I'd pre-booked a tour of the US Capitol Building a few weeks before we travelled to Washington, DC. It's one of those buildings that's instantly recognisable, probably because of its similarity to the magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral ... and seven series of West Wing.The tours are free and last around an hour, maybe a little … Continue reading Washington, DC | The Capitol Building
Washington, DC is awash with world-class museums and the majority of them are free to enter. The Smithsonian runs a large proportion of them and their buildings occupy large blocks on either side of the National Mall, so they are easy to find. Air and Space Museum: This Museum is part of the Smithsonian setup … Continue reading Washington, DC | Museums
I've always thought that Lord Trenchard had a warped sense of humour when he founded the Royal Air Force on 1st April, 1918. The centenary has been on my radar for a while, obviously, and throughout March I attempted to gather up any photos of me in my uniform. Of course, because I served in … Continue reading The RAF at 100
Sadly, the UK has just one national chain of bookshops left. Thankfully, there are numerous independent bookshops around the country that are managing to hang on and keep their doors open; London has some real gems. Here are three of my favourite: John Sandoe Books can be found just off the King's Road in Chelsea (nearest Tube: … Continue reading London’s Independent Bookshops
St James's is bounded to the north by Piccadilly, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall and St. James's Park and to the east by Haymarket. Post Second World War, the area became predominantly commercial but, as is happening in large swathes of Central London, it's slowly becoming a home for the very wealthy, with … Continue reading Weekday Walks | St. James’s
On Saturday afternoon, we attended an event at the Royal Albert Hall. An event that was somewhat marred by The Boy Child's attitude to a new experience. (More of what the new experience was, and his reaction to it, at a later date.) On Sunday, to round off half-term, we had a family outing to … Continue reading This Weekend I …
Here's the thing ... I was so engrossed by what I was looking at, I forgot to take many photos. Surely that's the sign of a great museum? The Churchill War Rooms (formerly known as the Cabinet War Rooms) can be found in a subterranean bunker in Westminster, and it's here that Winston Churchill and his wartime … Continue reading Churchill War Rooms
In order to beat the long queues, we headed into town early on Saturday. Our destination was the Churchill War Rooms in Westminster (there'll be a full post on our visit later this month). Perhaps unsurprisingly, thanks to this film, they are now featuring highly on visitors' must-see lists.From there, and after stops for a … Continue reading Over the Weekend
... nearly ran out of steam in my role as Family's Entertainment Officer. Neither Plans A or B for Saturday came to fruition thanks to a combination of wet weather, 'emergency' road works and long queues. Plan C was simply a walk around St. James's Park, lunch in a coffee shop and a new magazine. It … Continue reading This Weekend I …
Cliveden is assured of its place in British history, but for all the wrong reasons. The house is now a rather smart hotel; the gardens, however, belong to the National Trust and are open to the public all year round.There are 375 acres of gardens. Can you imagine the size of the gardening staff back in the … Continue reading Cliveden
