October 2017
Start of our 2nd day in London, we are off to Primark at 499, Oxford Street. What’s peculiar is Primark opens for business as early as 8.00 a.m. We’re not shopaholic to come early but to beat the maddening crowd during the later hours as what we had experienced the previous years.
Nice to note Primark has a return or refund policy within 28 days of purchase. The return or refund can be made from any of their branches. This means, purchase made in Edinburgh can be returned or refunded in London. Foreigners who are entitled for VAT refund, bundle all your purchase receipts and get it done from any of Primark’s branches irrespective of which branch the purchase has been made.
Primark at the ever ‘busy’ Oxford Street at 8 a.m. Try photographing this location at 4.00 p.m.
Once shopping done, we took a bus in-front of Primark and headed to Italian Water Gardens located within Kensington Gardens. We got off at the bus stop on Bayswater Road opposite Lancaster Gate tube station. One of the entrance gates into the garden, is just by the bus stop. Unlike Hyde Park, the Italian Water Gardens is gated and opens at 6.00 a.m. and closes at varying times according to the season.
Entrance into Italian Water Gardens via Bayswater Road. The Lancaster Gate tube station is directly opposite.
Park map of Kensington Gardens.
The Kensington Gardens where the Italian Water Gardens is located, was part of Kensington Palace in the past. It was built 150 years ago as a gift to Queen Victoria from Prince Albert. The park covers an area of 270 acres and is located to the west of Hyde Park. The main attraction is the fountains and its quiet surrounding even though Bayswater Road is a stone’s throw away. From here, we can see from a distance, the Speke Monument.
The Italian Water Gardens with it’s fountains running.
The fountain pump house and In the background, the ‘Royal Lancaster London Hotel’.
The white marble Tazza Fountain.
The pump house viewed from across the garden.
Autumn leaves evident at Kensington Gardens.
Speke Monument in the distance.
Back on the bus heading towards Shepherd’s Bush, we got off at Notting Hill Gate (stop N, about 4 stops away) just before the tube station. Walk ahead and turn left for Kensington Church street. About 80 metres to your right across the road, you’ll find ‘The Churchill Arms’. The whole building is almost entirely covered with colourful flowers, even in Autumn. This is a favorite photo spot not to be missed.
A London bus passing by ‘The Churchill Arms’.
Entrance fronting Kensington Church street.
Closer view of the entrance.
Blooming flowers in Autumn. It would be a riot of bright colours in spring. This entrance is fronting Campden Street.
The dual frontage at the junction of Kensington Church street and Campden street.
Winston Churchill intensely looking at you.
Back again on the bus, we headed to Shepherd’s Bush getting off at Shepherd’s Bush Road bus stop ‘J’ on Goldhawk Road. Along this road, there are tons of textile stores if you are looking for fabric. A little further up is Goldhawk Road tube station and across the road is Shepherd’s Bush market. We’ve been here in 2016 and as written in our previous post, it’s just an everyday market. If you are short of time, you would not miss much if this market is not in your itinerary. Our main intention getting here is to have lunch at one of the restaurants at the other end of the market besides Shepherd’s Bush market tube station and to perform our midday prayers at a nearby mosque.
Welcome to Shepherd’s Bush market.
Begs & children clothings.
Pillows & kitchen utensils.
Purses, begs, luggages & in between.
Varieties of souvenirs.
London begs @ £1.50 each.
Cheap fridge magnets @ £1 each.
After lunch, it’s a 300 metres walk from the other end of the market to Shepherd’s Bush mosque. The mosque is located in between shop lots at 302, Uxbridge Road. The female prayer hall is upstairs whilst the male downstairs. There was a big congregation for the midday ‘Zohor’ prayers full to the brim at the male prayer hall.
Main entrance into Shepherd’s Bush mosque.
Women prayer hall upstairs.
Male prayer hall. Main entrance at the far end.
Male prayer hall.
After prayers it’s back on the bus heading to Westfield London, a huge shopping mall close to Shepherd’s Bush tube station. Don’t be confused with Shepherd’s Bush Market tube station which is ½ mile away. At Westfield, you’ll find all the big brand names. Westfield is where most Londoners shop, not at Oxford Street where it’s flooded with tourist. Although you can find big brand names along Regent’s Street, Westfield offers the convenience of everything under one roof.
Westfield London located close-by Shepherd’s Bush tube station & bus stop.
Westfield London shopping mall.
Overview of a section of Westfield.
A favorite store for the youngsters.
A small section inside Debenhams with items on sale brought in the crowds.
For the sports addicts, Sports Direct.
Multi floors House of Fraser.
.Penang!, a halal Malaysian restaurant outside Westfield opposite House of Fraser.
Places visited plotted on Google map.
