There has been a big grin from one end of the Thames to the other this week and at the weekend, I don't think I have ever seen London quite so busy except on State occasions.
People have been enjoying the remarkably high temperatures and clear blue skies in the parks, squares, streets and on the river.  We have been hotter than most of the Mediterranean resorts.

A matinee  trip to the theatre to see The King's Speech on Saturday felt like a bit of bad planning, however it was a welcome relief to step off the hot pavements of Leicester Square into the air conditioned auditorium of the Wyndham Theatre.  What an odd thing to be saying in March!


I haven't been to this theatre before and what a lovely surprise.  It is very small and pretty with a gold and aqua blue colour scheme and delicate paintings across the boxes.  Founded in 1899 by the actor/director Charles Wyndham. The theatre has been venue for many shows which have become household names such as The Boyfriend in 1920 and Godspell in 1972 and was the place where Madonna made her West End debut in 'Up for Grabs' in 2002.


Much as I enjoyed the film last year, I think the intimacy of a stage play makes for a more emotional story of King George VI's stammer and gives much more of a focus to the touching friendship between Bertie and his speech therapist, Logue.  The audience is treated to plenty of well timed laughs and the projections of the original film footage depicts the sense of occasion perfectly. This is a show destined for a very good run in London's West End in my opinion.


The evening was perfectly rounded off with a glass of wine whilst watching the sun set over the hazy London rooftops.

The Olympic Torch Relay

The route of the Olympic torch relay has been announced, along with the names of all the 8,000 torch bearers, who will carry the torch through their towns and cities as it makes a tour of the UK.

Torchbearers have been selected from a vast response to a call for nominations of inspirational and deserving people.  Along with celebrities and sports stars, there will be a lady from Harrow who will be 100 years old by the time she carries the torch, and she still holds a keep fit class for more mature people twice a week! There will be so many people who have shown courage and determination through illness and difficulties, along with charity workers and many other deserving people, all of whom are full of pride and excitement.

The flame will touch down at Heathrow and begin its countrywide journey on 19 May from Land’s End in Cornwall arriving at The Royal Observatory at Greenwich on July 21^st at around 7.30am, day 64 of the relay.  The next few days will see London boroughs welcome the torch as it passes down high streets, across parks, through music festivals and past London landmarks.

The torch will be guarded day and night by 36 Metropolitan Police officers who have been specially training for the event .

The last two days of the route have not yet been announced, but it is believed there will be a river procession from Hampton Court to the Olympic stadium.  We will be there with pictures and all the news on the day for you!

Wellington Arch

A monument with a bit of an identity crisis!

The victory arch on Hyde Park Corner was designed by 25 year old Decimus Burton and completed in 1828 as a celebration of the defeat of Napoleon by the Duke of Wellington. It was then topped in 1846 with the enormous statue of the Duke on his horse at Waterloo.  This bronze was completely out of proportion and the subject of public ridicule, it was even featured in a cartoon in the magazine Punch.

Hyde Park Corner even suffered traffic congestion in 1882, it was so bad that a decision was taken to dismantle the arch and rebuild it in a different position to allow for a much wider road. This was a perfect opportunity to remove the over-sized statue which was taken to Aldershot, the home of the Army.

This looks like the bus is taking a sneaky short cut through the arch!

A new statue entitled The Angel of Peace descending on the Chariot of War was presented to the nation by Lord Michelham in memory of his friend Edward VII and ironically it was erected in 1914, just at the time of the start of the First World War.  The sculpture is the largest bronze statue in the UK, so big that the designer Adrian Jones held a dinner for eight of his friends inside just before its completion.

Over time, names have varied from the Wellington Arch to Green Park Arch and Constitution Arch.  Until 1992 it housed the second smallest police station in London, but now it is overseen by English Heritage and is currently closed for refurbishment.  When it reopens in May 2012 it will be possible to hold events in this central landmark with stunning views across to Buckingham Palace Gardens, the Royal Parks and down to Westminster. There will be public access to the balconies and regularly changing exhibitions, and you can even get married here in the middle of Hyde Park Corner!

An iconic London Landmark for sale

If you fancy owning a historical piece of London and have a great deal of spare cash, what about snapping up the Grade II listed Battersea Power Station?

Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the first phase of the coal-fired power station opened in 1933 and was finally completed in 1953.  It was only 30 years later that the entire building was shut down and partially dismantled. Since then work did start on a theme park project based around Britain’s industrial history, but  unfortunately the roof had been removed by the time the project was halted due to lack of funds, resulting in the building being left exposed to the elements.

There then followed proposals for offices, houses, shops and a hotel and numerous plans have been drawn up over the years, some planning approvals have been granted, some shelved and some turned down. There was even a rumour in recent years that Chelsea Football Club was planning to build a new stadium on the site.

Since decommissioning, it has proved to be a popular location for filming and has been used as a set for a number of films including the Batman movie, Monty Python’s Meaning of Life and it has also been a perfect venue for the BBC’s Doctor Who series.  The shooting of the cover of Pink Floyd’s album ‘Animals’  in December 1977 turned into a major incident when an inflatable pink pig broke away from its moorings.  The massive pig floated above Battersea Power Station and rose into the flight path as astonished pilots made their final approach to London’s Heathrow Airport!  Police helicopters were quickly scrambled and followed the pig until it landed in Kent!

The pig can be seen between the chimneys in this photo by Brian Barnes (BPSCG)

The film and television industry have been the most regular visitors to this unusual and complex site during the years whilst it waits for a workable plan to be devised for its future.

The largest brick building in Europe, with original Art Deco décor and fittings located on a 38 acre site by the Thames, is now on the market again for an estimated price of £500 million.

Horatia keeps an eye on London

Nelson’s Column is a memorial to the heroic Horatio Nelson who lost his life in 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar, when he defeated Napoleon and the French and Spanish fleets. 

Admiral Nelson had fought valiantly for the country, four of his most notable battles are represented at the base of the column in a frieze, which was cast from the bronze of a captured French cannon.

Having already lost an eye whilst assisting the army ashore at Calvi, he went to national hero status following success at the Battle of Copenhagen, despite ignoring orders to disengage the enemy.  There then followed the Battle of Cape St. Vincent where he lost his arm but was rewarded by a knighthood for his courage and skill.  Following the destruction of the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile  he was made a Lord and it could even be said that at this stage he had reached superstar status.   Apparently when trying to leave a Portsmouth hotel on what turned out to be his final tour of duty,  he had to be smuggled out of the backdoor to avoid the crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of the naval genius!

The column stands 151 feet tall above Trafalgar Square, topped by the 18 foot high statue of Nelson facing south towards the Admiralty.  The sculptor E.H.Bailey was criticised at the time for  exaggerating Nelson’s features, however it is very rare that anyone views the statue at close range.  Even the pigeons find it difficult to take a rest on his shoulders as he is coated with a special gel to repel any of our feathered friends who might think of ‘messing’ the great British hero!

Admiral Lord Nelson died in the battle at Cape Trafalgar in October 1805 on board his ship HMS Victory. Earlier he had sent out the famous signal to his fleet, ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’.  His body was preserved in a barrel of brandy for the journey back to the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich. He then lay in state for three days before making his final voyage up the Thames to St. Pauls in January 1806.

Here he is keeping a watchful eye on the celebrations the night before Prince William married Kate

Google joins the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations

With the celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee well underway now, an interactive global archive of the six decades of celebrations and visits made by the Queen has been launched.

The project, developed by Historypin with support from Google, offers an easy to use facility to share photographs and memories from around the world, of all the Queen’s visits and celebrations from throughout her reign.  Buckingham Palace has already contributed to the archives and in the Queen’s Commonwealth Day message she spoke of the way in which technology can give people the chance to understand the way others live across the globe.

This looks like it will be the biggest ever picture gallery of our Queen, with Google maps linking the images to exactly where they were taken.

June 2002, Bush Park, Surrey

I’m off to have a good look at the site and sort out some photos from our Jubilee Album.  If you have some to contribute the place to go is:  http://www.historypin.com/DiamondJubilee/

A little piece of Egypt on the Thames

On a sunny day in London, there is no better place to be than down by the river.  Embankment Gardens are a perfect place to stroll through a leafy relaxed area with plenty of seating and even enjoy the sound of the birds above the noise of the traffic.

This area on the north side of the Thames is full of interesting history by way of a vast selection of statues.  Opposite the Ministry of Defence, you can see the stunning Royal Air Force memorial made of Portland Stone and topped by  the symbol of the RAF, a golden Eagle.   Originally dedicated in 1923 to members of the RAF who died in the First World War, later the inscriptions were augmented to include the men and women of the RAF who lost their lives during the Second World War.

 When it is time for a break from walking, there is a great little café with a very large seating area in the gardens and a few tables on a little terrace overlooking the river.  The Embankment Café also has inside seating and a good selection of snacks, coffees, drinks and ice cream. 

Sitting on the sheltered terrace gives you a view of the 21 metre high red granite obelisk Cleopatra’s Needle which arrived in London in 1878 and adds an exotic Eygptian element to the riverbank, although nothing to do with Cleopatra.  It is one of three, the others are now in New York and Paris and are believed to have been made in 1460BC for Pharaoh Thutmes III.  The inscriptions were added about 200 years later by Ramesses II to commemorate his military victories.  They were then moved to Alexandria in 12 BC and set in a temple built by Cleopatra in honour of Mark Anthony and after some time were toppled and lay buried, which helped to preserve the hieroglyphics. 

In 1877, Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, a distinguished anatomist,  paid over £10,000 (a fortune in those days) for the obelisk to be shipped to London.  A huge buoyant iron cylinder 93 feet long was designed to carry the obelisk and was named Cleopatra.  The journey turned into a disaster, during a storm in the Bay of Biscay the steam ship towing the cylinder was damaged and capsized with the loss of six lives and the cylinder floated away before being rescued five days later by another vessel.  The names of the men who died are remembered in an engraving on a plaque at the bottom of the monument.

The drama of this little piece of Egypt on the Thames is enhanced by the two bronze sphinxes which sit at the base of the needle.  Apparently they were installed incorrectly and appear to be looking up, rather than guarding the obelisk.

A nice cup of tea

The Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge took a trip to the shops today. 

The trio arrived at the lavish and ornate Fortnum and Mason store for a tour around the 300 year old shop on Piccadilly and to view the Diamond Jubilee United Services Tins which are being sent to members of the armed forces to commemorate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne. The tins contain a specially mixed tea and a supply of biscuits which are suitable for ‘dunking’ without falling apart! (Dunking will be explained another time if it is something you have never heard about!)

It was a very relaxed royal visit to the food hall, which is still the most impressive place in London to buy groceries and often known as ‘the Queen’s grocer’. Before leaving, the Queen unveiled a plaque to rename the restaurant ‘The Diamond Jubilee Tea Station’

Photo:  Getty Images

The store was founded in 1705. Hugh Mason had a small shop in St.James’s market and a spare room.  William Fortnum worked as a footman for Queen Anne and rented the spare room in Mr. Mason’s house.

The Royal Family insisted that they had new candles every night and William saw a business opportunity to sell the melted down wax from the half used candles, which then developed into a joint partnership for the two men.  With the help of their Palace connection, it wasn't long before they had a thriving shop on their hands. 

The shop in Piccadilly became well known for speciality items for the rich and powerful affluent Londoners who wanted to display their wealth in the way they entertained.  Fortnum and Mason educated them with delicacies from around the world. Connections with East India tea company lead to the importing of exclusive blends, which the Company are still renowned for today.

During the Napoleonic Wars packaged supplies of home comforts for officers was a booming business, which then developed into their globally recommended  Fortnum and Mason hampers full of elegant provisions, still a welcome an indulgence today. This is the only store with a department dedicated to ‘Expeditions’, the Fortnum and Mason hampers have accompanied Everest and Tutankhamum expeditions

In 1964 a huge ornate clock was commissioned to hang outside the store on Piccadilly. Every hour, four foot high mechanical replicas of Mr. Fortnum and Mr. Mason emerge and bow to each other whilst 18^thcentury music plays!

The store thrives by constantly adapting and innovating to meet changing times, but always keeps the great British traditional values of quality service at it’s heart.  The recent addition of bee hives on the sixth floor has proved to be highly successful with two crops per year from the nectar gathered in the parks and gardens of London.  If you are not able to visit the hives, a webcam has been installed to watch the activity and enjoy the views across London.

http://www.fortnumandmason.com/