East Anglia Tour - Day 5

The dawn brought more bad weather and this together with the continuing and frustrating poor internet connectivity, made it an easy decision to go home. Instinctively though, we felt that Norwich was a city worth bothering with and we would not leave the area without seeing it. Inevitably we went to the station first and I enjoyed myself. I doubt there are many more imposing exteriors in Britain. Moving the car to Castle Mall, we began our exploration of the centre. I loved the juxtaposition of the modern but sympathetic lift shaft and the much older castle it serves. I also loved the decorative style of Royal Arcade and its Colman's Mustard shop. Proceeding through the market, an unusual fixed market, we came across an unexpected photographic bonanza in front of City Hall and The Forum. The Norfolk Constabulary had received the freedom of the City of Norwich in December of last year and today held a ceremonial parade with an exhibition of police vehicles and related items. It was an ideal opportunity to feed Flickr. On our attempted escape from the city I noticed three Class 66s (my favourite class) stabled at the station and stopped to photograph them in poor light.

The A11 seemed like a good road of motorway standards in places but tiresomely punctuated by roundabouts especially around Thetford. We ate at Little Chef, Barton Mills. We wanted to drive through London  to check hotel locations for a future visit. Traffic was surprisingly heavy for a Sunday and, south of the river, traumatically so. It was exciting to see the Olympics site under construction and apparently closer to completion than the Commonwealth Games equivalent in Delhi - which is needed at the end of this week. The velodrome particularly caught my eye.

Bicycles were of relevance for a completely different reason in south London and that reason must by characterised as a Boris cock-up. I am not against the bike hire scheme (if the sandal fits, wear it) but the resulting visual pollution of this ostensibly green initiative has to be seen to be believed and is genuinely offensive. I had read as much in a recent newspaper article and it is indeed true. For some inexplicable reason the cycle lanes (in which you are about as likely to see a bike as a bus in a 24hr bus lane) are painted in a vivid blue. That is inappropriate enough but some of the 'holds' at junctions are still in the older (and frankly more appropriate and pleasing green). A further clash is caused where bus lane coincides with cycle lane to produce a long side by side streak of red and blue. If you did this to your house you would be immediately arrested and your house demolished by the aesthetics police. The traffic conditions and low light precluded any photographs of this ugliness.