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Good morning Rusty!
It is 12.15am!
Right...... a much delayed (sorry about that!) history lesson!
The Royal Observatory came into being through Charles II.
The site was chosen by Sir Christopher Wren
The king also created the position of Astronomer Royal, to serve as the director of the observatory and to "apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation."
It played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian.
The working institution moved from Greenwich to Herstmonceux after World War II
And the Greenwich site is now maintained as a museum.
Rosalind has already very kindly explained "Canary" Wharf to you!
More specifically, Canary Wharf takes its name from No. 32 berth of the West Wood Quay of the Import Dock.
This was built in 1936 for Fruit Lines Ltd, a subsidiary of Fred Olsen Lines for the Mediterranean and Canary Islands fruit trade.
At their request, the quay and warehouse were given the name Canary Wharf.[8]
"The Pencil Point" and the "Gherkin" are very tall buildings at Canary Wharf, so "called" because of their shape against the sky line!
I hope that is of some help?
I am now away to my bed!

Good morning, Elle!
Thank you very much for all the information!
All of it new to me.
It is a lovely morning here.
No sign of the snow!
Update on cycling.
Sky News say Shane Sutton has been suspended pending enquiries regarding the accusations that have been put to him.
Seemingly, according to Daily Mail, he has been accused of making derogatory remarks about our Paralympic cyclists, too.
UK Sport are not at all happy with British Cycling.
Was a much happier ship when Dave Brailsford was in charge.
Well, my gas engineer calls today.
The service takes about twenty minutes, or so.
So, off to get my paper a bit earlier today!

Good morning, Rusty!
It is a beautiful morning here, too!
But only 2C as yet!
I'm glad you found the info interesting!
(I had to check a few facts in order to put some "meat" on the "bones", so to speak!)
So it looks as though Shane Sutton will finally get his "come-uppance".......although the reputation of British Cycling may get a little tarnished in the process?
I am off out for the day in a little while....just got a few jobs to do first...my friend has taken the dog out for her walk this morning.
I am going up to London to meet my friend Sue.
We are going to the National Portrait Gallery to the "Russia and Arts" exhibition I was telling you about.
It should be good!
I'll be back about teatime.
I hope the boiler service goes okay!

Hello, Elle!
New blog up on osprey site!
You have a wealth of knowledge about London!
Rosalind, too.
I did not know a bunch of bananas was a "hand"!
British Cycling deserves to be tarnished.
I remember being annoyed with them when they dropped Dame Sarah Storey from the pursuit group.
She is a credit to herself and any group she was part of, especially the Paralympian cyclists.
You only have to read the biographies of Victoria and Nicole to see what goes on. Now Jess has spoken out.
Wonder what else will surface?
I hope you enjoy your jaunt to London!
Weather is great here, and I have to wait in for my gas engineer!

Hi, Rusty!
I had a most enjoyable day up in London!
The "Russia and the Arts" exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery was very interesting and superbly planned.
The exhibition focused on the great artists, writers, composers and patrons - such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov and Mussorgsky.
For instance, there would be information about the artist who had painted the portrait, then further info about the person (writer/ poet/ musician / what have you) thus portrayed.
These would be categorised under the various headings.
I was talking to one of the personnel on duty and she told me that it takes several years for the curators, often with the help and advice of modern day artists, to set an exhibition like this up.
It was a job well done!
Lunch proved exciting.... we had some security guards come into the restaurant whilst we were eating, to tell the proprietor that there had just been a shooting down the street!
Never a dull moment!
The car radio was issuing forth about Shane Sutton on the way home from the railway station!
How did the boiler service go? I hope all was well? No problems?
Have you had a good day?

Hello, Elle!
Fine evening here!
You seem to have had a very good day out!
And there was a shooting!
My life is very humdrum compared to that!
Boiler service was fine. Engineer said the boiler is in very good condition. He was followed by a meter reader!
Yes, there has been quite a bit about Sutton on the News.
He has resigned, I am pleased to say.
That made my day!
One of the cycling Paralympians said Sutton called them "f****ing gimps" and "the wobblies". A horrible man!
I am glad Jess Varnish spoke out. And Vic and Nicole.

Good evening, Rusty!
I didn't know that Shane Sutton had resigned... I only caught the tail end of the radio blurb.
I'm wondering now why all of this didn't come to a head much sooner?
I would have expected the Paralympians to make a complaint against him?
As you say, what an obnoxious man!
I have finished my book involving the wolves - it didn't work out all that well for them .....but as I said , it is a fictional story in the US.
I am quite interested now though in learning more facts on the subject.
My lunch was (to me) unusual. I had a 'tart' - the restaurant 's terminology - of warm beetroot and goat's cheese, with salad.
Extremely delicious!
I can recommend it!
I never asked whether you made it out for a walk today? what time did your boiler engineer turn up?

How about this for an absolutely AWFUL clue?
Name given to river 'ome (4)

Hello, Elle!
There is a clip about Sutton on BBC News website.
It includes an interview with a BMX rider.
He was contemplating suicide because of the way Sutton treated him. It affected him very badly.
He said, "that man has a lot to answer for."
Laura Trott and Becky James were not allowed to be interviewed at the GB Olympic kit launch today.
Lizzie was there, too, and she is by far, the most articulate of all the GB cyclists, and I was hoping to hear from her.
But, no!
I am really looking forward to the Tour de Yorkshire.
Lots of bunting etc being put up all along the route!
I cannot get your clue?
Yes, I had a walk, and I cannot compete with your shooting, but I found a stolen or abandoned car and alerted Tayside's Finest!
My engineer turned up just after ten. Took about thirty minutes.
I love beetroot!

'Ouse!
Dreadful!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, The river Ouse!
I was just about to tell you! I did say that it was a terrible clue!
I swear that I winced when I wrote it in!
You had your own bit of excitement, then, if you found an abandoned, possibly (probaby?) stolen car!
I have been looking, but cannot find anything, in the News or on Google, about the purported "shooting"..........?
Were it not for the large police presence when we came out of the restaurant - several police cars / large vans and numerous policemen milling around - I would discount it as a rumour?
But obviously something was up................
Oh dear, I think I need to give up eating....I'm still full! - and it's "Ladies Who Lunch", too, tomorrow!