25 September to 2 October
1 week down in London (primarily). Apartment is in line of sight of St Paul's Cathedral - our local Evensong venue. Forgot how beautiful it is inside. Have heard some choir boys singing - we just wander across the road and sit ourselves down. Have to wear ear plugs to block out the bells - actually is rather a nice sound.
Apartment is in a building called Amen Lodge. Part of the street is called Ave Maria Lane and Amen Court (next to us) backs onto the old Newgate prison. You can see the last remaining wall. The 'scuttlebut' is that this wall is haunted as it was where the prisoners were hanged. No sightings as yet. Also it is "Amen" lodge etc as this street is where the clerics used to wander along singing hymns, finishing with 'Amen' where we are (and presumably then off or back from St Pauls). There is a Christian bookshop next to us so the religious leanings linger on. There is also a Vidal Sasoon hair salon which I assume also dates back to when the scribes and clerics needed some styling.
We are in the Square Mile so part of old Roman section - bits of the London Wall are nearby and are some Roman ruins we plan to see while here. Will report back. And there are lots of guild halls. The Stationers Hall and Cutlers Hall are in this street. The Guild Hall is around the corner. I cannot even work out what some of the guilds refer to. Was also some publishing houses here - on the edge of Fleet Street.
There are lots of 'suits' near us - law firms, accounting firms etc. Many frantic looking young people clutching coffees every morning. Paternoster Square is across the road - very nice modern square with the last remaining old London Wall gate (Temple Bar) plonked to one side. It was not originally here but it fitted so here it is. The 'suits' seem unimpressed generally. Have also visited a 1600's Christopher Wren church around the corner with old 1700 tombstones still on the floor. Survived the blitz which was unusual around here.
Had a ball catching up with some London friends in our first week. Met Jackie at the Wallace Collection - wandered around admiring the collection -so much armour. We had some fun trying to work out what all the various bits of armour were for. Enjoyed long coffee catch up with her and then sat in the sun back at St Paul's catching up some more. Jackie then showed us the section towards the Thames - evocative street names like Bread Street. Streets are very narrow around here and Jackie explained these are old Roman streets. We also went on a black walnut hunt with Jackie, ending up at Whittington Gardens. She had read that there was a black walnut tree near us and wanted to collect some fallen walnuts to use to dye cloth. As you do. Officeworkers looked at us a bit strangely as we foraged around their feet for walnuts but who cares we thought. Jackie seemed pleased anyway. And yes Whittington is the Dick Whittington. We unwittingly found the place where he resided and was buried. (He was not buried under the black walnut tree). After farewelling Jackie we located a local pub called the "Cockpit" and SA had a pint.
Visited the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace one day. Best bits were the Rubens, a Rembrandt, Van Dyck, chandeliers and garden is very pretty. It is huge, including a lake. Lot from Queen Victoria/ Prince Albert era. Also quite a bit of French porcelain which apparently the Royals hoovered up during the French Revolution from bankrupt, fleeing French aristocrats.
Had dinner one night in Bermondsey part of town with friends John and Jackie. Bermondsey is an old family haunt on Bradley side. Don't think they'd recognise all of it but are actually still some fairly 'working class' (if that is still a term you can use) parts. Parts are like St Peters/Marrickville - now becoming pretty upmarket. Restaurant was called Pique Nique - great French food. We met beforehand in a very very old tavern called The George. Bit of a mishap with 'mapsme' on SA's ipad as it directed us to a different George in Bermondsey. That is how I know there are parts of Bermondsey that are not yet gentrified. We walked into the first George and as the door swung shut everyone at the bar turned as one to eye us off. Not menacing but in an 'this is our local pub, what on earth are you two in your trendy designer jeans doing here'. Eventually one of the men at the pub directed us to the correct pub in a broad east end accent.
Apartment is in a building called Amen Lodge. Part of the street is called Ave Maria Lane and Amen Court (next to us) backs onto the old Newgate prison. You can see the last remaining wall. The 'scuttlebut' is that this wall is haunted as it was where the prisoners were hanged. No sightings as yet. Also it is "Amen" lodge etc as this street is where the clerics used to wander along singing hymns, finishing with 'Amen' where we are (and presumably then off or back from St Pauls). There is a Christian bookshop next to us so the religious leanings linger on. There is also a Vidal Sasoon hair salon which I assume also dates back to when the scribes and clerics needed some styling.
We are in the Square Mile so part of old Roman section - bits of the London Wall are nearby and are some Roman ruins we plan to see while here. Will report back. And there are lots of guild halls. The Stationers Hall and Cutlers Hall are in this street. The Guild Hall is around the corner. I cannot even work out what some of the guilds refer to. Was also some publishing houses here - on the edge of Fleet Street.
There are lots of 'suits' near us - law firms, accounting firms etc. Many frantic looking young people clutching coffees every morning. Paternoster Square is across the road - very nice modern square with the last remaining old London Wall gate (Temple Bar) plonked to one side. It was not originally here but it fitted so here it is. The 'suits' seem unimpressed generally. Have also visited a 1600's Christopher Wren church around the corner with old 1700 tombstones still on the floor. Survived the blitz which was unusual around here.
Had a ball catching up with some London friends in our first week. Met Jackie at the Wallace Collection - wandered around admiring the collection -so much armour. We had some fun trying to work out what all the various bits of armour were for. Enjoyed long coffee catch up with her and then sat in the sun back at St Paul's catching up some more. Jackie then showed us the section towards the Thames - evocative street names like Bread Street. Streets are very narrow around here and Jackie explained these are old Roman streets. We also went on a black walnut hunt with Jackie, ending up at Whittington Gardens. She had read that there was a black walnut tree near us and wanted to collect some fallen walnuts to use to dye cloth. As you do. Officeworkers looked at us a bit strangely as we foraged around their feet for walnuts but who cares we thought. Jackie seemed pleased anyway. And yes Whittington is the Dick Whittington. We unwittingly found the place where he resided and was buried. (He was not buried under the black walnut tree). After farewelling Jackie we located a local pub called the "Cockpit" and SA had a pint.
Visited the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace one day. Best bits were the Rubens, a Rembrandt, Van Dyck, chandeliers and garden is very pretty. It is huge, including a lake. Lot from Queen Victoria/ Prince Albert era. Also quite a bit of French porcelain which apparently the Royals hoovered up during the French Revolution from bankrupt, fleeing French aristocrats.
Had dinner one night in Bermondsey part of town with friends John and Jackie. Bermondsey is an old family haunt on Bradley side. Don't think they'd recognise all of it but are actually still some fairly 'working class' (if that is still a term you can use) parts. Parts are like St Peters/Marrickville - now becoming pretty upmarket. Restaurant was called Pique Nique - great French food. We met beforehand in a very very old tavern called The George. Bit of a mishap with 'mapsme' on SA's ipad as it directed us to a different George in Bermondsey. That is how I know there are parts of Bermondsey that are not yet gentrified. We walked into the first George and as the door swung shut everyone at the bar turned as one to eye us off. Not menacing but in an 'this is our local pub, what on earth are you two in your trendy designer jeans doing here'. Eventually one of the men at the pub directed us to the correct pub in a broad east end accent.
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