7, 8 and 9 October
Ridiculously warm weather - mid 20's. Locals as confused as us. Some super storm cell is apparently bearing down on the UK but Scotland and Ireland are going to be absorbing most of it, it seems so should escape the worst of it.
Have enjoyed a lovely lunch at Chiswick with Australian friend, Priscilla. French restaurant called La Trompette - like an upmarket Bouchon (local Crows Nest restaurant). Spent 4 hours there finishing lunch with a bramley apple souffle. Enjoyed walking down Chiswick High Street before lunch. Have not been there for some 27 years as stayed there during one of our previous visits. Genteel suburb and very relaxed. Was a Sunday so lots of locals out and about. Finished watching the new Dr Who who is a woman. Not only a woman but her new side-kicks are a mixture of women, men, ages and races. Some older viewers may be a bit traumatised. Was good fun. TV viewing is pretty restricted as only free to air. Much BBC News and quiz shows and lots of weather reports. Remembered from Edinburgh that Brits are obsessed with almost 5 minutely weather reports. I could do it for them - driving rain in Northern Ireland and West coast Scotland, sunny spells and passing rain in the rest. Oh and as I write this with morning TV on - yep it's the weather report.
Found a good coffee shop on Ludgate Hill - Illy coffee plus Belgium chocolates. Both of us happy. We can sit on bench seats in the window watching people dashing past to work, streaming up from from Fleet Street and various Tube stations. We like how a number of streets have just one word - "Cheapside" and "Poultry" . Very sensible - is evident is a roadway and we know eg to keep an eye out for fowls when on the relevant roadway.
While sipping coffee on Ludgate Hill, SA somehow managed to surmise there was a London Gin Distillery across the road and down one of the many side streets. Got a little tasting of a London Gin - Square Mile Gin - (not immediately after coffee) and discovered that we could drink it like single malt whisky - bit of gin with a swig of water. A revelation! Tasted really good. Will practice this once home.
Stumbled into one of the very many churches jammed in around us - St Brides and uncovered incredible exhibition of Roman, medieval, Tudor, 18th century artefacts in the crypt. Much uncovered due to the Blitz. Noone there but us. It is known as the "Printers' Cathedral" and the "Journalists Church". One of the first printing presses was brought here in 1500. Another Christopher Wren church - he was a busy man after the Great Fire. It has the highest CW steeple and inspiration for the first wedding cake.
Aside from the many interesting bits of history arranged around the crypt, there was a hilarious extract from the Morning Herald in the 1830's about a Mr George Gunn who was discharged with disturbing the congregation at St Bride's Church on a Sunday morning by 'snoring so loudly as to prevent all those who happened to be near him from hearing a single word that was uttered" Apparently the "evil" of the snoring reached such a height that the beadle was 'compelled to remove the defendant and take him to the watch house" where apparently when it came before a judge he was advised that Mr Gunn best be hanged at once. It seems Mr Gunn was intoxicated and I surmised stumbled into church for a sleep. (They didn't hang him).
Oh the weather report is back on. Nope - no change. Oh if we are going to the royal wedding on Friday told to stick an "extra few hatpins in our hat". Will make sure SA takes note.
We split up one afternoon where I visited the National Gallery again for a couple of hours, leaving SA to re-visit fishing shop. I just went to their general collection. Had a ball. More Italian renaissance artists, Flemish artists including a room of Rembrandts, not going to list them all but a couple of Turners stood out for me. Decided need to go to the Tate Gallery as they have many Turners. A fan of Constable and saw some more of his but now leaning more towards Turner. Loved one of a train approaching on a bridge - just shades of things that are still clear images to you. I'm a fickle art lover.
After meeting up that day, we walked to Marylebone - very pucker. Thought it a bit dull but that's just me. Did walk down Old Bond Street which is lovely and will go back to St James area. Visited Cadenheads - a branch of a whiskey shop in Edinburgh. Disappointed. Full of noisy Americans buying expensive whiskey and not appearing to know much. The store manager and other staff busy giving them tastings but when we were eventually served, were told were no tastings. Like from that scene in "Pretty Woman" - mistake - big mistake. Hope they work on commission. Did buy one bottle we knew but not looking at return visit.
Better luck at next place - Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street. Lovely old worldly bookshop -topped up with a couple of new books and then stayed to hear Alexander McCall Smith speak. As expected, he was hilarious - bit like a Goon show script with some up to date social commentary. I ended up with tears running down my face from laughter as he told about his latest 'scandi - blanc' book about a Swedish detective based in Malmo with a deaf dog who lip reads - but only Swedish. He has an infectious giggle which causes me at least to also start giggling. He also read out some beautiful poetry by Scottish poets. Very prolific but versatile writer. Finished with pizza near home.
We also have made a return visit to Bermondsey - very gentrified. Interesting contrast to Poplar as I have observed before. Read somewhere about Poplar words to the effect that the poorer people still have to live somewhere! I think also that Bermondsey had a few more interesting buildings that survived the Blitz - warehouses etc from the 1800's. Poplar looks to be nearly all 1950's-1970's flats. Not exciting. Mind you, given closeness to Canary Wharf be interesting to see if gentrification creeps there too. Walked back over Tower Bridge to a place called the Wine Library. SA been there with London friend, Jackie. Very under-stated classy place. Purchased a bottle. Then kept walking as warm and sunny - onto Aldgate and Spitalfields Market. Yet another interesting part of London. Still more of the East End - used to have Huguenots, Irish, Eastern European Jews and now Bangladeshi community (Brick Lane). Part of Tower Hamlet Borough which is still gritty in parts. The markets had the standard stuff with clothing and food but was nicely done. Back home via Bishopsgate and Bank - with the huge Bank of England building. Still a lot of money in the Square Mile.
Oh another weather report as I sign off.
Have enjoyed a lovely lunch at Chiswick with Australian friend, Priscilla. French restaurant called La Trompette - like an upmarket Bouchon (local Crows Nest restaurant). Spent 4 hours there finishing lunch with a bramley apple souffle. Enjoyed walking down Chiswick High Street before lunch. Have not been there for some 27 years as stayed there during one of our previous visits. Genteel suburb and very relaxed. Was a Sunday so lots of locals out and about. Finished watching the new Dr Who who is a woman. Not only a woman but her new side-kicks are a mixture of women, men, ages and races. Some older viewers may be a bit traumatised. Was good fun. TV viewing is pretty restricted as only free to air. Much BBC News and quiz shows and lots of weather reports. Remembered from Edinburgh that Brits are obsessed with almost 5 minutely weather reports. I could do it for them - driving rain in Northern Ireland and West coast Scotland, sunny spells and passing rain in the rest. Oh and as I write this with morning TV on - yep it's the weather report.
Found a good coffee shop on Ludgate Hill - Illy coffee plus Belgium chocolates. Both of us happy. We can sit on bench seats in the window watching people dashing past to work, streaming up from from Fleet Street and various Tube stations. We like how a number of streets have just one word - "Cheapside" and "Poultry" . Very sensible - is evident is a roadway and we know eg to keep an eye out for fowls when on the relevant roadway.
While sipping coffee on Ludgate Hill, SA somehow managed to surmise there was a London Gin Distillery across the road and down one of the many side streets. Got a little tasting of a London Gin - Square Mile Gin - (not immediately after coffee) and discovered that we could drink it like single malt whisky - bit of gin with a swig of water. A revelation! Tasted really good. Will practice this once home.
Stumbled into one of the very many churches jammed in around us - St Brides and uncovered incredible exhibition of Roman, medieval, Tudor, 18th century artefacts in the crypt. Much uncovered due to the Blitz. Noone there but us. It is known as the "Printers' Cathedral" and the "Journalists Church". One of the first printing presses was brought here in 1500. Another Christopher Wren church - he was a busy man after the Great Fire. It has the highest CW steeple and inspiration for the first wedding cake.
Aside from the many interesting bits of history arranged around the crypt, there was a hilarious extract from the Morning Herald in the 1830's about a Mr George Gunn who was discharged with disturbing the congregation at St Bride's Church on a Sunday morning by 'snoring so loudly as to prevent all those who happened to be near him from hearing a single word that was uttered" Apparently the "evil" of the snoring reached such a height that the beadle was 'compelled to remove the defendant and take him to the watch house" where apparently when it came before a judge he was advised that Mr Gunn best be hanged at once. It seems Mr Gunn was intoxicated and I surmised stumbled into church for a sleep. (They didn't hang him).
Oh the weather report is back on. Nope - no change. Oh if we are going to the royal wedding on Friday told to stick an "extra few hatpins in our hat". Will make sure SA takes note.
We split up one afternoon where I visited the National Gallery again for a couple of hours, leaving SA to re-visit fishing shop. I just went to their general collection. Had a ball. More Italian renaissance artists, Flemish artists including a room of Rembrandts, not going to list them all but a couple of Turners stood out for me. Decided need to go to the Tate Gallery as they have many Turners. A fan of Constable and saw some more of his but now leaning more towards Turner. Loved one of a train approaching on a bridge - just shades of things that are still clear images to you. I'm a fickle art lover.
After meeting up that day, we walked to Marylebone - very pucker. Thought it a bit dull but that's just me. Did walk down Old Bond Street which is lovely and will go back to St James area. Visited Cadenheads - a branch of a whiskey shop in Edinburgh. Disappointed. Full of noisy Americans buying expensive whiskey and not appearing to know much. The store manager and other staff busy giving them tastings but when we were eventually served, were told were no tastings. Like from that scene in "Pretty Woman" - mistake - big mistake. Hope they work on commission. Did buy one bottle we knew but not looking at return visit.
Better luck at next place - Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street. Lovely old worldly bookshop -topped up with a couple of new books and then stayed to hear Alexander McCall Smith speak. As expected, he was hilarious - bit like a Goon show script with some up to date social commentary. I ended up with tears running down my face from laughter as he told about his latest 'scandi - blanc' book about a Swedish detective based in Malmo with a deaf dog who lip reads - but only Swedish. He has an infectious giggle which causes me at least to also start giggling. He also read out some beautiful poetry by Scottish poets. Very prolific but versatile writer. Finished with pizza near home.
We also have made a return visit to Bermondsey - very gentrified. Interesting contrast to Poplar as I have observed before. Read somewhere about Poplar words to the effect that the poorer people still have to live somewhere! I think also that Bermondsey had a few more interesting buildings that survived the Blitz - warehouses etc from the 1800's. Poplar looks to be nearly all 1950's-1970's flats. Not exciting. Mind you, given closeness to Canary Wharf be interesting to see if gentrification creeps there too. Walked back over Tower Bridge to a place called the Wine Library. SA been there with London friend, Jackie. Very under-stated classy place. Purchased a bottle. Then kept walking as warm and sunny - onto Aldgate and Spitalfields Market. Yet another interesting part of London. Still more of the East End - used to have Huguenots, Irish, Eastern European Jews and now Bangladeshi community (Brick Lane). Part of Tower Hamlet Borough which is still gritty in parts. The markets had the standard stuff with clothing and food but was nicely done. Back home via Bishopsgate and Bank - with the huge Bank of England building. Still a lot of money in the Square Mile.
Oh another weather report as I sign off.
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