Tag Archives: London Wetlands

Ordinary, Scones, self-service

London Wetlands – Revisited

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From one nature reserve to another. Our previous post was from Vane Farm in Scotland and this one is London Wetlands – Revisited. We have reviewed its scones before but that was back in 2016, just a few weeks after the EU referendum. Back then we reported that London, like Scotland, voted overwhelmingly to remain and that feelings were running pretty high. A nation divided! This time we can report that nothing has changed in the two intervening years except that now we have only a few months to go before having to apply for a visa to visit France … arrgghh!. There is an air of disbelief that, even though the vote was won on the basis of momentous lies and Mr Brexit’s, (Arron Banks), colossal and suspicious funding  of the Leave campaign, we are still no nearer knowing what the consequences of leaving will be.

Brexit scones

Enough! … what about the scones, will they be affected by Brexit? We are here at the Wetlands because we had to deliver a certain mini-person back to her home which is just a short walk away from here. Nothing stands still here and we found many new additions to the already superb attractions on offer. It is still the only wildlife reserve we know of that has a three story bird-hide with a lift. Lego animals at London Wetland Centre

At Vane Farm we had to take part in a Halloween based competition but this time our task was to find all the animals in the reserve made from Lego. We had to find the animal then mark down the number of lego bricks it took to build it e.g. do you know how many lego bricks it takes to build a life sized flamingo? Thought not! We had added a four year old to go with our five year old mini-person so, with two mini-people, we had lots of valuable assistance. Interior view of London Wetlands Café

Extra health

Assistance also came in the form of a scone when we took a break for lunch from the beautiful but bitterly cold weather outside. The self-service cafe had also undergone a makeover with a brand new colour scheme and seating arrangement. It’s always busy, busy! A scone at London Wetlands CaféThey have a counter where kiddies can fill a small plastic bucket with anything they want, mostly healthy options, for £5. Good fun for them and simplicity for grown ups. Talking of healthy options, the scones were blueberry with a little pot of strawberry jam … lots of fruit in both. We passed on the Rhoddas Cornish clotted cream. The blueberries made the scones wonderfully moist so that they hardly needed jam. However, we used it anyway … just for extra health! Not quite topscone material but very enjoyable nevertheless.

Interior view of London Wetlands Café
even the birds come in to eat!

 

We covered almost the entire reserve and the flamingo was the only one we couldn’t find. Eventually after much to-ing and fro-ing we discovered it. It was in the middle of the shop that you have to go through on the way out. A bit sneeky! Interior view of London Wetlands CaféAnyway, for your information, it takes 3100 lego bricks and 80 hours to build a life sized flamingo. Remember, you only get this sort of essential information on allaboutthescones.com! No lollipops this time for completing the competition … boo! Just the chance to win a place on a lego animal building course.

Abominations

Suffice to say that the Conservative and Labour parties may well be better employed going on one of these Lego courses for all the good they are doing elsewhere. Goodness knows what sort of horrific monsters they would produce though! In answer to the other burning question, we think scones will benefit from Brexit. And we say that as staunch Remainers. Logic dictates that once we have stopped all foreigners coming into the country and selling their rubbish food (croissants and the like) in cafés across the land, we will only have quaint little chintzy tea-shops selling scones and other civilized British food. An added bonus will be the removal of the acute accent from the word café … and all other such abominations! Hurrah …  ‘Cry God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’

SW13 9WT      tel: 020 8409 4400        London Wetland Centre

Ordinary, Scones, self-service

London Wetlands

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Most of you will know by now that we are not just one-trick ponies obsessed with scones to the exclusion of everything else. No, no, no we have many other wide ranging interests which might be considered more ‘normal’. Photographing sheds for instance! By comparison, bird-watching may seem fairly mainstream but that is another interest. It is perhaps more than a little ironic that most of our bird-watching, these days, occurs in London. Here at the London Wetlands Centre, just a few minutes from Hammersmith.

Elevator hides

Opened in 2000 it provides an oasis for wildlife and a place of tranquility in the heart of London’s suburbs. It is a follow-on from Sir Peter Scott’s (son of Antartic explorer Captain Scott) original wildfowl centre at Slimbridge which opened in 1946. Considering the immense pressure on city centre land it is nothing short of miraculous that this huge area has survived intact. It has many bird-hides. However, with everything being bigger and better in the capital, it has a three story hide .. with a lift!! It is also the closest we will probably ever get to a bittern, an elusive wading bird with a strange booming mating call, without actually seeing one. They are there, just very secretive. Of the people we speak to, most have never seen one either. Or they saw one yesterday … arrrgghh!! Wetlands 01Wetlands 05

Anyway the Wetland scone is not nearly so difficult to find. Having so many attractions for youngsters this is a favourite spot for many families trying to educate their children. A large cafe facility is an absolute must. Wetlands 04It’s a no-frills, self-service kind of place and, as is often the way, when there is nowhere else to go, relatively expensive for what you get. Wetlands 07Actually the scones are quite good. No cream but a little jar of jam and a decent scone for £2.35 is not too bad.

The only way to stay in the EU

London, like Scotland, voted to remain in the EU and now faces being hauled out against it’s will. There is much consternation and gnashing of teeth! A couple of weeks have now elapsed since the vote and we seem no closer to knowing where the UK is heading. Scotland will almost certainly go for another referendum on independence and here, it seems, many wish they could join us. Next time will be different for Indyref2 because almost everyone has now had experience of what Scotland was subjected to in 2014

The entire political establishment (except the SNP and the Greens), the entire print and broadcast media as well as the Civil Service all joined together to peddle anti-independence lies and deceptions. One cracker was that the only way for Scotland to remain in the EU was to vote NO .. and still only managed to win a narrow majority. Voters, not just in Scotland, have witnessed just how low politicians and the media can stoop. Convincing the elderly may still be an uphill task. They rely on newspapers and TV for information.

After the EU vote, Ratty sets off to destinations unknown on HMS Great Britain
After the EU vote, Ratty sets off to destinations unknown on HMS Great Britain

If you get the chance take a stroll through the London Wetlands. You will not believe that you are anywhere near the heart of the city. The only giveaway is the overhead jetliners. Every 90 seconds but even they don’t detract from the overall sense of peace and quiet.

SW13 9WT          tel: 020 8409 4400         Wetlands