Roti King at Battersea Power Station

 When my friend Amy told me that her friends had been to Roti King at Battersea Power Station, I decided to go there for my New Year's day lunch! I'd been intending to visit the newly opened power station, so this would kill two birds with one stone. 

Before lunch I had a relatively quick look around Battersea Power Station. I then headed for Arches Lane and Roti King. I have never been to a Roti King before as I have never come across one - the only other one in London is at Euston. It was opened by a Malaysian Indian from Ipoh. They serve Malaysian and Singaporean street food. I checked their menu before going, and the prices were quite reasonable. 

I got there at 11.55 am and found a queue, as they didn't open until 12. Whilst taking photos I lost a few places in the queue! Luckily there was still space for one person but the group behind me had to wait.

The majority of the customers looked like Malaysians!

The menu had lots of my favourite dishes, but I had already decided on the beef rendang. The disadvantage of eating alone is that I can only order one dish. It was only when I was part way through the meal that I realised I was naturally eating with a spoon and fork - I'd gone back to the old ways of eating without thinking.

The rendang was delicious, really authentic taste, with good quality and quantity of beef. Next time I will try the murtabak, another favourite.

As already mentioned, the price is very reasonable considering it is a restaurant where you are served and in a very expensive area. I normally pay £10 for a dish in self service food courts in London suburbs. 

From my friend Swee Yian "The last two words in Cantonese. "Geng" can mean strong but in this case means very very good and "wei" is for emphasis"

Battersea power station

 I remember seeing Battersea power station as a child and being impressed by its size and the four tall chimneys. It was such a prominent landmark in the days when there weren't many tall buildings in the area. 

In 2016 I did a blog on the power station, as the Malaysian company Sime Darby had bought it in 2012. This led to a lot of controversy as Sime Darby is heavily involved with plantations and loss of habitat for orang utans. As part of the development, the four chimneys had to be restored so they would be identical to the originals. My Apr 2016 blog on the chimneys. 

In Sept 2021 the Northern line underground was extended and Battersea Power Station was opened.

In May 2022 I went for a walk around the area, but the power station wasn't yet open. It opened to the public on 14 Oct 2022. It is now a large retail and leisure centre, although a lot of places aren't yet open. The highlight is Lift 109 chimney lift.

I went along for a look on 1 January 2023.

Firstly I went to Turbine Hall B. 

The old control room is now a coffee house -

Looking up

I then went to Turbine Hall A. 

Old fashioned sinks in the toilet

Part of the original wall -

Entrance to Lift 109. This is a circular glass lift up the northwest chimney and is 109 m at the top. I intend to do this on another day.

Opposite the lift is Gordon Ramsey's Bread Street and below is Royal Selangor Pewter.

The north entrance, with a winter glide rink by the river -

I walked back through the hall then headed for lunch.

Some of the apartments

I was headed for the Arches. There are a series of restaurants and bars. Gordon Ramsey's Street Pizza

I planned to go to Roti King and have done a separate blog on this.

View of the power station. The first photo was taken in May 2022 and the second photo on this current trip. Spot the difference! In the second photo you can see the observation deck at the top of the northwest chimney -

St Pancreas churchyard ash tree has fallen

 A well known tree in a historic graveyard in London has fallen. It was known as The Hardy Tree in Old St Pancreas Churchyard. The churchyard is behind St Pancreas and King's Cross stations. 

The tree got its name from the famous British writer Thomas Hardy. This novelist and poet stacked gravestones around the base of the tree in the 1860s. The tombs had to be dismantled and the remains exhumed because the Midland railway line was being built over part of the original churchyard. Hardy oversaw this project and had the headstones placed around the ash tree.

I went to the churchyard in 2017 -

Photo of the fallen tree from BBC News [Simon Lamrock] 28 Dec 2022.

The tree was infected with a fungus in 2014 and had been monitored, then was weakened by storms earlier this year. 

The church -

UPDATE

It seems the story about the gravestones around the tree might not be true. 

This article from Ian Visits says the tree is younger and the gravestones were already there when the tree grew through them. There is a link to a photo to prove this. 

Alabaster Cliffs, Etretat, Normandy, France

The White Cliffs of Dover are very well known and a prominent feature of the English Channel. Probably less well known are the white cliffs of Normandy, across the Channel.  This Côte d’Albâtre or Alabaster Coast stretches 120 km and is formed of white chalk cliffs and pebble beaches. The White Cliffs of Dover stretch for 8 miles (13 km) and the chalk cliffs reach up to 110 m high. Both sets of cliffs belong to the same geological system. 

The Alabaster Cliffs are probably best seen from the town of Etretat in Normandy. This is north of Le Havre. There are pillars and sea arches. I first went there in 1985 and again in 2022. 

Looking north at the Falaise d’Amont (Upstream Cliff) with the arch Porte d’Amont. On top of the hill is the Chappelle Notre-Dame de la Garde -

Looking south, the Falaise d’Aval (Downstream Cliff) with the  70 m high Aiguille, or needle.

The French impressionist painters Claude Monet painted here in 1885 -

Both arches look like elephants trunks dipping into the water.

Etretat is also known for the old fishing boats covered with thatch, caloges. They are now used as bars in the summer. 

And a 1985 view