Tuesday 1 November 2016

Two Sisters



Coffee at Buckingham Palace


My sister, Christine, and her good friend, Anne, were on a bucket list vacation that was to include London and I needed very little persuasion to join them there for a week.  London, as I have stated before, is my very favourite city in the world, and it is even better now that James and Amber live there. 

I arrived at Gatwick after an easy flight and made my way via train to James and Amber’s apartment.  Unfortunately for them, I arrived on the very day that their belongings arrived from Australia.  It didn’t worry me however they were a little upset that their house was full of boxes, which left little room to move around their home.  I was just happy to see them looking so well and we did a quick catch up on everything that had been going on with their jobs and London life.
Two Sisters















The next day, I was up and out the
door early as I was meeting Christine and Anne at Buckingham Palace.  I mistimed my journey and arrived very early so I was able to take a walk through Green Park and all around the outside of the palace.  It was a beautiful day and there were squirrels scampering all through the park, which was virtually empty except for a few joggers.  Finally I spotted Christine and Anne and they briefly filled me in on some of the highlights of their trip to Berlin.  It was great to see them again.

Christine had booked us a tour of the State Rooms and we had a lovely time wandering through the opulent surroundings.  It was all very well organised with an informative audio guide.  Photos were not allowed, and whilst at first this seemed disappointing, you quickly realised how pleasant it was not to be surrounded by people jostling for photos or taking a never-ending stream of selfies.  This meant that the crowds moved easily through the various rooms and galleries.  The furniture, artworks and décor were all fabulous and the rooms were much more ornate that I had thought that they would be.  The most thrilling aspect, for me anyway, was the special exhibition of the Queen’s clothes, which was being held in honour of her 90th birthday.  There were clothes from her childhood right through to the present day.  Highlights were her many beautiful evening gowns, many of which are just as fashionable today as they were when she wore them 50 years ago or more.  The Queen’s wedding dress was on display and it was lovely to see it close up and appreciate its beauty.  The showpiece of the exhibition though was the Coronation gown.  The intricate embroidery on this gown was absolutely stunning.  It was worth going to the palace just to see this gown alone.  There was also a display of Her Majesty’s many and varied hats, including one, which I swear was a dead bird, complete with beak! We finished out tour with a coffee in the palace café, a visit to the gift shop (very tasteful souvenirs) and a stroll through the gardens to the exit. 




Parliament Hill
Our next stop was Hampstead Heath as this was a place on Anne’s wish list.  A short train trip and walk took us to this massive 320 hectares parkland.  We took a walk up to Parliament Hill, from where the view over London is protected by law.  Needless to say, the view was pretty impressive and you could see the skyscrapers and the City of London along with St Paul’s Cathedral.  It was very peaceful walking through the park along the tracks and thankfully we didn’t see any grass snakes.  There were a number of ponds with lots of water birds and swans enjoying themselves and even a lido.  It never ceases to amaze me just how much open space there is in a city of over eight and a half million people.

Well, if I thought that I had an early start the day before, then the next day was a doozy.  It was grand final day and the match was between Michael’s beloved Swans and the Western Bulldogs.  James had organised tickets for himself, Amber and I at Belushi’s in Camden and the kick-off was 5.30am.  There was no way that I was going to miss the grand final so we were up and ready before dawn.  James had booked a ride with Uber, so that was a first for me.  The pub was filled with Aussies, all seeming to barrack for the Doggies except for our small group and one brave fellow wearing a Swan’s scarf.  Another first for me was drinking gin and tonic at 6.30am!  The least said about the game the better.  A disappointing result for the Swans however, at least they made it to the grand final.  Perhaps next year the Hawks will be back although the recent trade week has had some huge surprises/shocks for us.

I said farewell to James and Amber as they had their own plans for the day and headed into meet Christine and Anne at the Wallace Collection.  There have been some major refurbishments and the displays are laid out much better.  It really is an astonishing collection of Old Master paintings, the most famous of which is The Laughing Cavalier as well as a number by of artworks by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto.  None of the items on display can ever leave the collection, not even for a temporary loan exhibition, as this was a condition of the bequest by Sir Richard Wallace’s widow.  It is one of my favourite places to visit in London.
Robin Hood
 
Next, it was off to St Paul’s Covent Garden, otherwise known as the actor’s church.  This lovely church was designed by Inigo Jones and contains many memorials to famous actors and entertainers including Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Boris Karloff and Richard Greene (best Robin Hood ever).  The choir was rehearsing which added a nice touch and we returned to the church later in the week so that Christine and Anne could finish looking at all of the different memorial plaques.  The first Punch and Judy performance took place under the portico at the front of the church.
Anne & I in the West End

A brief wander around the market followed by a quick bite of lunch in the West End and then it was time for a real treat – we had tickets for the matinee of The Mousetrap!  I saw the play 32 years ago at St Martin’s Theatre, and incredibly, it is now in its 64th continuous year.  Anne had never seen the play however she didn’t need to fear me giving away the ending, as I had forgotten “who did it” a long time ago.  This was Christine’s 4th time seeing the production!  The acting was very good and we had a fun time and were surprised by the ending (except for Christine).  The cast finished with the traditional request for the audience not to reveal the ending after leaving the theatre.
 
To cap off our busy day, we took a train ride out to Brick Lane.  We had our obligatory drink at the White Hart (famous for where one of Jack the Ripper’s victims was last seen) and then it was off to find a good Indian restaurant for dinner.  Anne and I took a back seat and let Christine drive the negotiations for our meal.  Christine is very good at haggling and we were soon seated and enjoying our negotiated free bottle of wine.  The food was fabulous (definitely the best meal I have had on Brick Lane) and it was nice to relax and hear a bit more about Anne & Christine’s travels to date.  We went our separate ways, with me catching the tube by myself at 11.00pm.  I felt very safe and even walking through the streets from the station to James & Amber’s apartment, I didn’t feel at all nervous.
Columbia Road Flower Market

Anne had never been to a flower market so naturally I suggested a trip to Columbia Road.  We arrived about midday, and the market was in full throttle and quite crowded.  It was interesting to see the change in the flowers on display from when I was last there in August.  Pretty soon, I suppose, the mistletoe will be on sale.
Regent's Canal

Next on the agenda was the Postman’s Park.  Christine wanted to show Anne the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice, but do you think I could find the park?  It took a considerable time of wandering in circles before we chanced upon it.  We were the only people in the park and it was peaceful and sad reading the tragic tales the plaques told.  We timed our visit perfectly because, as we were leaving, a tour group arrived which would no doubt have shattered the peace.
Happy Birthday Tim!

We met James at Angel station and he took us for a walk along Regent’s Canal.  The weather was perfect and it was very picturesque with beautifully decorated canal boats tied up and other long boats travelling along the canal.  He and Amber live in a lovely part of London.  Amber was minding us a table at the Island Queen, a fabulous pub, as Christine wanted to have a traditional roast for her Sunday lunch.  We had a great meal (my roast pork was perfect as was the crackling) and we spent a fun afternoon just chatting. 

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