"Maroochy" wrote

Well I'll come clean...I went to Richmond, because I promised my aunt
(family historian) that I would go there and take photos of the Star and
Garter Vets Home. It was once a hotel owned by my grandfather's family.
(Joseph and Charles Ellis), so I thought I'd combine a visit to the
gardens and a visit to Richmond.

When was that? My Grandfather was publican at the Brown Bear in Kew Road
just by the railway station in the mid to late 1800s. (it's no longer there)

As I was saying at Lancaster Gate, I decided to go to Richmond via the
underground. It was probably the scariest thing I've encountered for years
and being it was only a couple of days after I'd had my purse stolen in
London, I was rather nervous. I had to change trains three times and was
quite bewildered about the whole thing, I found it very hard to get anyone
to help me and point me in the right direction, people were either rude or
did not speak English. LOL believe it or not, it was some fellow
Australians (they were going to Kew Gardens) who helped me find the right
platform for the last leg of the journey.

We don't like the Underground much either although the statistics say it's
quite safe. Unfortunately people in large cities tend to be impolite IME, I
think it's the pressure and pace they live under.

After taking photos of the building and having a chat with the lovely lady
receptionist, I decided to have a look at Richmond Park, I spent quite a
few hours wandering around there, then walked back to Richmond and spent
some time wandering around. I thought I would catch the rain to Kew
Gardens, have a scout around and then come back a few days later and spend
a day there. When I went to catch the train my Oyster Pass wouldn't work
and I was very confused, once again it took me a little while to find
someone who would help me, they pointed me in the direction of the ticket
office, where a very large, very arrogant woman told me in no uncertain
terms, my pass was only for inner London, so I had to hand over some money
to buy a ticket to get back to London, but this time I was wrung out and
just wanted to get back to my hotel room, so didn't make a stop at Kew.
I did intend to go back to the gardens on another day, but to be honest, I
just chickened out, I just couldn't face using the underground again, but
like you said, it is an excuse for another trip, maybe next year. :-)

May I suggest staying outside London. :-)

LOL tell you have naive I was, I was all set to go to the Chelsea Flower
show, luckily I checked it all out on the internet the night before I was
going to go there..I didn't realise all the tickets are pre sold, I
thought I could just rock up and walk in...wrong!

Chelsea Flower Show is terribly expensive even for RHS members, add that to
the cost of travel and food and drink and it's serious money. Then it's so
crowded you can't see gardens etc as well as you can on the TV. Hampton
Court Flower show is better IMO.


--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK