Turn back Whittington

Amusing to think what young Dick would find if he turned up now with his cat and a few possessions tied in a spotted hankie slung on the end of a stick. How would he perceive the hub of this ever so slightly faded empire and its own peculiar dash of decay? The gap between have and have not is as pronounced as ever. No member of this city’s large itinerant population is likely to become mayor today. Although someone has to win the lottery I suppose.

The history that justifies the word ‘Great’ in the title of this wee land reeks of more affluent days. Tourists still arrive in droves to snap up every detail.

But this is a land of contrasts, and my room in a rather splendid old hotel near Victoria Station is like well-heeled Edinburgh folk, who are said to wear fur coats but no knickers. Despite 3 degree overnight temperatures, there is no heating until I ask and a portable appliance is delivered by an East European bellboy. The price of an up market 4* hotel down under buys me a single bed, but no room to swing Dick's cat. Barely space to make a cup of tea, but that fabulous anachronism, ‘the Corby’ trouser press in every room. Grand dome topped windows with broken blinds and no double glazing so traffic noise always intrudes.

Excuse the poor quality shots - there was virtually no natural light in the room either! The fabulous location offsets a few minor discomforts though. Guests can walk to Buckingham Palace to stare through forbidding fences and imagine one the richest families in the world living in extravagant, well serviced comfort.

I risk being accused of inappropriate comment (or madness!) when I say its getting more like one of its own former colonies every day. I do not mean it as such, but the endless bustle, the beginning to fade glory and relentless assaults on the senses make it seem to be heading that way. I have no pictures to show that perspective, as I didn't venture far from the palace on that sunny Sunday morning, until I battled the crowds at the station and took a train to the north.

There is (at least) one (and actually many) important distinction(s) in this place though. The voice of dissent is generally allowed, and its presence is right there in the faces of everyone. Whether it finds a listening ear and a strategically placed champion to take action is possibly another matter.