14/03/2024
Very happy to confirm that I am now a fully fledged Windsor Ninja.
Whilst I have always been an accredited Windsor Castle guide, this just brings it to a whole new level.
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11/03/2024
16/11/2023
Binge watch, all 4 episodes of The Crown Series 6 which dropped this morning.
Great entertainment, Elizabeth Debicki did a great job as Diana. Coming around to Imelda Staunton as The Queen but a few wobbly moments, esp when D & D appear as ghosts.
V evocative of the madness that surrounded Diana's last days and the series made feel a bit sorry for Dodi.
The final two episodes launch on December 14th. And then how will we cope? 😳.
Re runs, I expect. Enjoy...
12/11/2023
The coffin of the Unknown Warrior in state in Westminster Abbey, in 1920.
The guests of honour were a group of about one hundred women. They had been chosen because they had each lost their husband and all their sons in the war - "Every woman so bereft who applied for a place got it".
The guard of honour were 100 holders of the Victoria Cross from all three services. Most likely the greatest number of Victoria Cross recipients to be one place at the same time.
The Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey, London on the 11th of November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interment of a French unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in France.
The coffin was interred in soil brought from each of the main battlefields, and covered with a silk pall.
On the 17th of October 1921, the unknown warrior was given the United States' highest award for valour, the Medal of Honour. It hangs on a pillar close to the tomb. On the 11th of November 1921, the American Unknown Soldier was reciprocally awarded the Victoria Cross.
Photograph - Imperial War Museums - image file number IWM Q 31514.
28/10/2023
Another day, another chance to Chanel… merveilleux… 😎😍
12/10/2023
Joy 🤩
07/10/2023
Nice…
30/09/2023
Attempting to channel Churchill, but more Clockwork Orange, I feel..
10/09/2023
Sunny day with 3 different views of this beautiful Cathedral. London's finest....
13/06/2023
Turquoise Island in Westbourne Grove on a gloriously sunny Thursday morning.
Designed by Piers Gough, this eye catching building combines functionality with a very pleasing aesthetic.
Funded by local residents who were horrified at the thought of the local council adding a portaloo to this tranquil local traffic island, Turquoise Island is part HQ of luxury florist Wild at Heart and part public restrooms.
16/05/2023
1st family outing for this doting couple of Egyptian Geese and their chicks.
The parents pair for life and make quite a racket. Cute...
10/05/2023
Reviews are always much appreciated!
06/05/2023
To all my guests who have joined me at the Tower of London, isn't it just amazing to actually see the His Majesty wearing the Imperial State Crown!
A momentous occasion. When reality really does exceed fiction....
06/05/2023
And they're off!
Long Live the King...
05/05/2023
Some last minute practice sessions before the Big Day
25/02/2023
Pelican looking very Pink in the Park.
Pelicans have been a feature of St James Park since 1664 when the Russian ambassador presented a pair of them to Charles II.
Currently there are six of them, most are captive bred but this lovely specimen called Gargi just appeared one day in a garden in Southend and was gifted to St James Park back in 1995 or so; probably took a wrong turn when migrating.
He or she (how do I know?) is the only one who has not been kept in quarantine due to the latest bout of avian flu that is going around because he/she is classed as a 'wild bird' (ie not captive bred).
And how great to see the pink colouring, which always appear at this time of the year. It's a nature thing, all about capturing the attention of a would be suitor.
Not that there is likely to be much of that when you are the only one at the party, so to speak...
17/02/2023
Leighton House is back and even more stunningly awesome after its recent £8m refurbishment.
The house belonged to the artist Frederic, Lord Leighton - the shortest-lived peerage in history as he died the day following his appointment - who was famous for, among other much-loved paintings, Flaming June, and the rather racy The Fisherman and the Syren.
As you can see from my photos taken on a super sunny morning just recently, the whole building is an eye-catching visual feast and even though I have been many times to visit the Arab Hall, it still continues to take my breath away. Enjoy!
25/01/2023
I love the musical Hamilton, and I've now seen it 3 times.
One thing that makes me think of that show is when I pass by this equestrian statue of King George III in Cockspur Street, just a minute's stroll from Trafalgar Square.
He's the King George that sings 'You'll Be Back', 'What Comes Next' and 'I Know Him' in Hamilton because of course he was the King at the time of the American Revolution.
He's also the King that suffered from the mental illness as depicted in the movie The Madness of King George.
The statue is by Matthew Cotes Wyatt and was remarked upon by all who saw it at the time as being a near perfect likeness of the man himself, so when I look at it, I get a real sense of looking back in time at such a hugely important figure in our shared history with the US.
It does seem rather hidden, tucked away as it is on the small traffic island of Cocksupr Street. In fact It was originally intended to be placed at the much grander Waterloo Place, at the bottom of Regent Street, but this would have meant his back was turned on the huge column which has his son Prince Frederick, Duke of York at its summit, which was not deemed appropriate.
Whilst it may have captured his features so well, it became known by some of his detractors as the pig-tail and pump-handle due to the long pigtail sported by King George and the arched tail of the accompanying horse.
Not sure how he would have felt about that, although his son George IV probably laughed his head off.
08/01/2023
Whilst waiting to meet guests at the Ham Yard Hotel recently, I was well chuffed to meet Hector and one of the team of six Harris Hawks that soar daily over the skies of Westminster, scaring away nuisance bird populations, preventing them from building nests and generally keeping the streets and famous landmarks of central London relatively free from vermin and fouling.
Trained at the Hawking Centre in Kent, the natural environment for these Harris Hawks are the deserts of Arizona, but they have adapted perfectly for pest control work over here.
Such birds form very close bonds with their handlers, which was evident whilst chatting with Hector and this two year old female beauty.
They are quite amicable and put up with a lot of things that other bird of prey would not, such as even sitting on London buses on occasion, although Hector did mention that I was getting a bit close on one occasion.
Pretty cool, huh!
27/12/2022
Walking down towards Trafalgar Square the other day, I captured this striking image of one of London's most famous landmarks celebrating the success of one of England's most remarkable national heros, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, aka 1st Viscount Nelson.
Widely regarded as the greatest officer in the history of the Royal Navy, his statue stands proudly atop a 150ft (45m) column as the centrepiece of one of the most important and bustling squares in London commemorating the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805 which established the British navy's dominance at sea in the Napoleonic Wars over the fleets of France and Spain. In the bottom left hand corner, you can also see the silhouette of one of the green domes of The Admiralty building Extensions that overlook Horseguards Parade.
Whilst you can't make any of the famous four lions that surround the base of the column, you can see the equestrian statue of King George IV which was only supposed to have been placed there temporarily after his death as the square was being built.
When Nelson died at this famous battle, it was felt his body should be returned home for an official state funeral, rather than buried at sea. In order to preserve his body for the return voyage of several weeks, he was placed inside a cask of brandy lashed to the deck of the ship and by the time he made it back to the English shores, the cask was found to be empty as the the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the cask and drunk all the brandy/rum, a practice that has since come to be known as tapping the admiral.
Can't imagine it would have tasted that good, do you?
23/12/2022
I am now off for a couple of days to spend the holiday season with my family and loved ones on a beach and in the sunshine.
Before I leave, I wanted to wish all of my guests and friends - both old and new - Seasons Greetings and the Happiest of Happy Holidays.
And what better way to do it, than from inside the magnificent 'Diamond' Christmas Tree at Claridge's, designed by Sandra Choi for Jimmy Choo.
Hope to see you over in London again in the future!
18/12/2022
Atmospheric, moody & early start at the Tower of London this morning… 😍
20/10/2022
Loving these statues that have been placed around Leicester Square, celebrating some of the best known characters and film scenes in the centre of London's cinema land.
Dominating the eastern side of the square is the Odeon cinema, venue for major premiere launches and visiting Hollywood royalty; Tom Cruise can't keep away from the place.
Leicester Square is also home to the worlds' largest Lego store, the super instagrammable M&M's store and the flagship steak bake heavyweight Greggs store.
If you fancy something a bit more sophisticated and cool, check out The Londoner – the world's first super boutique hotel with its decadent rooftop izakaya bar, funky contemporary art dotted around an achingly stylish lobby.
18/10/2022
Thank you to Jonathan, one of our Security Beadles, who took this stunning picture of the Abbey at sunrise on a beautiful autumn morning a couple of weeks ago.
15/10/2022
Made it over to the newly opened and eye popping shopping and leisure complex inside Battersea Power Station yesterday.
Ever since I can remember, this decommissioned art deco masterpiece, larger than St Paul's Cathedral, has promised to be so many things all of which never came to fruition.
Acting as the centrepiece in the newly renovated area of Nine Elms, it looks stunning both during the day and illuminated at night and now you can take a trip to the top of the North West chimney for a brand spanking new 360-degree views of London's skyline.
🇬🇧
19/09/2022
On Her very last trip back home.
My next tour to Windsor Castle is in a couple of weeks, it will feel a little different I expect...
19/09/2022
Thinking of all my wonderful guests and the times we have spent together inside Westminster Abbey and around Buckingham Palace and the Mall.
We spoke about the day that this would happen, and now that day has arrived. 😢🥹
R.I.P.
19/09/2022
Final hair & makeup…check.
C’mon ladies…. SHOWTIME.
13/09/2022
Earlier this evening, as Her Majesty passed by my home on the way to hers….😔
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Videos
1st family outing for this doting couple of Egyptian Geese and their chicks. The parents pair for life and make quite a racket. Cute...
Some last minute practice sessions before the Big Day
Final hair & makeup…check. C’mon ladies…. SHOWTIME. . #queenelizabeth #royallondon #thequeen #londonlife #theroyalfamily #queenelizabethfuneral #hydeparkbarracks #householdcavalry
Earlier this evening, as Her Majesty passed by my home on the way to hers….😔
So, how cool is this (sound on!) Whilst researching an upcoming walk on Winston Churchill, I popped my head inside Farm Street Church which his bachelor pad looks onto, and was greeted with my very own recital. Well it felt like that anyway. The Church of the Immaculate Conception, to give it its correct name, is a Roman Catholic parish church run by the Society of Jesus in Mayfair. It has been around since 1849 and has the hand of some of the greats in its design, including Augustus Pugin who designed the high altar and mosaics by Salviati. Not only a beautiful church with sumptuous interiors, it is surrounded by a tranquil public garden with a variety of trees and places to sit. Worth taking a moment out of your day if you are in the area. #churchoftheimmaculateconception #winstonchurchill #mayfair #hamillsoflondontours #decoratedgothic #awnpugin #sauttercigars #londonchurches #mountstreetmayfair #londonlife #londongardensquares #eastermass #choralmusic
The magic of Big Ben
Up@at the top of the Eye, and the heavens opened. Sunny by the time we got down again....
Took a trip up to the top of Tower Bridge today
Tower Bridge is the one that everyone always thinks is London Bridge, understandably so due its very recognisable shape consisting of two towers and a higher walkway. London Bridge, next one up the Thames, is rather dull by comparison so easy to see why people make this error. Back in the 1890’s it presented an excellent solution to a very real problem, which was how to create a bridge that would allow tall ships to pass whilst allowing road traffic (ie horses) to cross. And this was pretty important because at any one time, there were around 3000 boats on the Thames at any one time, unlike now where the traffic consists of trash collection and passenger transport. The way around this was to create a bridge that could open when the lookout men saw a tall ship approaching, which was around 65 times a day back in 1865 when it opened. Nowadays that has been reduced to around twice a day. It takes around 90 seconds to raise the road and it still impresses as much today as it did yesteryear. And how cool is that to watch it through the glass ceiling of the upper walkway as I did earlier. Check it out... And just to clarify, Big Ben is an entirely different structure altogether even though it kind of looks as though it could be one of the towers. Also, the towers themselves are steel and clad in stone to make them look like mini castles. Neat, huh!
You wait ages for one regiment.....
.....and then two turn up at the same time. About 20 seconds in, the marching Coldstream guards (red plume in the bearskin gives that away) stop playing music so as not to spook the new Queens Life Guard who are on their way up to Horse Guards to replace the old Queens Guard. Unusually for today, there was musical accompaniment to the cavalry, which marks the beginning of the summer schedule of daily guard change.
Training session for Major General Parade / Trooping the Colour
Again cycling through Hyde Park on the way to the Van Gogh exhibition at Tate Britain, I was lucky enough to see this practice session taking place.
Little Venice is the name given to a picturesque neighbourhood of London centred around the meeting point of the Regent's Canal and the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal. It has a lovely feel with decorative houseboats and tree-lined walkways surrounding Browning's Island, a small island containing willows and wildfowl which was named after the poet Robert Browning who lived nearby. What I find thrilling is that just a short walk away you are in the midst of a major new development, the Paddington Basin with a mix of apartments, office space, bars and eateries, several of which overlook the canal and provide a wonderful backdrop in which to relax. Some superb modern architecture and features, including a floating park and a couple of kinetic bridges by designers including the brilliant Thomas Heatherwick who created a 'Rolling Bridge' which unfurls across the canal way and the 'Fan Bridge' which moves with the motion of a Japanese hand fan to allow vessels to pass. Think modern-day Tower Bridge, but for smaller boats. Various explanations for the origin of the name Little Venice are given, including Lord Byron (Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know) who first humorously compared the locale to Venice. Then others say it was down to Browning or some say it was Margery Allingham in her 1934 detective novel Death of a Ghost. Either way, it is a great way to combine both canal side venues including the Puppet Theatre Barge and the Waterside Café, all in the midst of traditional Regency white painted stucco terraced town houses with the vibrancy of cutting edge design by 'Starchitects' Terry Farrell and Partners and the Richard Rogers Partnership. Keep an eye out for the Brunel Building, currently under construction and slated for completion in 2019. I suspect one of those 'marmite' buildings – either you love it or you hate it. Watch this space.
A cycle down Portobello Road
Took an early morning cycle down my local high street of Portobello Road, before all the hoards of people start arriving to check out, amongst other things, the largest antiques market in the world. Excuse the dodgy camera work as I was on my bicycle so riding one handed. I meant to finish the thing with a shot of The Blue Door as seen in the famous 1999 movie, Notting Hill. However I overshot it and the sun was in my eye, so ended up focussing on the door next to it. Ooops! Still, you get the idea. I love doing tours around my local neighbourhood, so drop me a line and let's sort something out... #portobelloroad #nottinghill #portobelloroadmarket
Thunderous arrival of the troops of the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillary as they deliever the 6 13-pounder field guns that will take the Queens Salute.
Two days, two parks, two gun salutes. Not bad, eh
Band of the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
Just because I don't think it is humanly possible to get enough of marching bands, here is a clip from earlier on today of the band of the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillary on its way to accompany the 41 gun salute that always takes place on the occasion of the birthday of Her Majesty. Later on they were playing Skyfall by Adele and a couple of Michael Jackson numbers. Sweet.
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