Sunday 26th June 2011

we woke up on Saturday morning with the rain hammering down outside, looking out the window not only rain, but it was misty, and once we got up, so cold we put the heating on to take the chill off. It came as a surprise therefore to hear the radio weather-woman warn of heat waves, heat strokes and temperatures of 30 degrees and more. Although the change in weather was not expected until the end of the day, but still, it was hard to believe.
We did very little during the day, we listened to the radio, did out hobbies and that is about it. as promised, the rain stopped in the afternoon, and the sky brightened. And as the temperatures climbed, the fog came. Thick, cold fog. And that set in for the rest of the day.



Sunday morning, woke up, looked out and more fog. No sunshine, no heatwave, just fog. We do live near the sea, and the fog is a result of the mix of temperature of the air and the colder sea. We were promised the sun would burn it off in the end, but it could take some time.
So, after breakfast we climbed in the car and headed up the A2 towards London and a date with a sewerage pumping station. Yes, you heard right.

Built in the latter half of the 19th century to pump London's sewage out to sea from there at high tide rather than it float down the river being a health hazard. Four huge beam engines worked hard to keep London's water and river clean, and inside as well as doing the job, it was designed to look good as well. Crossness has been called the cathedral of sewage, and it is easy to see why; every surface is cast in iron, but decorated with flowers or patterns and painted bright colours. So pround were the Victorians of this engine house, they called two of the engines Victoria and Prince Consort.



We drove into outer London, before heading towards the river, through the urban sprawl that is SE London, huge estates of 1930s housing, parks and open spaces, until we dropped off the downs towards the river and the smell.

Yes, the smell, because even today, Crossness is cleaning London's water, but not using steam and certainly not pumping it into the River Thames. So, we drive through the main gates, along the riverside to the engine house.



We park up, gather our stuff and walk towards the entrance, already behind us there is a heavier stream of traffic arriving. We pay our fiver and go in, and as soon as we see the engine house for the first time our breath is taken away.

we go round, amazed at the size of the one remaining working engine, and with a hiss and several toots on its steam whistle, it begins to pump, or go through the motions, and the small army of people required to feed it and keep and eye on it scamper round dressing in waistcoats and bowler hats. All wonderful stuff.



It was now getting very warm as the sun had burned the clouds away, and the glass roof along with the steam engine was warm enough. We took one last look round and headed out, past the queue of maybe 500 folks waiting to get in.

we drove back towards Dover with all windows down, the breeze being wonderful though our sweaty hair. We turn off the motorway to find a pub, and come across the Roebuck in Harrietsham. We order beef snadwiches and settle down with ice cold beer and cider and wait for the food.



Back home to sit in the garden, but it is too hot and so I mess around with the photographs, and Jools reads on the sfoa whilst being covered in cats.