Oct 26 Friday - Greenwich

National Rail Line Platform

Took the train to Greenwich with Carolyn and Philip. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our Oyster Cards were good for the Railroad and our only transportation cost was for Philip, for while he was free on London tube and buses, anyone over 5-years needs a ticket on the railroad.

Cutty Sark

Inside the Cutty Sark Museum Shop and entry

It was a quick 25 minutes to Greenwich and the train station is less than a 10-minute walk to the harbor. The weather had turned much colder (as the pictures show) and we all glad we had brought along warmer clothing. Our first stop was at the restored Cutty Sark sailing ship, an mid-19th century clipper ship that first saw service in the tea trade between London and China, and later as a wool merchant ship sailing between Sydney and London. It is now a fully restored museum ship. Carolyn and Philip took the tour while we waited in the gift shop. It had started to rain and we had little interest in walking on the exposed deck of the ship in the rain.

Observatory Entrance

Donna Straddling East & West Longitude

From there we walked to the Royal Observatory, one of the highlights of our trip for me. I've read the book, the Longitude by Dava Sobel, and was eager to see John Harrison's H4 clock, the most important invention of its time that finally allowed for the determination of a ship's longitude (or anyone for that matter) with a fine degree of accuracy. Up until Harrison, the most accurate clocks were accurate to only one second per week. Harrison's clock was accurate to one second in 100 days and won the 20,000 pound prize established by the Longitude Act of 1714. Harrison worked on the clock for over 40 years and was finally awarded the prize in 1772, shortly before he died in 1776.

Philip on the Prime Meridian

Harrison's First Clock

This was our final day in London and we walked into Kennsington for dinner at a neighborhood Italian restaurant. The rest of the evening was packing for our departure on Saturday.

Harrison's 4th Time Keeper - Won the Prize

Fast Disappearing Phone Booths



Our Apartment in Chelsea