Down to the tube - I love the London Underground!...
..and out at Westminster. It's not even 8:00 and look...
..a bride and groom taking wedding photos...That's an early start! But a great backdrop for their photos. When I looked back, their creative photographer was down by the water standing on a tiny pylon, gesturing wildly for them to move this way or that. I do wonder if he stayed in dry land. And if he didn't, did he throw his presumably expensive camera back to safety as he fell?
I had googled Westminster Abby and breakfast to find places nearby to eat. And it came up with its own cafe so that's where I headed - the Cellarium Cafe - I'm guessing named as it's in the cellars, tucked in behind the Abby itself.
I decided to try something other than eggs and went with the French toast brioche with mixed berry compote and yoghurt and it was amazingly good - should try new stuff more often. Loved the old crockery and old cutlery with bone knives.
Westminster Abby Right Royal connection - the wedding of Charles and Di.
Then it's a short walk up to the Royal Mall along St James Park. The Chinese President was here on a state visit so the street is lined with British and Chinese flags.
Walked through St James Park. It is a beautiful park, lots of bird life.
Popped into the loos and it cost 20p to go in! And the hand driers were so low on the wall I had to lean over to get my hands under - not well designed.
Up to Buckingham Palace and Lizzie is at home. Lots of people around, taking photos and selfies. I'm trying to find the entrance for the Royal Mews and can't find it. There are two armed guards on one of the gates and I approach them slowly and ask if I'm allowed to talk to them. They say yes, so I move forward towards them but get waved back - can't cross that threshold. No worries, I'll stay behind the line.
How happy do you think these blokes are to go to work every day??
Around to get a ticket and in we go - the Royal Mews are all that is open at this time of year but I was more than happy to visit here. Through security, my shoes set off the beeper thing as they have done at the airports. And sit for a bit to wait for the first tour.
Samuel is our guide and he is great! Full of information and funny at the same time. We start at the exhibition stables where Storm and Claudia are stabled. They are both Windsor Greys, born grey, become white and are exclusive for the queen.
Then into the Mews - which are called mews instead of stables because they originally housed the hunting birds and their accomodations were called mews (the shedding of feathers was called mewing). The horses were brought down (can't remember why - might have been the war), the horses and birds didn't get on and they moved the birds and the horses stayed and the name 'mews' stayed. Or something like that!
It is a working location, not a museum so this is a common sight. The horses are exercised regularly, they run around Hyde Park and have duties like the mail run. Apparently one day Muhammad Ali ran with them - for a workout.
And there are living quarters all around, for staff who work extreme hours, like grooms, who start at 4am.
We went through to the carriages. First up was the Irish Carriage. Their decorations all have the rose (for England), thistle (for Scotland) and the shamrock (for Ireland). There is no flower for Wales (much to their disgust) as it's only a province. The Irish Carriage also has palm trees to indicate India, as it was considered part of the empire.
The next carriage was the Glass Carriage - used most often for royal weddings - including Diana. It is really quite small - can't imagine that dress squishing into there. This is Samuel.
Then it's the Diamond Jubilee State Coach - designed by an Australian - I remember we ran stories on this. It's the modern version of a coach - still very ornate and plush, but with airconditioning, suspension, and a laptop that pops up inside. He also added a leek to the flowers in the design, to represent Wales - with the Queen's approval, of course.
The door handle is the most expensive of all handles - it's set with diamonds and sapphires. There are only handles on the outside of the coaches - the Queen doesn't have to open a door! The crown at the top of the carriage has crown-cam - the footage taken by crown-cam plays on the laptop inside the carriage so for the first time ever, the Queen can see what it's like ahead - not just on the sides. They have a TV set up showing some crown-cam...
Through to the saddlery where one guy polishes all the saddles, all day. Each horse has its own equipment and it must always be ready to go. So he starts at one end and by the time he's polished them all, it's time to start again. A gift from Obama (and America) is kept here - horse bits for riding - they call them Obama's bits and they leave them here and officially thank any Americans on the tour.
Then it's through to the old stables, which aren't used today as they don't pass animal regulations. The horses are brought in here at Christmas though and Her Majesty comes in with a groom who holds a tray of sugar and carrots and she gives each horse their Christmas gift. She also names all of the horses, after places she's been (there was a Melbourne) or events of the year (Storm) or just because, as Samuel said, Disney is for any age (Cinderella).
The last thing to be seen on the tour is the very impressive gold coach that requires eight horses to pull it and is used for the most grand ceremonies - like the Queen's coronation.
It is huge and apparently extremely uncomfortable - they hate riding in it. It has no suspension and jolts about worse than a boat on rough seas. And the block halfway up the rear wheel is the only brake. The footman would have to start applying the brake exactly half a mile before needing to stop. It is the only carriage without a seat for the footmen at the back, but it only goes four miles an hour so the footmen just walk along with it.
The royal riding school is on the way out. It's use to exercise the horses and young members of the royal family learned to ride there.
Royal Mews Right Royal connection - there's nothing much more royal than being in Buckingham Palace when the Queen is at home.
Next stop on the Right Royal day is Kensington Palace - hadn't been here before. Train to Kenginston High Street and then a bit of a walk.
Not what I expected - not sure what I expected but this wasn't it! Beautiful gardens though...
I didn't go inside - it was £17.50 and didn't have great reviews.
Kensington Palace Right Royal connection - Diana and the boys lived here.
Next was the Diana Memorial playground. Went up to it and there's a notice saying...
No entry to adults without children! I nearly went up to a mother and asked if I could be her friend for half an hour, then I heard the massive amount of children's voices screaming and yelling coming from within and I was actually quite happy that I couldn't go in.
Memorial Playgrn Right Royal connection (even though I couldn't get in) - Princess Diana
Pretty tired by now so it's time for a coffee and a sit down before moving on. So I'm sitting there, sipping coffee and resting the feet when a mass of children come out from the park to sit at all the tables around me to have their lunch! Talk about loud...! The girls screamed every time a pigeon came near them - which was a lot - and the boys were almost as bad. Drink coffee and go!
Another walk - this time up to Notting Hill - love the area and love the movie. And I wanted to find the market, the shop (it's a gift shop - never was a travel book shop) and the blue door of his apartment...
Notting Hill Right Royal connection - um... Rumour has it that Hugh Grant (from the movie Notting Hill) was offered and turned down Colin Firth's role in The King's Speech so he would have played a king...
Finally made it home and it's mid afternoon - that's been a lot of walking! Take a short break and then head out along Oxford Street to another vegetarian recommendation - Mildred's - for a late lunch/early dinner - mushroom and ale pie with chips and mushy peas.
How very British!
Then I have just enough time to have a quick lie down before heading out to the theatre - tonight, the play Teddy Ferrara at the Donmar Warehouse.
It's a small space and the play and the performances were exceptional - the story of a guy setting up a LGBT group at uni and events that unfold around that. I had been sitting up the top but FOH came and asked if I'd like to move into an empty seat down in the stalls, so I got a great seat. And the play was amazing. But not right or royal at all...
No comments:
Post a Comment