Contrasting peaceful and safe London with rioting hotspots

The early morning start in the bathroom was interrupted by a mobile message informing me that the German delegates were stuck in their airport with a plane cancelled. Fortunately, by the time I was dressed, they had been able to board an alternative plane and so I found my self catching the five to eight bus to Waterbeach to travel to London on the train.

With the ticket machine not working, I had the pleasure of being served by a real ticket inspector whilst catching up with the i newspaper on the night's riots.

The underground announcements mentioned that Brixton station on the Victoria line was closed and when I sat down in the Cafe Grana in St James Park station, I found myself next to a television camera crew from ITN, taking a break before travelling on to Scotland Yard – apparently there had been problems in Brixton and a minor incident in Oxford Circus too.

The Herrn Juengst, Noll, Zawierucha and Koenig, with Ms Luetje arrived soon afterwards before we went to their first meeting with the National Trust at their London Offices in St Anne's Gate. A fascinating presentation and synergies in terms of information exchange and the possibility of cross border training.

Our next appointment was in a London Square with an architect responsible for the planning of a major façade renovation. The differences between project management in the UK and in Germany were illustrated and much useful advice obtained.

In the background there was the sound of a demonstration taking place, though it sounded like the peaceful shouting of slogans, distorted by the wind and unintelligible. I found out later that it was the Burma Campaign UK outside the German Embassy, in protest of Germany blocking the European Union's support for the establishment of a UN Burma inquiry.

Afterwards we had a tour of the actual work site, clambering up the scaffolding to view the top of the building, where plaster was coming away from the brickwork and the bricks themselves were disintegrating as well as in part being mortared with Thames mud. An interesting conundrum as the usual requirement for renovation of a listed building is replacement of like with like.

The German party had to make its way back to catch an evening flight from the airport. We parted at Hyde Park tube station as I forewent the delights of a crowded tube at rush hour and decided to wander in the direction of Kings Cross Station on foot, three miles away.

I was distracted in St James Park by one of the bike hire places as I attempted to hire a bicycle. Unfortunately, the unlocking code given could not be punched in as the number keys had been damaged, so I continued on foot.

Coming out onto Piccadilly, the noise of a passing police van with sirens howling and the more frequent presence of police on patrol made itself noticed. I diverted to one of the parallel back-streets with the thought of visiting Paxton and Whitfield for some Blue Stilton but the shop was being renovated, two workman taking a tea break when I glanced through the slightly ajar door.

From Piccadilly circus, I drifted into Chinatown, which was bustling with visitors and Chinese, accompanied by the tempting scent of oriental food wafting from some of the vendors.

Back on track briefly, I then wandered into Covent Garden, the streets were busy with tourists and sight seers and the suited visitors to the pubs spilling out onto the streets. By now it was just after 6pm, so I gave in and took the tube back to Kings Cross.

There was sufficient time to buy a tea and a sour-dough baguette with Mozzarella, rocket and tomatoes before catching the Kings Lynn train from Platform 4, garnering one of the last seats by a table.

Later that evening, the news was full of the troubles that had spread like wildfire to other parts of the capital – a major shop burning in Croyden, and trouble in Hackney and Peckham. Cars set alight in Lewisham and looting in Clapham. Flames in Woolwich. A separate incident had ignited in Birmingham.

Added to that, shares continued to tumble as the financial markets are still in turmoil.