Registered Charity No. 289736
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Friends Of Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth Registered Charity No. 289736 |
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Linking with his talk to the Friends on the "Villages of East London", Peter Lawrence has offered to conduct a guided tour of Canary Wharf and the surrounding Dockland area.
Canary Wharf is part of an original complex of wharves and docks (East India Wharf, Herron Quays, South Quays) which grew enormously in economic importance during the 19th Century with the expansion of trade in the Empire. By the 1970's the land was mainly derelict and said to have had a value of minus £80 per acre (you had to pay to give it away!). This is difficult to imagine now, as you stroll round the magnificent marble faced buildings, the 50-storey glass and steel Canary Wharf tower, with the adjacent 40+ storey HSBC and City Bank towers, not to mention the other multi-storey buildings being erected on Heron Quays. You will also see how, on East India wharf, the original warehouses are being transformed into apartments and café bars. In addition to the architecture, you have the largest public square built in London since Trafalgar Square, and a thriving shopping centre with a multitude of cafes, bars, and restaurants.
Our trip will leave Meldreth and Melbourn (pick-up at various points in the villages), at 9am, to arrive at Canary Wharf about 10.30am. Whilst at Canary Wharf there will be a tour of the area with Peter and time to do some exploring on your own - whether you want to find "The Grapes" in Narrow street, with its balcony over the Thames, see more of the area with a short trip on the DLR through the "Isle of Dogs", relax in Westferry Circus gardens, or take in that all essential "Retail Therapy".
You will also be able to select your own favourite type of food for lunch, from a bar meal in the "Cat & Canary" or "Slug and Lettuce", a pizza in "Scuzzi's" by the river (my personal favorite for a good value meal with an excellent view), a Tapas bar on East India quay - or really push the boat out with an excellent Japanese meal in the Ubon restaurant by the Four Seasons Hotel.