A palace, a family of swans and a shelter built on silver thimbles... it sounds like a fairy tale.

The red brick used to build Kensington Palace lends it a less formal appearance when compared to the official London residence adopted by the monarchy.  It is however an appropriately grand building to befit a member of Royalty.  The great Sir Christopher Wren who constructed St Paul's Cathedral was employed to convert this house once owned by the Earl of Nottingham into a home for King William III who reigned 1688 - 1702.  Today, as the sun was setting I crossed the park from Kensington to Bayswater and watched the palace solemnly fade into the shadows as darkness fell.  Whilst cycling along the Broad Walk the twilight hypnotised me towards the Round Pond.  In doing so I passed one of the two wooden huts that stands near the Broad Walk.  The inscription on these simple structures reads, "Erected by the Silver Thimble Fund 1919".  For anyone caught out without an umbrella on a rainy day, these awnings offer comfort along the main thoroughfare.  The Silver Thimble Fund sounds like something out of a fantasy tale with wizards and fairies.  Its origins, however are rooted in a period of British History that was all too horrifically real.  The need for ambulances in WWI inspired Miss Hope Clarke, a resident in Wimbledon to collect silver thimbles to raise enough money to buy an ambulance.  She amassed 30,000 thimbles which paid for the vehicle.  It cost £400 and was aptly named, "The Silver Thimble".  Remarkably, the target was reached in just one month and the success inspired others around the world to adopt this method of fund raising.  Queen Alexandra became the patron and Miss Clarke's idea went on to raise enough money to pay for five ambulances, five hospital motor launches, beds in numerous hospitals and the shelters in Kensington Gardens which are memorials to veterans from WWI.  I moved on, pushing my bike to the edge of the water and watched a flotilla of swans.  Against the inky depths, their stark white feathers reflected the fading light.  Drifting as gracefully as princes and princesses waltzing on water, the swans circled one another.  With the sub zero November temperatures, perhaps the birds dream of entering the palace which lies just beyond the path, behind a set of golden gates.  If the predicted snow arrives this evening, the palace will not open its doors to the feathery family, however the unassuming shelters built on silver thimbles will offer them cover and some comfort.

How to spot a fake in the shopping centre!

When I was a child I watched the film My Fair Lady over and over again.  My mother introduced me to the joyous story and the delightful Audrey Hepburn.  I was hooked and could happily mouth along with the words to both the songs and the dialogue.  Eleven years ago I moved to a London flat located nearby the shopping centre, Whiteleys in Bayswater.  Each time I visit I am reminded of a line from the aforementioned film when Henry Higgins asks where a dress can be purchased for Eliza to wear to the horse races.  The quick response from Pickering is, “Whiteleys of course!” Graceful ironwork, wide corridoors and a sweeping staircase adorn this emporium to all that is coveted.  It was however a much more sophisticated place in its heyday.  A world away from the mall that it has morphed into, Whiteleys was originally a department store selling fine bespoke goods.  This was the place to turn to for a glamorous gown, travelling trunk or millinary worthy for an outing at Ascot.  I still appreciate the store for the variety of wares available today but I fear that there is currently a fake good on offer at the very heart of the building.  I hasten to add that I cannot verify this claim, but am simply responding to the allegation that I have been offered by an eleven year old girl.  She told me that she has every reason to believe the Santa currently housed in the central Christmas tree at Whiteleys is a fake, or to quote her exact words, “That Santa is a phoney!”  She backed up her argument by convincing me that the real Santa is far too busy at this time of year to spend all day in a shopping centre, holed away in an equally dubious non deciduous tree.  I went to Whiteleys today to see for myself but a very large elf was guarding the door and as I was not in the company of a child, I thought the Santa might become suspicious if I visited him on my own.  I am not certain of the correct way to proceed on the matter.  Should the Office of Fair Trading be alerted or perhaps a word with Whiteley’s management would alleviate this niggling doubt.  My eleven year old friend has come up with a solution.  She has offered to sleep underneath her own, very real, needle shedding Christmas tree on 24^th December and ask the genuine Santa if he has been moonlighting in Whiteleys. 

If two wheels can transport one person, how many people can four wheels carry?

The answer is 49 passengers plus a driver and the tourist guide if the four wheels are attached to a "Super Executive" coach.  This was the vehicle I was employed to work on today for a Gatwick airport pick up at 9 o'clock this morning.  It was an early start but the group that I met had begun their trip much earlier than me at 5 o'clock, so they were understandably weary when I met them.  I was not so much jet lagged as saddle sore following the mode of transport I used to reach Victoria station.  The Boris bike was my steed for a race across Hyde Park.  Biting cold gnawed at my finger and the early morning air was bracing as I travelled at the speed of a tractor along the paths.  I made it to the station in good time and boarded a train for the airport.  Fortunately, the flight was not delayed, the sun put on a brave face and the driver on the job was a joy to work with.  The passengers were keen to exit the arrival hall and head to the coach.  Not so much for fresh air but rather to suck on their cigarettes, cigars and even the odd pipe.  The minimal amount of luggage made for a speedy getaway.  It seemed as if everything was running to plan when it was brought to my attention that one of the passengers  was suffering from the effects of motion sickness.  At this moment a tour can rapidly unravel but Super Driver was at the ready as he speedily whisked open all the windows and the afflicted traveller felt relieved.  He wasn't the only one!  After the circuitous trek through Crystal Palace, Dulwich, Norwood and finally Brixton, the drive across Westminster inspired oohs and aahhhs as the cameras and tourists clicked and whirred into life.  It is at these moments with the light reflecting on the grey slate depths of the River Thames and golden Houses of Parliament glinting at the water's edge, that London really comes into its own.  Unless the rotations of the London Eye have a magical hypnotic power over the thousands of visitors, the onlookers must simply be drunk on the sheer beauty of this city.  After a cigarette stop thinly disguised as a photo opportunity near Westminster Abbey, we made our departure from the heart of Westminster to visit the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall before concluding the tour at the hotel.  I can not be sure how much of the tour the group really absorbed.  The lack of sleep may well have left them delirious but as I boarded a Boris bike, I imagined that the shine in the group's eyes as I left them was not so much a result of lack of sleep, but from taking in the countless sights that London has to offer.

The Date is Set for a Royal Wedding

The date is set for the wedding between Price William and Kate Middleton.  Friday 29th April 2011 will be a day to remember for the pomp, ceremony, big hats and a much talked about white dress.  What will Kate wear? Who will Prince Harry have on his arm as his date now that Chelsey is no longer his paramour? How much will the wedding cost? These are the questions already being posed today. One thing is for sure, the venue for the ceremony is sorted as it was confirmed this morning. Westminster Abbey, the Coronation church and burial place for monarchs is fit for a King's nuptials. I am often inside Westminster Abbey guiding tourists from all over the globe and I have to admit that the sheer wealth of history, the stunning stone work and soaring ceilings make it a pretty near perfect setting for a wedding. The Queen held her wedding in the Abbey in 1947 so Prince William is following in her footsteps, rather than those of his father. The images of Princess Diana's white gown cascading down the steps of St Paul's cathedral were reminiscent of a fairytale but the couple did not live happily ever after so it seems reasonable for Prince William to settle on a different venue. Both churches have their beauty and their own unique stories but of the two locations I for one think that the future Mr and Mrs Windsor made the right choice.  

Monday Magic

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows view trailer

Monday evening, the chill is in the air and the festive shoppers are clogging up the pavement.  When it all feels too much, the only solution is to jump on a trusted bicycle, don enough reflective gear and flashing lights to be mistaken for a Christmas tree and head for the nearest cinema.  That is exactly what I did tonight with a trip to Fulham Road Cineworld to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  The dark shelter of the screening room furnished with chairs adorned with giant cup holders and sound blasting from the surround speakers is just where I wanted to be on an autumnal night. Sitting in the cinema, the excitement was palpable.  These were the fans whose family commitments meant they missed the opening weekend and therefore had to prolong the wait for the latest installment of Potter shenanigans.  I have followed the franchise of films and can even confess to owning the DVDs.  I do not wish to spoil this film for anyone yet to watch it, but I found it rather flat.  When a book is filmed in two parts it certainly does not necessarily make for a wholly satisfying experience.  One thing that delights are the shots of London as Harry and his friends pace down Shaftesbury Avenue and around Whitehall.  If only there were such a place as the Ministry depicted in the film.  I would definitely make a trip there on my next Monday that lacked a little magic.

Sunny Sunday

Even on a grey Sunday like today it is always possible to find a slice of sunshine somewhere in London. Today I tracked it down in a Chinese restaurant in Crossharbour. It was my first visit to the Lotus Floating restaurant but it certainly won't be my last. One of my favourite meals on a Sunday is dim sum, which consists of tasty parcels of beautifully shaped bite sized delicacies. In recent years this Cantonese staple has become fashionable and new-fangled providers have popped up all over town. Unfortunately, by en large these restaurants lack the finesse of flavours found in true dim sum eateries.  I am lucky to have parents who introduced me to this cuisine from an early age and have been enjoying dim sum ever since I can remember. I also lived in Hong Kong for a while, so I believe I can recognise the real deal dim sum. Without hesitation I would recommend Royal China in Queensway or Joy King Lau off Leicester Square and would happily add the Lotus restaurant to this list. The restaurant is light and airy, has relaxing views over the old dock and is packed with Chinese diners. If the long list of dishes is new to you, an enjoyable meal for two would be steamed char siu pau, prawn cheung fan, Vietnamese spring rolls, glutinous rice in lotus leaves with mixed meat and a sweet sunny treat of egg custard tarts as illustrated in today's photo. Wash it all down with Chinese tea and you will soon forget the gloomy November skies. 

Weekend Daydreams

After a busy week in town, it is time to escape, drift away and dream.  The beauty of a walk in a London park is that the green open spaces are fresh and free for all to enjoy.  Did you know you can walk for 2 miles through the centre of London without leaving the park?  The largest green lung in central London is Hyde Park.  The land originally belonged to the church before King Henry VIII grabbed it with his royal hands and it became his hunting ground.  Alongside Hyde Park stands Kensington Gardens which is currently enjoying the presence of 4 magnificent sculptures by the artist, Anish Kapoor.  Like objects from outer space, the shiny surfaces reflect the earth, the sky and the observer.  Looking at the world from a different perspective, you become a voyeur into a new land.  I stood in front of one of these perfect mirrors and found myself translated to another dimension.  Peer closely in the photo above and you will find me like an ant on the moon.  I regularly cross Kensington Gardens and take delight in Kapoor's forms.  I was fortunate to experience his solo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art last year.  Recently, I enjoyed the show for a second time at the Guggenheim Museum in Barcelona.  If, like me you fall in love with his larger than life gems, I encourage you to visit the Tate Modern where his work entitled, Ishi's Light is on display.   

Happy daydreaming. XX