Saturday 15/10/2011, Barking London.

London
Saturday 15/10/15 Barking Public Library.

I slept like a babe last night, no overheated room and no 6 centimetre thick Doona. I was actually a bit cold for a change. That and I had built up a really heavy sleep-debt, both physically and emotionally. Yesterday was part fun, part terror as my worst nightmare is losing my computer, camera, etc. Part of the problem is making bad decisions when sleep deprived. One decision I have made since was that I will try to download my important stuff to the JCU post-grad site while here in London.

I was up early to get breakfast and sort out the local logistics. The Library was a real find as like all public libraries it has free access computers, and free WiFi in this case. The McDonalds also has free WiFi so that will be my back-up. I also have an hour booked back at the Hotel. In my wanderings I found a small "apprentices" cafe that serves breakfast and lunch (something like the TAFE training restaurant back home). Lunch was a bowl of "homemade" pumpkin soup and some bread.

I also got to a Supermarket and a chemist (for some cream to treat a persistent patch of itchy skin I picked-up on the Midi Canal) and I got replacement shampoo and conditioner in the small bottles I need when travelling. I found the local men's hairdresser and will use them next week (after the shampoo) and the local Laundromat.

Had a chat with the train information people and my Oyster Card is OK but the fare to Earls Court from Barking is going to be 2.40 pounds each way. That was the cost/charge last night, so I needed to check that I had the right card (it is four sections out to Barking, previously I had only travelled the cheaper 1&2 sections). I travel to Earls Court on Monday for my first appointment at the British Natural History Museum, Botany archive, to view Ferdinand Bauer's plant drawings/paintings. I would like to find a Bus route so I can see some of the city on the 1 hour journey to Earls Court but that may prove difficult from out here.

The NHM Botany library has emailed me and I am booked in on the 17th with my General library registration but I will take all my documents with just in case I have to re-register with them. Sarah Thomas also contacted and I will try to catch-up with her at the British Library on the 22nd Oct. We could not organise the 24th when James Taylor is in London. The 25th is my appointment with the MOD and the 28th I fly home from Heathrow.

On Monday I will try to ring the Defence Academy to book a time to see the Westall's Bowen Harbour painting but my "dance card" is rapidly filling up.