London: Part Two
Our first palace experience was Windsor Castle on a day trip
out of London to there, Stonehenge and Bath. It was suitably splendid and we
wandered the hallways full of wonder as room after room of glittering treasure
presented itself to us. No member of the royal family was present at any of the
venues we visited during the fortnight as they were ensconced at Sandringham,
as is tradition, over the Christmas period.
We were on a mild time leash owing to the bus departure, which saved us
poring over various gilt and porcelain which one of our party had no interest
in whatsoever(!) We motored on through the English countryside, past the regal
meadows of Ascot racecourse, through rolling hills in the shadow of Wales
through to the amazing architectural wonders of Bath. The cathedral shone, but
the history of the baths themselves transported us back to Roman times. A
tasteful restoration hit just the right note and we felt like plunging into the
restorative waters after hearing and reading about their powers. After
literally walking over Arthur Phillip's grave in Westminster Cathedral, we were
fascinated to see his house in Bath just off the stunning Bath Circus, where
the famous and infamous have been housed over centuries: apparently Kevin Bacon
is a current resident!
We did the obligatory visit to Buckingham Palace, after
picking a day and time when we might witness the changing of the guard. A
searing blue sky was a rare backdrop for crisp photos and videos and the huge
crowd seemed to be heavy with folk of European and Asian extraction, which
momentarily surprised us a little. The pomp was prodigious and the milieu
majestic as sergeants bellowed, horses pranced and sabres rattled, much to the
delight of the assembled throng.
A few
days later we had an entirely different experience at Kensington Palace, home
of the young royals and famous domicile of the dour, then mourning, Queen
Victoria. After wandering through exquisite gardens and beside pretty lakes,
being entertained by cute and bold squirrels along the way, the palace itself
was a haven of understated elegance and beauty. It held yet more wondrous
displays of decadent wealth, but also iconic outfits worn by Princesses
Margaret, Diana and the young Victoria. Again, one member of our party was held
captive by these displays more than another!
The home of cricket, Lords, was on our itinerary of course.
We emerged from the Tube at Baker Street and couldn't help singing the Gerry
Rafferty song as we strolled past Sherlock Holmes's imaginary digs and onward
to the hallowed turf. Our English guide seemed perturbed by the Antipodean
majority in the small group and couldn't help ignoring the latest Ashes win to
instead laud the British success at the London Olympics…incessantly! He had
some great tales from the Long Room and the change rooms over the years and it
was a thrill to be in the same spot as all the greats. Maybe we sat in
Bradman's seat, or Tendulkar's, or Lillee's or….?! The tour was awesome and
next time we sit down to watch the Ashes from Lords, we'll be able to transport
ourselves back to all those special places.
Strawberries and cream and a glass of bubbly definitely
weren’t on the menu in the middle of winter, but after another long ride on the
Tube, we walked through the Southside
commons to the royal palace of tennis itself, Wimbledon. Wandering the
great courts, the outside areas, Henman's Hill and the media centre was a
thrill, but centre court with the scoreboard frozen on the last winner's score
was epic. We soaked it all up and strolled through the museum to pose with the
men's and women's trophies as well.
Leaping to our feet, dancing up and down in a tribal, almost
hypnotic fervor, yelling our heads off as the roof nearly lifted from the
stadium, and then pouring scorn on the now silent opposition huddle at the far
end of the ground….had we lost our minds? Perhaps, momentarily we had! We were
participating in the tribal fever that is English Premier League football at
Loftus Road on the outskirts of London as Queen's Park Rangers just jettisoned
a surprise long range shot at goal into the back of the Swansea net. "Come
on you Rs!" Having booked online and only scraping a couple of tickets
together by the fact it was New Year's Day: all other games were sold out weeks
in advance. Of course there were a few seats in the cloistered "away"
team's area, but no way were we going to sit in those! It was an amazing
experience all-round. Having tickets checked to make sure we were home
supporters at a local pub. Police riot cavalry with horses armoured and ready.
Hot dog stands and pints of lager in plastic cups. Seats with only enough
legroom if you spread your legs around the seat in front. A chanting, singing, boisterous crowd so
passionate about their teams. An unforgettable experience!
A clunky segue, but nonetheless, an equally unforgettable,
yet completely different experience was the wonder of Stonehenge. I've been
fascinated with this ancient edifice ever since I first read about it in our
"Childcraft" encyclopedias, (Cass has a not wildly inaccurate theory
that most of my general knowledge comes from this well pored over set of
reference books…..thanks Mum and Dad!)and have always wanted to see it. A new
visitor centre was built last year and the old one demolished, meaning just
tiny, non-disturbing shuttle buses are now the only transport to get anywhere
near the stones. It has been magnificently protected in recent years and apart
from the disconcerting presence of the motorway in the near distance, we were
able to transport ourselves back through the eons to when it was built. To
actually see it up close was mind-blowing. I was, and still am to some extent,
lost for words. Suffice to say, we wandered, contemplated, gazed and
photographed to our heart's content before the bus again beckoned us away and
onwards.
On not a few occasions, we tripped around the gaily festooned
and heavily humaned areas of Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Soho and
Charing Cross. Like seagulls to a hot chip, Londoners seem drawn to the
excitement and palpable energy of this precinct. We were drawn by Tube
transfers, eating out, cinemas, rock and roll tours and the most glittering
London prize of all, the West End Show! We'd collected our tickets to the Book
Of Mormon in the late afternoon after a recommendation from our English friend
and school's "drama queen", Georgina, who cut through the myriad of
offerings to reveal this show as the current "must-see" on the West
End. We strolled through the Leicester Square Christmas Market, smelled the hot
fudge, browsed the trinkets and heard the discordant sounds of the brightly lit,
ornately decorated Merry-Go-Round, before going to see "The Imitation
Game" as a preview to our show. After the cinema, we wandered down to Her
Majesty's where we were ushered to our seats in the same theatre where, in
1964, John Lennon famously quipped, "Rattle your Jewelry" to the
Queen, and were treated to over two hours of non-stop laughs and entertainment.
The cast were so polished and talented and our seats in the 4th row
meant we were right there in the thick of things. It was quite the experience
for we self-confessed production-a-phobes to be totally and utterly blown away
by a live production……a real rarity and a special, special treat!
On other occasions we were led on a rock and roll walking
tour through Soho and Saville Row and Carnaby Street with tiny lanes,
courtyards and spots of interest along the way all included in a mesmerizing journey
through time. We saw the rehearsal spaces of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix's
first and last gig in London, various clubs, pubs and nightclubs as well as the
spot for the famous 1967 Beatle's on the rooftop concert at Apple Studios. Trident Studios held
the piano that recorded many of rock's great anthems by Bowie, Queen, The
Beatles and many others. It was another giddy jaunt down alleys of the mind we
didn't expect to travel!
What a magical couple of weeks it was. The Thames meandered
through the whole journey, as we crisscrossed the river from bank to bank, nestled
canalside at King's Cross in week one or riverside in week two at Brick Lane.
The Clash's London Calling, "down by the river" reverberated from
Loftus Road Stadium as a pulsing anthem to Queen's Park Rangers all the way
through our trip. We traipsed the cobblestones riverside at the Borough Market
and soaked up Shakespearian sonnets at the Globe on reclaimed riverland. We bathed
in art at the Tate, Coulthard and the National Gallery and even travelled to
Greenwich, got giddy on the Eye, wandered in Whitehall and Westminster and
pounded pints and pies in the pubs: all within a stone's throw of the great
waterway.
I sincerely hope The Clash call us back sometime…we'll
answer in the affirmative!