Sightseeing in London

I visited London recently. I was snooping around a couple of universities with a view to studying there later this year, and decided to stay on for an extra few days at a friend's house. Said friend was working during the day, but I didn't mind, because this enabled me to be an unashamed tourist; camera clasped to chest, money-belt tightly fastened around waist, Disneyworld cap proudly mounted on bonce, all protected from moisture by a see-through plastic mac.

Not really. But it was still good fun. I went to Westminster, Chelsea (by accident - I walked in the wrong direction away from Westminster), The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Knightsbridge, Notting Hill (yes, because of the film), Piccadilly Circus and ...Baker Street.

221B Baker Street, to be precise; the 'home' of Sherlock Holmes, and now a museum dedicated to the sleuth. Or at least it claims to be a museum. It seemed more of an exhibition of what life was like for Holmes, than a provider of information, so if you aren't already a fan, there's probably not much point going. I'm no photographer, but I managed to take this picture with my camera phone:

The highlight of the museum was an elderly man stood in the first room, who was looking a bit lost. When I entered he turned slowly towards me, as if he was mechanised, and in the most monotonous voice I have ever heard, said:

"This is my sitting room, you can see my chemistry table, violin, and when I get bored, I like to shoot the Queen's initials into the wall."

I instinctively backed out of the room, thinking he was the local crackpot, until I noticed he looked very, very slightly like Sherlock Holmes. Or at least he may have done in the 1950s. Putting two and two together, I realised he was employed as a Holmes look-a-like, and had about as much enthusiasm for the role as the waxwork version below:

I raised a chuckle, in acknowledgement. Sherlock Holmes would not be impressed.