A Day in London

Alan and Janet very kindly gave us a Thames lunch cruise as a 60th birthday treat.
Last Tuesday we boarded our boat, Harmony, at Embankment Pier and what followed was a delightful couple of hours as we enjoyed spectacular views of London's magnificent attractions.

 

 

Just before lunch was served there was time to go out on to the deck and take pictures:-

 

 

 

 

The meal was lovely and the staff on the boat very helpful.

The starter was a smoked and poached salmon roulade with pickled cucumber followed by chicken- en- croute, duchess potatoes and french beans.  Finally, a delicious dessert vanilla pannacotta (good but not a patch on Tina's - the best in the world) served on a Macaroon biscuit with dark chocolate sauce.  All were very good but obviously the food is secondary to the views:- 

A river cruise is perhaps the most pleasurable way to enjoy sightseeing in London.

This year The Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee - the only monarch to reach such a landmark, other than Queen Victoria and to celebrate Buckingham Palace is displaying a spectacular array of diamonds worn by The Queen and other monarchs over the part 200 years.

So our next stop was Buckingham Palace:-

 

Located in the heart of London and surrounded by two royal parks Buckingham Palace is the most iconic royal building in the country.  It is the London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and is one of only a few working royal palaces left in the world.

 

 

 

 

The Victoria Memorial

 

 

This memorial has a large statue of Queen Victoria facing north-eastwards towards the Mall.  The other sides of the monument feature dark patinated bronze statues of the Angel of Justice facing north-westwards towards Green Park, the Angel of Truth facing south-eastwards and Charity facing Buckingham Palace.  On the pinnacle is a statue of unclear entitlement and arguably relating both to Peace and Victory with two seated figures.  The whole sculptural programme has a nautical theme, much like the rest of The Mall, with mermaids, mermen and the hippogriff, all of which are suggestive of the UKs naval power.

 

No photographs are allowed in Buckingham Palace but what a wonderful place to visit.  The State Rooms are really incredible and a treat to see. 

The tiaras and diamonds, which we were lucky enough to see, were out of this world.

An excellent audio tour that is self paced.

 

The Jubilee exhibition, Diamonds, has several highlights.

 

Coronation Necklance and Earrings created for Queen Victoria and later worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) and The Queen at their coronations.

 

Queen Victoria's Fringe Brooch created in 1856 and designed to be worn along the top of the fashionably low-cut bodices of the period.

 

Small diamond crown  1870 only 10 cm in diameter - a favourite of Queen Victoria because of it's lightness, despite being encrusted with 1,187 diamonds.

 

The Girls of Great Britain Tiara a wedding present to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) on behalf of the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland".  Now frequently worn by The Queen and each Bank of England note features the Queen wearing it.

 

The Williamson Brooch, presented to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 21st birthday in 1947, which incorporates the finest pink diamond ever discovered.

 

An 18th century bloodstone box made for King Frederick the Great of Prussia with nearly 3,000 diamonds.

 

The Cullinan Diamond (largest every found 3,106 metric carats) and the Cullinan collection.

 

For more information www.royalcollection.org.uk

 

We left via Buckingham Palace Garden. 

 

 

We then travelled to St. Pauls and walked across the Millennium Bridge and on to the Globe Theatre.  We had hoped to catch a performance but, unfortunately, there wasn't one on that night.

 

 

The Millennium Bridge is a 330m steel bridge linking the City of London at St. Paul's Cathedral with the Tate Modern Gallery at Bankside.  Such was the interest in the new bridge that when it opened an estimated 100,000 people crossed it.  Then the problems began as the deck swayed about like a drunken sailor.  Walkers clung on to the side and felt seasick, so it was renamed 'The Wobbly Bridge'.  The problem apparently was people walking the wrong way.  It was due to the 'chance correlation of footsteps when we walk in a crowd'.  Dampers were deployed and we are happy to report no wobbles.  Well worth a visit and look out for the padlocks.  Apparently couples from around the world now leave padlocks on the bridge as a token of their love.  Unfortunately, we didn't have a padlock with us.  Romantic Britain!

 

 

 An excellent day out.

 

Thank you again Alan and Janet.

 

 

 

 

 

Piers and Hannah's Wedding

We were so lucky to be invited to this quintessentially English summer wedding.

The wedding ceremony was held at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace on Saturday, 15th September, 2012 at 2.30 p.m.  We knew it would be special when the invitation stated:
Dress code (comfortable satorial elegance).
Gentlemen: lounge suit (ties optional, but not obligatory)
Ladies: fabulous millinery encouraged!

Gemma looking as gorgeous as ever.  Love the hat.

What a beautiful day they had chosen.  The sun shone as we met Piers and his family for a drink, in the Mitre pub by the Thames across the road from Hampton Court, before the wedding.

                                                           Piers in the middle

                                   

Walking to the Royal chapel was so interesting but we didn't have time to linger.

The Royal Chapel is beautiful, it takes your breath away.  It is outstandingly rich, colourful and layered with history.   The Chapel Royal is part of Her Majesty The Queen's ecclesiastical household.  The Chapel's ceiling is the grand culmination of the Tudor interiors at Hampton Court.  The striking blue and gold ceiling was commissioned by King Henry VIII in 1535, and built by a master carpenter from nearby Kingston-upon-Thames. The organ above the stalls was put in place in 1712 and although it was overhauled in 1993, remains broadly as it was 300 years ago.  Much of the woodwork, including the carved oak altar table, the pews, the panelling and the pillars supporting the Royal Pew were designed by Sir Christopher Wren.  The oak reredos behind the altar was carved by Grinling Gibbons for the Palace of Whitehall, but in 1696 it was dismantled and transported by river to Hampton Court.  The large, egg-shaped oval was created at the request of Queen Anne in 1710, and although it may have been simply 'decorative' in the English Baroque style of the time, the oval design has always been a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ at Easter (of which Easter eggs are still a popular reminder).

Unfortunately, no photographs are allowed in The Royal Chapel but visit www.chapelroyal.org

Hannah was a beaming, blushing, beautiful Bride as she walked down the Aisle and Piers was beaming with joy throughout the entire ceremony.

We sang the National Anthem at the end of the wedding service which was rather special and during the Signing of the Registers the Gentlemen and Choristers sang The Anthem: Zadok the Priest by Handel.  Magnificant.  Suggest you listen to it on You Tube.

The Cloister outside the main doors of the Chapel Royal has remained much as it was in Cardinal Wolsey's time.

Caroline was Maid of Honour and looked beautiful, as usual.

The venue for their reception was the grounds of their home.  A real English Country Wedding.

Hannah emerged from Piers Ferrari in a froth of silk chiffon. 

Such a gorgeous dress and looking immaculate after squeezing in to the Ferrari!

Hannah had decorated the dress herself with delicate crystal beads.  A beautiful touch.

I'm quietly convinced that in a parallel universe Hannah is a Hollywood actress.  I mean, look at her.  Stunning.  Her personality is so lovely too.

The marquee looked beautiful too.  Very romantic with it's sumptious interior and accessories (cigar bar!) designed to create that extra special atmosphere.

The reception was informal and fun.  We sat on the Mauritius table and our name placements were in the form of a postcard from the happy couple.

Mine read:  Sheila we're so happy to have you here - both of us.
We're also so proud to have Caz looking after Hannah.  Piers thought about asking Alun to be his Bridesmaid, but decided he was just too unreliable in committing to actually being anywhere.  We love your family, and we love the fact that you're all here.  Thank you - from the heart - for joining Our Special Day.

and Phil's:- Phil, your task is hopeless: to maintain order whilst Alun, Mike, Jonny and Tim do their level best to create disorder.  Good Luck with that, then....
We both hope you are having a wonderful day and that the evening is equally fun.  Thank you, so much, for being here.

 

Here is a dish to satisfy the meat eaters at a wedding feast.

 

 

Alun had been chosen to don the 'special' apron and stand behind a butcher block cutting slices of meat for each guest on our table.

 

The wine served with the beef was Chocolate Block from South Africa.

A great blend.  Cocoa nose.

 

The evening was filled with fun, laughter and dancing.

 

 

The dance floor was packed all night long and it was  fantastic to see everyone having such a good time.

I absolutely loved Piers and Hannah's wedding.  A gorgeous garden marquee, brilliant guests and the happiest couple.  What a perfect combination.

It was a magnificent day filled with love, laughter and happy memories.

The family summer holiday in Cornwall

 

Ice cream drips,

 

buckets and spades,

 

 

paddling in the waves.........

 

 

 

that's got to be the family summer holiday in Cornwall 2012.

 

The time spent on holiday is the most precious time of all with the people that mean everything in the world to you.

 

Sand in my shoes

 

 

Wave chasing in the shoreline

 

 

Sun-creamed bodies

 

 

Making a sand castle

 

 

Such an unspoilt coastline inspires Enid Blyton-style adventures.

 

The best sleep after all that sea air!

 

 

 

Our cottage was situated in the grounds of Duloe Manor to the south of the village of Dunloe, a little over three miles inland from the fishing village of Looe and it's large seagulls

 

 

 

Duloe Manor

 

 

Built in the late 1690s Duloe Manor is an imposing Queen Anne house, originally the rectory, it has a number of interesting historical associations - not least, with Alice, from Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland'.

 

Anyone for Croquet on the lawn?

 

Chloe was the umpire

 

Alun enjoying the wonderful Cornish sun in the garden

 

 

Chloe enjoying a swing

 

 

while Emmie tidies the Wendy House

 

 

So lucky with the weather.  Nanna in the outdoor pool

 

 

but Emmie and Chloe preferred the indoor pool.

 

 

 Although it was lovely in the cottage, Cornwall has no shortage of things to do.

 

At the Monkey Sanctuary in Looe, we met a colony of Amazonian Woolly Monkeys.

The Sanctuary is home to monkeys rescued from lives of isolation and neglect - mainly from the UK primate pet trade.

A lovely atmosphere with talks by experienced staff.

Sorry no paparazzi shots of the monkeys.

 

 

 

 

Another great family day out was to Go Karting at Kartworld (www.KartworldCornwall.co.uk)

PL14 3PJ.

 

 

On an 800m track the family had the circuit to themselves.

 

 

 

 Is that Caz in the lead?

 

 

 

It got quite exciting

 

 

Gemma always looks so glamourous, no matter what she wears.

Carrying a printout of her laptime.  Big smile, must have been fast!

 

 

 

 

Guess who was the overall winner?

 

 

 Granddad.

 

So it was off to a pub to celebrate:-

 

The Rashleigh, Polkerris - PL24 2TL.  Located in an old lifeboat station beside the beach in a tiny cover at Polkerris, nr Daphne du Maurier's Menabilly home.  This is a lovely pub for lunch in summer, so down a pint of real ale and then get ready to paddle....

 

The visit to Cornwall would not have been complete without sampling the taste of cider at Cornish Orchards, Duloe.  Our neighbours.

 

 

 

 

Emmie inspected the apples

 

 

 and decided we should taste and buy a large selection.

 

 

 One of the best ways to see Cornwall is to cycle the Camel Trail.

 

 

We hired our bikes from Bike Smart at Eddystone Road, Wadebridge (01208) 814545.

Helmets and locks were supplied free of charge.

 

 

 

We did part of the Camel trail from Wadebridge to Padstow.  The Camel trail is a disused railway line running parallel to the beautiful river Camel.  It is traffic free, virtually flat the whole way (5 1/4 miles) and is probably the most scenic bike trail in the Country.

 

Miles of Smiles

 

 

The stunning views out over the Camel Estuary and Rock as seen from the Trail.

 

 

 

Even though Rick Stein is now rarely in Padstow (he lives mostly in Australia), this remains the aspirational place to eat fish and chips.  So we locked our bikes at the end of the trail and headed into Padstow for fish and chips.  And very good they were too.

 

 

We also did some shopping at our friend's shop, Shiva.  Chris and Bianca have a lovely shop with lots of quirky seaside products and beautiful shells.

 

 

 

A memorable day out.

 

At the Bodmin and Wenford Railway we discovered the excitement and nostalgia of steam travel with a journey back in time on the only standard gauge (full size) railway in Cornwall operated by steam locomotives.

 

 

 

 

 

 Chloe enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone age (1950s) as did Granddad!

 

 

 Early in the morning, down at the station.

See all the puffa trains standing in a row.

See the engine driver pull on the handle.

Toot, toot, toot and off we go.

 

 

 

 

A great family atTRACKtion.  www.bodminrailway.co.uk

 

Bedtime at the end of a busy day.