the world.
There are some real oddities, such as this 'jar of moles'. There was another of giant centipedes next to it.
I could have spent more time there, but it was full of students and I needed to get outside. I walked west and came across this [memorial to John F. Kennedy].
It had a bust on top, but it seems it was vandalised last year. It almost looks as if someone shot at it.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_Memorial%2C_London)
From there I went to Regent's Park. I can only wonder at how much some of the houses around there must cost. They even have their own private bit of park, but most of it is open to the public. I sat on a bench and did my Inktober sketch. There were lots of squirrels and pigeons around that seemed very tame. Then I spotted a fox. The picture isn't great as I had to zoom on my phone.
I had a good evening with some old friends at a typical London pub chatting about old times. I hadn't seen some of them in a few years. Eventually I made my way home via Baker Street. There's a statue of Sherlock Holmes just outside. My band has been playing the Gerry Rafferty song Baker Street, so it made me smile. It's one of the old underground stations.
I did a lot of walking that day with about 15,000 steps according to my fitness watch. I might have logged it on Actifit, but I had my phone on low power mode and it doesn't seem to like that.
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Is it me or are foxes getting more brazen?
They may be more desperate. We had some in our garden this year, but they don't do any harm. We don't put any food out to encourage them. Those in the parks must have difficulty hiding away. They probably get food that people leave in bins.
You're probably right.
That museum does look worth ducking out of work one afternoon to look around.
'twas good to see you again Steve
Looks like an interesting place, I find such places fascinating. I have to admit I've never seen a jar of moles before. I recall we had some snakes in jars when I was in school.
I remember the old museum in Bedford had all sorts of stuffed and preserved animals. This is an old-school museum, but still educational. They sort animals by their types with some info about each.
Have you ever visited Tring Museum - endless amounts of dead stuff there. It was great when the kids arrived as I had the excuse to go more often :)
I haven't, but the kids may have been on a school trip. This may be a smaller version.
I don't think I can much handle that jar of moles! That is pretty creepy!
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