Moon Puppy went to London

[moon puppy]

This is going to be image intensive, sorry.

For the last several months they have been planning on bringing me and several on our team to London for a workshop on how we can better deliver our services to the group. What an opportunity! No point in getting in detail about that stuff, that's boring. I had the trip of a life time and I was really humbled to be brought over just to sit around and talk about things we do.

Lots of adventures had, took me 24 hours from leaving the house to get to the hotel

Big bird to take me over

Paid extra for this but wasn't worth it with Yuri who was as big as I am sitting next to me.

Real London Black Cab ride from Heathrow to Watford where our offices are.

Hotel Lobby,

Beer garden...at 9am. :coolio

Another cab ride, where's the steering wheel? :smack

Odd looking bird, long tail. :idonno

This is who I work for, Smiths Group, started out 100 years ago as a watch maker, they made aviation gauges at one point. I know this is a De Havilland, has that look. Would love to know if there's a kit for it. Doubt it.

Watford Junction and the Flag pub in the back ground.

Hotel we were at.

Waiting on the train to go to London after work.

the rest are just random shots I got.

I take up a lot of room in this thing! Man it stunk!!

I'm sure you all recognize Piccadilly Circus

Man that stuff taste a whole lot better over there than here! They say it's even better in Dublin. One can hope... :drinks

One pub, after another

After another...

Think I might have missed a pub or two along the way.

Subway back.

 

[moon puppy]

After the second day of work, back to the pub! Think I'm done with Fish and Chips. The French guy was supposed to be our guide on restaurants but he kept going back to the pubs...well while in England... :drinks

Just a nice steeple I wanted to catch.

Good beer....

Neat work place, had these ponds with fish in them. I told them this would never work in the South, folks would be droppin' a line in there during lunch hour.

The Smiths Cisco crew. Klaus, Denis, Amartya and me.

Watford Junction platform for another trip to London to the BIG HQ site.

This is Smiths HQ in St. James Sq, just a block or two from 10 Downing St, Buckingham Palace.

PUB!

They belly up to the bar there also.

Coldbeer...

Next day coming up..

 

[moon puppy]

Long story short, I had two days to burn when the workshop was over. Cindy wanted me to get some pictures of Buckingham palace, if I realized how close we were the previous day I would have headed over there but..

I came up on this and thought I'd get some shots for our Canadian Warriors here. :salute

I came on around the corner just in time for...

Changing of the guard. I wasn't in a great spot to see but did my best.

That's the shot for Cindy! I did my duty, rest of the 2 days was mine.

Following are just shots around that area, I know most of you will know what they are, some I don't.

This car caught my eye, not sure what it was but they were having fun toolin' around the town, saw them several times through the day.

The Admiralty Arch going into Trafalgar Square

Nelson's Column

the London Eye. No I didn't go up in it. Probably should have, I was getting thirsty at this point.

Dad, I sent you a text of this, did you see it? I remembered you talking about riding with the Bobbies over there and thought you'd get a kick out of this.

I am sad I didn't get to hear the bell chime but wow, what a moment. To look up and see such an icon!

Someone has to tell me what's up with this!

BiPlane but I think it was aluminum.

I said I was thirsty :smack :drinks

Churchill!

 

[moon puppy]

Continuing on with Fri. I found the Imperial War Museum Churchill War Rooms.

Very humbling, just walk through with me...

Back side of 10 Downing Street, very nice guys with machine guns let me take a picture. :salute

Parade Grounds

Back at Nelson's Column trying to find a train station or tube to get back to the hotel.

Hit 3 pubs before I found one that had food on Friday night, nothing wrong with the beers... :drinks

And I still ended up with Fish and Chips...They deep fry the sausage?? :idonno

 

[moon puppy]

Short cab ride out to RAF Museum London, https://goo.gl/maps/Ya4sJjaw4kz

I had the good fortune to meet up with a fellow wingnut there at the museum. He knew his stuff and it was a pleasure talking with him. He's a "former" modeler, gave it up because he got married 6 months ago...Keith, you'll be back...
I"m forwarding this thread to him, he's already checked out the site a bit. I just want to thank him again for the company, shame there wasn't a pub close by. :drinks

The Museum is undergoing some major work, the big hanger in back was really packed, hard to see and the lighting was not great. Looks like they have a full HE110 back there I wish I could have gotten closer to. They also have a Vickers... :woohoo:

I walk in and see they go the pylons on upside down, they installed the engines wonksided but I understand this was a bad ass jet!

Funky rocket pod.

 

[moon puppy]

Walked next door to Hannants and had a spirited conversation with Neal, no pub needed to get him talking.

Looked up on the shelf and low and behold! Neal really bragged on Kenny and the Gator Grip, said it sales great over there. Well done Kenny!

Not a big shop, well organised but he had some stuff in there I've never seen on the shelf.

Next day, trip home.


Uber on the way to Heathrow, I still think it looks like N. Georgia along I 85.

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 loaded up, ready to go.

Yeah, I paid extra for this also... :facepalm

Can't complain about the flight back, this flight was not even half full, seat next to me was empty, matter of fact, the entire row was.

Second attempt into Atlanta but he made it that time. :frantic

And home to a Carolina Moon, out there in the distance would be lights of my town just as we were landing in to GSP.

Other than Fish and Chips overload nothing I can say bad about this trip, oh yeah, and Yuri...

Thanks for reading along, thought y'all like to see these. I really did have a great time and feel privileged to have had the chance to do this.

P.S. Boss said we may be able to do this next year. If that's the case, I'm Driving when I get there!

 

[bob letterman]

Holy Crap Pup,

You took some photos! Wow!

Thanks for the shot of the New Scotland Yard!

Sounds like you had a great trip!

Good to have you back though!

Dad

 

[moon puppy]

Good to be back Dad.

Can one of you guys tell me about this insigna? It's on the tail of the P47. I dig it because it's so much like our Palmetto.

 

[RichB]

That is an Eurasian Magpie. We have its North American cousin out west. It doesn't venture much further east than the Great Lakes. It doesn't like the heat and humidity in the east and south-east. Very smart birds.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Sherman 18]

Thanks for sharing!


Looked to be a cool working trip.

:drinks

 

[RichB]

Good to be back Dad.

Can one of you guys tell me about this insigna? It's on the tail of the P47. I dig it because it's so much like our Palmetto.

That P-47 is in the markings of No. 30 Squadron. The squadron was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated in the Middle East until it was transferred to Ceylon in 1942. They flew P-47's from May 1944 to March 1946 in Burma and India. The are currently flying Hercules C4/C5 from RAF Brize Norton.

The badge was approved by HM King George VI in 1938, the date palm commemorating their long service in the Middle East. The motto translates to "All Out".

Cheers,
Rich

 

[RichB]

DeHavilland DH-104 Dove

Omega Models, Rare Planes, Top Gun, Magna Models and Whirlybird made resin or vac-form kits in 1/72. I don't know how common they are on the market now.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Someone has to tell me what's up with this!

BiPlane but I think it was aluminum.

It is a DH.89 Dragon Rapide. A 1930's short haul airliner.

Looks like you had an awesome time there Bob!

 

[ij001]

Looks like you had a blast, matey, and (almost) single-handedly kept the Guiness company solvent for the next three years !!

Good on ya :drinks



Ian.

 

[SA Dave]

Damn Bob did they pour you into bed at nights

Glad you had a great time there mate

 

[Iron Mike]

OK, you are officially the new MA roving reporter and photographer on our future road trips.

Glad you had a good time, wondering if you are going to practice driving on the wromg side of the road for next year's trip? :coolio

 

[Old Dog]

Thanks for posting and it looks like you had a grand time :drinks I'm most jealous as it is most unlikely I'll ever see the other side of the pond !

 

[moon puppy]

Thanks for sharing!


Looked to be a cool working trip.

:drinks

Thanks Jeff, I was humbled just being invited.

That P-47 is in the markings of No. 30 Squadron. The squadron was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated in the Middle East until it was transferred to Ceylon in 1942. They flew P-47's from May 1944 to March 1946 in Burma and India. The are currently flying Hercules C4/C5 from RAF Brize Norton.

The badge was approved by HM King George VI in 1938, the date palm commemorating their long service in the Middle East. The motto translates to "All Out".

Cheers,
Rich

Thanks for the info Rich, knew you guys could come up with an answer. I'll keep a look out for some decals.

DeHavilland DH-104 Dove

Omega Models, Rare Planes, Top Gun, Magna Models and Whirlybird made resin or vac-form kits in 1/72. I don't know how common they are on the market now.

Cheers,
Rich

OK then, i'm placing a BOLO on a DH-104. How much of a suck up would I be building one in those markings?

It is a DH.89 Dragon Rapide. A 1930's short haul airliner.

Looks like you had an awesome time there Bob!

Another De Havilland... I wonder if it's doing any regular service, sight seeing maybe.

Looks like you had a blast, matey, and (almost) single-handedly kept the Guiness company solvent for the next three years !!

Good on ya :drinks



Ian.

Just doing my part in International Relations. :drinks

Damn Bob did they pour you into bed at nights

Glad you had a great time there mate

Funny thing is, never really got a buz on because all the freakin' walking we did! :drunk

Glad you had a good time, wondering if you are going to practice driving on the wromg side of the road for next year's trip? :coolio

Talked to one of our sales guys who goes there often and he said you just have to keep center. Driving on the wrong side of the car really helps keeping things in check. I'm game for trying. :coolio

I'll of course curtail my consumption of dark beers if I do. :dude

Thanks for checking in guys. Really did have a blast.

I really do consider myself lucky in having a job that allows me to do the traveling I do, seeing things I'd probably never see on my own (Cairo GA ).

Last week I was in London, week before I was up in Hudson Massachusetts, I rode over to Concord and walked the grounds of the Old North Bridge site where "the shot heard around the world" was fired.

How cool is that?!

 

[Iron Mike]

 

[ausf]

Glad you had such a great trip.

That's some serious hardware, beautiful pics and thanks for taking the time posting them.