Final day in London - celebrated in style!

My last day in London was also my birthday. Claire had planned a special day months in advance so it turned out! Breakfast in bed at a respectable mid morning hour set the scene. After opening cards (from Australia and from her and Alan), reading emails and taking phone calls from my other children at home in Hobart, Claire suggested that jeans would not be appropriate attire for what she had planned for the day.

Being a dutiful and obedient mother (!) I unpacked my one and only slightly dressier outfit. The weather had turned grey so we were back to warmer clothes and coats. After a short bus trip on the 74 we arrived in Knightsbridge where Claire steered me into the champagne nail bar at Harvey Nichols for us to both have manicures. Claire had prepared me for this by keeping my nails painted since I arrived in England (a rarity for me) and reassuring me that dark nail colour looks really good on slightly older women! My colour is appropriately Picadilly Circus. Just as well there is not much gardening to do at this time of the year.

After that little piece of luxury Alan joined us and we proceeded to High Tea at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone Road. The setting was just lovely - a palm filled atrium with grand piano music playing at just the right level from a mezanine balcony. We began with champagne and then tea or coffee to accompany cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches which were followed by little French pastries and English cakes. After this they brought out scones with jam and double cream! A little birthday cake with accompanying Happy Birthday on the piano finished off the occasion. Needless to say the cake was packaged up for later and none of us needed much in the way of an evening meal.

What a lovely thoughtful set of birthday treats - our route even went past a few new pubs to take my final total to 155 - such a nicer number than 153 as it would have been.

I am nearly home having completed the longest leg of the journey - 13 hours from London to Singapore. There is a brief stop here before proceeding on to Sydney which is an 8 hour flight. Movies on demand from on own personal screen certainly make a difference to these long flights.
Qantas seems to have undergone a couple of changes since the trip over in March. In particular, laptop computers no longer have to be taken out of bags when you go through security at Heathrow.

Must go - QF32 bound for Sydney is boarding.

Wrought iron obsession

I love wrought iron. There is something about the material and the designs it inspires that resonates strongly with me. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the Victoria and Albert museum has a gallery dedicated to wrought iron. Unfortunately my camera battery was flat at the time so I do not have any photos of this marvellous collection.

My fascintation with pub signs also extends to their wrought iron hangers which range from the very plain (eg The Malt House, Fulham Broadway) to highly ornate (see The Mitre, Greenwich).

I have photographed many examples during this trip both in the UK and in Europe.


A selection is provided here in a web gallery. It includes examples of shop signs, lamposts, window boxes, gates and other architectural features.

Big Ben is a beautiful sight at night

I know I know, it's such a cliche! But Big Ben really is a beautiful structure. Today turned into a gorgeous afteroon and after dinner I hopped on the 211 bus as a way of getting to Westminster to see some of the sights by floodlight.

After leaving the bus at the London Eye stop (that was also impressive at night) I walked across Westminster Bridge back towards Sloane Square. I took some photos but they are not very good.

You cannot help but admire the clocktower and clockface. I heard it strike 11:00 from quite closeby and felt the reverberation of each strike - a feeling I won't forget.

Chelsea Flower Show

I've now added the Chelsea Flower Show to my "been there, done that" list. The show gardens were inspiring and many of the trade exhibits gave me lots of new ideas to apply in my own garden.

Claire's work's garden (The Savills Garden) won a gold medal and how fitting for me that it was themed on gardening and art inspired by the Tate Modern!

Claire joined me after work and we wandered carrying the obligatory Pimms. I also enjoyed the many floral window displays around Sloane Square and in Sloane Street itself - Sloane in Bloom.

My favourite show gardens were

• The Laurent-Perrier garden (Gold and Best in Show)


• Garden in the silver moonlight (Silver)


• The Marshall's garden that kids really want (Silver)


• Jamie Drurie's Australian Garden (Gold)


• Daylesford's Organic Summer Solstice (Silver gilt)


• The Daily Telegraph Garden (Gold)


• The Reflective Garden (Silver gilt)

I was inspired by the courtyard gardens which measured about 3m x 4m

• Mist-placed - the appeal of ruins


• Princess Moon - East Wind II - plant arrangements


• 42 Catherine St - use of recycled materials

Photo gallery (to come)

Day trip to Bath

Yesterday I travelled by train to Bath to spend the day there. As the train approached I had a building sense of anticipation as the stone villages started to appear and the countryside became increasingly green and picturesque. I was not disappointed. As soon as I got out of the train and glimpsed my surroundings, I was hooked. I had that same feeling that Greenwich gave me and it echoes the special feelings evoked on my last trip by Cambridge, Oxford and Stamford. There is something about the combination of stone, cobblestones, leafy surrounds and classic architecture that resonates strongly with me.

My day in Bath was one of ongoing delight and discovery. I took in two tours on the open top bus - around the city and into the surrounding hills which was a good way to get an overview in limited time. I did not think to take my ticket from the equivalent tour in Rome to get my discount - damn!

I didn't do any of the other touristy things (eg Roman Baths, Jane Austen centre) as I preferred to spend my time walking around the city and getting a feel for it. I had a coffee break at a tiny cafe on the bridge which was special and I had dinner at Sally Lunn's teahouse (early bird special - two courses and glass of wine for 10 pounds) which was a timely reviver before heading back to London on the train.

I really hope to return there one day - I could see myself living and working there for a few months perhaps.

King Bladud's pigs
Oh the pig - it is one of 100 that are part of a current festival to do with the Bath legend of King Bladud. The King Bladud's pigs will be auctioned for charity later in the year.

Bath photos
A selection of my 200 photos are in an online album!

Pub sign update #2

With only 1 week of my holiday left, the pub sign count stands at well over 100 pub signs.

Recent additions include

125 The Marlborough Head, Baker Street
126 The Coach and Horses, Greenwich
127 Kings Arms, Victoria
129 Ye Old Watling, Bow Lane, St Paul's
130 Williamson's Tavern, Bow Lane, St Paul's
131 The Hatchet, Bow Lane, St Paul's
132 Birreria Viennese, Rome
133 The Beauchamp, South Kensington
134 The Bunch of Grapes, Knightsbridge, South Kensington

135 The Railway Tavern, Staplehurst, Kent
136 The Kings Head, Staplehurst, Kent
137 The Bell Inn, Staplehurst, Kent
138 The Lamb, Staplehurst, Kent

139 Courage Ale House, Bath
140 Rising Sun, Bath
141 The Volunteer Rifleman's Arms, Bath
142 Coeur de Lion, Bath
143 The Grapes, Bath
144 The Raven, Bath
145 Saracen's Head, Bath

The collection so far is at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/PubSigns2008

The Lion King in the West End

Last evening, after such a wonderful day in Kent, I returned to London and decided to see if there were any theatre tickets left. I walked direct from Charing Cross station to Covent Garden and there before my eyes was a side door to the Lyceum Theatre. It was meant to be! Five minutes before the curtain went up I purchased a good ticket to see The Lion King and it was fabulous. I have seen many musicals but this was something quite unique.

Sissinghurst Castle magic

Yesterday I took the train to Kent to visit Sissinghust Castle Garden - a long awaited treat. With my holiday drawing to an end, I have left the gardens as far as possible into May and must now see what I want to see regardless of the weather. Although overcast, there was no rain and no wind so it was very pleasant for wandering around a large garden. Apparently Friday is not generally busy at Sissinghurst and that was the case yesterday as well. Pictures speak louder than words though one picture cannot ever convey the spirit of a garden. As well as enjoying the magnificent vistas and individual garden rooms, there were many interesting things in the form of individual plants and flowers. Further, I was inspired by a variety of ideas that could be adapted for my own garden back at home.

See photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/sissinghurst

The trip to Kent involved a train to Staplehurst and then a transfer bus. I had an hour to spare waiting for the bus so I walked into the village of Staplehurst and found some lovely houses, gardens and a few pubs:

135 The Railway Tavern (Staplehurst, Kent)
136 The Kings Head (Staplehurst, Kent)
137 The Bell Inn (Staplehurst, Kent)
138 The Lamb (Staplehurst, Kent)

The Gherkin

On Thursday I had a real treat - taken out to lunch by two handsome young men (2 engineers aka Alan and his sister's partner James) in the top of the 'Gherkin' - one of London's relatively new architectural icons.

See 30 St Mary Axe (Wikipedia) and BBC News article for more detailed information about the building.

The only people who can enter there are exclusive club members and staff who can also take visitors. James' firm has offices in the Gherkin so he qualifies to take visitors to lunch.

It was a real treat - the views were simply breathtaking and the food was good too! The building itself is an engineering marvel and the geometry superb in its simplicity. The photo gallery gives some idea. I don't think I need to go on the London Eye after this unique experience - thanks James and Alan!