London calling

Tuesday we got up early and headed South. Our first stop was York.York is a great place to visit if you like history of any type. It principle City of the North for many years and it retains it's facination for me, being part of so many of the pieces of drama from English and British History. We didn't have a great deal of time so we headed straight to the old area called the Shambles. Lot's of old buildings crammed together..so close that the upper stories are almost a handshake apart across the street. I wandered around soaking up the atmosphere and watching the stall owners go about selling in the same way they had done for 100's of years. I had a Yorkshire pasty to compliment the journey. Tasty but not as warm I would like to have it... a bit like the weather.
Soon we were heading south again via some forgettable truck stops until we arrived in London where we dropped off our car and taxied to our friends house in Ravenscourt.
Later we all headed to Shepherds bush to catch up with a bunch of friends at Jamie Olivers resturant chain. It's was at a new Westfield of all places, good to see some Australian colonization. Jamie wasn't there, must have been busy elsewhere.
The next day we headed into the city and caught up with a friend from Wellington before doing the tourist thing and visiting Westminster Abbey, Parliament buildings, Horse Guards, Covent Gardens etc.
I was interested to see the statue of Oliver Cromwell outside parliament (see attached dodgy photo). Opposite him is the bust of James I on St Margaret's Church, Westminster Church. The old antagonists facing each other... Cromwell the statue and...James's head! A wonderful irony.
The Budget was being presented, so there were a lot of people with placards and bullhorns complaining about the general state of affairs. Unlike Canberra there is no handy place to run around with pitchforks and discontent - so they were all spilling out over roads creating havoc and mayhem.
We spent the rest of the day eating and shopping. Put your hand up if you're a Tourist.