Margaretness Pillbox

A World War II pillbox along the River Thames.

Walking along the Thames Path there is always something new to see or discover.

It was while walking east, from Crossness, that I first saw this World War II-era pillbox. It is typical of the time and was used as an observation post, with a wide 'window' which offered a wide field of vision.

There were many versions of pillbox design, with different areas and counties having their own specific design. This one was adapted, at some point, to be fitted with an anti-aircraft gun. This, obviously, has been removed.

This pillbox has a wide field of vision.

Brief History.

Pillboxes were small, hardened concrete bunkers with loopholes for firing weapons, designed as fixed firing positions. They were part of a network of defensive structures, built in the late 1930s and early 1940s, to defend against a potential enemy invasion and to protect key sites. 

Church of St George-in-the-East and St George's Gardens

The church of St George-in-the-East was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The foundations were laid in 1714, the building roofed in 1717, and the church was finally dedicated on July 19, 1729. The new parish was created  out of the Parish of Stepney and named St George-ion-the-East, in order to distinguish it from other parishes named after St George.

The church was built on a confined site hemmed in, on its south side, by the buildings which ran along the Ratcliff Highway (now The Highway). Nicholas Hawksmoor designed the church to soar above these buildings, thus ensuring that much of the detail of the church would remain visible for years to come. The original church was formed in the shape of a Greek cross within a rectangle. It had 'pepper-pot' towers, over the gallery staircases, and a tower, at the west end, that featured an open octagon top stage.

In May 1941, during the Blitz, an incendiary bomb hit the church and destroyed the interior. Although the interior was damaged beyond repair, the walls and the 'pepper-pot' turrets remained standing. In 1964, Arthur Bailey designed a modern church interior, which was constructed inside the existing walls, and which was dedicated in April 1964. At the same time a ring of eight replacement bells, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, were installed.

Fashion and Textile Museum: 'Costume Couture' Sixty Years of Cosprop

The Fashion and Textile museum was founded, in 2003, by the designer Zandra Rhodes and is housed in a building designed by the architect Ricardo Legorreta.

Highlights of the Fashion and Textile Museum's Collection include highlights from the changing face of contemporary fashion, from 1947 to the present day. 

All of these items relate to the design and production of fashion, textiles and jewellery.

The collection includes garments from designers such as Balenciaga, Biba, Christian Dior, Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood. 

The Museum also provides information on and access to the Zandra Rhodes Collection, which is a resource that contains over4 0 years of work. This includes paper patterns, samples, textiles and ephemera. 

The aim of the Fashion and Textile Museum is to offer inspiration to the next generation of creatives, ensuring that the collections are accessible to students and outside researchers, both.

"When the lions drink, London will sink."

One of the fully accessible lions.

If you walk along the Victoria Embankment you, like many others, will quite possibly have missed the large bronze lion heads that adorn the embankment walls, as they face the River Thames.

They were commissioned by Joseph Bazalgette to line the Albert and Victoria Embankments as part of the Victorian sewage system he had engineered. They were sculpted by Timothy Butler, between 1868–1870, who added mooring rings to each lion's mouth. 

Although this was more of a nod to the river, barges and boats would use them when mooring along the river. As the water levels changed and mooring points moved on, the lions eventually lost this role and were no more than redundant features on the river wall.  

Walking with family and friends: London Bridge to Bermondsey... and beyond

New prisoners in an old gaol.

Saturday January 31, 2026:

Cloudy with sunny spells, winds at 4 mph, 10°C (50°F)

Erin is really into art, often designing dresses and fashion items.

So, I decided that we should visit the Fashion and Textile Museum, where an exhibition celebrating sixty years of Cosprop was being held.

''Cornerstone' by Austin Emery.

Erin invited our friend, Steve, and, after meeting at Watford underground station, we set off. We changed trains at Finchley Road and took a Jubilee line train to London Bridge. The museum was just a few minutes walk from the station, so we stopped at Chapter 72 for some drinks, before exploring this part of Bermondsey. 

Just before 11:00 we joined the queue for the museum and waited to go in. A sign had been affixed to the door, stating that the next two visiting times were fully booked, requiring some in the queue to book timed slots for later in the day. We, fortunately, had pre-booked our tickets.

On entering the museum we were each handed a booklet containing almost 50 pages of detailed information on each of the items on display, how Cosprop was formed and a brief history.

1820s wedding dress for Miss Havisham from Great Expectations (1967).

The first item of clothing, on display, was Miss Havisham's dress from Great Expectations (1967), followed by uniforms from The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) and War and Peace (1972).