24th February 2024: A Poignant Anniversary Trip to London

I travelled to Charing Cross Station yesterday because of the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although I didn't join in with any other commemorations or demonstrations (Independent) as I had my own objective. I did enjoy my walk from the Station, when soon after leaving Charing Cross you reach Trafalgar Square, and can cross to The Mall, which is closed to traffic at the moment, so meaning a peaceful walk along The Mall to Buckingham Palace (above).

Buckingham Palace was originally called Buckingham House when John Sheffield, then the Duke of Buckingham acquired the property and had an older house demolished and the site then rebuilt on at the end of the 17th century. George III acquired Buckingham House in 1762 as a residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and when his son (George IV) acceded to the throne in 1820 he decided to turn the building into a palace. Over the years since, and under many monarchs, the building has been altered and added to. For a detailed history of Buckingham Palace go to the Royal Collection Trust website.

If you pass to the right of Buckingham Palace and walk up Constitution Hill you reach the Wellington Arch (above), situated on the Hyde Park Corner roundabout. The arch was originally built as an entrance gate for Buckingham Palace, later becoming a 'victory arch' following Wellington's defeat of Napoleon. Above it was added the largest bronze statue in Europe depicting "the Angel of Peace descending on the 'Quadriga' - or four-horsed chariot - of War." (English Heritage)

From Hyde Park Corner I crossed through Hyde Park, walked north-westerly to Victoria Gate on the Bayswater Road, where I crossed the road to Brook Street. Then walked along a short distance, ignored Hyde Park Gardens, and turned right onto Stanhope Terrace and along to a small roundabout. Here sits The Victoria (above), on the corner at 10a Strathearn Place, W2 2NH (website), a mid-19th century Grade II listed building with an original 1864 built counter and a wonderful interior indeed. Legend has it that Queen Victoria stopped here once on her way to nearby Paddington Station, oh yes, and I drank a few wee pints yesterday too, though not all here. 😉

When I left The Victoria I walked straight down Stanhope Terrace to Lancaster Gate and turned right (westwards) onto the Bayswater Road. In just a short distance I reached Leinster Terrace and turned right where, on the right, I reached The Leinster Arms at number 17, W2 3EU (facebook). The Leinster Arms is another Grade II listed mid-19th century pub, and  yes, I had another wee pint. 👍

I headed back to the Bayswater Road, turned right westwards yet again, and continued on to Notting Hill Gate, where the road then becomes Holland Park Avenue. Just before reaching Holland Park tube station, on the corner with Holland Park, on the left (south side of the road), I reached my link to the Ukrainian anniversary day:

The statue of St Volodymyr (above), which stands on the corner of Holland Park Avenue and Holland Park. Volodymyr was from Kyiv, and a major actor in bringing the Russian peoples together in the 10th and 11th centuries. He had been a 'pagan' and converted to Christianity for 2 reasons. He believed having a single deity as in Christian Byzantium (Constantinople), rather than having many pagan deities, would help the unification of the Rus' tribes, and he could only marry the sister of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II if he converted to Christianity (Encyclopedia of Ukraine). 

Volodymyr successfully ensured the unification of the Rus' people, and their conversion to Christianity, and was canonized in the 13th century. However, this statue remains a symbol of Ukrainian defiance of the Russian imperialist assault on Ukraine as you can see from the photograph above, taken yesterday. Incidentally, St Volodymyr is not only the patron saint of Ukraine, but a patron saint of Russia too...

Whilst in the area, I also visited The Castle, 100 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UA (website), which was originally built in 1827. and the frontage added in 1857. I hadn't been here for about 15 years, and it was strange to discover it is not a listed building when I searched the Historic England website.  

And yes, I had another pint, anyway, if you would like a similar day out, interspersed with more sight-seeing, perhaps, all along the Bayswater Road/Holland Park Avenue there are many Central Line tube stations (Holland Park being the closest to the statue and The Castle), and not a few buses travel along the route too, or you could walk...

I was lucky with the weather too, that's all for now folks!